Yorkshire golfer march

GOLFER Yorkshire

Celebrating the best in club and county

March 2015

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£50,000 FOR SANDY’S OPEN MEDAL

MONTY WIN! ASHIRT AND SIGNED PHOTO IN OUR READER COMPETITION/7

THE DAY I PLAYED SPOT THE BALL WITH BIG PHIL! PAUL CARRIGILL / 12

The Oaks Golf Club, Aughton, York, YO42 4PW www.theoaksgolfclub.co.uk Tel: 01757 288577 www.thespaattheoaks.co.uk email pippa@theoaksgolfclub.co.uk

COOK ROASTS RIVALS MOROCCO MATCHPLAY GRAND FINAL REPORT / 3

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YG March 2015 Yorkshire Golfer is published by League Weekly Ltd, 31 Branch Road, Batley, W. Yorks WF17 5SB Tel 01924 470296 for subscriptions & deliveries

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EDITORIAL: WEBSITE:

Sandra Kirton 07771 885757 sandra@yorkshire-golfer.com Mike Smith 07824 376939 mike@yorkshire-golfer.com Danny Lockwood 01904 236100 news@yorkshire-golfer.com www.yorkshire-golfer.com

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IN THIS ISSUE READER COMPETITION... WIN A COLIN MONTGOMERIE SHIRT & SIGNED PHOTO 7

SWING MAESTRO... IT’S CRUCIAL TO DEVELOP A CONSISTENT ALIGNMENT ROUTINE 20

LIFT-OFF... IN THE PLAN TO MAKE ENGLAND THE WORLD’S NUMBER ONE GOLF NATION 8

NEW FEATURE A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

NIKE GOLF SALES REP JAMES APPLEYARD 14 & 15

GETTING TO KNOW...

HUDDERSFIELD’S NICK MARSH, THE REIGNING AMATEUR CHAMPION WITH A WALKER CUP DATE 9

STAY & PLAY... A GREAT WAY TO PROMOTE YOUR CLUB AND BUSINESS TO GOLFERS 24

HAPPY RETURN... PGA YORKSHIRE OPEN READY TO RESUME AT HOWLEY HALL 5

NO SURRENDER... MEMBERS AT A LEEDS CLUB REFUSE TO CAVE IN AGAINST PRESSURE 11

ICING ON THE CAKE... MADEIRA DATE WOULD BE LIFE-CHANGING FOR MARCUS ARMITAGE 5

CLOSE CALL... NEWCASTLE CLUB LANDS THREEYEAR DEAL FOR SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 13

QUAINT & QUIRKY... AND THE SUNNINGDALE FOURSOMES CAN BE QUITE A CUT-THROAT BUSINESS TOO... 6

CHRIS HANSON BLOG FANTASTIC TEAM WORKS WONDERS ON MY FITNESS FOR THE CHALLENGE TOUR 24

THE BEST OF BONNIE SCOTLAND... OUR GUIDE TO THE GEMS ACROSS THE BORDER 22

Spread your club's good news... email your results, open events, photographs and news items to us on : news@yorkshire-golfer.com and follow us on Twitter @yorkshiregolfer THE NEXT ISSUE OF YORKSHIRE GOLFER WILL BE DELIVERED TO CLUBS FROM TUESDAY APRIL 7

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March 2015 YG

MOROCCO MATCHPLAY GRAND FINAL

COOK CARVES UP RIVALS TO LIFT TITLE

HE most dramatic finish to the competitions at the grand final of the Morocco Matchplay, powered by HowDidiDo, came in the singles, where the title was decided on the last green following a massive turnaround.

Ian Cook, an eight-handicapper from Hessle GC, in Hull, found himself four down to Brookmans Park’s John Dewberry before the turn. Yet coming down the final hole, he’d fought back to all square and won it with an exceptional ‘up-and-down’ from a greenside bunker.

It was just reward for the 44-year-old surveyor, who had won each of his previous four matches during a week played out in glorious sunshine in Morocco, on both of the Royal Dar Es Salam courses – Blue and Red – and the Tony Jacklin Casablanca.

He said: “I’m still shaking now to be honest.

It’s unbelievable. The hardest format in golf is

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matchplay and my nerves coming down that last hole proved it to me. I’ve never won anything as prestigious as this – I’ve done OK before, but not won it. It means everything to me – it’s brilliant.

“Everything about the event and the week out here has been top notch. The guys I’ve been playing with have all been fantastic – their company has been tremendous, I can’t speak highly enough of them. We’ve had a ball. And to play a championship course like this has been really good.

“It’s my first time in Morocco and it’s a great place for winter golf.”

Three other titles were decided at the grand final, with previous winners Garry Catt and Eileen McMullen from Richmond GC regaining the mixed title they last won two years ago in Portugal.

Catt, who plays off a handicap of one, said: “I’m a competitive golfer and it’s a very competitive event throughout, especially this year, when you’ve had to play home and away matches – and the away matches went right to the wire. It was a really good format, very testing, very much like the final. You get drawn into competitive golf from the very first ball you hit.

“On Tuesday our caddie disappeared for 10 minutes into the trees and came back out and said ‘I'm a father!’ – so we’ve had a baby! He’d been going to the hospital in the morning and coming here at midday for us.

And we were so friendly with him this week we could be Godparents!” he laughed.

1902 Open medal set to fetch up to £50,000 HE Open Championship medal won by former Huddersfield Golf Club professional Alexander ‘Sandy’ Herd could fetch up to £50,000 when it goes up for auction in May. Herd was born in St Andrews in 1868 and learned to play golf in his bare feet on the cobblestones in the North Street, using shinty sticks and champagne corks.

He worked as a baker’s apprentice for four years and was sacked on a regular basis for being on the golf course rather than in the bakehouse.

He then became a plasterer’s apprentice for a further four years, earning 10 shillings (50p) a week and continued to develop his first and only passion of golf. By his late teens he had become a much sought-after golfer, playing partner and caddie.

Turning professional in 1890, he moved to England and in 1892 was appointed the golf professional at Huddersfield Golf Club, where he stayed until 1911.

Herd wrote later in his autobiography, My Golfing Life, that “I did not ask time to consider the offer, but took it like a hen picking up a grozet”.

Herd’s triumph in the 1902 Open at Royal Liverpool came despite trailing by four strokes after the first day.

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Competitors in those days played four rounds over two days and Herd had clawed his way into the lead going into the afternoon session of the final day.

He was three up over Harry Vardon and eight up over fellow Scot James Braid. In a tense round, the pursuers got to the final hole needing to make their final putts to force a play-off.

Both missed and Herd became Open champion for the only time in his career, winning £50 and the gold medal which is being offered for sale at Bonhams Sporting Sale in Edinburgh on Wednesday, 13 May. As 1902 was the year of King Edward VII’s Coronation, Herd was known as ‘The Coronation Champion’, and the medal, which is approximately two inches across and made from solid 18 carat gold and weighing 60 grams, is estimated at £35,000-50,000.

Herd used a newly-invented type of ball from America, introduced to him a few days before the Championship by John Ball, the man who partnered him in the third round at Hoylake.

Unlike the standard ball of the time, which was made from solid rubber, the Haskell ball was made from wound rubber threads which improved the trajectory and the distance it could be hit.

Continued on Page 4

“Golf in Morocco is well up with Spain, Portugal and America, without a doubt.”

In total, 30 finalists enjoyed complimentary return flights to Morocco; six-nights’ accommodation at the stunning, five-star L’Amphitrite Palace hotel in Skhirat; and five rounds of golf, at both the prestigious Royal Golf Dar Es Salam, which last hosted the Moroccan Open in 2001, and returns to the Tour in 2016, and the Tony Jacklin Casablanca.

The trip to the grand final was reward for their efforts for battling through local rounds and a regional final during 2014, in competitions open to any golfer who is a member of an affiliated club with an officially recognised handicap.

WINNERS: Ian Cook of Hessle Golf Club, right, and below left, Richmond’s Eileen McMullen and Garry Catt, who retained their mixed title.

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YG March 2015

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A golf superstar, but Herd won only one Open crown Continued from Page 3 After the game he went into Jack Morris’s shop and bought the four last Haskells.

Herd later played down the significance of the new ball in the 1920 issue of Golf Illustrated: “...the Haskell was not introduced until the spring of the next year... I was not playing well enough to have won with the guttie... but you know there was not a great deal of difference at that time between the guttie ball and the Haskell.

“A good shot with the guttie gave just as satisfactory results as a good shot with a Haskell, but if you did not make the shot quite well, the effect was less serious with the American ball than the guttie.”

Sandy Herd is considered unlucky to have been playing when the game was dominated by three outstanding competitors – Harry Vardon, James Braid and John Henry Taylor.

Known as the Great Triumvirate, they won the Open 16 times between

them from 1894 until the outbreak of war in 1914 and although Herd came close on several occasions, he never repeated his 1902 victory.

Aged 17, he entered his first Open Championship at St. Andrews in 1885 and played in 38 Opens between 1885 and 1933. Twenty of those times, Herd finished in the top 10.

He was a runner-up in 1892, 1895, 1910 and 1920. In 1895, Herd was disappointed again, especially as he had been winning everything in professional golf. But at St. Andrews he had to play his final round in a hailstorm, whereas J.H. Taylor went out when the storm had subsided and went on to beat Herd by two shots.

In 1910 all opening rounds were cancelled after a thunderstorm made the course unplayable; Herd had had a very competitive opening round. He was to lose to Braid by four strokes.

In 1920, aged 52, he became the oldest runner-up in The Open (Tom Watson replaced him in 2009).

In 1903, Herd captained a Scottish team of professionals against England at Prestwick, a few days before the Open. This is recognised as being the first international golf match. Herd’s team won the inaugural event.

In 1906 he won the News of the World Match Play and again in 1926.

He died in a retirement home in London in 1944.

Bonhams golfing memorabilia specialist Kevin McGimpsey said: “Open winners’ medals very rarely come onto the open market. In fact, the last one sold in the UK was at Bonhams, Edinburgh in 2007.

“While there are still a few in private hands, most are held by golf clubs associated with the winning player or the venue for that year’s Championship.

“They have either bought the medals themselves or hold them as gifts or loans.

“Harry Vardon’s six medals, for example, are on display in a museum in Jersey, his birthplace.”

Sandy Herd, 1902 Open winner

‘DES-RES’ PLAN FOR £670,000 LOTTERY-FUNDED CLUBHOUSE

clubhouse which was built with the aid of a £670,000 National Lottery grant could be controversially turned into an exclusive fourbedroom bungalow.

Silsden Golf Club was saved from closure last year when its members agreed to sell off all its assets in a deal which would provide a five-year lease on the course and use of a smaller building as a members’ bar.

Part of Silsden’s problems had been that the club contributed £200,000 to the building of the clubhouse in 2001, and this resulted in the club falling into debt, which it has never since been able to pay off.

It was thought that the National Lottery funding would enable the 104-year-old club to generate a healthy income out of a function room, but this

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failed to materialise and an application to turn the big single-storey building into a dwelling has now been submitted to Bradford Council.

The proposal, according to the Telegraph & Argus, is to ‘reposition’ residential accommodation from the two-storey smaller building – which was once a two-bedroom flat for the golf club’s steward – into the bigger, converted clubhouse, thus not affecting the number of permitted residential dwellings on the green belt site.

“The conversion will involve removing the existing male and female changing rooms, together with the bars, function room, meeting room and office areas,” states the application.

“These areas will be used to form a living room area, dining and kitchen area and four bedrooms. The existing semi-circu-

lar conservatory on the south elevation will be retained. The conversion will meet the client’s requirement for spacious family accommodation with large areas for entertaining.”

Dry stone walls would be built to ring the new bungalow and separate it from the golf club’s small building, which would be re-fitted upstairs with new facilities to be shared by the club’s 130 members.

Silsden councillor Andrew Mallinson said planners would have to look hard at implications for the future.

“This is green belt and it was only ever intended to be an open space for recreational, not residential use,” he said.

Comments on the Telegraph & Argus story suggested local people were not happy that the National Lottery grant had appeared to be squandered.

East misses Tour chance MOORTOWN’S Stephen East failed to secure the right to play alongside some of golf’s greatest names this year at the European Senior Tour qualifying school.

East was ranked as the best senior amateur in the country in 2014 after a scintillating year, and made it through the 36-hole first stage over three courses at the Pestana Golf Resort: Silves Golf, the Nick Price-designed Gramacho course, and Vila Sol. But having grabbed one of the places in the 72-man field for the final stages at Pestana’s Vale da Pinta, a third round of 79 proved costly and he finally finished with a four-round tally of 10 over par – nine shots outside a qualifying spot.

But it was good news for two north-east based professionals as Graeme Bell of Eaglescliffe and Matfen Hall

professional John Harrison earned full playing rights by finishing joint second with three other players.

Canadian Ken Tarling was the only man to finish under par at -six, with Bell and Harrison coming in at one over.

The leading six players received full cards for the 2015 season, with those finishing in positions seven to 14 receiving conditional cards.

Phil Greswell, originally from Leeds, where he trained under ex-PGA captain Parnell Reilly at Otley Golf Club, also missed out. Gresswell moved to Germany in the mid-90s and has spent the last 15 years as a teaching pro at the International Golf Club in Bonn.

