Pitchmark Golf Magazine - June 2010 by Scene Marketing Ltd

your frEE copy

the magazine for the local golfer

issue June 2010

INSIDE...

Longmuir is top of the bill at Staplefordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seniors Masters Courses under the microscope: Wyboston Lakes and North Luffenham Can the Brits end 40 years of hurt at the US Open?

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IN THE BAG... Pitchmark caddies on the European Tour

delivered to south Lincolnshire, north cambridgeshire, north Bedfordshire, East northamptonshire and rutland

mercedes-Benz c 180 cGi BlueEfficiEncy EstatE sPort

I HAVE a confession to make – I’m an Audi A4 Avant owner, so that might have clouded my judgement when test driving this very similar sized Mercedes-Benz. It might have made me less objective than I normally am when testing cars – mainly because this model of Mercedes is everything I wanted but couldn’t afford when shopping around for a decent German estate car. True, my Audi is a solid tank of a car finely crafted in Deutschland – just like the Mercedes-Benz C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY ESTATE SPORT on test here.The difference is my car is a 2.0 litre, 130bhp petrol model on a 53 plate. It was all my wife and I could stretch to after deciding we wanted a premium brand car with the safety and practicality to fit two small children and all their stuff in.This Mercedes does everything our car does and more – and obviously costs a lot more than a second hand Audi – as you’d expect. I would have bought it, but at this stage in my life a week behind the wheel was the nearest ownership experience I was going to get. When I first had the Mercedes-Benz C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY ESTATE SPORT delivered for my press write up, I could tell the model was going to live up to all my expectations. First impressions have to take into account the length of the vehicle - it is long, but somehow manages to maintain a pleasing streamlined look with neatly-crafted curves. Inside, surfaces with pleasant tactile qualities and precision edges set the tone for the cabin’s high-quality ambience.The attractively styled dashboard, highgrade materials and appealing colour schemes go on to add what can only be described as a homely atmosphere. For a large vehicle the C180 is deceptively agile in town and with outstanding all-round visibility and the added assistance of some parking sensors, it is a piece of cake to park. Out on the open road the 1.8-litre engine delivers power rapidly for a family estate and the car cruises smoothly through the five-speed automatic transmission.

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By tim Barnes-clay, motoring Journalist This Mercedes isn’t just about performance though, it is also packed full with toys.There is a stereo system complete with eight speakers and iPod and MP3 compatibility.Then there’s the lockable glove box with cooling function, Bluetooth facility for hands free calls, cruise control, rain-sensing wipers and the neat chrome ringed dials.The list just goes on. All controls are ideally situated for ease of use although, at first, it is easy to operate the cruise

fast facts mercedes-Benz c180 cGi BlueEfficiency Estate Sport Price: £29,235 on the road mechanical: 156PS, 4-cylinder, 1,796cc petrol engine driving rear wheels via 5-speed automatic gearbox max speed: 132mph 0-62mph: 9.2 seconds combined mpg: 38.2 insurance group: 29 co2 emissions: 179g/km Warranty: 3 yrs/unlimited miles

control lever by mistake rather than the indicator stick. Just like my Audi, the rear bench is more than adequate for fitting two child seats in securely. I was particularly impressed by the load space. Luggage capacity expands from a thoroughly practical 485 litres behind the seats – 690 litres to the roof – to a cavernous 1500 litres (loaded to roof level) with the rear seats folded down. For those with a golfing bent, that means the C-Class Estate can swallow four golf bags and four trolleys. For everybody else, it is perhaps best to imagine two and a half washing machines! Safety features are all-embracing with anti-lock

brakes, plenty of airbags and a tyre pressure warning system.The environmental side of things are just as comprehensive; the BlueEFFICIENCY model uses weight saving measures, energy management and enhanced aerodynamics to improve fuel economy and to reduce CO2 emissions. When you take into consideration the excellent fuel figures (combined mpg 38.2), as well as the performance, practicality and prestige of the Mercedes-Benz C 180 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY ESTATE SPORT, it really is a fantastic car all round. © Barnes-Clay Media 2010 www.barnes-claymedia.webeden.co.uk

And on the ﬁrst tee...

t’s easy to think nowadays that golf has become a young man’s game. Watching kids who have barely begun shaving – like Irish star Rory McIlroy and Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa – pull off outrageous feats on the golf course and claim improbable wins when they really should be doing their homework can be a touch depressing if, like us, you’re getting on a bit. One look at those ridiculously long and athletic golf swings is enough for us to pull a muscle just watching them on TV! And don’t even get us started on those little kids from our junior sections with their annoyingly perfect grooved swings and fearless putting. So what a great fillip it was for us to be at the European Tour’s Handa Seniors Masters at Stapleford Park this month. Watching the way those guys plot their way round a course and marvelling at their unbelievably polished short games, goes to show we still have plenty of good golfing years left in us yet. And watching how competitive they are too is also pretty inspiring. Read all about our experiences as a caddy on the European Seniors Tour on pages 16 and 17. Congratulations to Stapleford Park for hosting such a top event on a course that fully deserves to be showcased at that level. As we’ve said ever since we started the magazine, this area has some fantastic courses and it’s great to see them get the credit they deserve.

CONTENTS

inside the magazine this month... 4&5: 6:

8: 9:

11:

12&13: 15:

16&17:

Enjoy the magazine and happy golfing. 18&19:

thE Pitchmark tEam: Editor: Matthew Jarvis PUBLishEr: Heidi Semple – tel: 01778 345875 or 07966 964520 advErtisinG: Zoe Wrynn – tel: 07912 361280

addrEss: 96 Lincoln Road, Deeping Gate, PE6 9BA tELEPhonE no: 01778 345875 EmaiL: pitchmarkgolf@yahoo.co.uk WEBsitE: www.pitchmark.co.uk

All material in Pitchmark is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Any views expressed in Pitchmark are not necessarily representative of the views of the publisher. While every care is taken in compiling the contents of Pitchmark, the publisher assumes no responsibility for the damage, loss or injury arising from any offer, competition or advertising contained within. Pitchmark accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material.

20&21: 22-27:

thE noticEBoard arnoLd thE anorak: Our very own golf bore answers all your questions. tEasErs & tickLErs: Test out your golfing knowledge. coachinG cornEr: Alex Oldham teaches us the importance of a good set-up. Us oPEn PrEviEW: Can the Brits finally triumph again after a 40-year wait? coUrsE rEviEW: North Luffenham GC GoLf’s a mEntaL GamE: Tim Nightingale trains our mind to help us perform better on the course. drEam coUrsE: We reveal the winners of holes 13 to 18. Who’s thE caddy?: We reveal our experiences as a caddy on the European Seniors Tour at Stapleford Park. straiGht hittinG: Wyboston Lakes. thE scorEBoard: All the latest news and scores from our local clubs.

Great Golf & Fantastic Food

outstanding offers this summer Dresscode relaxed in the clubhouse and practice areas (No ripped or scruffy clothes allowed) Non members welcome Pitchmark rEadErs’ offEr Bacon Roll, coffee or tea. Basket of balls on the Driving Range & 18 Holes £15.00 per person (weekdays) £18.00 per person (weekends) This offer is open to 2-4 players Please quote PM01 on booking

rUtLand coUnty coLts chaLLEnGE Played on the Par 3 Course 6th June - 29th August Under 12s (by 1st April 2010) without official handicaps £5.00 includes green fee & soft drink Medals for 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed competitors

90 ninEty GoLf comPEtition 16th July & 17th September Pairs KNockout competition Coffee & bacon roll, snack lunch £20 includes prizes

JUnE offEr Homemade Rutland Burger & Chips & 18 Holes £17.00 per person (weekdays) £20.00 per person (weekends) This offer is open to 2-4 players

Visit the CMO to see Footjoy,Titleist, Stuburt, Glenmuir, Masters, Motocaddy, Powacaddy, Kasco, RCGC logo’d items and much more... Pickworth, stamford, PE9 4aQ tel: 01780 460330 www.rutlandcountygolf.co.uk Always a friendly welcome www.pitchmark.co.uk

Lincs defend Eastern crown Lincolnshire defended their Eastern Inter-County Foursomes title in record-breaking style. The pairs of Patrick Kelly and Adam Keogh, James Burnett and Matt Veall, Liam Bell and Steve Brattan, Nathan Kimsey and Sam Sharpe and Ben Sheriff and Simon Richardson were in unstoppable form at Seacroft Golf Club. Lincs secured nine points out of 10 in the first round of matches, following up with seven out of 10 in the afternoon to leave them half a point behind leaders Bedfordshire. They then faced Beds and Suffolk on the Sunday morning, taking eight points out of 10 points to open up a four-point lead, And Lincs made no mistakes in the final round of matches, finishing on 32.5 points. – the highest ever winning score in the competition.

Evans claims top three spot Ryan Evans of Wellingborough finished third in the Midland Closed Amateur

Noticeboard... Superb 68 nets Burnett fifth

Charity walk for care home

Five Greetham Valley lady golfers left their golf clubs at home and took to the streets of Peterborough at midnight for a 10-mile charity walk. Led by the club’s ladies captain Angela Wheeler, the intrepid five completed the distance in wet and very windy conditions to raise money for Sue Ryder Care, based at Thorpe Hall in Peterborough. Pictured are Helen Woolley, Annie McCulloch, Angela Wheeler, Gilly Grant and Sue Brand. Championship at Saffron Walden. He closed on twounder par after rounds of 74 and 70 left him seven shots behind winner Andrew Sullivan of Nuneaton. Other local competitors in action were Kettering’s Andrew Lilly (147), Elton Furze’s Jamie

Hibbert (149) and Adam Pike (150), Brampton Park’s Owen Davies (153), Simon Burns (154) and Andy Wool (156), Girton’s David Milburn (153), George Howard (154) and Paul Tiplady (157) and Toft Hotel’s James Dair (153) and Scott Freear (158).

Sleaford’s James Burnett posted a superb closing 68 to finish joint fifth in the Fairhaven Trophy. His sparkling four-under par fourth round left him on six-over par after previous scores of 72, 75 and 79.

Duo qualify for Brabazon Adam Keogh and Simon Richardson of Boston West both qualified for the Brabazon Trophy after shotting rounds of 69 and 71 respectively in the Northern Qualifier at Huddersfield GC. They will join Boston’s David Coupland and Sleaford’s James Burnett who are already in the main event.

Visitors Welcome

Monday-Friday £25 www.girtongolf.co.uk

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hole-in-one honours board sponsored by oundle Golf Club thErE have been some very impressive efforts on the hole-inone front this month. And pride of place must go to Ben Cottingham who holed his tee shot... on a 371-yard par four! The 21-year-old went for the green on the dogleg fourth hole at Thorney Lakes and after reaching the green and searching for his ball found it nestling in the cup! And has their ever been a younger member of the hole-in-one club than Eleanor Gamble – who is just FIVE years old. She pulled off her astonishing feat while playing with her brother in a junior contest at Cambridge Lakes. She hit the ball 86 yards over a lake, round a bunker and straight into the cup. Ben Cottingham at Thorney Lakes, 4th hole Tim Cribbin at Milton, 11th hole Helen Long at Milton, 16th hole Eleanor Gamble at Cambridge Lakes Adan Sowa at Stapleford, 14th hole Doug Garfoot at Spalding, 9th hole Mike Lewis at Greetham Valley, 14th hole Tony Dyer at Tydd St Giles

LEttEr In reference to your Hole-in-one Honours Board in the May issue of Pitchmark I would like to comment on my ‘asterisk of shame’. I would like to inform you that in recent years I have carried most of my golfing partners during our many golf competitions, thus saving them endless amounts of money. Therefore I see no reason why simply because I scored a hole-inone I should also have to provide their alcoholic beverages... let alone every waif and stray who happens to be hanging around in the clubhouse at that time! My insurance company informs me that my £100 hole-in-one payment is only valid during an official club competition ... therefore the buying of drinks will also be governed by this condition! As I found your remarks both disparaging and defamatory I have no choice other than to contact my solicitor to seek recompense. Yours sincerely, Ian RG Jarvis

short game master class JamiE Donaldson from Cambridge Golf & Conference

a fiELd of 38 teams-of-three from 25 clubs competed in Thorpe Wood’s Ladies Open.And it was the home trio of Trish Crighton, Joyce Fisher & Clare Robertson who led the way early on with a score of 82 points. But they were eventually overtaken by a team from Bourn GC (Judith Barnes, Ann Gardner and Mary McDonald) with 87 points. The ladies raised £408 for the Lady Captain’s Charity, Guide Dogs for the Blind. Centre is running a Short Game Master Class where you can pick up expert guidance on improvoing your chipping, putting and bunker play. Each class has just six pupils so you get plenty of one-on-one tuition. The day costs £79.99 and includes lunch. Class dates are June 11, 12and 18, July 2, 9 and 10, August 13, 21 and 27 and September 10, 17 and 18. Contact Jamie at jamie@cgcc.co.uk or on 07733 255044 to book your place.

harris wins Pitchmark meet John Harris won Pitchmark Golf Society’s May meeting at

Cambridge Menzies. He led the way on countback after finishing level on 40 points with Stuart Andrew and Mick Horton. In the month’s other meeting at Elton Furze, Mike Inman came out on top with 42 points. In the 2010 Order of Merit standings, James Cottam and Jim Murray lead the way on 217 points. This month’s society day takes place at Prior Hall, Corby, on Friday, June 25. If you fancy joining us for a friendly, mostly low quality but competitive day’s golf, call us on 01733 230140 or email us on pitchmarkgolf@yahoo.co.uk. The cost of the day’s entertainment is £35, including coffee and bacon sandwich on arrival, a light lunch and prizes.

