Golfing grandmother Joan Waples has rolled back the years to win two trophies in a month at the golf club she’s been a member of for almost 45 years.
Mum-of-three and five times a grandmother, Joan joined Leighton Buzzard’s Plantation Road club in 1975, and was Captain of the club’s Ladies Section seven years later.
Now at the age of 78, Joan is enjoying one of her most successful seasons on the course, having won the coveted Rosewear Bowl for a third time, just weeks after finishing top at the competitive Spring Meeting, winning with a nett 74.
“I’m really enjoying my golf at the moment; winning is a real bonus,” says Joan, no stranger to the winning enclosure over the years, adding: “The late and much respected Maurice Leslie gave me coaching lessons in the early days. He was renowned for his golf swing, and some of that must have rubbed off.”
In her early golfing years, Joan played off a handicap of 12 which has now risen to 28. Sons Tim and Paul are also excellent golfers.
She has other hobbies too, is a Grade 6 classical pianist, is a member of the Wing Singers choir and a committee member of the Leighton Buzzard music club.
Anne Tilbury and Sandra Bellis teamed up to win Leighton Ladies Ping fourball competition, and are now waiting to hear whether they will qualify to compete in the regional finals of the national competition. Their 43 point haul beat Elsa King and Barbara Bradley by a shot.
Leighton’s inter-club and senior section teams are having a sweet-n-sour season. After defeats against Buckingham, John O’Gaunt and Ellesborough, skipper Robbie John’s Club team toppled Bedfordshire and Aspley Guise before carding a 5-1 win against Beds & County. Wins by Robbie and Dharm Diwakar, Mark Reynolds and Billy O’Neill, Simon Enright and Steve Schmidt and a half by Ada Stephenson and Phil Coumb secured victory over Aspley Guise, while wins by Robin Lawes and Jon Dymock, Phil Coumbe and Stephen Schmidt, Andrew Ashall and John Preston, Ian Rimmer and Andrew Mcdonald and Graham Freer and Simon Rossiter secured the victory over Beds & County..
Peter Myrants Senior squad have not yet lost at home – but have yet to win away. Only skipper Myrants and Graham Pellow, and Martin Broadley and Terry Wright won for Leighton in a 5-2 defeat at Buckingham, with Tim Martin and Denis Leitch halving their match. And they went down 4-3 at John O’Gaunt, with wins by Keith Griffiths and Graham Robinson, and Tim Martin and Mike Turnock supported by halves by skipper Myrants and Gerry Ferris, John Bettle and Martin Broadley and Derek Read and Ian Rimmer.
Captain Myrants’ home fortunes continued on Wednesday when he won the Seniors Tucker Cup with 43 points, beating Nigel Barnes by a shot. Denis Leitch, Derek Browning and Robbie John led a chasing pack with 40 point, one clear of David Roffe and Jeff Wood.
PICTURE CAPTION:
Joan Waples with the Rosewear trophy presented by Ladies Captain Carmen White-Lawes (left)