He finished with a 72-hole total of 291 but his last two rounds of 71 and 69 equalled the best score in the field.

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YORKSHIRE PGA New bunkering on the par five 13th hole at Howley Hall, where the Yorkshire Open will be played in September

YORKS OPEN TO RESUME AT HOWLEY HALL he Yorkshire Open makes a welcome return to the recently unveiled Yorkshire PGA calendar of events for 2015.

The event is one of the few that is contested by both the county’s top professionals and their amateur counterparts, and was not held last year due to the difficulty in securing a date that did not clash with other top amateur tournaments.

Howley Hall is the permanent home of the Yorkshire Open and Waterfront’s Ben Mason will defend his title there on Thursday, September 3.

The popular local watering hole and fine pub dining establishment The Needless Inn will continue to sponsor the event.

The leading amateur will receive the Howley Hall Scratch Trophy and the first prize of £500, with Heineken again lending support.

The popular Yorkshire Open pro-am will be held on the eve of the tournament, on Wednesday, September 2.

The Howley Hall layout is receiving a makeover in the form of a bunker refurbishment programme, with 75 per cent of the work already completed, and will provide the usual stern test for the field.

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A new high-profile Pro-Am at Malton & Norton Golf Club opens this season, and will be supported by a new backer on Friday, May 1.

The event is being supported by local company Tadweld, which is owned by

Malton & Norton member Dave Smith.

His company has committed a significant amount of sponsorship to the event, which will mean the prize fund is over £5,000.

It promises to be a busy bank holiday weekend for the club, and those looking to make a weekend of it will also be able to see the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race pass by the entrance on Saturday, May 2.

There’s a full schedule of events until the end of September, including the longest running event on the calendar, the Dewsbury Pro-Am on May 27, which will be played for the 31st consecutive year thanks to the efforts of long-serving professional Nigel Hirst.

Stoneacre Motor Group will once again sponsor the Yorkshire PGA Championship to be played over two days at MidYorkshire Golf club on June 25-26, and the highly-prized Ganton and Fulford ProAm will be played on July 22-23.

Another new event which has graduated to PGA status is the Parkinson’s Disease Charity Pro-Am at Hull Golf Club on Friday, August 7, and the summer season will draw to an end with the Grange Park Pro-Am on September 25.

All Yorkshire PGA Pro-Ams are listed in our Open competitions section on page 26. To have your club, union or society fixtures listed, just email a list of events to news@yorkshire-golfer.com.

The Howley Hall layout is receiving a makeover in the form of a bunker refurbishment programme – with 75 per cent of the work completed – and will provide the usual stern test for the field

Madeiradatemay be icing on the cake for Marcus MARCUS ARMITAGE has a shot at competing in his first European Tour event later this month if he can maintain his position at the top of the Algarve Pro Golf Tour.

The Tour, which is now part of the Jamega Tour schedule, started last November and after Series 4 he is leading the Order of Merit, with just three more events to play.

A spot in the Madeira Islands Open will be awarded to the leading player – which could prove to be a life-changing opportunity for the Howley Hall man.

He tees it up tomorrow (March 4) on the Algarve at Castro Marim, before playing two further 36-hole events at Quinta do Vale.

He has found new confidence after renewing his relationship with performance coach Duncan McCarthy, of Ignite Sports, and starting to work on his short game with Howley clubmate and former European Tour professional, Danny Denison.

Denison is now a key member of Nike’s Tour staff and has the benefit of seeing the best players in the world up close and personal every week, as he takes care of the equipment needs of their retained athletes.

And a confident Armitage has booked a one-way flight to Faro in the belief that he will be heading straight to Madeira to take his place in the £600,000 event, which starts on March 19th.

The 27-year-old shed more than four and a half stones last year in a bid to fulfil his lifetime’s ambition of making it onto the European Tour.

Tipping the scales at over 18 stone, he accepted he did not have the physique of a top golfer and turned to a Herbalife diet.

Such dramatic weight loss inevitably led to changes in his swing and he failed to improve on 2013 when he won 14 events around the country.

But what was essentially a new swing to him has started to fire and he has one foot on the rungs of a ladder that could take him to new heights.

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YG March 2015

SUNNINGDALE FOURSOMES

QUAINT,QUIRKY AND

cut-throat!

HE competition is cut-throat, the standard high, admission to spectators is free and the prize money negligible. Where else would you get a grandfather playing with a teenager, an amateur with a professional, a lady with a gentleman, a husband with his wife and a son and father? Throw in a former international footballer and you have it all.

The Sunningdale Foursomes are endearing and uniquely enduring, and there’s a strong Yorkshire contingent competing for one of the quirkiest prizes in golf.

Joe Dean, 20, is one of four Yorkshiremen in the England squad and currently leads the England Golf men’s Order of Merit, having tied fourth in the recent Portuguese amateur and secured a top 20 finish in the South American championship.

He teams up with his Lindrick clubmate and Yorkshire County foursomes partner Jonathan Thomson in the matchplay event which starts next Tuesday (March 10).

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A first round win would throw up a clash with European Tour players Adam Gee and James Heath, such is the eclectic mix of players for an event played over both the old and new courses at Sunningdale.

They are in the bottom half of the draw, which also includes fellow Yorkshire players and the county foursomes duo of Martin Brown from Pike Hills and Shipley’s Will Whiteoak.

Jon Stacey, the head professional at Rockliffe Hall, teams up with the resort’s touring pro James Maw and they look a handy pair, whilst Yorkshire Golfer columnist and Tour player turned referee Paul Carrigill will be turning back the clock.

The former Yorkshire Amateur champion last played in the event in 1979 and he partners his close friend and another ex-Tour player, Peter Barber, in a White and Red Rose team, since Barber is the long-serving professional at Didsbury Golf Club near Manchester.

Ladies European Tour player

Georgina Simpson and club professional John Eyre will be flying the flag for Woodsome Hall Golf Club.

Simpson grew up playing her golf at Cleckheaton & District and will be looking to emulate former club professional Alex Caygill, who won the event with former Curtis Cup player Julia Greenhalgh in 1963.

Just a year earlier, a couple of battle-hardened Yorkshire professionals were successful, when Pannal’s Lionel Platts and David Snell of Worksop triumphed.

Tom Irwin, a scratch player at Alwoodley, is also in the lower part of the draw for a tournament which began in 1934 and but for a break for World War II and another in 1975, when the semi-finals and final were abandoned due to snow, has been played ever since.

Fulford’s Charlotte Austwick is Yorkshire's only representative in the top half of the draw, which includes three former Tour players who all won events in Yorkshire.

Gordon Brand Jnr Gordon Brand Jnr won the last Benson & Hedges to be played at Fulford and he combines with his pal Mark Mouland, who claimed his first European Tour victory in the Car Care Plan at Moortown.

And many will remember Peter Baker making an eagle on the 18th to tie Nick Faldo in the 1988 B&H and then repeating the feat to win the play-off.

Also in the top flight is former Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko, who once again partners home professional Keith Maxwell.

Other pairings of note include

European Open champion Andrew Murray and ex-Ryder Cupper David Gilford; former Tour players Andrew Oldcorn and Andrew Sherbourne; Jamie Spence and Andrew Marshall; Pip and Jamie Elson and Laura Davies and Barry Lane.

Previous winners include former Moor Allerton professional Peter Alliss, super-agent Chubby Chandler, Luke Donald, Peter Oosterhuis, Ronan Rafferty, Lindrick Ryder Cup-winning captain Dai Rees, Sam Torrance, Derrick Cooper, Richard Boxall and Ross Fisher.

Knaresborough Golf Club Host to the Yorkshire Seniors’ Championship 2015 2015 Open Competitions Monday 11th May - Seniors Open Saturday 23rd May - Rabbits Open Sunday 7th June - Castle Trophy (36 Hole Scratch Open) Friday 24th July - Ladies Open Texas Scramble Sunday 2nd August - Mixed Open Thursday 20th August - Seniors Open Thursday 3rd September - Ladies Am-Am Friday 2nd October - Men's Open

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March 2015

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Yorkshire duo share the spoils in 1836 event YORKSHIRE’S Chris Halley and James Hepworth shared the spoils with four under par 68s at Fulford in the third event on the 1836 Tour.

On a day that started wet but eventually warmed up and got a whole lot drier, Malton & Norton’s Halley started badly with two bogeys to be two over after six holes. But a birdie at the par five ninth was the start of things to come.

Five birdies on the back nine saw the former Yorkshire Amateur champion overtake three players on 39 to set the pace in the clubhouse with 40 stableford points.

Ilkley’s Hepworth has restricted his playing recently due to a nasty wrist injury but the former European Tour player and Challenge Tour winner showed he still has the game. He compiled two steady halves of two under to tie Halley at the top of the leaderboard, making five birdies and one bogey.

Richard Law from Low Laithes, Oulton Hall’s Daniel Gavins and Scott Campbell from Hallowes tied third to make it an allYorkshire top five This was one of several pro-Am events on the 1836 Tour, which is now in its fifth year, and in the team event Halley and his partner Mark Lennox fell just one point short of winners Tom Perry and Mark Lennox, who combined to score 45 points.

“Fulford was again immaculate and a huge thanks to Mark and his staff for producing a wonderful course for February,” said 1836 Tour director Jonathan Cheetham.

The development tour has now staged 166 events and is an important breeding ground, giving players of all ages the opportunity to play at top-class venues against professionals and category one amateurs.

Paul Wesselingh won the initial 1836 OOM and used the Tour for his final preparations for the European Seniors Tour, which he went on to head in 2013.

Tom Murray has played the Tour for the last four years and is now a full card holder on the European Tour, having gained his playing rights at the final qualifying in November last year.

As an added incentive, the winner of the 2015 order of merit will receive a full Callaway playing contract for equipment for the 2016 season and those finishing second to fifthth will get ball and glove contracts.

The Tour also receives invaluable sponsorship from True Temper, which is headed up in Europe by Moortown member Dave McCarthy, and by Leeds-based luxury golf brand Druh.

The Tour returns to Fulford on March 9 for the Fulford Pro 4Ball Betterball, and again on August 24 and future venues include Lindrick on April 20.

There are also a number of pro-am events planned and full details are on the 1836 Tour website, www.1836tour.com.

TOPS: Chris Halley, left, and James Hepworth

READER COMPETITION

Win a Monty shirt! ...AND AN AUTOGRAPHED PHOTO OF THE MAN HIMSELF orkshire Golfer has teamed up with The Edinburgh Woollen Mill and is offering fans of golfing great Colin Montgomerie a chance to take a shot at winning a Monty-themed competition.

Three lucky winners will each receive a branded polo shirt from The Edinburgh Woollen Mill’s new Colin Montgomerie Spring 2015 collection, which arrives in 105 of the leading high street retailer’s stores across the UK from March onwards.

Designed in partnership with Monty himself, this 100% cotton polo provides a winning combination of style and comfort and will make a perfect addition to this season’s wardrobe for on the course or the 19th hole.

Each winner will also receive a commemorative signed A3 photograph by the 45-time tournament winner.

To take a shot at winning, just answer the following question: In which English county was Colin Montgomerie raised?

A - Lancashire B - Yorkshire C - Surrey Email your entry to: mike@yorkshiregolfer.com, stating your full name, a daytime or mobile phone number and your club and handicap (where applicable) and please also include your shirt size.

If you do not have an e-mail address, send a postcard or letter to Competition, Yorkshire Golfer, 31 Branch Road, Batley, West Yorks WF17 5SB by Friday, March 20, 2015.

The editor's decision is final. The prizes will be sent directly to the winners by The Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

One entry per person. This competition is not open to employees of The Edinburgh Woollen Mill.

You can view collections at The Edinburgh Woollen Mill online at www.ewm.co.uk

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YG March 2015

LIFT-OFF IN THE PLAN TO MAKE ENGLAND NO.1

Free to play at centre’s open day Free golf is on offer through an open day at one of the region’s premier golf centres.

Snainton Golf Centre, near Scarborough, is giving those attending its golf taster day on March 21 free use of its nine-hole par three course as well as providing 50 balls to hit on its driving range.

John Hinchliffe, owner of the centre, said the idea was to attract newcomers to the game.

He said: “Golf is a great game for people of all ages and families. The first day of spring seems a perfect opportunity for them to come and see what it is all about and use our facilities free of charge.

“Our nine hole course takes less than an hour to complete and we are throwing in free use of clubs and 50 balls for the driving range for each person attending.”

To add to the fun, former world golf trick shot champion Paul “The Striker” Barrington will be performing his hilarious highly acclaimed show at 1.30pm.

To whet the appetite further, visitors can view the new hi-tech custom fitting and teaching bay used by PGA professional Matthew Conner to develop skills.

The open day is being held on March 21 from 9am-6pm at Snainton Golf Centre, Yedingham Road, Snainton. Ample free car parking is available.

Snainton Golf is one the largest and best-equipped centres of its type in the region.

leven golf facilities in Yorkshire have already signed up to the ‘Get Into Golf’ initiative, which delivers low-cost lessons to beginners and lapsed golfers through a central online booking system.

This initial group will pilot the scheme, which is being run by England Golf Partnership and is designed to inspire adults to take up golf and become club members.