W in a

members hip to Stapleford Park

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Arnold the Anorak There’s nothing about golf that Arnold the Anorak doesn’t know... except how to play. So if there’s something about the game you want to know but can’t be bothered to find out on the grounds that you actually have a life, Arnold will find the answer for you.

Drop him a line at pitchmarkgolf@yahoo.co.uk

: can you please explain what is happening about the new rules concerning grooves on wedges and in what way it will effect normal club players like myself? don, hcp 14. Arnold says: At the moment most the fuss concerns the professional tours but it will effect us all in years to come. The game’s lawmakers are putting limits on grooves on all clubs, excluding drivers and putters. They are going to be made shallower and narrower in an effort to make it more difficult to spin the ball from the rough and so increase the difference between playing an approach from the fairway and from the long grass. For top level Tours, these rules came into play on January 1 this year. From January 1 next year, all newly-manufactured clubs will need to conform to the new rules. You can continue to use your wedges and irons and retailers can still sell non-conforming clubs after this date. However manufacturers may not

you played a great shot the chances are he’ll want you to replay it, but if you smashed it out of bounds he probably won’t bother! : after playing golf for several years now i really feel the game would be a lot simpler - and quicker - if when you hit the ball out of bounds you were allowed to simply drop your ball where it crossed the ooB lines. it would do away with worrying about playing provisional shots or going back to play your shot again after failing to locate the ball. What do you think arnold? Lester, hcp 25.

Arnold says: There is no penalty if you play your shot out of turn but your opponent is entitled to say you must cancel your shot and replay it in the correct order, playing your ball from the same spot you just played from. So if

Arnold says: That’s an interesting point, Lester, and I can see some advantages to it. This ‘stroke only’ penalty was actually tried out in the 1960s but was dropped after a year. One of the problems was the contentious issue of where the ball actually went out of bounds. Personally speaking, I feel particularly as someone who is not an especially long hitter - it would prove too generous to big

continue to produce nonconforming clubs. At the start of 2014 lower tier pro events and premier amateur tournaments must fall into line with the new rules while the rest of us can continue to play with nonconforming clubs until 2024 - bearing in mind no such clubs will have been manufactured for 13 years by this point! If you are buying a new club that has been launched after 1 January 2011, then it will have to conform to the regulations. The reason for the staggered introduction of the new rules is so that ordinary golfers aren’t forced to go out and buy a brand new set of clubs. : in a matchplay competition, what happens if you play your shot out of turn? do you have to replay your shot? maggy, hcp 33.

but erratic hitters at the expense of finding the fairway. The time-saving issue might be useful but that is what the provisional ball rule is for. For non-competitive rounds though especially for beginners - it would seem to make more sense. : i read recently about a young Japanese player who shot a round of 58 in a professional event and wondered what the lowest round ever recorded is? Bill, hcp 22.

Arnold says: On the professional circuit, Ryo Ishikawa’s 58 to win The Crowns tournament in Japan is the lowest ever recorded. The 18-year-old birdied five of the first six holes and turned in 28 before coming home in 30. David Duval was the last of three players to have broken 60 on the US PGA Tour, but there have not been any sub60 rounds on the European Tour yet. A total of 14 players have had rounds of 60. Another Japanese player, Shigeki Maruyama, also recorded a round of 58 in a US Open qualifying event.

Get noticed by 30,000 golﬁng enthusiasts! Pitchmark is a free magazine delivered to over 50 golf clubs within a 40mile radius of Peterborough, reaching golf enthusiasts and your potential customers. Pitchmark is professionally written and offers tips, help and advice on all aspects of golf. With over 5000 copies printed and delivered each month, plus an on-line version sent to a database of over 19,000 golf club members, Pitchmark reaches a wide audience not currently reached by any other magazine, ensuring optimum response levels from your advertising.

for more details contact Zoe on 07912 361280 or heidi on 01778 345875

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READER OFFER

PLay for £10

Pitchmark have teamed up with oundle Golf club to offer a green fee of just £10 per person, per round. Subject to other tee reservations, Pitchmark readers can play on Thursdays all day and on Tuesday afternoons. Tee times must be booked in advance using the reference “Pitchmark Offer”. Contact Richard Keys or Andy Simmonds in the Proshop on:

01832 273267 or proshop@oundlegolfclub.com Oundle GC has 18 very individual holes all set in hundreds of acres of peaceful Northamptonshire countryside.

Check out the course on www.oundlegolfclub.com Not to be combined with any other offer. Offer ends 26th August 2010.

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itchmark readers are being offered the chance to win a year's free membership to one of the best golf clubs in the area Stapleford Park. The Leicestershire venue - home of the recent European Seniors Tour Handa Seniors Masters – is putting up the fabulous prize... but you are going to have earn the prize the hard way by finishing top of the Twilight Tournament. The Twilight Tournament -

exclusive to Pitchmark readers – is being held every Thursday night from June 17 to August 4 inclusive. On each of those dates there will be 16 places up for grabs comprising four groups of fourballs. Entry will cost each competitor £25. To book your place contact Nick Alexander on 07835 663535 or email us at pitchmarkgolf@yahoo.co.uk. The membership deal up for grabs includes the gymnasium, tennis and swimming pool as well

as the fantastic golf course. The par 73-course is a wonderful Donald Steeldesigned lay-out which meanders through the Leicestershire countryside and is never more than two holes wide. It’s a long course at 6944 yards long, demands some long straight driving and possesses some scary bunkers and magnificent greens.

It's a hell of a prize... but you're going to have to play well to win it!

Win FREE membership to Stapleford Park ’AVIN A LAUGH A nun admits to her Mother Superior: “I used some horrible language this week and feel absolutely terrible about it.” “When did you use this awful language?” the Mother Superior asked. The nun explained: “Well, I was golfing and hit this fabulous drive but it struck a phone line hanging over the fairway and fell straight down to the ground only 100 yards from the tee.” “Is that when you cursed?,” asked Mother Superior. “No,” said the nun. “After that, a squirrel ran out of the bushes, grabbed my ball and ran away.” “Is that when you swore?” asked Mother Superior. “No,” said the nun. “An eagle swooped down, grabbed the squirrel and flew away!” “Is that when you swore?” asked Mother Superior. “No,” said the nun. “As the eagle carried the squirrel away, it flew near the green and the squirrel dropped my ball.” “Did you swear then?” asked Mother Superior, becoming impatient. “No,” said the nun. “Because the ball fell on a big rock, bounced over the sand trap, rolled onto the green and stopped about six inches from the hole.” The two nuns were silent for a moment. Then Mother Superior sighed and said: “You missed the &!#&%#%! putt, didn’t you?” www.pitchmark.co.uk

GOLF GAMES

Whack and Hack: This is a tournament format for teams of four. Each member of the fourball play their own ball for four individual scores. Two of those scores are combined to make up the team score on each hole. The two scores that are used are the best score and the worst score. So if the four players score three, four, five and six respectively, the team score is nine (three plus six). But if the best score for the team is a birdie or better, then the team gets to use its two best scores on that hole.

WHO AM I?

FOR EAGLE: I was born in New York on August 23, 1968. FOR BIRDIE: I holed the winning putt in the 2005 Presidents Cup match but lost on both my Ryder Cup appearances. FOR PAR: I finished runner-up three times in Majors in the space of eight events from 2004 to 2006. FOR BOGEY: I have lost to Vijay Singh in a play-off for the US PGA and to Tiger Woods in the US Masters. FOR DOUBLE BOGEY: My unusual putting style became known as ‘The Claw’.

IN WHICH YEAR? Tiger Woods missed the cut at the US Open just weeks after the death of his father. Europe equalled their record Ryder Cup win, thrashing America 18.5-9.5. Japanese Tour golfer Mitsuhiro Tateyama recorded a 19 on a par three during the Acom International. Colin Montgomerie double bogeyed the final hole to hand Geoff Ogilvy the US Open crown. Arnold Palmer made his final appearance on the professional Tour. Paul Casey beat Shaun Micheel 10&8 in the final of the World Match Play at Wentworth.

GOLF QUIZ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

What is Tiger Woods’ worst round as a professional: 77, 79 or 81? How many holes at St Andrews’ Old Course do not have a shared green: Four, eight or 12? How many balls landed in the water on Sawgrass’s infamous 17th ‘Island Hole’ during the 2007 Players’ Championship: 25, 38 or 50? How many top 10 finishes has Phil Mickelson had at the last 16 Masters tournaments: Eight, 11 or 13? Which Scottish course will host the 2014 Ryder Cup: Carnoustie, Royal Troon or Gleneagles? The youngest player ever to play in a European Tour event was how old: 11, 13 or 15? Which of the following players has never won the US Open: Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo or Tom Watson?

ANSWERS: Golf quiz: 1 81, 2 Four, 3 50, 4 13, 5 Gleneagles, 6 13, 7 Nick Faldo; Who Am I?: Chris DiMarco; In Which Year?: 2006.

teasers and ticklers

Pitchmarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resident professional, March Golf Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Alex Oldham, continues his instruction series aimed at making all our readers better golfers. Last month we looked at the benefits of standing the correct distance from the ball. Posture affects our backwards/ forwards movement. This month we shall focus on two further set-up skills to enhance our chances of success. Stance width affects our sideways movement and ball position our strike/trajectory and sometimes accuracy. For correct stance width with a reference point, the first thing we need to do is measure our shoulders. Mine are 18 inches (see picture 1), and I keep this the same every time I hit a full shot regardless of the club I use. You might like to take one of your favourite clubs and make a marking on the shaft so you can see what that distance is. While in some older golf material, you may read of incredibly narrow stances for the wedges, my own opinion is that it is not beneficial. And hey, the wedges are the heaviest clubs so more weight is away from you during the swing, so why go narrower? For correct ball position, we

COACHING CORNER

with Alex Oldham

now need to group our clubs together. I like three ball positions as it keeps it simple. Group one is my driver and three wood from the tee peg. Group two consists of my bafflers and my long/mid-irons. Group three is my short irons. To put my ball in the correct place, I will start with the feet together and the club shaft running right up the middle of my trousers (see picture 2). I then move my feet consciously

and meticulously the necessary steps left (picture 3) and right (picture 4). Group one clubs see me move my left foot three inches and my right fifteen inches. Group two clubs need six inches left and twelve inches right. NB If I have to hit my three wood off the fairway, I place it in this spot. Group three sees nine inches each way. (these are shown in picture 5) While I appreciate that this may

be long-winded, it does work and a few extra seconds setting up properly could save you ages by taking less shots and looking for less balls. As a service to Pitchmark readers, if you need help grouping your clubs, send me an email with your stance width, a little bit of info about yourself and the details of the clubs in your bag to alexoldham@btinternet.com. I will only be too happy to help.

5 www.pitchmark.co.uk

could you win as many trophies as this?

Possibly, if your clubs are fitted correctly.

find out more at:

thorpe Wood Golf shop Peterborough PE3 6sE

midweek Green fee £15.50 senior (over 65) £9.50

offEr - Play after 2pm

monday to thursday for only £10

01733 267701

you do not have to be a member or have a handicap to play Golf societies welcome 7 days a week

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Regional Custom Fit Centre for all major manufacturers. All fittings carried out by PGA professionals.

Great condition golf course at a great price!

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www.ortonmeadowsgolfcourse.co.uk orton Waterville, Peterborough

Us oPEn

rEcEnt WinnErs

Pebble Beach, June 17-20

forty yEars of hUrt LEE Westwood will lead the British charge at this month’s Us open. With five players in the world’s top 20 – Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald – the Brits should have a great chance of glory at the breathtaking Pebble Beach course. But the US Open is a tournament that has brought only heartbreak for home golfers since Tony Jacklin’s magnificent seven-stroke victory at Hazeltine in 1970. And no-one has suffered more during those 40 years of hurt than Colin Montgomery. The man whose straight driving and razor-sharp iron play should have been tailor-made for US Open golf has been chewed up and spat out in the most demanding of the four Majors time and again. At his peak in the 1990s, Monty found

himself edged out by Ernie Els when they went head-to-head in 1994 and 1997, the first time in an 18-hole playoff. And then just as he seemed destined to finally land his first Major in 2006, he made a complete hash of the 72nd hole – despite a perfect drive – to hand the

crown to grateful Aussie star Geoff Ogilvy. While perennial nearly man Monty was bought to his knees by the US Open, Britain’s greatest champion Nick Faldo fared little better. In his heyday, he failed to get the better of American Curtis Strange in an 18-hole

US oPEN FACTS

Pebble Beach is open to the public.. but its green fees are among the highest in the world. A round there costs $500 - that’s £340! Four previous US Opens have been held at Pebble Beach. Jack Nicklaus won there in 1972, Tom Watson in 1982, Tom Kite in 1992 and Tiger Woods in 2000. It also staged the 1977 PGA Championship won by Lanny Wadkins. The first US Open was staged on a nine-hole course at Newport Country Club, Rhode Island in 1895. It was won over 36 holes by 21-year-old Englishman Horace Rawlins who received $150 out of a prize fund of $350. America failed to produce a home-grown winner until 1911 when John McDermott triumphed. Americans won 40 successive US Opens until South Africa’s Gary Player won in 1965. The most successful US Open champions with four wins each are Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk hold the record for the lowest score over 72 holes – 272. Woods boasts the best winning score to par – 12-under at Pebble Beach in 2000. Hale Irwin is the oldest winner of the US Open. He was 45 when he won at Medinah Country Club in 1990. Tiger Woods’ victory at Pebble Beach in 2000 saw him win by 15 strokes – a record winning margin for any Major championship. Phil Mickelson has never won the US Open but has finished runner-up four times - in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Colin Montgomerie finished second three times without ever winning, in 1994, 1997 and 2006. In 1895 just 11 players entered the inaugural event. In 2005, there was a record entry of 9,048. The best round recorded in US Open history was by Johnny Miller who shot an eight-under par 63 at Oakmont in 1973. Jack Nicklaus, Vijay Singh and Tom Weiskopf also shot 63s, but they were only seven-under par. The highest round of US Open golf was recorded by O McCammom who signed for a score of 116 in 1899. The highest score on one hole was 19 by Ray Ainsley on the par four 16th hole at Cherry Hills in 1938. A total of 32 playoffs have been required to decide the winner in 107 championships, the most recent in 2008 when Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate. It is the only Major to stage an 18-hole playoff the following day. There have been 39 holes-in-one at the US Open, the last by Sweden’s Peter Hedblom in 2006. Curtis Strange was the last player to successfully defend his crown, winning in 1988 and 1989. Willie Anderson is the only player to win three successive titles (1903-5).

