STRONG blustery winds but there were several excellent scores for the Shirres Trophy medal at Turton on Saturday.

Dennis Raffe continued his good form of late and has reduced his handicap from 26 to 20 over the last month - not bad saying that it was rumoured that he was thinking of giving the game a miss.

Local builder Mike Duxbury has also been close to winning of late, and he was just pipped by Roger Lane, whose very steady front nine laid the foundation for his win.

The weather the following day was far windier for the Invitation Day fourball stableford and it was surprising that there were several returns in the forties.

Most of these were recorded by partnerships with low handicap players who obviously had a better technique for the conditions. Jonathan Barton and fast improving partner Paul Swinton from Dunscar headed the field with a score which would not have been out of place for a still mid-Summer day.

Shirres Trophy (medal): 62 - R Lane, 63 - M Duxbury, 65 - N McLachlan; M Burtonwood, 66 - J Williams; D Bowers; K Robinson; D Raffe,

67 - M.J.Mitson, 68 - A.L.Elliott; P.Maguire.

Invitation day (4BBB stableford): 45pts - J Barton & P Swinton, 44pts - A Foy & A Miller, 42pts - A Bullough & D Hollingworth, 41pts - N Wood & N Guffogg; L Rogers & M Kirkman; R Allen & J Major, 40pts - G.Moore & M.B.Moore.