It is supported by the Golf Foundation and Sport England with National Lottery funding, and its vision is for England to become the world’s leading golf nation by 2020.

Cookridge Hall, Hessle,One Stop Golf Hull, Ingleby Barwick Golf Academy, Middlesbrough Municipal, Leeds Golf Centre, Bondhay, Waterton Park, Sandhill Driving Range, Northcliffe and Bradley Park are already on board as partners, and Yorkshire County Development officer Tom Freeland is looking to grow this to between 40 and 60, although there is no restriction.

There are two levels and facilities must commit to offering five lessons for £25, delivered by a PGA professional.

Adults interested simply visit the website, which has the backing of a national marketing campaign, and put their postcode into the website to find their nearest facility.

It is an approach that recognizes the increasing use of digital communication and is aimed at taking the stuffy image out of golf.

The website online booking function provides a complete communication chain and each individual facility can upload the booking and activity onto their own website, capturing valuable data that can be used to market their business with pre- and post-actions.

Level 1 partnerships are aimed at facilities that can provide equipment and run courses all year round, and they receive a higher level of support than Level 2 facilities, which may only be able to offer beginner and improver courses for limited months.

New players bring in revenue and research has indicated that a £25 course of lessons can generate income of £2,500 through driving range usage, more lessons, clubhouse food

E

Former world trick shot champion Paul Barrington will be performing at Snainton Golf Centre

C A S L A E E S G O L F C L U B A Warm Welcome for Visitors and Societies Between Sea and Stunning Fells, Seascale’s traditional rolling links maintained to the highest standards, offers golfers of all levels of ability the ideal place to test their skills Come and enjoy the setting – Come and enjoy the challenge – Come and enjoy our hospitality

Yorkshire development officer Tom Freeland and beverage, membership and equipment and clothing. Freeland has only been in the newly created position for a few months but is already working with 80 facilities in the county in various guises.

He said: “Get Into Golf is a great initiative in that it creates a pathway to trial membership and then, hopefully, full membership.

“We work closely with the partners to help them with the marketing and action plans on how to get people to their club or facility.

“And we provide free point of sale and also have other materials they can use, including inflatable nets, which we can loan out.”

Over the last 18 months, more than 91,000 people across England have participated in Get Into Golf taster sessions or beginner courses.

Golf clubs and driving ranges interested in finding out more should contact Tom Freeland by emailing him at cdo@yorkshiregolf.org, or by calling him on 07717 228807.

“Get Into Golf is a great initiative that creates a pathway to trial membership and then, hopefully, full membership. We work closely with partners to help them with the marketing and action plans on how to get people to their club or facility.”

Summer Weekday Golf £35 per round (Sat/sun/BH £40) Late Start golf from £17.50 Four Ball Specials Weekday £112 (Sat/sun/BH £128) Society Parties 20+ from £26pp Catering and buggies available SEASCALE GOLF CLUB Tel: 019467 28202 Email: seascalegolfclub@gmail.com Visit our web: www.seascalegolfclub.co.uk The Banks, Seascale, Cumbria, CA20 1QL

Pictured at the annual dinner of the Halifax and Huddersfield District Union of Golf Clubs at Bertie’s in Elland are, from left, Union president David Pullen, Yorkshire Union president John Shaw, guest speaker Johnnie Casson and Bryan Webb, president-elect of the Halifax and Huddersfield Union.

March 2015

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GETTING TO KNOW...NICK MARSH Nick Marsh is the reigning English Amateur champion and has been named in the 20-man Walker Cup squad to take on the USA at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s in September. He is a member of the England squad and recently returned from a trip Down Under, where he led the 36-hole qualifying for the Australian Amateur. Marsh, 20, is a member of Huddersfield Golf Club.

Q: How did you start playing golf?

A: I started golf at the age of three. My dad is a golf professional, so at the weekends he used to take me on the course or take me to the range to hit balls for fun and I soon discovered I enjoyed playing.

Q: What’s the best advice you have ever received?

A: Believe in yourself!

Q: What was the last book you read?

A: Unconscious Putting by Dave Stockton Q: Your first trophy in golf?

A: The Sandiway Junior Masters was my first trophy in 2006.

Q: What was the last movie you saw?

A: American Sniper... great action movie!

Q: If you do not take up golf as a career, what job would you like to do?

A: If I wasn’t golfing full time I would like to be a lawyer.

Q: Who is your golfing hero?

A: Adam Scott. Great swing and technique and he s very professional on and off the golf course.

Q: Who would be in your ideal fourball?

A: Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy, Henrik

Stenson & myself.

Q: Which four guests would you invite for dinner?

A: Will Smith, Jim Carrey, Rory McIlroy and Richard Branson.

Q: What is the most memorable shot you have played?

A: On the 17th at Saunton GC last year in

the English Amateur final... at the 225yard par three I hit 3 iron to about 18-20ft.

I couldn t have hit a better shot under the circumstances!

Q: Your favourite course in Yorkshire?

A: Ganton GC. The layout is fantastic and every time I play there the course is in unbelievable condition. Quality golf course!

Q: What's the funniest thing you have ever seen on a golf course?

A: I ve seen someone divot fold a chip shot. It s when you re playing a chip shot and you hit the ground before the ball and the divot flops over the ball. So the ball goes nowhere and the divot is lying over the ball. Hysterical!!

Q: Your favourite pub/restaurant for a night out?

A: Nando s is my favourite restaurant!

Q: What’s the worst thing anybody has ever said to you?

A: Someone once said to me (before I was about to hit a tee shot on one specific hole with out of bounds down the right), Don’t slice it — and guess what, I hit it out of bounds!

Q: Who would play you in a movie?

A: Leonardo DiCaprio

Q: Your four favourite songs?

A: My four favourite songs right now are Ayo, by Chris Brown and Tyga, Detroit Vs. Everybody, by Eminem, Fast Lane, by Bad Meets Evil, and Till I collapse, by Eminem.

Q: What is your proudest moment in your golfing life so far?

A: Winning the English Amateur Championship in 2014.

Q: What was your first set of clubs?

A: A Mickey Mouse golf set when I was about five years old. It had a driver, 4 wood, 5 iron, 7 iron, 9 iron, p.wedge and a putter (if my memory serves me correctly).

Q: What is the biggest issue in golf and how would you tackle it?

A: Slow play. Golf is getting bigger every year. More people are playing golf and competing in tournaments. There are more players per event. I d tackle the problem by making people more aware and teach them about playing each shot in a specific amount of time.

Q: Finally, who is golf's greatest player?

A: Jack Nicklaus — with the amount of majors he has won, there can t be anyone else!

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Yorkshire golfers lead the way in hole-in-one chart A

re you male? Aged between 46 and 65? Is your handicap 13? And are you standing on the tee at your club in Yorkshire?

If you’ve answered yes to all those questions, then you have the best chance of scoring a hole-in-one, according to the data compiled in 2014 by the BOSS Watches H1Club and HowDidiDo, Europe’s largest golfing community.

Between April and November 2014, the BOSS Watches H1Club presented no fewer than 2,295 limited-edition timepieces to members at 1,063 different golf clubs in the UK and Ireland as a reward for scoring a hole-in-one during a qualifying club competition.

Yorkshire was the county which witnessed the most holes-in-one with 187, just five more than the Red Rose of Lancashire, with Greater London a distant third with 67 aces.

Scotland provided the most successful clubs: both Alyth and Murrayshall had 10 BOSS watch winners.

The vast majority, 89 per cent, went to male golfers, with more than half (51 per cent) aged between 46 and 65.

Another 21 per cent of the watch winners were aged 66 or above, with the oldest, Stanley Thompson, checking in – and holing out – at 84!

At the other end of the scale, 10-yearold Philip Brown was the youngest, while another 60 youngsters aged 16 or under also claimed golf’s Holy Grail.

The average handicap for golfers scoring an ace was 13 and the average distance of the hole was 157 yards.

Among those aces was what is believed to be the longest on record in the UK, a whopping 408-yard effort by Littlestone GC member Peter Vickerman, on the club’s 11th hole.

But he was not alone in nailing an albatross – in total, 28 golfers recorded their holes-in-one on par-four holes.

Since its launch in 2013, the BOSS Watches H1Club has gifted more than 4,700 watches – at a value of more than £1m – to golfers who have recorded a hole-in-one in a qualifying club competition.

And the total distance hit for those aces is roughly the same, as the crow flies, from the starter’s hut at St Andrews Old Course, to the French port of Dunkirk, or to the furthermost tip of west Ireland!

No extra registration is required to participate in the BOSS Watches promotion, as all official club competitions are recorded on the HowDidiDo system, so holes-inone are noted and automatically ratified by the golfer’s club.

Doug returns after 23 years – and scoops top Merit prize Douglas Pauley won’t be too worried about errant shots in the future – after winning a year’s supply of golf balls in a national competition.

The Malton & Norton member won the division three title in the Titleist Order of Merit, powered

by HowDidiDo, and his prize was a year’s supply of Titleist balls, a Titleist stand-bag, cap and glove.

Having resumed his golfing career at the age of 37 early in 2014, after a break of 23 years, he went quickly from a 28-handicapper to 15 during last season, and the rapid drop saw him top his division.

In fact, he was the only English player to pick up one of the seven titles awarded, with the other six going north of the border.

Michael de Vries, a 24-yearold chef from St Andrews found the golfing recipe to win the overall title as his handicap dropped during the year from three to plus one – a hugely impressive reduction at such a high level.

In addition to the trophy, he won a full Titleist 714 iron fitting, a year’s supply of Titleist balls, a bag, a luxury golf break, cap and glove, after his best five nett scores saw him top of the OOM.

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March 2015

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NO SURRENDER! Members at Leeds club refuse to cave in against pressure on municipal golf courses unicipal golf clubs may now be facing a critical period in their history as a whole host face closure, according to new research carried out by Golf Club Management magazine.

But one Leeds club has refused to give in, and the members of Gotts Park Golf Club will take over the running of the club from Leeds City Council next month.

Chairman Alan Wells said: “When we were under the threat of closure there were just too many of us who didn’t want to see this club die.

“It really has been a labour of love for the last two years, but without wishing to sound too clichéd, we are like one big family at Gotts Park and we all muck in together.

“We know it is not going to be easy but we are prepared to work hard and give it a go.

“During 2014 our membership actually grew and we are encouraged by the number of calls we are getting from prospective members “We have a very competitive package, with a full seven-day membership at less than £500 for 12 months and we are also offering a five-day option plus reduced fees for partners, juniors and OAPs. “We know where we sit in the marketplace and our goal is to offer

M

GOTTS PARK: Fighting on a quality experience and the right price – and you won’t get a warmer welcome.

“We are also keen to welcome visitors and societies and will offer winter and summer rates. From May 1 our weekend rate will be just £12.50 for 18 holes and during the week £11.

“We are putting the final touches to our business plan and recruiting staff and getting machinery in and generally trying to get our heads around the intricacies of running a golf club, but we are committed to taking over on the April 1.”

One key staff member will be current secretary Clive Walton, who will be exchanging his office keys for tractor keys when he assumes the role of head greenkeeper.

Wells added: “Clive is a very

experienced greenkeeper who has worked on the ground staff here in the past and at several private clubs in the city.

“He has been connected with Gotts Park since he was a junior and he has been instrumental in putting our plan together and has put in a lot of hard and invaluable work.”

Council-owned golf clubs used to be the second most common type of golf club in the UK, behind members’-owned clubs, and were extremely popular up until the 1990s.

Temple Newsam opened the first of two courses just across the city in 1923, and such was the popularity of the MacKenzie-designed layout that over 25,000 rounds were played during the first two years.

However, the rise of proprietary clubs, recent falls in the numbers of people participating in golf and large budgetary cutbacks for local authorities has meant that many venues have either been sold off or closed down in the last seven years.

Middleton Park in South Leeds closed last October due to mounting losses that the council refused to continue to subsidise and is being transformed into 42 hectares of semi-natural parkland to form a public park.

According to Golf Club

Management magazine, many municipal facilities are at risk across the UK. The City of Edinburgh Council, for example, is cutting its annual grant to Edinburgh Leisure, which runs six golf clubs, by £890,000.

Meanwhile, Wirral Council and neighbouring West Cheshire have agreed to sell off seven municipal golf courses – Arrowe Park, Brackenwood, Bebington, The Warrens, Hooton, Knights Grange and Westminster Park.

Tenders have been invited, although it is not known what will happen if the council does not receive any attractive bids.

But at a time when England Golf is committed to grow the game through a number of initiatives, including the Get Into Golf programme, municipal golf clubs can play a vital role in bringing new people to golf.

And there are some great facilities and courses in Yorkshire; three that immediately spring to mind are Bradley Park in Huddersfield, Middlesbrough Municipal and the City of Wakefield.

But with proposals for further budget cuts in the public sector, how many council-operated clubs can be assured of their future remains to be seen.

Scarthingwell Golf Course

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PAUL CARRIGILL INSIDE THE TOUR

The former Yorkshire amateur champion and European Tour player turned administrator gives Yorkshire Golfer an insight into what goes on behind the scenes at European Tour events

The day I played spot the ball with Big Phil! ith the traditional start to the season just around the corner with the Masters at Augusta, I wanted to touch upon a few of the rules that you might come across this year when you start to compete in your own big club competitions.

had a free drop which would have been a massive break for him He was having a tough day but was very calm and polite, even when he called me over after holing out a short putt on the sixth. He explained that his ball had almost popped back out of the hole after hitting the top of the hole liner and hovered in the air before dropping back in.

