THE social and sartorial highlight of the golfing calendar occurs at Duntryleague tomorrow as members celebrate the time-honoured Christmas Cheer Day.

The time sheet is as full as the state government complaint box with two shotgun starts seeing competitors striving for the wonderful array of smallgoods on offer from Michael Borg’s M and J Butchery in Moulder Street.

The par-three sharpshooters will be after the prize courtesy of the pro shop.

The course is naturally playing short with the dry summer conditions but the well-grassed greens and lush surrounds are making competitive scoring a challenge for many. Undoubtedly this will be accentuated by the festive cheer on offer throughout the day.

The traditions of this popular day are steeped in club folklore. To name an unforgettable few - the annual anatomy lessons courtesy of Messrs Gibbs, Mackin, Gregor and Stedman, the fact Dr Whisper breaks into an unknown Latvian dialect around 9.30pm every Cheer Day evening, memories of the Trog five putting on the last to go from odds-on leg ham winner to devourer of devon in three fateful minutes and the dramatic rescue of a past club captain impaled on the barbed wire fence adjoining the 11 tee seeking a short cut home while citing irrevocable tiredness.

Tomorrow, however, is about golf and the trophy hunters will come to the fore.

One young man desperately in need of a good hard nosh at a leg ham is the human tee, Adrian Priest. I am confidently predicting hunger will prevail and the tee’s team will be dining on quality pork for Sunday brunch.

Expect the popular trio of graziers - George Rowland, Jimmy Parfett and Des Taylor - to shine over the day’s proceedings. A lifetime of fat lamb and mutton will ensure a longing for some swine or turkey and I think these rural types and their teams will come into contention.

Just like the forgotten days of the Industrial Revolution with youngsters sent down the Yorkshire pits and into the Lancastrian mills to support their families, a number of our talented juniors will be seeking podium finishes tomorrow in search of poultry and pork. Standout performers include shy Ted Basha, Cameron Mitchell and the colt from Living Legend Lodge, Josh Carpenter.