2009 Lucas Glover 2008 Tiger Woods 2007 Angel Cabrera 2006 Geoff Ogilvy 2005 Michael Campbell 2004 Retief Goosen 2003 Jim Furyk 2002 Tiger Woods 2001 Retief Goosen 2000 Tiger Woods 1999 Payne Stewart 1998 Lee Janzen 1997 Ernie Els 1996 Steve Jones 1995 Corey Pavin

playoff in 1988 and finished a shot behind Hale Irwin two years later. Three other top 10 finishes followed but without success. While Monty is now yesterday’s man, Westwood is in danger of picking up the Scot’s dreaded tag of ‘best player never to have won a Major’ – and with American pundits questioning his bottle after his collapse in the Players Championship at Sawgrass last month. He has certainly had his chances at previous US Opens. Two years ago he missed a putt on the 72nd hole and failed to force his way into a playoff with Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate. And he got within striking distance of victory in 1998 and 2000 too without making the final breakthrough. But like Monty and Faldo before him, he certainly has the attributes to end the British – and European - barren run. Donald would also appear to be well suited to the tight fairways and trecherous rough served up by the US Open organisers as well but Poulter, Casey and McIlroy would all seem a little to erratic to mount a serious challenge at present.

scorEcard hole 1: hole 2: hole 3: hole 4: hole 5: hole 6: hole 7: hole 8: hole 9: hole 10: hole 11: hole 12: hole 13: hole 14: hole 15: hole 16: hole 17: hole 18:

Par 4 Par 5 Par 4 Par 4 Par 3 Par 5 Par 3 Par 4 Par 4 Par 4 Par 4 Par 3 Par 4 Par 5 Par 4 Par 4 Par 3 Par 5

totaL:

Par 72 6828 yards

376 yards 502 yards 374 yards 327 yards 187 yards 500 yards 106 yards 416 yards 462 yards 430 yards 373 yards 201 yards 393 yards 572 yards 396 yards 401 yards 178 yards 543 yards

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The 11th

The 1st

The 2nd

COURSE REVIEW: North Luffenham Golf Club

rom now on north Luffenham will always hold a special place in our heart. Because it was on our visit here that we smashed our longest ever drive – an amazing 345 yards on the sixth hole. Oh yes, baby, we’re long! It may not have been the most opportune moment to have shown off our big-hitting exploits, mainly because the hole is only 287 yards long! And we suppose some of the gloss

may be taken off by the fact that the ball went out of bounds. And yes, you could point to the fact that it only went 345 yards (measured it out) because it landed on the massively wide road that cuts through the Ministry of Defence grounds and simply kept on rolling! But 345 yards is 345 yards isn’t it! However it gets there. Even if you end up having to play three off the tee. We liked North Luffenham for

other reasons too. Firstly, it’s fantastic value for money - just £8 for nine holes. And there is some lovely holes here too with mature trees masking the more spartan surroundings of the RAF base that surrounds it. It’s a nine hole course – 11 if you count the separate greens for the second/11th and ninth/18th holes – each with two separate tee areas that puts a premium on accuracy and on finding its narrow fairways. The fairways are kept in very good

condition, the greens, though generally very flat and a little bumpy in places, had very good pace. It’s plenty tough enough too with some punishing rough (easy enough to find your ball but not to get great distance from). It would sell it short to suggest it’s a good place for beginners because a) it’s not actually that easy and b) better players will enjoy it too. It’s certainly a lot more satisfying than most nine-holers. And at a great price too.

hoLE 1 – Par 4 (si: 13/11)

hoLE 2 – Par 5 (si: 17)

hoLE 3 – Par 3 (si: 17)

hoLE 4 – Par 4 (si: 3/7)

347yds

337yds

326yds

463yds

453yds

437yds

hoLE 10 – Par 4 (si: 14/12)

hoLE 11 – Par 4 (si: 10/6)

345yds

337yds

335yds

334yds

327yds

332yds

A very sharp dogleg to the right and it’s all about picking the right line to attack it.You’ve got a road – and out of bounds - to the left while bushes and trees await if you go too straight or too far right. We pushed our drive to the right and into the bushes and had to play a provisional. But, surprisingly, our original ball must have found a gap to bound through as it was sitting just next to the fairway about 100 yards short of the green. It proved that you can cut more of the corner off than perhaps looks sensible from the tee. From there it was just a wedge in to a large green which has just a small ridge in the middle. to contend with. Three bunkers don’t pose too much danger unless you leave yourself a much longer approach shot. The 10th tee is set to the left of the first, slightly reducing the angle and setting up for a more attacking drive but essentially the hole is played the same way.

This is one of two holes that have separate greens. Played first time round, it’s a good birdie opportunity as a par five. A very interesting drive faces you here - make sure there are no cars crossing the road on the fairway 170 yards away! And the bushes and trees mean you can’t see them coming that well either.The fairway gets very narrow beyond the road as it doglegs round to the right. A good drive here – miss the fairway and the chances are you will be blocked out (as we were) – will set you up for a long iron into the green. We had to chop out from the trees but then sent a five wood on to the green to set up a par. The shorter 11th tee gives you a much better view of the fairway but you need to aim to the right to give you a better line in to the separate green. A big bunker sits between the two putting surfaces (make sure you know which one you’re supposed to be playing). Straightforward flat green to contend with.

our score: 1st – 5, 10th – 4.

our score: 2nd – 5, 11th – 5.

166yds

156yds

146yds

427yds

hoLE 12 – Par 3 (si: 18) 183yds

175yds

384yds

Plays considerably easier the first time around – it gives you a better view of the green as well as being shorter than from the 12th tee. Two bunkers give this treesurrounded green very good protection but it is the imposing trees that jut into the fairway that makes it a tricky tee shot. From the 12th tee, the flag was actually hidden from view and you really needed to veer on the safer left hand side and, hopefully, fade it back in. We found the sand but managed to rescue a three. The bunker to the right was more of a danger from the third tee. Our five iron went a touch long but a chip and a putt secured a par.

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374yds

341yds

A really nice par four which demands pinpoint accuracy off the tee. It’s a tough green to reach in regulation, especially the fourth, and we finished short both times. The road (more the size of a runway rather than a road) runs all the way down the left so you cannot afford to pull your drive here, while trees await anything played too safe down the right of a narrow fairway. From the fourth tee you need to aim directly over a clump of bushes to find the middle of the fairway. This is the most interesting of North Luffenham’s putting surfaces – a long L-shaped green that rises sharply at the back. And it is also the best bunkered with five large sand traps surrounding the front of the green.

our score: 4th – 4, 13th – 5.

The 6th

The 7th

361yds

hoLE 13 – Par 4 (si: 4)

162yds

our score: 3rd – 3, 12th – 3.

417yds

The 9th

Hole 5 – Par 4 (SI: 7/1) 388yds

378yds

349yds

Hole 14 – Par 4 (SI: 2) 397yds

387yds

384yds

The 3rd

Hole 6 – Par 4 (SI: 11/13) 287yds

277yds

273yds

193yds

180yds

434yds

421yds

367yds

151yds

461yds

357yds

274yds

Our score: 6th – 6, 7th - 5.

Hole 9 – Par 4 (SI: 9)

Hole 18 – Par 4 (SI: 12/10) 313yds

303yds

141yds

144yds

451yds

424yds

We reckon we could fire 10 tee shots into this long par three seventh hole and never land our ball on the green. Our effort here certainly didn’t come close. From a lovely elevated teeing area, the imposing trees leave you no room to work the ball left or right while you need plenty of height to clear the trees to the right which we fell shy of and left ourselves blocked out. Bunkers either side of the green pose further problems and we got stuck in the back of one and had a horror lie as we made a complete horlicks of the hole. It plays an awful lot easier as the shorter 16th but we still failed to grab a par.

A very demanding par four – but a generous par five second time around. It’s the first hole that doglegs to the left rather than the right but it’s not a hole where you want to be cutting too much off the corner. Aim to the right of one of the more generous fairways and, if you go far enough, you should have a view of the green. Your tee shot will either make or break you score on this pretty hole. Once you get in position, the green is free to attack although it slopes quite sharply from the back and can leave you with a slippery putt. Just a few extra yards differentiate the two teeing areas but getting an extra shot makes a huge difference.

Our score: 7th – 6, 16th – 4.

Our score: 8th - 5, 17th – 5.

The 18th

305yds

Two separate tees and greens for the closing hole but not essentially different. A little bizarrely, both tee shots are sent across and over the first hole to a wide joint fairway before the ninth forks to the left and the 18th to the right, either side of a large bunker. It’s harder to pick the right line for the 18th as it’s more of a blind shot over bushes. A solid drive will leave a short iron into either green. The ninth is a smallish target well guarded by three sand traps while a large tree overhangs the right hand side of the 18th green with two bunkers on the opposite side so your approach shot needs to be spot on.

NORTH LUFFENHAM SCORECARD

White Yellow Par SI tees tees

Our score: 9th – 5, 18th – 4.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Our round: 85 The 14th

424yds

Hole 17 – Par 4 (SI: 16/8)

Our score: 5th – 5, 14th – 6.

320yds

203yds

Hole 8 – Par 4 (SI: 1/5)

Hole 16 – Par 3 (SI: 18/14)

Once we’d got our monster-hitting feats out of the way, we opted for a safer five wood to the left of the fairway on this gentle dogleg to the right. Big hitters can certainly hit the green if they are accurate enough from the sixth tee, but a more conservative approach will still leave a good birdie chance. We played safe short of the three pancake bunkers which guard the left hand side and found the green with a nine iron. The putting surface is a narrow target with plenty of sand including the only bunker we have come across with a lamppost in it! From the 15th tee it plays a lot longer and again demands accuracy to keep out of danger.

318yds

Hole 7 – Par 3 (SI: 5/15)

Hole 15 – Par 4 (SI: 8/16)

The first thing you’ll notice is a tree which sits between the two teeing areas and, while it shouldn’t bother you off the fifth tee, it will definitely pray on your mind from the 14th if you normally hit the ball left to right. The second thing you’ll notice is how narrow the tree-lined fairway is. At optimum driving distance it narrows down to about 15 yards wide. There are three smallish bunkers guarding the approach to the green in the centre of the fairway but they shouldn’t really come into play. The green is a shared affair with two flags – again check you’re playing for the right one! The putting surface is very wide but very shallow and has little in the way of undulations.

