THE directors on Rookery's main board are in for an interesting year. Their new chairman and club captain is Gerry Moore, a former psychiatric nurse and nurse manager with the ability to read minds.

THE directors on Rookery's main board are in for an interesting year. Their new chairman and club captain is Gerry Moore, a former psychiatric nurse and nurse manager with the ability to read minds. He also displayed great strength in surviving a series of 'operations' performed by unlikely 'surgeons' using a chain saw, hand saws and screw drivers as part of the medical theme which flavoured his Drive-In ceremony. The new captain was involved in golf from an early age, finding golf balls on a nearby course, acting as a caddy and 'knocking a ball around a few holes' in his spare time. Having joined a Stafford nine-hole club he gained a handicap of 15 when he was 13 years old. Eventually he was co-opted onto the greens committee and gained valuable experience. When he moved on to Brockton Hall his handicap was down to two. A family of three children and a move to London led him to give up the game. After a move to Lowestoft and posts at Blyburgh and Northgate Hospitals, he retired in 2000 and was enticed to try golf again by Lowestoft Bridge Club friends, Phillip and Jean Wills, both members of Rookery Park. There followed a search in the loft for his old Gary Player woods, Peter Thompson irons and Billy Casper putter. He was soon hooked on golf once again and joined Rookery Park. After being invited into a syndicate he was intrigued to know why it was called the 'Wasters'. He soon found out. During one game a partner was called off the course to attend to a car he had left with the engine running. This was followed by another partner discovering his 'lost' household keys in a golf bag just after he had paid over �100 for a new set of locks and keys. After then being asked to sort out Cedric Smith's golf swing the new captain understood why the syndicate was called the 'Wasters'.

Although six times club champion and holder of the course record at a previous club, his success at Rookery has been confined to the President's Cup, three Seniors' Swords, two Black Mambas and a place in the Parks team. A competent table tennis player, he has also played cricket and football. He was situated right behind the goal when Geoff Hurst scored England's World Cup winning goal.

Gerry Moore has helped with the running of the seniors' section and now intends to enjoy his year of captaincy and serve Rookery to the best of his ability.

His Drive-In competition was won by Paul Perry and Andy Green, another top table tennis player, whose only previous success at golf was in a stableford. After playing as a junior he had a 20 year break. Paired with Perry in a recent competition he arrived at the first green to discover he had left his putter behind. Using a three-iron instead he holed two putts of over 20ft before the novelty wore off and he three putted on three occasions, lapses which cost him and his partner a prize. Perry gained quick revenge. Picking up Green's bar swipe card, dropped during their Drive-in success, he used it to buy a round of drinks for all of the golfers in their group. The pair agreed to call it one-all and are playing together in a coming competition.