He asked what the ruling was had the ball come back onto the green and I explained that he would have had to putt again and count the stroke, so his par would have become a bogey on one of the easier par fives on the course.

I immediately alerted the R&A rules chief David Rickman, who acted very quickly by contacting all the referees out on the course with matches and asked them to take out the flag when the group had finished and ram it down back in to the hole a couple of times – which did the trick, as the liner must be one inch below the lip.

I had witnessed this only once before – at the Volvo Masters at Valderrama – but in Qatar a few weeks ago, Chris Doak hit a putt which went in the hole and came back out after hitting the top of the liner and he had to putt it again, counting it as a shot. By definition of the “ball holed” rule, all of the ball has to be at rest below the level of the hole.

It doesn’t have to be in the bottom of the hole and can be jammed against the flag, so if you hole a shot from off the green and the ball is at rest against the flag, be very careful you don’t pull the ball out with the flagstick!

Hopefully, we won’t have any such incidents when I tee it up in the Sunningdale Foursomes next Tuesday (March 10) with my old travelling companion on the European Tour, Peter Barber, who is the pro at Didsbury on the outskirts of Manchester.

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The first involves identifying your ball – and this is a rule that can easily and unwittingly be broken, especially by players who have limited knowledge of the rules.

You are allowed to mark and lift to make sure it is your ball but it must go back in exactly the same place and, more importantly, you must notify your playing partner or opponent and the process must be witnessed by them.

So please be aware that you can’t just pick up your ball to make sure it is the one you are playing, otherwise you will incur a one-shot penalty for touching the ball whilst in play.

During the Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2012, I was invited by the R&A to be a referee, and having been assigned Phil Mickelson’s group, I had to give four rulings in the space of the first eight holes! And three related to rule 12-1… identifying the ball – and on each occasion Mickelson could not even see his ball.

On the third he was in the rough close to the railway line that runs down the side of the first few holes and the rough had fallen over the top of his ball. As I approached I could see it from my side but with Mickelson being lefthanded he couldn’t and he asked if he could move the grass so he could see it to identify it and hit it.

I told him that I could identify that it was his ball – a Callaway – and that he had to play it as it was. Had he parted the grass to reveal his ball – again, this is something easily done in error – he would have incurred a two-shot penalty; one shot for gaining an advantage by improving his lie and one for infringing the rule. he same happened on the seventh, as Mickelson continued to hit his driver all over England, this time into the rough on the left. Again the grass had folded over the ball and he couldn’t see it and had to hit it backwards towards the tee 50 yards, just to get it back in play.

And on the next hole his tee shot landed in the pot bunker and he tried to take it out clean to get some distance but it came out like a missile, clipped the cut area just above the trap and buried itself in the really deep stuff. Even though the ball had gone no more than six yards, I thought to myself, “here we go again, Lassie would struggle to find that if it was wrapped in bacon”.

have to go back to 1979 for my last appearance in the event, when I partnered Haydn Green from Doncaster, who contrived to miss from a foot on the 17th in the second round and we then lost the game on the last.

So I’m hoping for more success this time.

My preparation has included a round at Royal St David’s, as I continue my quest to play all of the ‘Royal’ courses in the UK. I’m getting pretty close now and I’m hoping to play the three Royal courses in Northern Ireland still on my list – Belfast, Co Down and Portrush – around the time of the Irish Open at the end of May, or during the Northern Ireland Open on the Challenge Tour in early August.

I’m also hoping my new Nike clubs will arrive in time, as my current set is over 10 years old and with old grooves which would technically be illegal if I used them in a professional event – which would be rather embarrassing for a rules official!

So my parting shot is to urge each and every one of you to make sure you have a Rules of Golf in your bag and that you learn the definitions. It may save you some unnecessary penalty shots and will speed up your golf.

I

WHERE’S MY BALL? Phil Mickelson was hitting his driver all over England during the 2012 Open at Royal Lytham & St Anne’s but I was able to help him out on the eighth when he lost his ball, left.

T

Mickelson and his caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay were down on their hands and knees searching, so I immediately stopped them and advised that should they accidentally touch the ball with their hands or feet, a shot penalty

would be incurred, which they clearly didn’t realise.

There were enough spectators looking for the ball anyway, and I was also being directed to the location in my ear by the BBC production team, who had captured the shot on film.

After some great work from the BBC guys, I eventually found it, but the lie was so bad he declared it unplayable. Had a spectator trodden on it or moved it accidentally, he would have

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Close call for Senior title NEWCASTLE CLUB LANDS THREE-YEAR DEAL FOR PRESTIGE CHAMPIONSHIP olf fans in the north east can look forward to watching leading lights from the European Senior Tour after it was confirmed Close House will play host to the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship in 2015.

The Newcastle club, which will hold the tournament from June 11-14, has signed a three-year agreement to stage the event, the oldest on the Senior Tour’s schedule.

As an added bonus, entry will be free to the Championship, which will be played over the 6,813-yard par-71 Lee Westwood Colt course designed as a tribute to iconic English golf course architect Harry Colt.

The 72-hole tournament has been won by legends of the game including five-time Open champion Peter Thomson and Christy O’Connor, while Spain’s Santiago Luna will be defending champion following his victory at Stoke by Nayland last year.

Close House’s reputation continues to grow, as evidenced by its appearance for the first time in Golf Monthly’s list of GB&I’s Top 100 courses.

“We are absolutely delighted to announce that Close House will play host to this year’s ISPS Handa PGA

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Seniors Championship,” said owner Graham Wylie.

“To stage a top-ranking tournament of this magnitude for the first time confirms an exciting period in our development and is testament to everyone connected with Close House and shows how far we have come since opening less than four years ago.

“The decision to stage the championship here gives us an excellent opportunity to showcase our facilities and will allow golf fans in the area an exclusive opportunity to see top class professional golf at close quarters.

“We are very much looking forward to welcoming all the leading European Senior Tour players to the North East.”

ISPS Handa will be sponsoring the Championship for a fourth successive year, as it continues its mission to promote opportunities for blind and disabled golfers.

Tokyo-based ISPS revealed its commitment by establishing, along with the PGA, an academy programme to train PGA professionals to coach blind and disabled golfers.

“ISPS continues to promote disabled golf and we are delighted to sponsor the PGA Seniors

The 13th green on the Le Westwood Colt course at Close House Championship once again, to help raise its profile,” said Dr Haruhisa Handa, whose ambition is to make golf a Paralympic sport.

“Through our relationship with the PGA, we have been able to establish the ISPS Handa PGA Academy Programme, which gives blind and disabled golfers greater access to specialised coaching and I thank the PGA for their great efforts.

“It is through involvement with high profile tournaments such as the PGA Seniors Championship that we are able to spread the message about disabled golf.

“At Close House, we will enjoy the fantastic venue and we look forward to seeing the best players on the European Senior Tour test their skills.”

PGA chief executive Sandy Jones

added: “The PGA Seniors Championship has a long history of being contested at prestigious venues and Close House is a worthy addition to that list.

“It was last staged in the North East as recently as 2012 and I’m sure the spectators will be as knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the tournament as they were then.

“ISPS Handa has supported golf at various levels for more than 25 years, including several tournaments which they use as a platform to promote opportunities for blind and disabled golfers.

“This will be the fourth year they have been involved in the tournament and their support is a huge boost to this historic event.”

Andy Stubbs, European Senior Tour managing director, commented:

“Close House will be an excellent venue and we are delighted to be returning to the north east of England, a region we have enjoyed a close association with over the years and great support from the local fans.

“As one of our leading events, the field will naturally be a very strong one, including local players John Harrison and Graeme Bell, who recently came through our qualifying school in Portugal.

“We would like to thank ISPS Handa for their continued support of this event, as well as our colleagues at the PGA and the members and officials at Close House and we look forward to another superb tournament.”

Tickets for the event will be made available for the event at www.closehouse.com/pgaseniors on a complimentary basis.

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Westwood Golf Tour entries open

Entries are now open for the 2015 Lee Westwood Golf Tour, with a number of venues already confirmed.

The full schedule is still being worked on but as it stands at the moment, Yorkshirebased players will have to travel across the Pennines and compete at Macdonald Portal, Lytham Green Drive, Pleasington and Shaw Hill, or make the journey north to Close House, near Newcastle.

The Lindrick member has announced a number of other initiatives to promote junior golf, including a Bursary Day in Cheshire on March 14, where aspiring golfers have the opportunity to receive support towards programme fees.

Westwood has also formed a partnership with England Golf to offer a scholarship opportunity to young players who are within the England Golf coaching framework, who may qualify for a subsidised scholarship for one of his golf and education programmes.

The former world number one, who has 41 professional victories to his name, is also running a series of three-day junior camps at Easter and in the summer, with Macdonald Portal and Altrincham Golf Club already confirmed, with more to be announced. Early bird rates start from just £33 a day.

The Lee Westwood Trophy, which has been won by fellow Lindrick member Joe Dean for the past two years, will again be played at Rotherham Golf Club on August 11, 12 and 13 and entry forms can be obtained from: www.rotherhamgolfclub.com.

For full details of all Westwood events visit www.leewestwoodgolfschool.com.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... JAM

Yorkshire Golfer spent a day with Nike Golf sales rep James Appleyard and learned first-hand how

7.0am

The day begins in James Appleyard’s office at home with planning for the sales calls he will make today, and even though he has been on his patch for close to nine years and is very familiar with his accounts, his preparation is meticulous.

Appleyard’s daily call cycle differs based on the time of year. As he sells all of the categories that Nike offers – from balls to bobble hats – he has to split his selling calendar to sync with Nike’s strict cut-off dates for ordering from the hundreds of suppliers they use across all parts of the business.

A large amount of his apparel sales have already been booked, so today he is mopping up and trying to capitalize on Rory McIlroy’s increasing dominance by revealing the line of apparel that he will wear at the Open, which will be delivered to stores on July 1.

We are hitting the road on a Monday in early February, which can be a tough day to get appointments, as many pros and retailers take that day off having been at their respective clubs over the weekend. Others are in warmer climes, re-charging their batteries ready for working weeks that can easily reach over 70 hours during the ‘season’.

Appleyard plays off 1, and the former joiner swapped his toolkit for a set of golf club samples when he started in the golf business with the then Normanton-based Slazenger Golf in 1996.

He joined Nike as a demo rep in 2002 before taking on a sales role, and has been voted European Sales Rep of the Year on three occasions, taking his first award in 2008 for the equipment category. He repeated that feat in 2010 when he was the leading footwear sales rep, and took the equipment title again last year.

With so many diverse products to sell and all with different lead times, he has to focus on individual categories at different times of the year, and clocks up more than 30,000 miles even though he only has 90 accounts in his area.

But where you see focus, you see success, and he is determined to grow his business again this year.

10.30am

First call of the day is at Bradley Park, where Tom Wild, a former assistant to the long-serving former PGA captain Parnell Reilly, has just taken over the reins. They have not stocked Nike since

2010 and the Rory effect is clearly a strong pull in his decision to call James in to show him the range.

Wild and his assistant Rob Stanfield like the orange colour story that Rory and the rest of the Nike sponsored players will wear this summer at St Andrews, and Appleyard is keen to explain how Nike’s colour forecasters have tipped this shade to be a hot hue across retail sectors in the coming months.

And there’s a full ensemble to choose from, including the waterproof suit the players will wear if it rains, the cover-ups if it is cold and a new Lunar Control 3 shoe ( orange option of course) featuring Flywire technology developed for Nike’s track and field athletes in the Beijing Olympics.

The rain suit he puts on the table retailing at £99 with a lifetime guarantee seals the deal, and with the promise of POS to enhance the in-store appeal, they are back on board. A good start to his selling day, with apparel, footwear and a few accessories booked.

11.45am

With the samples carefully cossetted in three large branded apparel bags, along with the folding rail back in the boot of his Passat, we are back in the car and a check of his phone reveals a bunch of missed calls.

Spring orders are just landing, so there’s a variety of questions and queries, but the callers are also reporting strong sell-through of the new Vapor driver. Calls are quickly returned and re-orders dutifully taken as we head to Leeds Golf Centre, where we are met by a jam-packed car park, which is a welcome sign for a game in decline.

GM Nigel Sweet is in a bullish mood – it is a sunny day, the place is busy and he also reports an excellent take-up in FootGolf.

This is a ‘service call’ and again he receives positive news about the new Vapor driver, plus good sell-through of the apparel collection worn by Rory in the Desert swing. The boy Rory really can move the needle.

1.30pm

A quick sandwich in the excellent Nineteen Bar&Grill before we make the very short journey to Moor Allerton. James is on one of these fashionable ‘shake’ diets and would normally just gulp from a pre-made concoction that appears to cost the earth, but he takes pity on his passen-

James Appleyard, left, reveals Rory McIlroy’s first day ou Park pro Tom Wild, second right, and Rob Stansfield ger, who clearly couldn’t survive the day on liquid alone.