328yds

The 5th

The 4th

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

347 463 166 427 388 287 203 434 328

337 453 156 417 378 277 193 424 318

4 5 3 4 4 4 3 4 4

Red Par SI tees

13 15 17 3 7 11 5 1 9

326 437 146 361 349 273 180 421 320

4 11 5 3 3 17 4 7 4 1 4 13 3 15 5 5 4 9

3043 2953 35

2813 36

345 337 183 384 397 367 151 461 313

334 332 162 341 384 274 144 424 305

335 327 175 374 387 357 141 451 303

4 4 3 4 4 4 3 5 4

14 10 6 4 2 8 18 16 12

4 12 4 6 3 18 4 4 4 2 4 16 3 14 5 8 4 10

2938 2850 35

2700 35

5981 5803 70

5513 71

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GoLf’s a mEntaL GamE PEAK Performance coach tim niGhtinGaLE continues his exclusive series on The Inner Game and how NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) can make us better players and get more enjoyment out of the game.

ast month I scratched the powerful surface of NLP, explaining how your new-found commitment to develop your own set of anchors would improve your game. It will improve your game in three key areas which, when addressed holistically, will take your game to new levels. The three key areas are: performance, learning and enjoyment. Performance, learning and enjoyment are the three components of the reward triangle that we experience when undertaking any activity. If we examine these in terms of golf, we will be able to see how NLP, and anchors in particular, can be a powerful aid. PErformancE: The area the vast majority of golfers, amateur and professional alike, focus their attention upon often sacrificing any aspects of learning and enjoyment in the process. We measure performance most likely in terms of our stroke-play score against ourself, matchplay against an opponent and Stableford against the field. We begin this often obsessive behaviour after the very first shot is struck, often losing our composure by assessing our likely experience over the next 18 holes on the opening tee shot. The compulsion to improve performance places every golfer under contrasting levels of pressure, which for some people can be inexplicably high. This pressure can yield fear, anger, frustration, disappointment and even selfloathing on the course. Amateur golfers simply worktheir way through these emotions until they emerge,

either by good fortune or a much-needed moment of inspiration, out of the grip of the negative emotion. NLP Anchors allow the golfer to maintain their ‘corestate’ throughout the round irrespective of what the game throws at them. By ‘core-state’ I imply a resourceful state that is devoid of any negative or overlypositive emotions that can influence performance. It allows the golfer to play one shot at a time without any consideration for overall performance. LEarninG: Very few golfers ignore the need to learn. Millions are spent every year on teaching aids, sources of swing knowledge and baskets of balls at the driving range. The last item in particular is of importance. When you go to the range, what do you do to make sure that you are in a resourceful state that will support your learning? What emotional state would help you learn? A state of focus, a calm state or an attentive state? Similarly if you pay for a PGA coaching lesson, do you give any thought to the mood you are in? We all experience highs and lows outside of the session, so do you take this in to the lesson? Most likely yes. Many people take a lesson straight after work, that’s not easy after a tough day in the office. Imagine being able to place yourself in to a mental state that embraces learning. States of curiosity, fun, focus and

concentration are significantly more beneficial than states of frustration, anger or anxiety. NLP Anchors can again ensure that you are able to place yourself in an appropriate state to learn prior to a lesson or session in the range. EnJoymEnt: How much attention do you pay to the levels of enjoyment that you extract from the game? So often as a coach I hear people explaining how little they enjoyed a round, simply because their enjoyment becomes directly proportional to their performance. A good score is seen as enjoyable, a mediocre score less enjoyable. But there are other ways to approach the round. If you could guarantee being happy during the round, instead of simply assessing your satisfaction levels after, would your performance increase? My suggestion is absolutely. Again the basic NLP skill of anchoring will allow you to stimulate pleasant emotions at all times, relieving you of the negative emotions that reduce performance and learning. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling knowing that your performance will improve simply because you will always be able to play with a smile on your face? hE reward triangle is an essential tool for every person undertaking any task. It is a graphical representation of your reward system for the task, and demonstrates how out

of balance your reward system actually is. To draw your reward triangle firstly decide which reward component you place the most emphasis on. Is it performance, learning or enjoyment? Award this side a score of 10. Next score the other two components in relation to this score. If they receive only half of the emphasis then give them five. If one of them only receives a quarter of the emphasis then award it 2.5. The key aspect here is that it is a ratio between the two weakest areas against the strongest. Then draw your triangle, each side in centimeters for the score you awarded each category. Ideally we are looking for an equilateral triangle with all sides the same length, however this is very rare to begin with. You then have before you a visual representation of the balance, and you can begin your journey, using NlP anchor techniques and additional strategies outlined next month, to produce a triangle with equal sides. When you have this, your score will improve – guaranteed. Take this triangle with you on to the course. Draw it on the back of your glove, on your scorecard or on any other visible surface available to you. Consider it during a practice round. Force yourself to pay attention to the weakest sides. Challenge yourself to learn something. Leave your putter in the car, play a hole with nothing but a three-iron or challenge yourself to play a hole badly to see what happens. Be creative, be innovative and believe in your ability to balance the triangle.

yoU can buy tim nightingale’s mind your Golf audio programme which offers four-and-a-half hours of tips and techniques that will help you get the very best out of your golf game. the audio programme, which you can listen to on your computer, mobile phone or ipod, costs £45. for full details go to www.extraordinarylife.co.uk www.pitchmark.co.uk

it’s taken us nearly two years to complete but we have finally built out dream course! With over 1,000 fantastic holes to choose from in the Pitchmark area we faced a monumental task of whittling them all down to our final 18 holes. to make it a little easier, we compared only the corresponding numbered holes on each course and it’s been great fun putting this project together. as we said from the outset, this was never supposed to be a definitive judgement on the area’s best holes - just the 18 holes that we enjoyed playing the most. not everyone will agree with our final selections.. we know this because so many people have told us their picks would have been very different! But we are really happy with the par 72 course we have chosen and believe it would be a real tough examination of our skills while still providing great interest and, most importantly, fun. We’re not suggesting we would score that well on what looks quite a demanding course but we would certainly enjoy having a go.

hoLE thirtEEn...

hoLE foUrtEEn...

hoLE fiftEEn...

Belton Park Par 4: 393yds, 382yds, 283yds si: 1/5

Belton Park Par 3: 162yds, 141yds, 126yds si: 8/6

abbotsley Par 5: 466yds, 459yds, 407yds si: 3

JUdGE’s commEnts: You have to be really brave off the tee here... the water that skirts the hole on the left is a real concern but you can’t afford to play too safe to the right. The hidden ditch across the front of the sharply sloping green requires careful negotiation too.

JUdGE’s commEnts: A short, pretty but potentially dangerous hole. Big trees narrow the target line and club selection is vital to make sure you clear the water in front of a slopey putting surface that is well protected by four large bunkers. A cracking hole.

JUdGE’s commEnts: A tough par five that offers no room for error for wayward drivers with trees to the right and a ditch to the left. The green is tucked away in a lovely little alcove making it a difficult target to hit in two. Tough undulating putting surface as well.

thE rEst of oUr HolE 1: Par 4: Stapleford Park 271yds 263yds 241yds SI: 14

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HolE 2: Par 4: Spalding 363yds 352yds 275yds SI: 5/9

HolE 3: Par 4: Wellingborough 371yds 359yds 300yds SI: 11/8

HolE 4: Par 3: Brampton Park 174yds 163yds 154yds SI: 1

HolE 5: Par 5: Sutton Bridge 535yds 522yds 484yds SI: 5/1

HolE 6: Par 4: Rutland Water 358yds 348yds 280yds SI: 4

DREAM COURSE The winners...holes 13 to 18

HOLE SIXTEEN...

HOLE SEVENTEEN...

HOLE EIGHTEEN...

Peterborough Milton PAR 3: 125yds, 117yds, 109yds SI: 14/18

Greetham Valley (Valley course) PAR 4: 395yds, 385yds, 306yds SI: 3

Wellingborough PAR 4: 295yds, 275yds, 256yds SI: 13

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Set in a beautiful suroundings, this hole is made by a fantastic undulating green that plays very differently depending on which of the three tiers the flag is on. The big depression in front of the green makes is easy to under-club here. Well bunkered too.

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: Utterly stunning hole. Teeing off from high up the hillside you must thread your ball over the trees into the base of the valley with a wall of trees on the left and water to the right. A long approach shot is fraught with more danger.

JUDGE’S COMMENTS: The most picturesque of holes that is nowhere near as easy as the yardage suggests. Very difficult to find the putting surface from the tee even for long hitters. Water and trees offer strong protection to the green. A hole that requires pinpoint accuracy.

Dream Course Hole 7: Par 4: Elton Furze 432yds 418yds 359yds SI: 1/9

Hole 8: Par 4: Stapleford Park 312yds 285yds 243yds SI: 12

Hole 9: Par 4: Cambridge Meridian 440yds 416yds 387yds SI: 4

Hole 10: Par 3: Greetham Valley (Lakes) 188yds 174yds 169yds SI: 7

Hole 11: Par 5: Elton Furze 527yds l507yds 487yds SI: 4/2

Hole 12: Par 5: Abbotsley 531yds 523yds 489yds SI: 1 www.pitchmark.co.uk

EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR: PITCHMARK REPAIRER Our very own Nick Alexander shows pro Jeff Hall where he should be going (I bet Jeff told Nick where to go a few times as well - Ed)

WHO’S THE CADDY?

he European Tour doesn’t visit the Pitchmark area too often so we were determined to get as close to the action as we could. So as soon as we heard Stapleford Park were looking for caddies for the week, it wasn’t an opportunity we were going to miss. Unfortunately lots of other people had the same idea and we found ourselves on the reserve list. But on Monday we got a call to say we were on Spanish star Manuel Pinero’s bag. Wow! The morning was spent on Wikipedia checking out our new guv’nor and learning a few words of pidgin Spanish. But just as Stapleford pro Richard Alderson was pointing out our man, a young Tour pro went over and picked up Manuel’s bag and walked off to the first tee with him! It’s a dog-eat-dog world in pro golf. But we were then hooked up with English pro Jeff Hall and, as it turned out, we couldn’t have wished for a better player to caddie for. But once the excitement had died

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down, reality hit us. What the hell do we really know about caddying? We’d misplaced Steve Williams’ mobile number so we went on to the Professional Caddy Association’s website for a few tips. There were some great pointers on there, things we would never have thought of, such as when one of the group’s other players has just splashed out of sand onto the green his caddy will be raking the bunker so make sure you are on hand to clean his player’s ball after he’s marked it. And if your man is the last to putt you are the one who should attend the flag. And, also, NEVER give advice unless it’s asked for. And even then think twice about it. There are many tales of players screaming and shouting at their caddies, but there was no chance of that with Jeff who was an absolute gent, as were all the players he played with. We did make a couple of small faux pas. Once or twice we parked the bag too far away from the first tee and also managed to get in the

eyeline of one or two players on the green. We thought we had given ourselves plenty of room but these guys are sticklers for detail and rightly so.

ROC STAR Italian Ryder Cup star Costantino Rocca is all smiles at Stapleford

Our proudest moment came on the 15th tee when Jeff asked for our opinion. We pointed out he could drive right of the trees on the long par five and land on the fourth

Seniors Snippets

The Handa Seniors Masters at Stapleford Park fairway, giving a better line into the green. Unbelievably, he took our advice and never have we been so pleased to see the ball land in perfect position. Even better when he went on to card a birdie. He had his own yardage book so we didn’t have to worry about that but we were asked our opinion a few times more, normally just to back up what Jeff was already thinking. He certainly didn’t need our help reading putts... he was the greatest putter we’d ever seen. Despite finishing joint 53rd, Jeff was joint second for putting stats. He was deadly. What we hadn’t bargained for was what exhausting work it is... and how heavy those damn bags are! We struggled with the strap all the first round, before using our own carry straps the second day and opting for an electric buggy for the final round. Yes, we know we’re wimps. Getting close up and personal with these great players was a real eyeopener. Their driving was not as good as we expected, Jeff barely found a fairway all week, and none of them were that long. But their chipping and putting was simply in a different class. People tell you that the short game is where to cut shots from your score but until you see it for yourself the penny doesn’t drop. That was the biggest lesson we learned all week. They also have a wonderful work ethic, spending two hours on the range before each round and their mental approach was fantastic too. Jeff made a point of telling us never to chase a score after a bad hole, just try to consolidate and good golf will be rewarded. He proved the point perfectly, if inadvertently, by bouncing back really well with the exception of going for the green on the eighth hole after a double bogey when he had played short of it all week and ended up with another double bogey. But these guys do play the odd horror shot too. One of our American playing partners completely duffed his second shot to the 17th, scuttling it 20 yards into the advertising hoards. For once, we knew how he felt! We hope he didn’t blame his caddy.

Argentine player Adan Sowa bagged the only hole-in-one - holing his tee shot on the 154-yard par three 14th hole. The event saw former PGA Championship winner Andrew Oldcorn make his bow on the European Seniors Tour, finishing 27th on two-under par. Bill Longmuir’s opening 64 does not count as a course record - because the 18th was altered to remove internal out-of-bounds from the left hand side. Harsh!

Former Ryder Cup star Christy O’Connor jnr had a nightmare on the 11th hole in his final round, taking a worst-of-theweek nine. The par five 11th was definitely the toughest hole on the course. As well as O’Connor’s nine, there were also four eights recorded. Statistically, the par five second was the easiest hole with 101 birdies and five eagles with an average score of 4.6. Eight holes averaged under their par, 10 played tougher than par.

title glory is nicked by the old Bill B

iLL LONGMUIR decimated the cream of Europe’s over-50s golfers at the Handa Seniors Masters at Stapleford Park. The Scot was in unstoppable form on his way to a seven-shot victory – finishing an astonishing 20-under par for his three rounds - while the likes of Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam struggled to get to grips with the Leicestershire course. Longmuir’s victory - and his eighth European Seniors Tour title - was never really in doubt once the 56-year-old posted an opening nine-under par round of 64.

