We are greatly indebted to Mr H Sutcliffe who was club president from 1956 to 1958. Shortly before his sad death expressed a desire to present a President's Prize Trophy and in 1958 this was carried out by his widow and the competition has been played for annually ever since.

On Saturday our current President Joe Daniels - who has been a club member for 34 years - generously gave all the players taking part in this year's President's Prize Competition a special golf ball to mark the occasion.

The first round of this year's 36-hole major was played in surprisingly fine weather on Saturday and, although the course was rather wet, conditions were generally better than expected - just the seasonal hollow-tining and top dressing which made our chaps' putting slightly more difficult than usual.

Hollow-tining is the practice of sinking a hollow steel tine into the green surface and removing the plug of grass and soil. This is then deposited temporarily on the surface and then removed and the topdressing is spread and worked in. The aim of this is to aerate the green, allowing air down to the grass roots. It also reduces any compaction the green has sustained.

The only snag is when you are lining your putt after the tining all those little holes do tend to send one a little dizzy - well that's my excuse anyway!

Clearly this didn't put off some of our chaps as topping the leader board after the first round are David Haughton and Dan Fielden with 40 points. Andy Barker, Rod Hunt and Dave Stafford are all lying in third position with 37 points.

There were five "2's" and they were attained by Alan Dickinson, Kevin Johnson, Terry Makin - I don't know if you've noticed but our Terry does get an awful lot of "2's", maybe it's because he's captain elect! Whatever the reason my spies assure me that he hasn't actually bought any golf balls yet this year because he just keeps winning them!

The remaining "2's" were attained by Paul Snook and Terry Taylor.

Watch this space for the final results of the 2008 President's Prize next week and just who is going to be crowned the winner of the Grand Treasure Hunt!

Stafford's union success

There was success for Dave Stafford in his first match for the Halifax, Huddersfield & District Union of Golf Clubs against Harrogate and District Union at Bradley Park Golf Club.

Dave won his singles match helping the Halifax and Huddersfield Union team to overall victory. Dave is in fact the first man from Todmorden Golf Club in 20 years to be selected for the Union and has been selected again for the match against Sheffield and District Union which will be played at Meltham Golf Club early in September.

Halifax Huddersfield and District Rabbits Golf Association League

It's certainly tight in the Halifax, Huddersfield and District Rabbits Golf Association League.

Unfortunately the last match of the season was postponed due to the weather and course conditions.