Moor Allerton is Nike’s Performance Fitting Centre for the North of England and one of only three in the UK. It is a busy spot, fitting players of all shapes and sizes and abilities and is also utilised by Tour rep Danny Denison to fit Northernbased Tour players like Tommy Fleetwood.

It is certainly working, as head pro James Whitaker has become one of Nike’s leading accounts in the country, selling a ton of clubs from this location and a similar indoor performance centre across the city at his other club, Howley Hall, where Appleyard plays his golf.

But there’s an issue with some sample iron heads in one of the Vapor models, as Whitaker has only received left-hand options. A quick phone call brings to light a delay but a promise

that they will arrive within t few days.

Whitaker is one of only e Swoosh advisory staff mem Appleyard’s turf.

They get free clubs and a footwear and a selection of toe apparel. They are clearly positions and James has no ‘friends’ hoping they might in the future.

2.45pm

We are heading north to Har the phone calls keep coming Heath pro Richard Lambert his scratch team captain goi Performance Fitting Centre Archerfield for a club fitting going to Scotland on a trip. call to his Scottish counterp Haggerty and the wheels are motion.

CZECH OUT THIS FESTIVAL! PRAGUE GOLF HOLIDAYS 2 NIGHTS & 2 ROUNDS FROM 199GBP 6 NIGHTS & 5 ROUNDS FROM 499GBP Inc all airport/golf transfers in Prague based on 4 golfers, discounts for groups 12+, call for free brochure/tailor made golf

TEL: 0208133 4366 www.abante-golf.co.uk

The fifth annual Czech Golf Festival will be played this July, offering golfers a chance to experience the very best of the country both on and off the course.

Starting at £419 per person at the Penta Hotel, players can enjoy four-star accommodation for four nights on a B&B basis and sharing a room with three rounds included.

For an extra £120, accommo-

dation on the same basis is in five-star rooms at the Art Nouveau Palace Hotel.

The event includes 18 holes at Karlstejn, Konopiste and Albatross – the best in the Prague area – plus a tour of Prague’s ancient city, transfers, a welcome reception and prizegiving gala dinner.

Post tours in Prague or around other Czech golf regions based on an extra

three nights and two rounds of golf are available from £199 as an add-on for any golfers wanting to explore the history and culture.

Abante Golf is the market leader in arranging golf breaks to the Czech Republic and CEO Jan Makarius said: “We are delighted, in association with our key worldwide golf tour operator partners, to be organizing the golf competition

in this way. We are sure that all the competitors will enjoy the event and will remember the experience for years to come.”

There are more than fifty 18hole golf courses to choose from, including those in Moravia and Western Bohemia.

Readers can find out more by going to www.abantegolf.co.uk, or by phoning 0208 133 4366, or visiting www.czech-golf-festival.com

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March 2015 YG

MES APPLEYARD

d how Rory McIlroy's world dominance continues to push sales.

Jones is sticking to his new plan and he fails to scratch the pad.

4.30pm

The ride home is made a little more palatable with calls from accounts needing more drivers. And he discloses that on the day of the Vapor iron launch, he received 40 custom orders for the new sets, and feels they have now turned the corner in what is a highly competitive golf club market.

Another call, this time from Ian Marshall, the pro at Pontefract, who is keen to get his hands on one of 150 limited edition Rory putters, and as an advisory staff member has first dibs.

The putter that has earned Rory precisely $821,572 in just his first two events in Europe this year already, is based on the Method 006 model, and will cost wanabee Rorys around £299.

Marshall enthusiastically reports that the final day combinations that Rory was scripted to wear on the final day of his win at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic have arrived and already on the shelves.

Yet more questions on his mobile including queries on Nike’s new trading terms as line discount has been replaced by a retro payment system.

But the brand is hot, so he gets little resistance to the change.

He arrives back home at 5.30pm, to return more calls before having dinner with wife Alex and daughter Lois.

day outfit for the Open at St Andrews to Bradley ld within the next

of only eight aff members on

ubs and a bag, plus ction of head to re clearly coveted has no shortage of y might be selected

th to Harrogate and p coming. Crosland Lambert calls about ptain going to the Centre at ub fitting, as he’s n a trip. A quick counterpart Craig heels are in

3.30pm Rudding Park to meet with head professional Craig Jones, but Appleyard’s initial greeting is met with a “we need to talk” response from Jones, who is just finishing off a lesson.

Jones later explains that he is looking at a change in strategy for the retail operation. The hotel – about to get a new £8m spa – stands well above the rest in the area, and Jones is looking to develop a similar positioning for the golf operations, feeling that with the exception of the tuition, they “don't offer anything different to what golfers can get in the clubs and facilities close by”.

Appleyard reinforces his sales pitch based on having the world number one and strong consumer demand for the Vapor range, plus the opportunity to fit students at the busy academy, which has four teaching pros. But

6.30pm

Back on the laptop and he admits he’s often in his office until 11pm, responding to emails and making sure he doesn’t fall behind on order entry.

9.00pm

With his admin taken care of, it is the end of another long day. Most people have heard of Nike chairman Phil Knight, a middle-distance runner who turned selling shoes out of his car into a footwear-and-apparel colossus and who is now worth $21.7bn.

But few know of Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, Knight’s coach, or of Steve Prefontaine, the now-deceased runner who was also coached by Bowerman and whose crusade for better equipment inspired Bowerman and Knight to build the Nike empire.

Prefontaine said he ran ‘like there is no finish line’. Knight adopted this mantra, which remains key to Nike’s philosophy... and Appleyard is doing his bit to bring that line a bit closer.

Mini Tour boost The Peter Cowen Golf Academy Mini Tour has received a sponsorship boost from Direct Golf UK. The Huddersfield-based golf retailer will provide first prizes for the winners of the four age groups – under 8, under 10, under 12 and 12+ – at each of the eight events. And they will also support a new Direct Golf Order of Merit, where play-

ers will select their best five scores from the eight events.

All mini tour events will be played over nine holes from blue tees and are open to any junior.

Mini tour event dates are: May 30, Tankersley Park; June 6, Phoenix; June 13, Wath; June 20, Rotherham; June 27, Waterfront Golf; July 4, Bondhay; July 11,

Grange Park; July 18, Doncaster.

Organiser Nick Huby said: “Direct Golf UK's sponsorship is a real boost and will enhance our goal of giving young players the chance to gain experience of competing in a safe and fun environment.”

For more information and entry details visit: www.pcgajuniortour.com.

Torrance takes the strain – and eases the pain!

Former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance is the new global ambassador for Harrogatebased company Fireactiv.

They launched a special range of support devices to help golfers who suffer with aches, pains and injuries last year.

Their joint and muscle products are a safe and easy-to-use alternative to medications for back pain, joint pain, sprains, stiff muscles, injuries to deep tissue, arthritis pain, Reynaud’s disease, rheumatism and tendinitis.

Fireactiv joint and muscle supports use a revolutionary new textile which offers combinations of intense deep heat pain relief, with deep heat amplifying properties.

Heat from the products penetrates up to

5cm into muscles and bones and the heat generated is also retained in the body for several hours after initial use.

Said Fireactiv director Simon Everingham: “I'm delighted to say that Sam Torrance was so impressed with our products that he’s agreed to come on board as a global brand ambassador.

“We’ll also have a filmed interview with Sam going live on our website in the next couple of weeks, where he talks about Fireactiv.”

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AT THE HELM...KAREN WAITE This month we pose the questions to Karen Waite, who is the Membership & Administration Secretary at Mid-Yorkshire Golf Club, Darrington.

Q: How long have you been in your current role?

A: I have been here seven years in May. Q: How did you get into golf club management and administration?

A: I came from the banking industry and applied for the position which was then advertised in the local paper. The General Manager at the time was Tony Harris and fortunately he offered me the job, which was part time, and I have now somehow progressed to full time as the position has changed over the years.

Q: What’s the best part of your job?

A: Meeting new people and welcoming back satisfied customers.

Q: And the worst?

A: DIVOTS Q:Sum yourself up in five words A: Friendly, un-shockable, accommodating, humourous and loyal.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing golf clubs and how are you addressing them?

A: To keep members moving with the times. We are addressing the challenges by implementing the internet system and the app to help them with booking and information, so they can spend their time playing golf and not wasting valuable playing time on the telephone.

Q: How do you relax away from golf?

A: I enjoy a good live band and a cheeky glass (case) of wine.

Q:If you could change one thing about golf, what would it be?

A: To train all the members to look after all golf courses they play at.

Q:What would be your specialist subject on Mastermind?

A: Holidays.

Q: If you were contacted by a golfer on the other side of the world who had never heard of Mid-Yorkshire Golf Club, how would you “sell” it to them?

A: I would tell them that, as the name suggests, we are right in the middle of Yorkshire, you can find us easily from the A1 or M62. We are a really friendly golf club and welcome visitors and new members with open arms.

Q: What is the number one priority going to be for your golf club in 2015?

A: To maintain our course the best we can, whilst working alongside our parent company, Stoneacre Motor Group and our Director of Golf s marketing company PAB studios. They sponsor our golf events and this helps to promote our golf club, encourage new members and retain our existing membership. We are lucky to be able to say that Stoneacre are actively changing things for the better and we are excited to be looking forward to the unveiling of our totally re-vamped Driving Range & Junior Academy this summer.

Q: Finally, what do you feel is the most important contribution you have made so far during your tenure?

A: To open the door , so to speak, to members and visitors, so they can approach the golf club team about any matter, as traditionally, golf club managers have had a stuffy reputation.

Nick’s key role in England win The European Nations Cup was played in cool weather and very testing winds, particularly on the first day, when gusts of up to 35km delayed play.

But England had prepared thoroughly and, with the players holing out impressively on the fast, sloping greens, the team were straight into the mix.

At the halfway stage, Spain were in third place, six shots back.

After three rounds they were in second place, having narrowed the gap to four, helped by sub-par scores from two players.

Conditions were such that there were only nine rounds below par during the tournament, from a total of 256 played.

The Spanish team kept up Looking to play golf in North Wales? the challenge in the final Pwllheli Golf Club welcomes societes & visitors, round but England’s impresearlybird & twilight rates available sive finish kept the team at 20% DISCOUNT WHEN QUOTING YORKSHIRE GOLFER the top of the leaderboard and enabled them to regain the trophy.

It was England’s fifth win in seven years, with previous successes in 2013, 2011, 2010 and 2009. The team also won in 2004.

Clwb Golff Pwllheli Golf Road, Pwllheli LL53 5PS ■ Getting to know Nick T: 01758 701644 Marsh: Page 9

UDDERSFIELD’S Nick Marsh was part of an England team of champions who held off a charging Spanish side to score their sixth victory in the European Nations Cup at La Reserva, Sotogrande.

The four-strong team of Ashley Chesters, Paul Howard, Marsh and Ben Stow – all champions in their own right – edged home one shot clear of the hosts, Spain.

England coach Graham Walker, of The Oaks, commented: “With a few holes to play the tournament was tight. We needed a big finish and the team

H

responded in great fashion.

“Ashley Chesters, the double European amateur champion, birdied the 15th and then parred in. Ben Stow, the Brabazon champion, eagled 15, birdied 16 and then parred in.”

Meanwhile, Howard, who was first to finish, had gone straight back onto the course to caddie for Huddersfield member Marsh over the last few holes, underlining the side’s strong team spirit.

Marsh is the English amateur champion and Howard has just added the New South Wales amateur championship to the 2014 South American amateur title.

Clwb Golff Pwllheli

ALL CHANGE Left, Doncaster Town Moor’s outgoing 2014 captain Paul Millward, on the right, and the incoming 2015 captain Dave Morley; and, right, the junior captain for 2015, Danny Tyler, on the left, and vice captain Ali Brentnall.

Taxman must cough up... but clubs will still be out of pocket Many of Yorkshire’s private members’ clubs will finally receive substantial payments from the taxman in the next few weeks for overpaid VAT. However, after several years of legal wrangling, HM Revenue & Customs will only pay up to 50 per cent of what the clubs think they are owed.

Some will only receive a third of what they believe they are owed.

Discussions over what will happen to the remainder of the money are set to continue for many more months to come.

The case follows the 2013 Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruling, itself the culmination of years of legal battles, that VAT on green fees at private members’ golf clubs had been incorrectly applied for several years.

This meant that scores of ‘not for profit’ clubs were able to claim the VAT back – believed to be worth several thousands of pounds to many of the venues.

HMRC had been reluctant to repay the VAT but it has now agreed to make

interim payments of up to 50 per cent of overpaid VAT on non-member green fees at private members’ clubs by this April, following an announcement at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

Discussions between KPMG, which is representing many of the clubs involved, and HMRC, will continue about how much extra money should be paid to clubs.

The government body will have 30 days to make the interim payment once the final claim amount is agreed.

