Frank Nicholls, a retired company director from Burbage, will be the new club captain at Marlborough, writes ERNIE NEWELL.

He was elected at this week's annual meeting and will drive himself into office as successor to Alistair Baldwin on Sunday, April 1.

Frank has been associated with the 119-year-old club since 1974 and was chairman of the development committee responsible for building the club's revolutionary three-tier "Avebury-style" clubhouse in 1987.

He will have as his vice-captain retiring seniors' skipper Richard Pickles, from Marlborough.

Another Marlborough golfer, former club captain Malcolm Hardstaff, is the new seniors' captain.

New women's skipper, Julia Pracey, started her year in office in November.

Robert Hill continues as president, Barry Reardon Smith remains chairman and Jean Piercey is still treasurer.

A pleasant ceremony took place at the meeting when Marlborough octogenarian John O'Keeffe was made an honorary life member in recognition of his 70-year association with the club.

John started golf at Marlborough in 1937 when he became assistant to professional Bob Redmond straight from school.

"I wanted to be a telegram boy but the Post Office wouldn't have me because I was half an inch too short," he says.

"I'd done a bit of caddying at the club and when the job came up I jumped at it.

"I was the dogsbody. I worked six days a week for 4s (20p) to start with and finished up earning 6s (30p).

"We had to muck in with the greenkeepers. It was my job to rod the greens after they'd been cut, and rake the bunkers."

Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, John joined the Merchant Navy, spent six years at sea and never resumed his professional career.

He opened a grocery shop in Marlborough, which he ran until 1973 and then went back to sea as a senior coxswain on the QE2.

He was twice club captain in 1955 and 1956 and club champion in 1968.

John, who is in his 84th year, still plays regularly at the club and has a handicap of 13.

Nineteen-handicap Simon Adams carded the best score of 43 points in the last of Ogbourne Downs' February stablefords. It gave him a one-point victory in Division Three (19-28) over Jim Tierney (20).

Division One (0-12): Graham Loxton (9) 41pts, Cliff Anger (11) 41pts, Mark Bowles (11) 41pts; Division Two (13-18): Tony Hughes (14) 41pts, Vince Welsh (17) 39pts, Ray Cole (18) 38pts.

Terry Bolton and Colin Howe won the 15th of Carswell's 16-round Winter League with 41 stableford points.

Clive Himpson and Tim Sheard were second with 40 and Al Biggins and Steve Smith third with 39.

North Wilts golfers were out in force to welcome their new club captain Pete Taylor into office in the annual captains' drive-In at the Bishops Cannings course.

A total of 140 golfers from all sections of the club took part in the fourball better ball stableford event . The winning pair, 16-year-old Angus Webster, playing off 13, and 12-year-old Jack Charman, playing off 11, came in with 41 points. They beat Roger Clack and Colin Oke with 40 points with past captains John Spiller and Mark Sheppard (39 points) third.

Prizes were awarded by captain Taylor who thanked the ground staff, led by Jon Boorman, who had battled to get the course playable following heavy rain.

The victory rounded off a successful week for Jack Charman who had earlier partnered the club's assistant pro, Barry Forster, to finish in first place in the Wilts PGA winter medal at the Blacklands course.

Captain Taylor said: "A lot of hard work goes into running the junior section and it is great to see it paying off in the performances of Jack and Angus and the other juniors who took part."