His lead was never threatened as he went into the final round four strokes clear of Order of Merit leader Boonchu Ruangkit... and promptly birdied the first four holes! “It was just my week,” said Longmuir. “It’s my most comfortable victory yet and I have never played so well. “I had an unbelievable start to the final round, to birdie the first four holes just took all the pressure off. I was pretty nervous the night before and didn’t sleep too well so to do that was fantastic. “With Boonchu, no lead is big enough - his record speaks for itself.

toP of thE LEadErBoard Pos 1 2= 2= 4 5= 5= 7 8= 8= 10= 10= 10= 10=

Bill Longmuir (Sco) Roger Chapman (Eng) Boonchu Ruangkit (Tha) Carl Mason (Eng) John Harrison (Eng) Des Smyth (Ire) Chris Williams (RSA) Bob Boyd (USA) Marc Farry (Fra) Tony Johnstone (Zim) Peter Mitchell (Eng) Glenn Ralph (Eng) Ricky Willison (Eng)

r1 64 68 70 68 70 70 71 70 70 72 71 73 72

r2 69 71 67 70 67 68 70 70 69 72 73 67 68

r3 66 67 69 69 71 70 69 71 72 69 69 73 73

total 199 206 206 207 208 208 210 211 211 213 213 213 213

Par -20 -13 -13 -12 -11 -11 -8 -8 -8 -6 -6 -6 -6

Former Stapleford Park captain Sam Torrance never threatened the top of the leaderboard after dropping six shots in four holes in his opening round. He finished tied for 24th on three-under par. The two Major winners in the field were also disappointing. Ian Woosnam tied for 27th on two under while Australian Wayne Grady finished tied 61st on seven over par.

So those birdies put me on the road and then I played steady and putted so well. “It’s been a long 18 months since I last won so this has really got the juices flowing again.” It completed an astonishing turnaround for Longmuir who had shots rounds of 87 and 84 in his previous Seniors Tour event. But at Stapleford he stormed to the second lowest 54-hole score to par in Senior Tour history, only bettered by Ruangkit’s 21-under par 195 in this year’s Chang Thailand Senior Masters. “I was pretty low after shooting 87 in South Africa,” he admitted. “That was the joint highest score I’ve had as a professional. So to come here and finish 20-under par is pretty amazing. “I don’t think I had more than 26 putts in any of my three rounds. I don’t think I could have played any better than I have this week. It went perfectly.” Englishman Roger Chapman signed for a superb final round 67 to finish on 13-under par alongside Ruangkit, who carded a closing 69. It meant Ruangkit extended his lead at the top of the Order of Merit with Chapman moving into second place and Longmuir jumping 35 places to third courtesy of his £60,000 winner’s cheque. www.pitchmark.co.uk

BEFORE THE ROUND GETTING THERE: A very easy course to get to – as long as there are no hold-ups on the A1. Heading south, turn off the A1 at the junction for the A428 and follow the signs around the roundabout. Very simple and straight-forward. 9/10 CAR PARK: Recently renovated tarmac car park – much improved on previous gravel surface – with plenty of space and ideally situated between pro shop, driving range and clubhouse. 9/10 CHANGING ROOMS: Another recent addition to a club with rapidly-improving facilities. Again, ideally situated opposite the pro shop, it’s new, clean and well presented with good shower facilities. Ideal. 8.5/10 PRO SHOP: A bright spacious pro shop run by renowned golf pro Paul Ashwell – recognised as one of the country’s leading coaches who is in charge of the national under-16 and under-18 squads. Has a very modern feel to it with a good variety of stock. Drinks are available from £1.20 with chocolate bars from 55p. 9/10 PRACTICE FACILITIES: Extremely good. There is a superb covered and floodlit driving range where a bucket of balls costs just £1. And by the side of the first tee is an excellent practice putting green and a separate chipping area. All situated close together, there’s

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no excuse for not being well warmed up before your round. 9/10 PRICE: During the week it’s £20 per round which goes up to £27 for the weekend, while nine holes (not before 2pm at the weekends) is £15 and £18 respectively. For juniors it’s £10 and £15 (weekends). There is also an excellent deal for golf after 2pm of just £15. Extremely good value for money. 8.5/10 THE ROUND GREENS: Very inviting putting surfaces that offer generous targets and have very little trouble surrounding them. With one or two nice exceptions they are normally quite circular, and not the most interesting you’ll come across, with very few elevated greens. They were in very good condition on our visit with the later holes offering a few more contours to deal with while the pace of the putting surfaces was very consistent. Good putters would definitely fancy their chances of holeing a lot of putts here. 8/10 Pace: 7.5 Size: 8.5 Terrain: 6.5 Condition: 8

FAIRWAYS: We were really impressed with the fairways. They were very attractive to the eye

with good definition and were kept in excellent condition – we always had a perfect lie whenever we found the short grass. Our percentage of fairways hit was pretty high and we generally found them quite generous in terms of width. Big but wayward hitters have quite a bit of leeway on most of the holes although, being a shortish course, that wasn’t always the best mode of attack. Plenty of tall trees surround the fairways but it’s the holes with water that made accuracy paramount. 8.5/10 Width: 8 Condition: 8.5 Terrain: 4

BUNKERS: You don’t see a grain of sand until you get to the fifth hole and it remains a rarity for the rest of the round too. It’s probably the least bunkered course we have come across and it is certainly an area that could do with being improved, especially on the shorter holes, to toughen up the course a little bit. Two massive sand traps are an excellent feature of the short par four sixth and again on the par five 15th. We made just one trip into the bunkers and the quality of sand was good. The greens, in particular, could do with more sand protection. 6/10 Frequency: 5 Size: 7 Condition: 7.5 Difficulty: 6 It’s not called WATER:

Wyboston LAKES for nothing! You can find water on the vast majority of holes although it’s only really the first, the par three third, 12th, 13th and 14th that cause you any real concern. You certainly need to take the water into account as you plot your way round but they are not the most dangerous hazards you’ll come across. Our twoball visited the lakes on the first, third and the par three 13th - very poor shots on each occasion. 8.5/10 Trickle or torrent: 8.5 Danger: 8.5

DISTANCE: It’s definitely on the short side at 5965 yards off the whites, 5686 from the yellows and 5577 for the ladies, even for a par 70 course. There are some good long holes - the two par fives are excellent and the 10th, 11th and 14th are good tests of your long game too. But the five par threes are uniformly short - it’s crying out for a couple of 200-yarders. There’s only 35 yards difference between the shortest and longest par threes. 6.5/10 DIFFICULTY: We would rate this as one of the easier scoring courses in our area even though there is plenty of trouble to get into - and plenty of water to get into! We always fancy our chances of scoring well here and feel most players would feel the same too. There are five par threes and none of them pose much danger

WYBOSTON LAKES SCORECARD White Yellow Par SI tees tees 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

straiGht hittinG: WYBOSTON LAKES other than the excellent second hole which has water at the front and back (and yes, we did go in it!). On four or five visits here we have always played to, or below, our handicap. The lack of danger round the greens is particularly helpful. 7/10 variEty of shots PLayEd: This is a strong suit of the course as we felt there was a lot of variety to the course (other than the yardages for the short holes being so similar). For instance, our big-hitting eight handicapper only used his driver five times, preferring position over extra yards. And with some excellent doglegs, often over water hazards, you need to think your way round. We needed all manner of clubs for our approach shots - and deciding whether to go under or over the two imposing trees on the par four second hole always has us scratching our heads. 8.5/10 roUGh: We can’t remember having any particularly problems whenever we strayed off line and were almost always able to choose the same club we would have done off the fairway. Water and tall trees are the main protection to the course, not penal rough. 7.5/10 mEmoraBLE hoLEs: The three sharp doglegs over water – the 1st, 12th and 14th – were the

best in our opinion. The first is a cruelly dangerous tee shot but, if successful, sets up a good birdie chance; the 12th offers you the chance to cut as much off as you dare with dire consequences if you get it wrong; and the 14th is another demanding tee shot with water on both sides and across the fairway. 7.5/10 sPEEd of PLay: It was quite busy on the morning we visited and, starting off as a twoball, we suffered a few hold-ups. We eventually joined up with another twoball and were round in a touch over three-and-a-half-hours. 7.5/10 Lay-oUt: It’s a beautifully designed course with an interesting but easy to follow route around the lakes. Very picturesque too with lots of tall trees and a nice mature feel to it. The holes make the most of the water features and it’s an easy walking course too. A lovely setting for golf. Also have fantastic hole plans on each tee - ideal for first time visitors. 8.5/10 aftEr thE roUnd cLUBhoUsE: An absolutely superb clubhouse - we can’t think of a better one in the Pitchmark area. It’s a new, modern bar and restaurant area with gorgeous views over the lakes and the first teeing area. It almost has

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

472 341 110 384 139 266 163 343 316

5 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 4

2661

2534

435 427 349 154 414 500 168 527 330

428 414 342 130 392 470 150 512 314

4 4 4 3 4 5 3 5 4

2661

3110

5965

5686

the feel of a trendy city centre bar to it with a lit-up bar and big screen televisions dotted all over the place as well as a pool table. But it’s not so modern that traditionalists won’t feel at home having their post-round pint either. There’s acres of space with lots of chairs and tables as well as comfy leather seats, and the fantastic Waterfront Brasserie is in a separate area. Really couldn’t find fault with it. 9.5/10 food & drink: The bar itself is huge with a fantastic array of beers, wines and spirits while you have two choices for food either from the lounge bar area or the Waterfront Brasserie. The bar menu is impressive enough with a range of deli sandwiches (from £4.95), paninis (from £6.95), design your own pizzas and pasta (from £7.75), as well as favourites such as scampi (£7.75), ham, egg and chips (£7.25), beer battered haddock (£9.95) and English breakfast plate (8.50). There are also a range of platters to share, tapas, puddings and afternoon tea. Our food was quickly served and absolutely delicious. Maybe a bit more pricey than the average golf club food but you get the extra quality to go with it. 9/10 sErvicE: The whole complex is well-staffed and you’ll be well looked after throughout your visit. Friendly and efficient throughout. 8/10

481 358 135 396 144 283 170 362 332

6 8 14 2 18 16 10 4 12

Red tees 453 324 109 367 133 268 157 349 318 2478

5 3 7 17 1 9 15 11 13

Par SI 5 6 4 8 3 16 4 2 3 18 4 14 3 12 4 4 4 10 34

407 417 315 143 410 441 152 500 314

5 13 5 7 4 5 3 17 5 1 5 11 3 15 5 3 4 9

3052

5577

vErdict We are more impressed with every visit to Wyboston Lakes. It’s a club that is clearly investing in its facilities on and off the course which is great to see. The off-course provisions are magnificent with excellent practice facilities while the clubhouse is definitely one of the best we have come across in the local area. The golf course itself is being improved all the time too with the latest addition a lovely new teeing area on the 17th. The course meanders round the water features really well and is a lovely setting with tall trees giving the course a nicely mature feel. There is a good variety of interesting holes, it’s well looked after and it’s a course you should score well on - and it very good value for money too. It’s not a pushover course but could do with a little bit of ‘toughening up’ especially with a few more greenside bunkers. An excellent venue for corporate golf or societies.

thE marks Before the round: 88% (53/60) The round: 76% (84/110) After the round: 88% (26.5/30) oVERAll: 81% (163.5/200) www.pitchmark.co.uk

the scorEcard BRAMPToN PARK Sally Palmer claimed top spot in the Captain’s Mixed Stableford. Her haul of 38 points put her clear of Mark Chapman (36) and Patrick Cooney (35). The Midweek Medal honours went to Chapman with a round of 92-23-69 with Mike Murray-Smith (93-23-70) and Steve Kesseler (77-6-71) his closest challengers. seniors stableford: 1 John Horan 38pts, 2 James Greig 37, 3 Keith Jacobs 37. seniors medal: 1 John Ballentine 9221-71, 2 John Davey 84-13-71, 3 David Lindley 91-18-73.

ElY CITY Mike Bispham topped the first division of the May Medal with a net round of 68 off his 12 handicap. Chris Lupson (67) and Brendan Riches (70) were the second and third division winners respectively. div 1: 1 Mike Bispham 80-12-68, 2 Ari Unchern 76-7-69m 3 Steve Hudson 745-69; div 2: 1 Chris Lupson 83-16-67, 2 Maurice Meredith 84-17-67, 3 Edward Webster 83-14-69; div 3: 1 Brendan Riches 94-24-70, 2 Adam Bailey 96-2373, 3 Stephen Howe 98-23-75.

Ron Grant won the Seniors’ Dennis Freeman Trophy with 40 points, beating off the challenge of Geoff Cooper (39) and Jim Pugh (38). Ladies mcmillan stableford div 1: 1 Jane Mitchell 40pts, 2 Rosalind Grey 36, 3 Carol Harrison 35; div 2: 1 Binnie Bridgeman 32, 2 Jane Young 32, 3 Ena Fernie 30.

MARCH may stableford: 1 Andrew Parsonage 38pts, 2 D Bromley 36pts, 3 Paul Turner 35pts. mortan cup medal: 1 Albert Garner 86-19-67, 2 R Laccohee 81-1467, 3 David Small 90-22-68. Ladies medal: 1 J Rowlett 91-17-74, 2 C Morton 96-20-76, 3 R Humphrey 90-13-77.

RAMSEY may midweek medal: 1 J Thompson 70-5-65, 2 M Percival 81-1566, 3 N Page 86-20-66. Grannies cup: 1 M Fielding 37pts, 2 F Bibby 34, 3 S Ware 34. Ladies medal: 1 P Parnell 87-14-73, 2 P Bliss 93-20-73, 3 F Bibby 104-31-73.

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Cambs can’t find the weakest Linc

hamPions Lincolnshire proved too strong for cambs on the opening day of the anglian League season.