Membership Prices Frozen for 2015/16 & No Joining Fee, join as a Family Membership & Juniors up to the age of 16 are completely free

JUNIOR OPEN Juniors Individual Stableford Thursday 9th April 2015 Entry Fee £10.each Open to Juniors age 18 years & under on 31/03/2015 PRO-AM Team of 3 plus YPGA Professional Friday 3rd July 2015 Entry Fee £195. Per team MIXED OPEN Ladies & Gents Pairs Stableford Sunday 19th July 2015 Entry Fee £40. Per pair LADIES OPEN Ladies Team Stableford Friday 11th September Entry Fee £40. Per team SENIORS OPEN 50+ 4 Ball Betterball Stableford Friday 25TH September 2015 Enrty Fee £30. Per pair For more details & to book please contact the number below

Mid Yorkshire Golf Club, is ideally located in the heart of Yorkshire in Darrington, near Pontefract. The Golf Club played host to the 2014 Yorkshire PGA flagship event and it will be held here again in June 2015.

Established in 1993 around existing mature woodland the course at Mid Yorkshire Golf Club, at just over 6300 yards, provides an excellent and enjoyable test of golf whether you are an experienced golfer or a relative newcomer to the sport.

Our golf facilities include a Championship Standard 18 Hole Golf Course, a 23 Bay Floodlit Driving Range, a well-stocked Pro-Shop by Snainton Golf, with custom fitting and tuition by our own PGA Qualified staff.

Situated 1/2 mile south of M62 junctions 33 and 32A at Ferrybridge and just off the A1, making us easily accessible from the North, South, East and West. Leeds and Doncaster are a 20 minute drive away, York and Wakefield are 30 minutes and Hull, Huddersfield and Sheffield are all well less than an hour from the Club.

From the moment you drive into the stunning parkland setting you will be inspired by the warm friendly atmosphere and attention to detail of this ‘Hidden Gem’.

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CAPTAIN’S LOG Sue Matthews is the new Lady Captain at Woodhall Hills Golf Club and despite a hearing impairment, she is planning for a memorable year in office How long have you been playing golf?

I have always wanted to play, even when I was little, but didn t have the confidence until about 10 years ago. My dad, who has been a member for 40 years, encouraged me to go with him occasionally up to the practice area, where he taught me how to swing a club and strike the ball, as well as the rules of golf. After about a year of practice I first joined as a lady member in 2007. I was very concerned, due to my deafness, about how I would cope, having no hearing except for wearing my cochlear implant, and that is only on one side. The lady members were very supportive and I was given a starting handicap of 36.

What is your golf handicap and most memorable moment?

My handicap is now 20. My two most memorable moments were when I first beat my dad, and then when I scored a nett 64 on Ladies Day two years ago, my best round so far.

Do any other members of your family play?

My son Ben is a golfer at the same club with a handicap of eight and

was junior captain for two years.

My brother Darren also plays at Woodhall Hills with a handicap of five. My mother is not a golfer (she prefers to push her trolley around M&S), but is helping me a lot in my captain s year with secretarial work, taking phone calls for me, processing bookings for our open events, etc.

What plans/goals do you have in your year of office?

I am enjoying my year as Lady Captain very much. I find it challenging but I get a lot of help from the other lady members, club manager Mark Romans, and also our pro Neil. They have all been marvellous and very patient explaining things to me. I never imagined that

I would ever be Lady Captain because of my disability, but if you have the determination and support of both family and friends, most things are possible. I would like the ladies to have a successful year: we got through to the semi-final of the Bradford and District Ladies Evening League last year, so it would be nice to go one step further this year, and maybe even win the competition. As a personal goal, I d like to get my handicap down to 18 this year.

What do you enjoy most about golf?

I enjoy playing and meeting new people and there is a good social side. Last year I played with the Yorkshire Deaf Golf Society, but I am taking a year out from that so that I can concentrate on my Lady Captain s role. I look forward to welcoming any new members to Woodhall Hills, and people are welcome to come and meet me at any of our upcoming open events: The first is the mixed open on Sunday, May 17 and we have a Ladies AmAm on July 24. Details are on the club s website, but I ask that if we meet you speak slowly, as I lipread.

LOMBARD TROPHY

Fulford lands regional final ormer European Tour course Fulford is among an exciting line-up of regional final venues in the 2015 Lombard Trophy, which climaxes with a grand final at Gleneagles.

The York gem, which was the long-time home of the popular Benson and Hedges tournament, is one of 16 courses that will host qualifiers in the £80,000 event, which carries a £12,000 first prize.

The popular course just a mile from York city centre is close to the top of many bucket lists.

The layout was planned and constructed by Major Charles MacKenzie, the brother and business partner of the now legendary Dr Alister MacKenzie, who designed Augusta National and Cypress Point.

Regarded as one of the finest tests of inland golf, the course is frequently graded in the Top 100 and is built on predominantly sandy heathland, which drains exceptionally well and provides an excellent surface for all year round golf.

The greens, which were voted “best on the European Tour”, remain consistent throughout the year, and the course drains well

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during the winter.

Sixteen finalists will go through to compete over 36 holes at Gleneagles’ PGA Centenary Course on September 1 and 2, and the Fulford qualifier will be held on Thursday, July 2.

More than 750 clubs entered last year’s tournament, which was won by Cornwall’s St Kew Golf Club, and with the event going from strength to strength, tournament organisers expect that figure to increase in 2015.

Ben Groutage, PGA head of tournaments, commented: “We’ve added seven new venues from last year to provide another first class line-up of courses.

“We hope clubs will again support the regional finals, which offer pros and amateurs alike a superb tournament experience and one I’m sure they will all enjoy.

“With the support of Lombard, the PGA National Pro-Am Championship remains one of the PGA’s most popular events and we look forward to building on its recent success.”

Entry packs have been posted to all clubs in the UK, while clubs can also enter online through Blue Golf.

March 2015

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Place your bids in our charity auction... and take a fourball to a Ryder course!

I f you saw our October 2014 edition, you may remember reading about four members of Shipley’s Northcliffe Golf Club, who had just completed a 1,150-mile charity cycle challenge – the Tour de Ryder Cup. The plucky foursome spent nine days in the saddle on a route which took in all 13 Ryder Cup host venues in England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, collecting pin flags from each venue which they presented to the European team when they reached Gleneagles. To date their twowheeled adventure has raised over £20,000 for Prostate Cancer and Melanoma UK. To help increase this total, we are offering our readers the chance to play the courses the riders visited, (with the exception of Gleneagles and Muirfield and Royal Birkdale).

But firstly, let’s recall their epic journey, which was inspired by the death of the riders’ mutual friend Simon Ashdown, also a passionate golfer who, aged 50, lost his battle with melanoma in December, 2012.

On Monday, September 15 last year, dozens of supporters braved the early morning drizzle and gathered to provide a fitting send-off at the riders’ home turf of Northcliffe Golf Club.

After 115 miles in dismal riding

The Tour de Ryder Cup team pictured outside the Gleneagles Hotel, from left, Andrew Walker, Darren Tordoff, Richard Gillgrass and Andrew Crowther. conditions, by the end of day one the four had notched up visits to Royal Lytham & St Annes, Royal Birkdale and Southport & Ainsdale on the North West coast.

From there, the route headed to the K Club in County Kildare and Celtic Manor in South Wales, where the four rubbed shoulders

with PGA professionals Simon Wakefield, Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Jose Maria Olazabal, Jamie Donaldson and Nicolas Colsaerts, who were taking part in the ISPS Handa Wales Open.

From Celtic Manor, the team travelled to Walton Heath and Wentworth in Surrey, before head-

WISH YOU WERE HERE? It’s hard to believe that these three sombre-looking golfers – who will remain nameless (unless, of course, you know them) – were about to play the iconic Old Course at Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve back in 1981.

Or maybe they had already teed off before being captured on film and had all hit into the famous umbrella pines that frame the first hole?

To have a picture from one of your memorable golf trips featured, just email your image (in jpeg format please), along with relevant details, to mike@yorkshiregolfer.com and we will do our best to publish it.

The Algarve, meanwhile, established as Europe’s leading golf destination, is gearing up for a busy 2015 after reporting an increase of more than 50,000 rounds played on its famous courses last year.

Golf was born on the Algarve in 1966 and, 49 years later, its appeal burns brighter than ever, with 41 golf courses and an unrivalled infrastructure of hotels, resorts and off-course attractions.

Blessed with a superb year-round climate and mild temperatures, the Algarve's other success factors continue to be: strong flight connections to Faro airport from across Europe, the relaxed and friendly nature of its people, and great value for money.

There is further good news for UK

LOST BALL FOUND IN TREE...15 YEARS ON Greenkeepers chopping down woodland at Scarborough South Cliff found a ball inside a tree.

The wayward shot had become lodged and the greenkeepers believe the tree had grown around it for around 15 years.

golfers this season with their budgets set to stretch even further, thanks to the pound strengthening more than 10 per cent against the euro in the past 12 months.

The Algarve boasts more than 300 days of sunshine per year, extending the golf season over several months and luring players from all over the world.

NEW BACKING FOR ROMANBY JUNIORS Romanby juniors will be supported for the 12th consecutive year by Simon Bates Peugot after the dealership renewed its sponsorship deal.

Last year the club received the GolfMark ‘High Achiever’ status for its commitment to junior golf.

QUALIFICATION FOR SALTBURN MANAGER Hunley Hall's course manager Greg Fitzmaurice, 36, has achieved a HNC in golf course management from Scotland's Rural College.

The Saltburn based manager said he hopes to use the knowledge to further develop the course.

ing north to The Belfry in the West Midlands and Lindrick Golf Club in Nottinghamshire.

On Saturday, September 20, the team reached their home county, arriving at 1929 Ryder Cup venue Moortown Golf Club on the outskirts of Leeds, where they were welcomed by Captain Martin Duffield.

The following morning they arrived at Ganton Golf Club near Scarborough – host venue for the 1949 Ryder Cup – where chairman Iain Breese presented club flags to add to the team’s growing collection.

A day later, the Tour de Ryder Cup reached Muirfield and, on Tuesday, September 23, after a gruelling ride, the foursome arrived at Gleneagles in time for the start of the Ryder Cup. The fab four, aged 45 to 53, who claim to be better golfers than they are cyclists, were supported throughout by friend and fellow Northcliffe member Mark Heptonstall, who acted as tour manager and driver.

The Tour was also generously supported by the former Ryder Cup venues, as well as by the team’s home club, Northcliffe.

Now readers can bid for the chance to take a fourball to any of the courses on the list below, and each course has the actual green fee

cost quoted as a guide. Readers can bid for more than one course and the tendering will close on Sunday, April 12, 2015, the final day of The Masters. Bids can be made in two ways – by e-mail to Darren Tordoff at dazzzler@btinternet.com, or by text to 07507572628 – stating the bidder’s name, the course that is the subject of the bid, the amount of the pledge and, very importantly, contact details.

WENTWORTH (includes four caddies), cost £1,440, voucher expiry date July 30, 2015.

ROYAL LYTHAM & ST. ANNES, £720, February 11, 2017.

SOUTHPORT & AINSDALE, £420, December 18, 2015.

CELTIC MANOR, £640, August 5, 2015.

THE BELFRY, £796, December 31, 2015.

LINDRICK, £300, August 31, 2015.

MOORTOWN, £340, June 1, 2015.

GANTON, £320, September 21, 2015.

THE K CLUB, 880 euros, September 16, 2015.

WALTON HEATH, £380, December 30, 2015.

Terms & Conditions apply and will be advised to the successful bidder.

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the

Maestro

Brought to you by THE LEADBETTER GOLF ACADEMY at Leeds Golf Centre

Develop a consistent alignment routine ext time you’re playing in a group or within a society, try to observe some of your playing partners and their habits when addressing the ball... ask yourself, “are they making the most of their alignment?”

When the game’s best golfers get ready to play a shot and aim, they will always repeat a very similar and efficient way to get that perfect aim. To establish a target line from your ball to the target, you should always stand behind the ball.

In most cases, it is much simpler to pick out a close target, for example a spot, blade of grass, etc; anything significant and easy to aim at.

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1. This would be three to five feet in front of the ball and the aim is to align clubface and body lines to it. This is a much easier task than aiming at something out in the distance. Imagine I’m using the black tee in front of the ball.

2. The assembly of your grip while behind the ball is very important, as it helps to stop fidgeting whilst standing over the shot. Walking into the shot is also very important and helps you to focus on the intended aiming points. Once you’re stood to the ball, focus on aligning the club to the closer target 3. Align the rest of your body, ensuring your feet, hips and shoulders are nicely parallel to the target line and prepare for the swing itself.

4. Once settled into the address position, the player is ready and confident on his alignment, making the allimportant motion of the golf swing that little bit easier!

To improve your game, contact one of the Leadbetter team.

1

2

March 2015

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‘OSCAR’ WINNERS! Resort takes two awards and pipped for two others ockliffe Hall has beaten off competition from some of the best in the world to clinch a number of top accolades at a recent awards ceremony which is regarded as the Oscars of the golf service industry.

The resort picked up the award for Best Greenkeepers at the 59Club’s annual Service Excellence Awards, which recognise the best performing golf clubs not just in the UK but around the world.

In addition, Rockliffe Hall was presented with the Gold Flag award for the second year running, the industry benchmark recognising the best in the sector, and was runner-up in the Ultimate Golf Resort category – narrowly beaten by past Ryder Cup venue Celtic Manor in Wales – and in the Golf Sales category.

The 59Club is one of the world’s leading golf-specific mystery shopper services and a PGA official supplier.

