The Macmillan Golf Day

On Sunday 27th August the 8th Annual Macmillan Golf Tournament was played at the Bull Bay Golf Club near Amlwch. The weather was better than the previous year when it was overcast and blowing a gale. This year it was bright and sunny almost all the way through. I do not play golf but I was there as Secretary of the Macmillan Cancer Support, Anglesey Committee. I had been allocated the job of driving a golf buggy with supplies from the clubhouse to the hospitality tent by the 10th green. However, I was first asked to sell raffle tickets as the teams arrived. Shortly afterwards I was transferred to the stand in post of starter for the teams setting out from the first green.

This, then, was my job for the rest of the day. As each team set out Annwen Williams took a photo of them and I read the rules out. So it was that I met each team who had paid to play golf for the Macmillan charity. What a happy and cherful crowd they were! Two teams had come all the way from the midlands to play golf in Anglesey. One early team of four included two doctors at the local surgery where I am a patient. I cannot imagine what Drs Owen and King thought as they both played dreadful tee shots which didn't travel more than twenty feet with a patient looking on! Dr Owen simply described it sarcastically as "an illustrious start".

Later in the day I found that one of the players was Arwel Griffiths from whom we bought our bungalow in Penysarn. I was there over 12 hours without a break and enjoyed every minute of it. I had watched the approaching date with dread as I wondered how I would get through 12 hours involved in a sport of which I had no knowledge.

At the end of the day the prizes were presented by the Captain and Lady Captain of the club. The organiser, Richard Butler, stood up to say thankyou to everone who had played a part in the proceedings. He had worked very hard in the months leading upto the day getting sponsors, selling raffle tickets, getting customers in his hairdressing salon to bake cakes etc. But he reached a point of embarrassment as he received a prize as part of the winning mixed team! This had been a special day when we had even had a player hole out in one.

The day was part of the Bank Holiday weekend when across the road there was a longboat race being held. This meant I had the chance to see the longboats being rowed across Bull Bay and back. The wind was in their favour on the way out but when they returned it was against them and they strained as they made headway over the waves. Many people were putting in a great effort on Sunday!

All in all it was the sort of one would remember for a long time. Many people had worked hard and loved doing it. They had done their bit to help a worthy cause, Glod bless them. It was a reminder that life may be hard but it can also be fun.