It was officially the start of the new season last Monday which meant the return of the Monday Stableford, writes John Barnard.

Always a very popular competition, played of the yellow tees. Usually at the start of the season the course plays a little harder, no preferred lies in the rough, greens a little less true than later in the year etc.

However, this didn’t seem to affect Mark Laird as he scored a magnificent 45 points to win by eight clear points.

He didn’t have a great start but he picked up gear after he birdied the difficult ninth hole and then rattled off a number of pars and birdied the seventeenth as well.

A bogie on the last was the only real disappointment.

Trailing in Mark’s wake were Geoff Lory and Paul Renken. Both scored 37 points, but Geoff had a better back nine, complements of three pars and no disasters to take second. Paul’s best scoring was on the front nine when he had a couple of birdies, on the first and the fourth.

This Monday’s stableford was won by Malcolm Cauldwell who scored 38 points.

It was a steady round, 19 points out and 18 back with a birdie on the tenth to enjoy.

Terry Jones was second with 36 points, winning on countback from Geoff Lory, making an excellent comeback from his recent injuries.

Terry didn’t have a great start but a one over gross back nine was enough to get him second.

Geoff birdied the tenth but a couple of double bogies and a bogie on the last just cost him a place.