The organisation sets the industry standard for measuring and comparing customer service

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‘OSCAR’ WINNERS: Davy Cuthbertson, Rockliffe Hall’s golf and estates manager, with the greenkeeping team levels at golf venues. Rockliffe Hall’s golf and estate director, Davy Cuthbertson, said: “Rockliffe Hall is classed as a relatively young course, having opened just six year ago, so to be up against some of the very best in the business is an acco-

lade in itself. However, we have won two major awards and been runners-up in two very tough categories, so we are extremely proud of the team.

“It’s a fantastic start to the year for our course, with some exciting plans for the coming

season.” Rockliffe Hall’s golf course has been home to the European Tour English Senior Open for the last two years, attracting international names and Ryder Cup stars such as Ian Woosnam, Mark James and Sam Torrance.

£23m plan for five-star complex

Plans to redevelop the derelict Woolsington Hall in Newcastle into a £23m five-star hotel with spa complex, golf course and restaurant, have been submitted to Newcastle City Council.

The site’s parkland will be developed into an 18-hole golf course that is being designed by Jonathan Davison.

Ten single-storey lodges will be built, along with a clubhouse. A football pitch will also be put down, while the tennis courts onsite will be restored.

The proposal includes a cookery school and a 72-strong executive home development of detached properties.

The housing scheme will also be used to fund the construction of the hotel.

■ Flaxby Park, the last golf course to open in Yorkshire – in 2004 – could be turned into a village.

The £100m Flaxby Hotel development has been put on hold while land owners Skelwith Group draw up plans to build up to 2,500 homes on the 280-acre site.

The company also has planning permission for a 300-bed hotel.

The access road to the site and roundabout were completed earlier this year at a cost of £4m, making it the most expensive roundabout in North Yorkshire.

Some members are thought to have already joined other clubs in the area.

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The best of bonnie Scotland

The course at the four-star golf resort at Cally Palace in Dumfries & Galloway, left, and at Thornton Golf Club, which stages this year’s Kingdom of Fife Classic.

he Ryder Cup at Gleneagles attracted a worldwide audience of over 600 million and was the perfect showcase for golf in Scotland... and here are a few of our recommendations.

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Step back to a time of period style and elegance while enjoying all the modern comforts of a four-star golf resort at Cally Palace. The hotel’s 56 bedrooms combine spacious accommodation with views of the estate grounds and the Dumfries & Galloway countryside beyond.

Available exclusively for hotel guests, the course is sculpted into the parkland surround-

ing the hotel with wonderful views of Cardoness Castle. It has a maturity beyond its age, with the natural contours of the land and the magnificent trees, hidden burns and the Cally Lake making for an interesting challenge.

Cally Palace is part of the family-run McMillan Hotels group – and another fine example of their portfolio of properties is the North West Castle Hotel in Stranraer. The hotel is conveniently-located opposite the harbour in Stranraer, which is the main ferry port between Scotland and Ireland, and many rooms boast wonderful views over the harbour and Loch Ryan beyond.

The North West Hotel is an excellent base for taking in the abundance of golf courses in the area and offers spacious and comfortable

accommodation, including 72 en-suite bedrooms, two restaurants and full leisure facilities.

The McMillan family extends another warm welcome to guests at their Fernhill Hotel in Portpatrick, and golf breaks at Fernhill combine beautiful accommodation and exquisite food with inclusive rounds of golf at selected courses in Scotland.

All three hotels offer two-night golf breaks which offer tremendous value for money, and large groups and societies are welcomed.

At Cally Palace there’s golf available on the complex, and at the Fernhill and North West Castle Hotels, visitors can take their pick from golf at Stranraer, Portpatrick, Glenluce or Cally.

Stranraer Golf Club was the last course to be designed by five-times Open champion James Braid and welcomes visitors seven days a week. Nestled on the shores of Loch Ryan, the 6,308 yard parkland course is set on gently undulating ground, with exceptional views over the loch to Ailsa Craig, the Isle of Arran and beyond.

The warm wash of the Gulf Stream provides the region with a mild climate, making play possible on all but a handful of days, and it is certainly one to add to the list for any golfing homage.

Braid’s handiwork and trademark use of the nature’s assets are also in evidence at The Irvine Golf Club, where those seeking a true links experience will find themselves in golfing heaven.

Beautifully crafted using the natural terrain, the course is held in high regard by the R&A, having hosted final qualifying for the Open and co-hosted high profile events including the Amateur championship, the British Senior Open and the Ladies Home internationals.

Subtle changes in direction ensure that no two holes are the same and this is truly is one of Scotland’s hidden gems, measuring 6,415 from the white tees with a par of 71.

Set in a seaside location, the Gulf Stream ensures year-round golf, whilst the romantic peaks of Arran present a stunning backdrop to the landscape.

A truly warm welcome awaits you at Thornton Golf Club. Make no mistake that “lang spoon” has been well and truly consigned to the bin at a club which takes special pride in looking after the needs of all visitors.

Be you a low handicap player or a relative novice, a hugely enjoyable

experience awaits you at Thornton, and there’s an added incentive for societies as one in every eight plays free – so advance booking is advised.

Thornton is a scenic, easily-walked parkland course bounded by the River Ore and with as fine a finishing five holes as you’ll find.

Set in the heart of Fife’s golfing country and easily accessible from the A92, the course features gently rolling terrain, tree-lined fairways and beautifully presented greens which have been a hallmark for many years.

Thornton is one of three courses hosting the Kingdom of Fife Golf Classic from July 610.

Irvine

Golf Club

The Irvine Golf Club, Bogside, sports a traditional links course established over 100 years ago owing much of its present day character to the design work of James Braid in 1926. The course provides a challenge to all with its subtle changes in direction and no two holes the same.

Bogside, Sandy Rd, Irvine Tel: 01294 275979 www.theirvinegolfclub.co.uk

Green Fees Mon-Fri Round £30.00, Day £37.50 Sat-Sun Round £37.50, Day £45.00 Twilight Golf after 3pm Mon-Sun £15.00 A scenic, easily walked parkland course bounded by the River Ore. As fine a finishing five holes as you’ll find. In the heart of Fife’s golfing country, easily accessible from the A92 trunk road. Renowned for its excellent greens. Full bar and catering facilities available.

Advanced booking advised Visitors very welcome

SOCIETY PACKAGES – one in every eight goes free Thornton Golf Club, Station Road, Thornton, Fife, KY1 4DW For further information contact the pro shop 01592 771173 E: thorntonproshop@gmail.com E: enquires@thorntongolfclub.co.uk Facebook: Search for ‘Thornton Golf Club’ Twitter: @ThorntonGolf

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YG March 2015

CHRIS HANSON THE CHALLENGE TOUR BLOG

Fantastic team works wonders on my fitness WIRED UP: Undergoing my biomechanics test favourite workshop – Tour X in Warrington – to see Nick and Nicola Hibbs, to have a quick MOT on my clubs and have them re-gripped. ’m sure most of you know that DP Publicity / The Jacobite were my main sponsor in 2014, so to sit down with David Pitts at the end of last year and hear him commit to another season was fantastic.

David expressed how he enjoyed sharing the journey, and how following my career through the year made scoreboard-watching a whole lot more interesting.

David was brilliant throughout the season, more than just a sponsor, and being a good golfer himself and understanding the professional game, it was great to receive many encouraging texts of support throughout the season, even when times weren’t great.

I’m really looking forward to the year ahead with DP Publicity and it would be a dream come true to head to the European Tour with their logo on my shirt next season. And thanks to David, me and the girls had the use of an apartment in Marbella for the whole of February, and I’m now better prepared than I have ever been for the season, which kicks off in Madeira during the middle of this month.

It gives me great pleasure to also announce another new partnership for the 2015 season, and I can’t thank Ken from Drew Partnership Ltd enough for his fantastic support.

Drew Partnership Roofing/Building in Sutton, Surrey, are specialists in pitched and flat roofs, loft conversions and PVCu fascias, soffits, guttering and cladding.

They provide professional roofing/building services throughout Surrey and especially the local areas in and around Sutton.

Having the sponsorship and team support around me this year only brings security and confidence so that I can now go out and play to my full potential.

And with a fantastic pre-season under my belt, I’m very excited about what the season ahead has in store.

Without the support of people like Ken, this coming season would not be possible. I’m already looking forward to building a great relationship and I hope they enjoy the journey too.

The off season has been really good, both on and off the course, with another sponsor coming on board in the form of AZ INTEC. I’m really looking forward to getting to know Andy and Diane over the course of the season and I’m really proud to be an ambassador for their company.

AZ INTEC are based in Warrington, but have spread their wings far across Europe.

Their products can be found in domestic housing and ensure safe and efficient supply, from portable water piping, to hot water piping, to all gas installations.

The support from all of my sponsors is a huge boost to what is again going to be a very expensive year playing the Challenge Tour.

And I must say a massive thank you to all of them and I truly hope I can do them proud!

TOUR TIP Another tip from Chris Hanson to help you improve your golf

I

’ve taken my preparation to a new level this winter and with the help of the fantastic team I have around me, I can’t wait to see what the season has in store.

I

A new element to the work I had been doing with my coach Mark Pearson was to look into the biomechanics of my golf swing. I was keen to find out if I was using the right muscles and in the correct order... could I maximise the distance I hit the ball and how much further could I push my body?

We went to visit John Watson at Styal GC for the initial test at the end of December and the results I saw after being wired-up were fascinating. I’ve since been back and it was great to see such positive results and the buzz I got from knowing the hard work in the gym and technical work with Mark has paid off was worth every penny.

Working with Mark again from his base at Oulton Hall near Leeds has been great, as he really knows his stuff – a coach who continues to push his own boundaries by learning more and more about this game and never talks the bulls**t you see day-in-day-out from coaches on social media around the world.

After the biomechanics screening, we knew I could improve those numbers with technical work. But to speed the process up and to maximise the results, I had to do something else.

And that was being more golf-specific with my fitness, not just general fitness; I had to take it to another level. That’s where Rachael Tibbs from Dynamic Golf stepped in.

After a TPi specific golf screening we knew

which areas needed to improve. My upper and lower body disassociation was the first area to work on, followed by building a more stable core.

The training has gone really well and I’ve really enjoyed having such a focus and can’t wait for my next test with Rachael to see some more progression.

I also can’t thank enough Pure Fitness in Lindley, Huddersfield, for their support too, allowing me to use their first-class facility to put the training hours in this winter!

So that’s what I’ve been up to development-wise; spending a day a week with Mark and Rachael, putting myself through five gym sessions a week at Pure Fitness and putting the technique to the test with the drills at Woodsome Hall, making the most of the indoor facilities.

And before I jetted off to spend the month of February warm weather training in southern Spain, I just had time to sneak into my

“Having the sponsorship and team support around me this year only brings security and confidence so that I can now go out and play to my full potential.

I’m very excited about the season ahead”

1

2 Accurate ball alignment is another fundamental to making more putts.

By aiming the ball at the hole or the intended line to take into account the break, with the right pace you will have a much better chance of getting the ball in the hole.

So first of all I recommend you buy one of the devices readily available in most pro shops and mark one side of the ball with a black or dark colour Sharpie (picture 1).

Then get behind the ball and aim it at the hole or the on the line that you want to hit the ball on (picture 2).

You can see that my Scotty Cameron putter has three sight lines. By also matching up the middle sight line on the putter with the line on the ball I can make sure that I deliver the putter face square to the target.

If you don’t aim at the hole or on the line you want to hit the putt, it goes without saying that the chances are that you will miss high or low.

We would like to thank Woodsome Hall Golf Club and professional John Eyre for use of their indoor putting studio.

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Sue’s our winner

OTLEY PAIR MAKE A THAW POINT AS ALLIANCE RIVALS FREEZE

Huddersfield Golf Club’s Sue Johnson OBE won our February competition prize of a dozen Callaway Chrome Soft balls.

Sue was featured in February’s Yorkshire Golfer after being awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours for services to golf.

March issue competition: Page 7

Pay day for Nick Selby professional Nick Ludwell picked up a cheque for £1,800 as a result of his third place finish in the La Manga International Pro-am.

Strong winds which gusted up to 60mph on day two made scoring difficult throughout the 54-hole event, and Ludwell’s eight-over par total from rounds of 73, 78 and 74 left him five shots behind the winner Darren Bragg.

Former European Tour player Ludwell, who is also a past Leeds Cup winner, was competing against professionals from 12 countries, in the event organised by the PGAs of Europe.

WHISKY CART!

WINNERS: Otley’s Doug Pickles and Dave Midgley, above, won at Knaresborough and Micky Doig and Tom Mulligan on their home turf at Ripon City It was a case of third time lucky for the Harrogate Union in the first winter alliance of 2015.

The first planned event at Oakdale had to be cancelled due to snow and the second at Pannal was abandoned because of gales and heavy rain.

Knaresborough hosted the third, which went ahead despite severe overnight frost which, in the words of one early starter, made it seem like crazy golf.

Temporary greens were in play apart from the 15th.

Scoring gradually improved as the course softened and the eventual winners, Otley’s Doug Pickles and Dave Midgley, teed off at 10.50.

This competition also heralded the start of the first sponsorship of the Winter Alliance season by It’s Clean, a local firm of contract cleaners. This has enabled the Union to replace its

old projector and screen equipment.

