SWINDON company director Steve Powers has driven himself into office as the new club captain at Wrag Barn, writes ERNIE NEWELL.

Steve, 40, who took over the reins from Domenic Anello, has been a member of the 16-year-old Sevenhampton club for 10 years and is a former club treasurer.

He has the distinction of being the club's first left-handed skipper and has a handicap of 13.

He is the managing director of the long-established Swindon-based construction firm R Powers Ltd and has chosen Dogs for the Disabled as his charity for the year.

And the Banbury-based charity benefited by £2,397 as a result of the proceeds from his drive-in.

Outgoing skipper Anello raised £8,000 for his designated charity, CALM (Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Movement), during his year in office.

Steve will have as his vice-captain fellow left-hander Rod Grinsted.

He is a founder member of the club, plays off nine handicap and lives at Faringdon.

Jane Bale, from Shrivenham, has succeeded Sharon Winterbottom as women's skipper at Wrag Barn. She has been a member for six years and plays off 28.

Chris Cliff, a retired airline pilot from Lechlade, has succeeded Richard Beck as seniors' captain and Josh Plaister, a six-handicapper from Swindon, has taken over from county player Ben Loughrey as junior skipper.

The Wrag Barn club will be the venue for the Wiltshire County Golf Union's annual dinner on Friday, March 2.

A Wrag Barn golfer has chosen a novel and courageous way in which to raise money for charity.

Chris Chivers, a 53-year-old recently retired Wiltshire police officer, will in June attempt to cycle the entire length of Ireland - a total of 440 miles - in a week for Marie Curie Cancer Care. That's an average of 63 miles a day.

"I have been training since August and I am now doing about 100 miles a week. I have spent a fortune on padded shorts," he said.

Chris is looking for sponsorship.

"Every £20 raised," he said, "provides one hour of professional nursing care for a terminally-ill patient."

Another local golfer seeking sponsorship is Broome Manor scratch player Paul Sandry.

He is having a crack at the London Marathon in April for Breast Cancer Research and Swindon Counselling Services.

"I enjoy running," said Paul, 24. "It gives me a break from golf and helps to keep me fit.

"I ran a couple of half marathons at Swindon and Reading last year and thought I'd like to give the London one a go."

He has been pounding the streets of Swindon all winter and will tune up for the London run on April 22 with two half marathons at Silverstone on March 18 and Bath on March 25.

"Just to complete the London Marathon would be great," said Paul, "but I'd like to run a good time and will be aiming at 3 hours 30 minutes."

Paul is the younger son of Broome Manor club professional Barry Sandry and has worked in his father's shop at the Manor since leaving Highworth's Warneford School.

He made a name for himself in 2005 when he took a shot off former English champion Gary Harris's 11-year-old amateur record for the Broome Manor course with a round of ten below par 61.

The Marlborough club have announced that their annual pro-am tournament will be sponsored for the fourth successive year by Bristol-based property developers Crest Nicholson.

The 18-hole event will be played over the 6,500-yard downland course on Thursday, July 26.

The pro-am is one of the 118-year Marlborough club's showpiece events and among the oldest tournaments on the West Region PGA tour, having been founded by general manager John Sullivan in 1978, the year after the tour got under way.

It is one of the region's six pro-ams in Wiltshire this season, the others being at North Wilts on June 6, Bowood on July 23, Cumberwell Park on July 24, Salisbury and South Wilts on August 3 and West Wilts on August 30.

Marlborough will also stage the 36 hole Hills Wiltshire Professional Championship for the 20th consecutive year on Tuesday, July 3.

Eighteen-handicap Craig Wighton won Carswell's February stableford with 43 points.

Ian Garner (21) was second with 42 and Keith Hardinge (12) third with 40.

FEBUARY stableford results at Wrag Barn: Divison 1 - 1 Ray Bowden 38 points (on countback), 2 Neil Whiston 38pts, 3 Dennis Knell 38pts. Division 2 - 1 Steve Powers 44 pts, 2 Bertie Gotobed 41 pts (on countback) 3 Steve Gough 41pts. Division 3 - 1 Chips Phillips 44pts, 2 Robbie Burns 43pts, 3 Anthony Gallagher 41pts.

Captain's day drive-in results: 1 Newman Floyd, Nick Floyd, Gavin Walton, Chris Mead 75pts (on countback), 2 Rory O'Neill, Lee Stocker, Alan Peberdy, Des Byrn 75pts.