The participants in the Welwyn Hatfield Times Golf Day

THE grey skies and rain showers might not have appealed to the fairweather golfer, but the Welwyn Hatfield Times’ first charity golf day was still a roaring success.

Winning individual Andrew Wilmer with Macmillan fundraising manager Kerry Briars and Archant Herts and Cambs commercial manager Jason Valentine

Golfers taking part in the event at Brocket Hall all chipped in with donations for Macmillan Cancer Support, our charity of the year.

The result was a “fantastic” £1,363.30 raised for the charity’s Welwyn-based Herts branch, which is aiming to raise £100,000 this year to mark its centenary.

Macmillan fundraising manager Kerry Briars said: “The Welwyn Hatfield Times did a fantastic job organising the charity golf day.

“The amount of money raised was fantastic and a fun day was had by all.

Herts County Council chief executive Caroline Tapster, left, won one of the two nearest the pin prizes

“One in three of us will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in our lives, so the money raised at the golf day will help people living with cancer locally.”

A total of 17 teams teed off on Brocket’s Melbourne Course.

Estate agents ruled the roost, scooping both the team and top individual prizes.

Paul Mather of Mather Marshall, Chris Coventry of Country Properties, Andrew Whyman of Putterills and Duncan Duffey of Mather Marshall collected the team prize, with a score of 113 points.

The best individual was Andrew Wilmer, of Lane & Holmes estate agents, Bedford & London, with a Stableford score of 42 points.

Two nearest the pin prizes went to Frank Tyler of Ridgemond Training and Hertfordshire County Council chief executive Caroline Tapster, with Think Media’s Martin Smith winning the longest drive honour.

Welwyn Hatfield Times editor Terry Mitchinson said: “Thanks to our guests for coming along and making the day so enjoyable and also to both Brocket Hall for being great hosts and our own team of organisers.”