The leader board was dominated by Bedale members, who filled places two to five.

In the runners-up position, after a back six countback, were Union President-elect Ian Smith and Dave Munton, ahead of Dave Hennessey and John Condon.

Howard Dawson and Peter Harding were fourth and Adrian Hall and Peter Tate edged out Stewart Carr and Ben Ehren (Rudding Park) on the back nine (21-19) to claim fifth prize.

But Midgley and Pickles were clear winners. They finished with a flourish as Pickles eagled the par four 18th.

■ The Ripon City course was in great shape for their It’s Clean Winter Alliance event.

All the greens were in play

and were surprisingly quick for the time of year.

Scoring was therefore above par, averaging 37.4, and there were also 18 twos.

Local golfers were to the fore and only Jonathan Weighell and Doug Titterington, playing in the last group, prevented a Ripon City 1-2-3.

The Bedale duo finished in third place with 43 points, level with Tony Magrs and Ollie Kears, but lost out on second place after a back nine countback.

However, the eventual winners were Micky Doig, the host club’s secretary, and Tom Mulligan with 44 points. They notched three birdies in a score of 23 points on the inward half.

Three pairs finished on 42 points: Mike Pearson and Rob Aitken had the best back nine (22pts), followed by Jamie

McPhillips and Craig Beadling (20), and Peter Harding and Howard Dawson (19) in sixth place.

RESULTS KNARESBOROUGH 1. 43pts D Midgley (11) & D Pickles (10) Otley; 2. 39pts I Smith (6) & D Munton (12) Bedale; 3. 39pts D Hennessey (15) & J Condon (11) Bedale; 4. 39pts H Dawson (16) & P Harding (18) Bedale; 5.

38pts A Hall (8) 7 P Tate (17) Bedale; 6. 38pts S Carr (20) & B Ehren (13) Rudding Park.

RIPON CITY 1. 44pts M Doig (12) & T Mulligan (8) Ripon City; 2. 43pts T Magrs (9) & O Kears (10) Ripon City; 3. 43pts J Weighell (24) & D Titterington (16) Bedale; 4. 42pts M Pearson (18) & R Aitken (8) Ripon City; 5. 42pts J McPhillips (8) & C Beadling (10) Romanby; 6.

42pts P Harding (18) & H Dawson (16) Bedale.

Three clubs host Lakes festival K Billionaire Donald Trump is rumoured to have the most expensive customized golf cart in the world but we spotted one, complete with Mercedes badge and whisky optic, at a club in Yorkshire.

We are not sure who the owner is but if you want to have your customized golf cart featured in Yorkshire Golfer magazine, just e mail a picture to mike@yorkshire-golfer.com.

irkby Lonsdale Golf Club will be one of three courses hosting the new Lakes Festival three-day Am Am from June 12-14.

The four person competition, which can comprise all men/ladies or mixed, will be played in a stableford format, with Windermere and Kendal’s Carus Green the other two local clubs involved.

Interest in the competition is already mounting, with the first prize being a golf holiday to Turkey.

Bilyana Golf Holidays are the title spon-

sor for the event and the first prize is a seven-day all inclusive hotel package with three rounds of golf.

Said Simon Edwards, head professional at Windermere: “We are very much looking forward to this event and would like it to be as inclusive as possible, so the make-up of the teams can be any combination of men and ladies.

“The teams can choose their tee times on Friday and Saturday. The final round will be drawn in score order with the leaders out last. This will add pressure to the event, as

being in the last few groups at any tournament is a great thrill!

“One-day Am-Am events are much more frequently held, so this three-day event is very rare.

“It’s also unusual to find three quality golf courses involved in a competition of this kind and we are delighted that Carus Green and Kirkby Lonsdale will be hosting this with us.

“We like to think we can offer something a bit different at Windermere and this threeday festival is testament to that.”

FULL OF THE JOYS OF SPRING GOLF £30.00 per person Includes tea, coffee and bacon rolls upon arrival in Zest Restaurant & Bar, 18 holes of golf on our championship course followed by Chef’s dish of the day.

To book call 01274 534212 or visit MarriottGolf.co.uk Why not add a buggy for an additional £10 per person Terms and conditions: tee times have limited availability. Not available in conjunction with any other offer and is only available at Hollins Hall. Valid 1st April until 31st May 2015. Buggies must be reserved at the time of booking.

Buggies that are requested on the day will be charged at full rate.

Hollins Hall Marriott Hotel & Country Club Hollins Hill, Baildon, Shipley, West Yorkshire, BD17 7QW

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Our Stay and Play page is a great and cost-effective way to promote your golf club, hotel, bed & breakfast, restaurant, bar or golf service to tens of thousands of golfers across Yorkshire and the North-East.

Stay in North Yorkshire Play at Romanby Golf & Country Club, Northallerton

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£40 plus vat

per month ‘Unbeatable golf breaks in Yorkshire’

Great courses Warm hospitality Superb value

Tel: 01943 609888 email: peter@whiterosegolfbreaks.co.uk web: www.whiterosegolfbreaks.co.uk

YG March 2015

WATER DELIGHT: The 11th green at Romany Golf & Country Club

ne of the best guides to choosing your golf excursion for this year, or indeed club membership, is to look at Romanby’s approach to customer satisfaction.

Through a rigorous customer care training programme, the use of modern management procedures and continual reinvestment in facilities, Romanby has enjoyed one of its most successful years on record.

Sustainability has been the key word over the past few years of austerity, with a carefully planned reinvestment programmes at the heart of the success.

Changes in 2014 included the first full year of collaboration with the Snainton Golf Shop at Romanby, offering customers the most up to date apparel and equipment at internet competitive prices.

The appointment of head teaching professional Rob Lilley also delivered the very latest and best in computer aided tuition, with the Trackman precision swing and ball flight analysis system favoured by both the PGA and R&A. But without a doubt the jewel in Romanby’s crown has got to be the unique golf party booking aid, the “create your own golf day” package calculator. Golf party organisers can now input all their relevant golf party details from the comfort of their armchair, 24 hours a day online.

In return they receive an instant price quotation and confirmation within 24 hours of the enquiry. Give it a go at www.romanby.com/golf.

For further details about Stay&Play, contact Sandra Kirton on 07771 885757 or email sandra@yorkshire-golfer.com

OPEN COMPETITIONS 2015 BEVERLEY AND EAST RIDING GOLF CLUB www.beverleygolfclub.co.uk 01482 868757 Wed May 13 Gents Spring Open Am/Am teams of 4 £50 Friday June 5 Ladies Spring Open Am/Am stableford teams of 4 £48 Sat July 25 Mixed Open Am/Am stableford teams of 2 ladies +2 gents £50 Fri Aug 7 Captain's Charity Open 4bbb medal -any combination members £10, visitors £15 Wed Aug 12 Over 50's Autumn Open Am/Am stableford teams of 4 men £50 Fri Sept 4 Ladies Open Am/Am stableford teams of 4 £84 Wed October 7 Xmas Open 4bbb medal teams of 2 ladies and/or gents £40 CALVERLEY GOLF CLUB www.calverleygolfclub.co.uk 0113 256 9244 (Pro Shop option 1) Sunday May 3 Open Day 4 man team £50 per team £5000 prize for hole in one Tuesday June 16 Seniors Jubilee Open Day 4BBB £20 per pair. Over 55's only DEWSBURY DISTRICT GOLF CLUB www.dewsburygolf. co.uk 01924 492399 Sat June 6 Whitley Cup 36 hole scratch £25 Sat June 20 Mixed 4bbb stableford £20 per couple Tues July 14 Ladies Am/Am £36 per team Wed Aug 12 Seniors Open £27 per

pair Sat Aug 15 Pinnacle Open 4bbb £20 per pair Sun Sept 6 Junior Open £5 Sun Sept 13 Mixed Team Greensomes £40 per team Thurs Sept 24 Mirfield Open Am/Am £80 per team inc 2 course meal DONCASTER TOWN MOOR GOLF CLUB www.doncastertownmoorgolfclub.co.uk 01302 53316 Wed June 10 Seniors Open betterball stableford £24 per pair Thursday June 18 Ladies Open Am/Am stableford £36 per team of 3.

Saturday July 18 Mixed Open betterball stableford £25 per pair.

Thursday August 6 Junior single stableford - £10 per player to include burger and chips after play.

Sunday August 9 Gents Am/ Am stableford £80 per team of 4 to include a meal after golf.

All players will need to have a completion status handicap to claim a prize and be able to verify this by supplying their CDH number or a valid handicap certificate.

HOWLEY HALL GOLF CLUBwww.howleyhall. co.uk 01924 350100 Monday April 27 Ladies Texas Scramble teams of 4 £40 per team Monday May 11 Seniors 4ball stableford £35 per pair Monday July 6 Ali Lauitiiti Testimonial Golf Day teams of 4 £tbc Sunday July 26 Rabbits Open 4bbb £tbc Monday Aug 3 Ladies Am/Am stableford teams of 4 £50 per team

Monday Sept 7 Seniors 4ball stableford £35 per pair Sept 2 /3 The Yorkshire Open Pro-Am and Professionals and Amateur scratch event.Am event entry fee £30.

Handicap limit 3. First prize £500.

RIPON CITY GOLF CLUB www.riponcitygolfclub.com 01765 603640 Monday April 27 Gents Am/Am 4 man team £60 per team Thursday May 14 Seniors 4bbb stableford £25 per pair Friday May 15 Ladies Am/Am stableford 2 from 4 to count £40 per team Saturday May 16 Gents 4bbb stableford £25 per pair Sunday May 17 Mixed Am/Am stableford one man and one lady to score £40 per team Monday July 6 Gents Am/Am 4 man team £60 per team Thursday July 30 Seniors 4bbb stableford £25 per pair Friday July 31 Ladies Am/Am stableford 2 from 4 to score £40 per team Saturday August 1 Gents 4bbb stableford £25 per pair Sunday August 2 Mixed Am/Am stableford one man and one lady to score £40 per team Sunday September 6 Rabbits (1628hcp) 4 man team 2 to score £40 per team Sunday September 13 Gents Am/Am 4 man team £60 per team WILLOW VALLEY GOLF CLUB www.wvgc.co.uk 01274 878624 Saturday July 11 Pairs BB stableford separate events for men, ladies and seniors £40 per pair inc breakfast

sandwich YORKSHIRE PGA PRO-AMS www.yorkshirepga.com Friday May 1 Malton Pro-Am, Malton& Norton GC Monday May 11 The Links Challenge, Bridlington Links GC Friday May 22 Burstwick Pro-Am, Burstwick GC Wed May 27 Dewsbury Pro-Am, Dewsbury GC Friday June 5 Seaside Pro-Am, Bridlington GC Friday June 12 Crow Nest Pro-Am, Crow Nest GC Friday June 19 Hornsea Pro-Am, Hornsea GC Friday July 3 Stoneacre YPGA Championship Pro-Am, Mid Yorkshire GC Tuesday July 7 YPGA Classic & ProAm, Leeds Golf Centre Friday July 17 Springhead Park ProAm, Springhead Park GC Wed/Thurs July 22/23 Ganton&Fulford Pro-Am, Ganton GC and Fulford GC Sunday Aug 2 Roundhay Pro-Am, Roundhay GC, Leeds Mon Aug 3 Cookridge Hall Pro-am, Cookridge Hall, Leeds Friday Aug 7 Parkinson's Disease Charity Pro-Am, Hull GC Monday Aug 17 Waterfront Pro-Am, Waterfront golf Centre Monday Aug 24 Forest Park Trophy & Pro-Am, Forest Park GC Fri Sept 4 Selby Pro-Am, Selby GC Wed Sept 2 Yorkshire Open Championship Pro-Am, Howley Hall GC Fri Sept 25 Grange Park Pro-Am

TO HAVE YOUR EVENTS LISTED PLEASE EMAIL: news@yorkshire-golfer.com

March 2015

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Bed & Breakfast ‘The Friendliest Club on the Coast.....’

1 NIGHT & 1DAY’S UNLIMITED GOLF*

£49 pp Golf Coast Passport with Bed & Breakfast from 2 NIGHTS, 3 ROUNDS OF GOLF FROM 5 COURSES*

£116 pp

VISITING SOCIETIES ALWAYS WELCOME Package 1: coffee & bacon sandwich on arrival, round of golf, one course chef special Package 2: 18 holes of golf

£25 £18 per person

per person

PACKAGES ALSO AVAILABLE FOR 27/36 HOLES - Monday to Friday Telephone: 01904 700797 (Option 5) or Email: secretary@pikehillsgolfclub.co.uk For online Green Fee Booking visit our website:

www.pikehillsgolfclub.co.uk

Pike Hills Golf Club, Tadcaster Road, Askham Bryan, York, North Yorkshire, YO23 3UW

Bed & Breakfast with unlimited golf* Facilities include two bedrooms (max 4 guests) lounge with stunning views of the course & North Sea, a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom, parking, full use of the Clubhouse and full English Breakfast in our restaurant

Flamborough Head Golf Club For more information call: 01262 850333 LIGHTHOUSE ROAD, FLAMBOROUGH YO15 1AR www.flamboroughheadgolfclub.co.uk enquiries@flamboroughheadgolfclub.co.uk