The new season began at Gosfield Lake Golf Club with incoming captain Malachy Shields’ traditional drive-in ceremony.

Last year’s Captain Geoff Powdrill putted out on the 18th green to end his year before Shields drove off to start his and even though his shot was into a fierce wind, he hit it well down the middle of the fairway.

New junior captain Louis Brown then drove-in and saw his ball sail past the captain’s drive by 35 yards, almost one yard for each year’s difference in their ages.

The drive-in sweepstake raised the first £100 for Shields’s chosen charity the Essex Air Ambulance.

RESULTS: Captain’s drive-in: Lakes course: 1 Glyn Robinson 40pts, 2 Paul Rutherford 39pts , 3 Jeremy Paterson 36pts.

Meadows course: 1 Chris Potter 39 pts, 2 Steve Maynard 32pts.