Lincs took a grip of the match early on as the pairs of Adam Keogh and Patrick Kelly, Matt Veall and James Burnett and David Coupland and Simon Richardson claimed emphatic wins to carve out a 3-1 lunchtime lead at Newmarket Links. Cambs, runners-up for the past two years, fought hard in the singles and wins for Owen Cousins, Craig Russell and Lee Yearn helped square the tie at 5-5. But in the final two matches, Richardson and Coupland were in outstanding form to clinch the match with 7&6 and 5&4 wins respectively. Cambs did however get revenge at second team level with a 7.5-4.5 success at Blankney. A 5&4 win from Brampton Park’s Andy Wool on his debut with George Howard helped Cambs finish on level terms in the foursomes before singles victories from Toby Crisp, Lee Marshall, Howard, Luke Bowers and James Stammers sealed an impressive win.

ANGlIAN lEAGUE cambs 5 Lincs 7 Foursomes (Cambs names first): Steve Jarvis and Ed Conduit lost 4&3 to Adam Keogh and Patrick Kelly; Owen Davies and Rob Mallett lost 3&2 to Matt Veall and James Burnett; Lee Yearn and Craig Russell beat Sam Sharpe and Liam Bell 3&2; Jody Greenall and Owen Cousins lost by 1 hole to David Coupland and Simon Richardson. singles: Jarvis halved with Keogh, Greenall lost 5&4 to Burnett, Conduit halved with Kelly, Cousins beat Bell by one hole, Russell beat Sharpe 5&4, Yearn beat Veall by one hole, Mallett lost 7&6 to Richardson, Davies lost 5&4 to Coupland. Lincs 2nds 4.5 cambs 2nds 7.5 Foursomes (Cambs names first): Toby Crisp and Lee Marshall halved with Steve Bratton and Matt Haynes, Dave Milburn and Paul Tiplady lost 2&1 to Rob Mackay and Dale Munson, George Howard and Andy Wool beat Scott Freer and Jamie Thorpe 4&3, Luke Bowers and James Stammers halved with Nick Watson and Sam Whittaker. singles: Tiplady halved with Bratton, Crisp beat Haynes 4&2, Marshall beat Munson 2&1, Howard beat Freer 2&1, Bowers beat Watson 4&2, Wool lost 3&2 to Mackay, Stammers beat Whittaker 3&2, Milburn lost 3&1 to Thorpe.

Northants’ opening Anglian League match of the season saw them edged out by Suffolk at Oundle -

and still searching for their first win in the competition since 2006. A big win from Ryan Evans and Fraser Carnihan saw the sides level after the morning foursomes. Evans won another point in the singles but Northants soon found themselves needing to win the last three games for victory. Lewis White and Tony Lord came up trumps but Carniham was pipped on the final green.

results: foursomes – John Chamberlain & Lewis White halved, Fraser Carnihan & Ryan Evans won 4&3, Neil Connolly & Tony Lord lost 4&2, Tom Anderson & Michael Franklin halved; singles – Connolly halved, Anderson lost 2 down, Chamberlain lost 2&1, Evans won 5&3, White won 1 up, Carnihan lost 2 down, Lord won 1 up, Franklin lost 4&3.

James Barker held his nerve to win on the 18th hole to earn Northants 2nds a 6.5-5.5 win against Suffolk 2nds at Rushmere. results: foursomes - Graham Bott & Chris White lost 5&3, Jamie Powell & Richard Brown won 1 up, Simon Williams and Bob Clayton lost 1 down, James Barker and Richard Dalton won 3&2; singles – Powell halved, Bott lost 1 down, Williams won 1 up, White lost 2&1, Clayton won 2&1, Barker won 2 up, Dalton lost 3&2, Brown won 5&3.

Harriet rich PickinGs makes Hay

RICHARD Southall (Saffron CAGU Walden) and Steve Jar vis (Gog Magog) claimed victor y in the Cambridgeshire Area Golf Union Foursomes Championships. Two rounds of 70 at Gog Magog’s Old Course did the trick, leaving them four ahead of runners-up Toby Crisp and Jon Osler (Newmarket Links).

results: Jarvis and Southall 70+70=140, 2 Crisp and Osler 71+73=144, 3 David Milburn and Craig Russell 73+72=145, 4 James Reeson (St Ives) and James Sandford (Saffron Walden) 73+75=148, 5 Owen Cousins and Craig Hawkins (Abbotsley) 70+78=148. caGU Jock stewart memorial cup 1st round results: Royston beat Thorpe Wood 3-0, Abbotsley bt Cambridge 2-1, St Ives bt Lakeside Lodge 2-1, Elton Furze bt Old Nene 3-0, Saffron Walden bt Ely City 3-0, Barkway Park bt March 3-0, Cambridge Meridian bt Heydon Grange 2-1, Orton Meadows bt Girton 2-1.

CAMBS & HUNTS lADIES HARRIET Haywood retained the Lesley Ford Trophy with victory at the Cambs and Hunts Junior Spring Golf meeting. The St Ives youngster posted a nett score of 75 at Lakeside Lodge’s Lodge course to finish three ahead of Sarah Smith. Bourn’s Jessica Gibbons took first place in the nine-hole competition on the Manor Course with 32 points, while Girton’s Yana Efinova won the par three competition.

All the latest competition news and results from our local clubs and societies GEDNEY HIll David Lord and Steve Steels won through to the third round of the Daily Mail Foursomes by defeating Boston’s Ian Humphries and Keith Kilbourne. The Gedney pair went five up after just seven holes before losing six of the next seven holes to go one down with four to play. However they roused themselves to win the last two holes to finish one up. In the Mail on Sunday Classic, Rob Newns and Steve Sayer were the Gedney winners in a 3-2 defeat to Thorpe Wood.

Tydd St Giles captain Brian Shales celebrated his seventh successive year in charge by hosting an Invitation Golf Day which saw 28 current and past captains from clubs around the region make it a day to remember. Mike Johnson from Wensun Valley won the Stableford event, Jim Pugh and John Kylie from Ely City won the nearest the pins while Milton’s Tony Dyer had a hole-in-one.

Hubbard wins Spring open TYDD ST GIlES

Johnathan Hubbard won Tydd’s Spring Open with a haul of 41 Stableford points. The fivehandicapper finished two points clear of the field.

overall: 1 Hubbard 41pts, 2 D Savory 39, 3 S Killingworth 39; div 1: 1 G Fitzjohn 39, 2 C Bunting 38, 3 I Gerrard 38; div 2: 1 J Neve 39, 2 P Garner 38, 3 A Hicks 37; nearest the pin: M Gedge, R Simmonds, J Rose; Longest drive: Kevin Goude; nearest pin in two: Paul Chaplain-Barton. tydd seniors stableford Gold division: 1 AJ Smith 39pts, 2 B Newby 35, 3 D Perrott 34; Silver Division: 1 E Armstrong 39pts, 2 K Walker 35, 3 J

Gamble 34; Bronze division: 1 B Gough 35, 2 D Grant 32, 3 P Martin 28. Ladies april stableford: 1 Linda Daboo 41; 2. Sharon Jenkins 35; 3 Maria Taylor Vassall. medal 1: 1 Sue Racey 69; 2 Beryl Clay 70; 3 Maria Taylor Vassall 70. medal 2: 1 Lorraine Gallie 73; 2 Karen Slator 75; 3 Chris. Kemp 76. yellow Peril: 1 Lin Walker, Petra Meir & Diana Greenhill 127pts. Ping fourball Betterball: 1 Maria Taylor Vassall & Petra Meir 37; 2 Christine Burton & Sue Racey 36. captains invitation day stableford: 1 Cheryl Sanders (Hunstanton) 40; 2 Beryl Clay (Tydd St Giles) 38; 3 Maggie Semper (Tydd St Giles) 37.

SUTToN BRIDGE chamPion: Johnathan Hubbard

Braime hits ’em for six

an Braime made full use of home advantage in the Lincolnshire mid-amateur championship.

The Stoke Rochford member waltzed to victory with a magnificent gross round of 66 to leave himself a massive six shots clear of the field. Richard Latham (Woodhall Spa) and Stoke’s Glenn Barlow were his closest challengers after rounds of 72. Four-handicapper Barlow won the nett prize. results: 1 Ian Braime (Stoke Rochford) 66, 2 Richard Latham (Woodhall Spa) 72, 3 Glenn Barlow (Stoke Rochford) 72, 4 James Crampton (Spalding) 73, 5 James Dair (Toft Hotel) 73, 6 Steve Brattan (Cleethorpes) 74, 7 Justin Price (Belton Woods) 74, 8 Roger Rawson (Stoke Rochford). Burghley Park Ladies 3 stoke rochford 1: Janet Jessop & Shelagh Warren lost 8&6, Linda Tytherley & Barbra Jones lost 6&5, Jane Joyner & Dolores Woof lost 2&1, Sue Grindal & Gill Little won 2&1. Ladies may Wednesday medal: 1 Avis Griffin 82-12=70, 2nd Marion Carvath 88-18=70,

SToKE RoCHFoRD

3rd Lynn Ewart 99-27=72; Best gross: Joan Lennard 87. Ladies silver rose: 1st Avis Griffin 80-12=68, 2nd Pauline Haggerty 87-17=70, 3rd Rachel Jones 86-13=73; Best gross: Penny Hallam 84. Ladies marlow midway: 1st Sue Bellingall 98-24=74, 2nd Karen Whittingham 102-27=75, 3rd Gill Little 101-25=76. Ladies Leverett cup: 1st Hollie Bostock 101-36=65, 2nd Alex Jeffries 101-32=69, 3rd Ann Keen 103-30=73. stoke seniors 7 sleaford 1: Don Werner & Mike Dickinson won 1 up, John Wright & Roy Rowe won 2 up, Chris Woof & Wilf Stephenson lost 4&3, Les Cooper & Dave Hudson won 2&1, Peter Stewart & Jim Price won 1 up, Mick Rance & Alan Hayward won 7&6, Ernie Armstrong & Phil White won 3&2,Trevor Harvey & Ian Dobson won 8&6. south Lincs League: stoke rochford ‘a’ 5.5 spalding ‘a’ 0.5: Craig Hallam & Nick Watson won 1 up, Steve Greenfield and Roger Rawson won 2&1, Ian Braime and Nigel Illingworth won 7&6, Greg Shelton & Steve Dawson won 4&3, Graham Barlow & Greg Sharpe won 5&4, Paul Knapp & Paul Lewis halved.

men’s may medal: 1st Graham East 69 nett; 2nd Roy Britton 71; 3rd Robert Dobson 75. may day cup: 1st Roy Britton 40pts; 2nd Steve Steels 39; 3th Paul Hanson 37; 4th Roy Bennett 35. Pottergate snrs 3, Gedney snrs 3: Rob Newns & Roy Britton lost 1 down;Wally Lawes & Mick Drury lost 2&1; Bob Duke & Richard Senior lost 2 down; Peter Orbine & Keith Cooper won 1 up; David Lord & Noel Delaney won 2&1; Gavin Staite & Mick Staite won 3&1. david creek trophy: 1st Paul Hanson 43pt, 2nd Pete Vinter 43pts, 3rd Rob Newns 42pts, 4th Roy Britton 40. chairman’s cup: 1st Darren East 59 nett; 2nd Paul Hanson 63; 3rd Andy Davies 64; 4th Eddie Grange 64. 11-hole stableford: 1st Jim Starbuck 26pts; 2nd Roy Britton 26pts; 3rd Lee Fisher 25pts. Gedney snrs 6 feltwell 0: Bill Sharpe & Pat Ryan won 4&2; Roy Britton & Bob Wishart won 2&1;Wally Lawes & Carl Claxton won 7&5; Jimmy Readman & Neil Sargeant won 7&6; Noel Delaney & Malcolm Oliver won 4&2; Stuart Field & Ron Mountcastle won 4&2. Ladies may medal: 1st Shirley Senior 73, 2nd Chris Bennett 73, 3rd Maggie Bingham 75.

stoke rochford ‘c’ 4 Burghley Park ‘c’ 2: Roger Smith & Tony Andrews lost 1 down, Jeff Purdy & Peter Gill won 4&2, Paul Harper & Martin Billson won 3&2, Ian Dobson & Peter Plummer won 5&4, Steve Forbes & Peter Newton won 1up, Andy Tildesley & Bob Bennett lost 2&1. radcliffe-on-trent ‘c’ 1 stoke rochford ‘c’ 5: Roger Smith & Lee McDonald won 5&4, Jeff Purdy & Stan Clough halved, Graham Miller & John Lemmon won 4&3, Roland Slack & Tony Andrews won 2&1, Owen McHugh & Ian Dobson halved,Andy Edwards & Colin Joyner won 7&6. stoke rochford seniors 6 oundle 2: Tim Haward & Malcolm Edwards won 1 up, Joe Kime & John Smeeton won 3&2,Alan Jessop & Jim Price lost 4&2, Phil White & Dave Hudson won 2 up, Don Clements & Bob Wilson won 1 up,Wilf Stephenson & Dave Hamston won 4&3, Duncan Bennett & Les Cooper lost 4&3. stoke rochford Ladies 2, sleaford 2: Janet Jessop & Roni Proctor lost 2 down, Sheila Dugmore & Avis Griffin won 3&2, June Miller & Dorne Werner won 2&1 and Joan Lennard & Margaret Hill lost 2&1. Ladies april Wednesday medal: 1st Pam Watson 73-7=66, 2nd Barbara Kime 96-29=67, 3rd Jean Hough 88-20=68; Lowest gross: June Miller 84.

may medal: 1 Karen Gillett 99-25-74; 2 Margaret Fox 94-18-76; 3 Peggy Ellis 112-34 78; Best Gross: Margaret Fox. sutton Bridge oBs 5, Boston 3: Ray Page & Tony Adkins lost 7&6, David Matthews & Noel Clare lost 5&4; Robin Pumffrey & David Nelson lost 4&3; Harold Shingleton & Chris Shipp won 7&6; Keith Robinson & Peter North won 3&1; Peter Wailes & John Cross won 1 up; Roger Williamson & Don Robinson won 3&1; Colin Ess & Ken Burton won 7&6. sutton Bridge oBs 0.5, spalding 6.5: Ray Page & David Matthews lost 2&1;Tony Town & David Nelson lost 7&6,Terry Young & Colin Ess lost 1 down; Noel Clare & Robin Pumffrey lost 3&1; Don Robinson & Chris Shipp won 2 up; John Cross & Peter North lost 4&3; Stan Poulton & Roy Fox lost 1 down; John Williamson & Harold Shingleton halved. sutton Bridge oBs 3, king’s Lynn 4: Ray Page & Don Robinson won 2&1, Harold Reeve & Keith Robinson won 1 up, Peter Wailes & Robin Pumffrey lost 3&1, John Cross & Terry Young won 6&5, Roger Williamson & John Williamson lost 1 down, Chris Shipp & Norman Davis lost 7&6, Tony Town & Harold Shingleton lost 1 down. Ladies cancer charity comp: 1 Chris Burrell 34pts; 2 Jill McEwan 32, 3 Margaret Fox 32pts. april mixed foursomes: 1 Janet Simpson & John Cropper 34pts; 2 Jenny Wells & Norman Davis 33; 3 Jane Rose & Roy Fox 31.

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the scorEcard Look hew came out on top

high mark for champ Brown

ark Brown edged out adam Bly to get his hands on the higgs Bowl.

RAMSEY Ramsey’s Sharon Hewison (pictured above) bounced back from a wrist injury to score a fourshot victory in the EWGA East regional medal final at Swaffham. Sharon, who scored a net 68, leads 10 qualifiers for the EWGA Grand Medal Final which will take place at The Worcestershire Golf Club on 26 June. “I’m just ecstatic, really, really pleased,” said the 18-handicapper who injured her left wrist in a fall less than two weeks ago and tried hitting golf balls only four days before the regional final. “It ached a bit but I was determined I was going to play and thankfully it didn’t hurt,” she said. Sharon, who had Swaffham member Colin Yates as her caddy, started with a double bogey but then played very steadily. “I just tried to keep playing to my handicap and any pars were a bonus.” This is only Sharon’s third season of golf and she said: “My pro, Stuart Scott, has put in a lot of time and effort with me and this is really good for him and for Ramsey.” This was the third of six regional medal finals which are contested by players who each returned the four best medal scores at their club during 2009. Qualifying scores: 68 - Sharon Hewison (Ramsey), 73 – Val Aspland (Boston West), Sarah Carver (Bush Hill Park), Gillian Kapka (Cleethorpes), Maggie Davey (Thorpe Wood); 74 – Chynna Hobson (Ashton Under Lyne), Pauline Duncan (Breadsall Priory), Heather Morgan (Greetham Valley), Tina Broadley (Ely City), Jackie Butler (Elton Furze).

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The 11-handicapper from Rushden won on countback after a net round of 68 in the Northants Golf Union event at Wellingborough. Brown birdied the 12th hole and then, decisively, picked up another shot at the par four 18th to take the trophy by the narowest of margins from Kingsthorpe’s Bly. There was almost a double Rushden celebration but Brown’s club-mate Lewis Miller was pipped for top spot in the gross event by Cold Ashby’s Graham Bott who birdied the final hole to retain his title with a one-under par 71.

nett: 1 Mark Brown (Rushden) 79-1168, 2 Adam Bly (Kingsthorpe) 81-13-68, 3 Gary Hall (Farthingstone) 83-13-70, 4 Tim Dawson (Kettering) 77-6-71, 5 Jon Handyside (Kettering) 75-4-71, 6 Nick Toseland (Priors Hall) 83-12-71). Gross: 1 Graham Bott (Cold Ashby) 71, 2 Lewis Miller (Rushden) 72, 3 Lee Hitchcock (Kingsthorpe) 72, 4 Adrian Firmin (Milton) 73, 5 David Morris (Collingtree Park) 74.

OUNDLE

seniors may medal div 1: 1 A Harrison 74-7-67, 2 K Johnson 81-12-69, 3 E Banham 83-13-70; Div 2: 1 P Woodward 88-19-69, 2 J Brown 94-24-70, 3 M Nethercott 93-20-73. Ladies may medal div 1: 1 Karen Johnson 91-18-73, 2 Pam Mumford 90-17-73, 3 Pat Wilkinson 91-14-77; Div 2: 1 Mary Bush 102-31-71, 2 Christine Goodall 101-28-73, 3 Jill Barnes 103-28-75. april stableford div 1: 1 Pat Wilkinson 42pts, 2 Karen Johnson 38pts, 3 Ann Parkin 38pts; Div 2: 1 Veronica Lyon 40, 2 Linda Smith 35, 3 Mona Lynch 35.

PETERBoRo’ MIlToN

northants scratch League: milton 6.5, overstone Park 1.5 – Paul Law won 2&1, Scott O’Connor won 4&3, Rob Fredricks halved, Howard May won 3&2, Josh Scimeca won 3&2, Grant Hurst won 1up,Ted Dunn won 5&4, Mark Johnson lost 4&3. Bert Gill cup: 1 Ryan Rowe & Charlie Kingston 44pts, 2 Andy Wilkinson & Neil Smith 40pts, 3 Nathan Firman & Tom Burgh 39pts. milton seniors 5, Burghley seniors 5: David Longworth & Graham Bramwell lost, Colin Phillips & Terry Locks won,Tony Wood & Ian Clulow lost,Tim Cribbin & Terry Patrick won, Mike Goodall & Peter White lost, Ron Pearson & Pat Jones won, Keith Benson & David Reed lost, John Davies & Sut Panchi won, Doug Lyne & Frank Godfrey lost,Wally Rushton & Tom Paddison won. Ladies midweek medal: 1 Mavis Parsons 99-28-71, 2 Sue Hennigan 85-8=77. Weekend medal: Angela Boxall 95-23=72, 2 Karen Trevor 94-19=75. Granny trophy: 1 Moria Davis 34pts, 2 Jenny Clarke 34pts.

Charley blooms in Rose Kettering’s Charley Hull claimed an emphatic victory in the Hampshire Rose at North Hants GC. The 14-year-old grabbed the lead after a two-under par 71 and six birdies for a second round 70 sealed a five-stroke win. Jack Redden edged out Nick Keech on

GIRToN tony camden salver: 1 B Edwards 86-21-65, 2 Ben Lee 73-6-67, 3 Richard Heyes 70-3-67. sunday stableford div 1: 1 G Michaffie 37pts, 2 Nick Pugh 37pts, 3 R Metcalfe 35; div 2: 1 B Swift 34, 2 A Phillips 33, 3 Tim Chapman 33. Winners cup: 1 R Heyes 69-3-66, 2 R Temple 66-0-66, 3 R Metcalfe 79-12-67. Ladies cole cup: 1 Anne Lockwood 86-15-71, 2 Lynda Sinclair 97-23-74, 3 Annie Wilkins 95-20-75. Ladies medal div 1: 1 Emily Slater 77-10-67, 2 Jean Bowyer 93-19-74, 3 Sue Hill 89-12-77; div 2: 1 J Stockley 10022-78, 2 Pauline Naisbett 117-36-81, 3 Jane Jackson 111-29-82.

OLD NENE Andy Groves and Kevin Flintoff won the Men’s Winter League after getting the better of Neil Setchell and Jon Fox, while the ladies event

KETTERING countback after both posted rounds of 63 in the first division of the April Sunday Medal. Third-placed Michael Campbell – whose 69 was the best gross score of the day – was two shots adrift. In Division Two Paul Scoular (81-13-68) was won by Sue Martin & Kath Loukes with Brenda Groves and Lesley Clark finishing runner-up. Ladies’ may medal: 1st Linda Harness net 74, 2nd Jacquie Richardson net 75. men’s silver division: 1st Sam Hughes net 65, 2nd Ken Salt net 69; Bronze division: 1st Ron Dolby net 68, 2nd Keith Strowger. Ladies’ abbey rosebowl: 1st Kath Loukes 34pts, 2nd Lesley Armstrong 32pts. marie curie shield: 1st Mike Cockman 32pts, 2nd Kath Loukes. dennis & mary amps’ springtime Pairs: 1 Robert Cade & Luke Seery 41pts, 2 Tony Richardson & Alan Francis 40pts. Ladies’ march medal: 1st Lesley Clark net 68, 2nd Kath Loukes net 71. seniors’ stableford: 1st Stan Sales 39pts, 2nd Brenda Groves 39pts, 3rd Bruce Hewlett 39pts.

led the way from Pete Bridgman (8617-69) and Phil Kelly (82-13-69), while Seamus Kelly (92-21-71) led Division Three by two shots from David Patrick and James Gallagher. seniors april stableford: Bob Pancoust 39pts, 2 Gerry Goldsack 39pts, 3 Bob Turner 36pts.

RAMSEY Tony Buddle and Ed Hunter-Dodds got their hands on the Parker Cup after totalling 42 points and finishing two clear of Paul France and Graham Smith. Will Barton won the Brand Cup with an astonishing net 57 (gross 75). Paul Hodgkin (68-5-63) was next best, while Ricky Chandler won the Bogey Cup with plus six.

MENZIES Bridget Hendry was an emphatic winner of the ladies’ medal, finishing seven clear after a net round of 69. Margaret Brown led the way in the Midweek Medal with a nett 75.

All the latest competition news and results from our local clubs and societies BElToN PARK Belton Park’s Charity Am-Am, sponsored by SBH Radiators, attracted 172 players for an 18-hole competition plus a nine-hole Texas Scramble. Jon Senescall of Taylor Maxwell Ltd won the main event with 95 points, five clear of Rob Bartlett (SBH Ltd) with Robert Pask (Belton Park) third on 87pts. The Texas Scramble was won by Peter Mason’s Newark RFC Vets while Leon Bell and Michael Jappy had the longest drives. Helen Elliott beat Pat Evans and Tina Milligan on countback after all three finished on 40 points to win the Queen Elizabeth Cup.

South Kyme Golf Club has been awarded GolfMark accreditation in recognition of their hard work and dedication to both junior and beginners’ golf. A representative of GolfMark presented the award to Eric Woods and the South Kyme juniors coaching

SOUTH KYME team.The club is one of just 17 Lincolnshire clubs to receive this award. South Kyme seniors have once again raised a substantial sum in aid of the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance service. Following their May

Medal competition, a representative of the charity called at the club where a cheque for £3037 was handed over by seniors captain Brian Else. Bob Palmer claimed victory in the May Medal with a score of 68 in Division One while Keith Myatt’s net 70 earned top spot in the second division.

Seventh heaven!

an Jacobs and Geoff mcdonald won the final of the Winter competition... but only after all four finalists had a late attack of nerves. Playing the 18th one up on Paul Ramm and Richard Allen, all four players got the wobbles on and around the final green and all halved the hole with sevens! Burghley’s A team have got their season off to a good start with wins against Sleaford (away) and Belton Park (home). The Ladies May Midweek medal saw a clear win for Pam Barton with 9726-71 and a handicap reduction to 25. Second was Pauline Crampin on countback from Zinna Taylor. The seniors’ Spring Tournament was won by Ken Innes with 36 points from Ron Andrew (35) followed by a six-way tie on 34 between Terry Lill, Peter Crook, Brendan Alston, Bill Purchase, Terry Baxter and David Porteous. The annual foursomes competitions for father and sons was won by

BURGHlEY PARK Gary and Joe Lippett with a sound 32 points in difficult conditions, beating Terry and Bob Moss and John and Craig Neal. In the competition for other family connections, Richard Vaughan and daughter Hannah played excellent golf after amassing just three points from the opening three holes. They played the remaining 15 holes in one over par to score 39 points and finish clear of the Tilleys, David and John, and cousins James and Dean Vaughan. The Red Cross men’s stableford was won by Roger Teasdale with 37 points, two ahead of Andrew Gillespie and Graham Bedford. The mixed greensomes was won by Bob & Julie Emmins on countback from Richard Gilbert & Janet Roberts on 37 points with Mike & Pam Barton a point behind. A junior medal saw a three-way tie on nett 68, Dan Carr winning on countback from James Vaughan and Matthew Lem.

midweek medal: 1 Simon Richards 8117-64, 2 John Moseley 82-15-67. Greensomes stableford open: 1 Paul Wilkinson and Kay Hircock 41 points. Burghley seniors 4, stoke rochford seniors 4: Donald Macmillan & Brian Plowright beat Tim Haward & Alan Jessop; David Devlin & John Mayman lost to Don Werner & Ian Dobson; Martin Reynolds & Brendan Alston beat Ray Elsome & Colin Howett; Peter White & Joe Piercy lost to Keith Dugmore & Ray Beal; Eric McKaig & Colin Dale beat Chris Woof & David Hamilton; Ron Carter & Brian Tunnicliffe; Peter Hickman & Robert Collier beat John Wright & Roland Slack; Fred Woodcock & Keith Duff lost to Phillip Varley & Joe Kime. tuesday Ladies’ trophy div 1: Mary Sharpe 35pts; div 2: Chris Redfern 31pts; div 3: Pauline Crampin 36pts. men’s 1937 coronation cup: 1 Gary Harrison 81-15-66, 2 Simon Every 67, 3 Chris Townsend 67; Best gross Joe Lippett 70. Burghley seniors beat north Luffenham seniors: Burghley winners were Eric McKaig & Ann Butland;Tony Caruth & Maggie Friend; Peter Hickman & Kay Parker and Terry Lill & Isobel Reading. Burghley seniors beat ramsey seniors 4.5-3.5: Burghley winners were Donald Macmillan & Martin Reynolds;Terry Lill & Peter Messinger; Paul Wilkinson & Ian Roberts; Peter Hickman & Brian Tunnicliffe.

seniors may stableford: 1 A Noble 42pts, 2 W Selby 40, 3 C Farrington 40. Geoff timson trophy: 1 A Noble 39pts, 2 I Saunders 36, 3 R Gleave 34. chris curtis cup: 1 G Lumsden 41pts, 2 L Brailsford 40, 3 I Whyte 40. cranwell cup: 1 W Bamber 75-13-62, 2 Jack Diment 73-10-63, 3 S Green 71-6-65.

THoRNEY lAKES men’s medal division one: 1 Andrew Elliott 77-7=70, 2 Brendan Greville 78-8=70, 3 Phil Corn 75-5=70; division two: 1 Peter Howard 86-13=73, 2 Paul Chiverton 86-13=73, 3 Richard Mills 9216=76; division three: 1 Darrell Talbot 93-24=69, 2 Larry Didlick 95-26-69, 3 Mick Thornton 91-20=71. midweek stableford: 1 Peter Woodcock 40pts, 2 Brian Towers 39pts, 3 Richard Mills 37pts. thorney seniors 4, toft seniors 4 (Thorney names first): Charles Ferguson & John Rickett won 5&3, Peter York & Drury lost 3&2, Dave Mann & Terry Kavanagh won 6&4, Bob Mason & Brian Marsh lost 7&6, Nick Routier & Brian Green won 3&2, Frank Valerio & Arthur Cooper lost 1 down, Colin Crouch & Mike Pickard won 5&4, Reg Boot & Dave Plant lost 1 down.

BOSTON WEST seniors april medal: 1 E Appleby 82-15-67, 2 J Chain 80-10-70, 3 G Green 98-26-72. Ladies rylott salver: 1 V Aspland 91-19-72, 2 T Harrison 89-16-73, 3 B Vipond 95-22-73. may sunday medal: 1 Maria Williamson 95-22-73, 2 V Aspland 94-20-74, 3 B Vipond 100-22-78.

BOSTON Jackey Short’s net round of 73 off her 21 handicap put her two shots clear of Janet Read (101-26-75) and Marion Bavin (106-31-75) in the May Medal. In the Dunhill Islands Trophy Judith Flevill posted 39 points to win by four points from Louise Williamson. anderson cup: 1 J Wrisdale 71-5-66, 2 S Vince 78-10-68, 3 Michael Skinner 74-6-68.

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the Scorecard

Lew can’t get nearer than that! M

IKE Lewis bagged a hole-in-one in the Colin Easson Motors Trophy.

He aced the 14th hole which just happened to be the nearest the pin hole. Unfortunately, with a field of over 200 players, he was also saddled with a very expensive bar bill! The event was won by Peter Dickinson ahead of Oliver Hayward and Trevor Smith. The Juniors had their own competition, with Steven Graham beating Jordan Burdall on countback. The Ladies competition winner, Bev Dolman was three points clear of Liz Taylor. Men: 1 Peter Dickinson 40pts, 2 Oliver Hayward 39, 3 Trevor Smith 39; Juniors: 1 Steven Graham 39pts, 2 Jordan Burdall 39, 3 Tom Caldicott 38; Ladies: 1 Bev Dolman 40pts, 2 Liz Taylor 37, 3 Heather Morgan 37.

Juniors Jordan Burdall and Ryan Tarrant won the Tudor Springs

TOFT HOTEL Alison Ravenhill left it late to get her hands on the Toft Trophy. The Stableford competition is run over a whole week and Dave Whisker was the long time leader with 40 points. But Alison posted an impressive 43 points on the final day to take the honours. Ian Moore and Matthew Hill were next best on 39 points. Toft’s A team made it three wins out of three with a resounding 5-1 defeat of Boston. Results: Emile Van Der Merwe & Dan Tamburrini won 3&2, Nick Garland & Drew Farrel Jnr won 4&3, Dave Whisker & Scott Freer lost 1 dwn,Adam Freear & Ian Mitchell won 5&3, Ian Moss & Grahame Burns won 4&3, Ben Peck & Chris Maghill won 1 up. Boston B 4, Toft B 2: C. Harwood & L. Lawrence lost 3&1, G. Moore & H.Wild lost 2&1,A. Smith & I. Moore won 3&1, S. Parker & B. Schiavi lost 1 dwn, M. Bates & S. Hand won 1 up, O.Aspinall & J. Joyce lost 5&4. Seniors Stableford: Winner: Marsall Hulse 38pts; Div 1: 1st John Lewis 37pts, 2nd Lionel Tupholme 35pts, 3rd Bernard Peel 33pts, 4th Colin Pearce 32pts; Div 2: 1st Terry Lacey 34pts, 2nd Roy Lewis 34pts, 3rd Ian Bedwell

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GREETHAM VALLEY

Foursomes with a nett score of 70.5, beating David Morgan and Ian Coulson into second place by half a point. Paul Holiday and Trevor Smith, representing Greetham Valley in the Daily Mail Foursomes, had an excellent 5&4 victory over neighbours North Luffenham to go through to the third round. The Greetham pairing of Paul Holliday and Trevor Stevens are through to the fourth round of the Daily Mail Foursomes after beating Burghley Park’s Domenic Higgs and Simon Chesterton 3&2. Mike Guy and David Aldred both had eagles, on the 12th and ninth respectively, as Greetham seniors beat Toft 5.5-2.5. Result: David Aldred & Peter Hall won 3&2; Dave Lucas & Robert Birch won 4&2; Neil Lowndes & Joe Ball won 4&3; Martin Boothman & Charles Gutteridge lost 5&4; John Taylor & Colin Chapman 32pts, 4th John Larkinson 32pts. Sunday Medal: 1st Nick Garland 74-4-71, 2nd Mick Jones 92-20-72, 3rd James Dair 72-0-72.

Mike Paulson won the Seniors Spring Medal to lift the Jim Jameson Trophy with a nett 71 off his 14 handicap. He beat Colin Pearce on countback after posting an identical score. Club Captain Stuart Parker’s 74 was enough to earn top billing in the May Medal ahead of young Dan Tamburrini (82-6-76) and Ian Moss (85-5-80). Toft C 1, Spalding C 5: Barry Harriman & Phil Sendall lost 2&1, Dick Robinson & Clive Grey lost 6&5,Alan Burns & John Davenport lost 3&2, Ray Barnett & Adrian Childs lost 5&3, Joe Durno & Paul Stark won 2 up, Roger Shead & Crawford Madden lost 1 dwn. Toft Seniors 4, Thorney Lakes seniors 4: T. Lacey & R. Barnett won 3&2, R. Osborn & L.Tupholme lost 5&3, P. Miller & R. Bills lost 6&4, M.Hulse & R. Campbell won 7&6, J. Evereritt & B.Gore lost 3&2, G.Hughes & R. Everson won 1 up, P. Stark & G.Rodgers lost 5&4, M. Nicholls & R. Shead won 1 up. Stableford: 1st R. Howarth 40pts, 2nd J. Cleeve 40pts, 3rd S. Hand 39pts. Summer Medal Series round 2: 1st I. Schoeman 89-20-69, 2nd P. Gammon 78-8-70, 3rd R.

Keith Crellin and Robert Hinch won the Rutland Rotary Club golf day at Greetham thanks to a score of 39 Stableford points. They beat Frank Hinch and Bruce Strickland on countback. Third place was claimed by former captains Bob Beverley and Neil Harris on 38 points. Rutland Rotary Golf Day organiser Bruce Strickland (left) is pictured with winners Keith Crellin and Robert Hinch. lost 4&3; Jack Vernal & Mel Clarke halved; Brian Rippin & Tony King won 4&2; Barry Shaw/Mike Guy won 2&1. Greetham seniors 6.5, Rutland County seniors 1.5: David Aldred & Mike Guy halved; Mel Clarke & John Clinton won 4&3; David Wallace & Tony King won 2&1; Stuart Dodd & Les Dickinson won 3&2; Bill Ormond & McAllister 85-14-71. Mayday Stableford: 1st I. Moore 37pts, 2nd J. Hines 37pts, 3rd P. Jesson 36pts. Div 1: 1st Colin Pearce 85-14-71; 2nd Marshall Hulse 84-12-72; Div 2: 1st J. Kirkman 92-21-71, 2nd T. Cushing 99-27-72. Toft A 4, South Kyme A 2: James Dair & Ben Peck won 2&1, Nick Garland & Drew Farrel won 5&4, Dave Whisker & Scot Freer won 4&3, Ian Moss & Alan Barnes lost 1 down, Dan Tamburrini & Adam Freear won 5&4, Les Lawrence & Chris Magill lost 3&2. Toft Seniors 1 Burghley Park Seniors 7: Terry Lacey & Roger Osborn halved, Lionel Tupholme & Phil Miller lost 5&4, Maitland McNeil &Terry Hare lost 2 dwn, Ray Bills & Roger Shead halved, Rod Campbell & Jim Wildish lost 6&5, David Sharp & James Everitt lost 4&3, John Davenport & Nigel Turnbull lost 3&2, John Shillingford & Gordon Rodgers lost 3&1.

RUTLAND COUNTY

David Wilson won the first division of the Seniors’ May Stableford with 43 points - three clear of Ray Taylor with John Rudin a point further back. In Division Two Michael Platt scored a mammoth 47 points to finish well clear of fVic Pheasant and Phil Davis with 39 and 37 points respectively.

Peter Morris won 7&6; Joe Ball & Charles Gutteridge won 4&3; Colin Avery & Bob Harmes lost 5&4; John Taylor & Mike Ringrose won 5&4. Greetham Ladies 3, Burghley Park Ladies 1: Angela Wheeler & Glynis Sellars won 2 up, Eve Mills & Rena Lister won 4&3, Rosemary Thomas & Sheila Douty lost 2 down, Sue Wiles & Jane O’Donnell won 2&1. Rutland Seniors 4.5, Elton Furze 3.5: Paul Gosden & Dick Wray lost 1 down, John Mason & Peter Harle halved, John Killin & Tony Whiting won 2 up, John Phipps & Terry Loomes lost 3&2, Mike Frankish & Stewart Picton lost 4&3, Ray Taylor & Geoff Osborne won 4&3, Graham Cole & Arthur Dethick won 1 up, John Rudin & Keith Barratt won 6&5. Individual Stableford Div 1: Frank Copsey 41pts, 2 Alan Shuttleworth 40; Div 2: 1 Wendy Bryan 40pts, 2 Keith Sargeson 39, 3 David Duffin 39. Greetham seniors 6.5, Rutland seniors 1.5: Paul Gosden & Michael Platt halved, John Mason & Rip Kirby lost 4&3, Terry Loomes & David Duffin lost 2&1, Kevin Whittle & Nigel Coombs lost 3&2, Graham Cole & Bill Collins lost 7&6,Arthur Dethick & Richard Simmons lost 4&3,Tony Whiting & John Rudin won 5&4, Ian Barron & Rob Elliott lost 5&4. Two-from-three Stableford: 1 Ken Jakeman, Joe Smith and Peter Harle 91pts, 2 Terry Loomes, Bill Ansell and Nick Carter 89pts. Rutland seniors 4.5 Melton Mowbray seniors 3.5: Paul Gosden and Michael Platt halved, Keith Barratt and Bill Collins won 3&2, Arthur Dethick and Ray Taylor won 4&3,Terry Loomes and Nick Carter lost by 2 holes, Kevin Whittle and Rob Elliott won 3&2,Tony Whiting & John Meadows lost by 1 hole, Mike Frankish and Graham Cole lost by 1 hole, Frank Copsey and Ian Barron won 2&1.

All the latest competition news and results from our local clubs and societies WYBOSTON LAKES

Trish Purnell and Irene Abri booked their place in the regional final of the Peugeot Coronation Foursomes. They won the Wyboston qualifier with 34 points, ahead of Devra O’Gara and Nikki Morris (33pts) and Sandra Jeram and Tara Worthington (33pts). The Men’s May Medal saw David Law take top spot with a net round of 70 off his three handicap, also posting the lowest gross round of the day. results: div 1 - 1st David Law 73-3-70, 2nd Bob Toal 83-12-71, 3rd Bob Hedges 82-10-72; div 2 - 1st Mike Butcher 84-13-71, 2nd Mick Smith 90-14-76, 3rd Peter Watts 90-13-77; div 3 - 1st Dave Biddle 92- 21-71, 2nd Rob Syer 90-19-71, 3rd Luke Thomas 93-19-74.

Bob Toal qualified for The London Pride competition and won the gold medal. Nearest the pin for the Captain’s Charity was Tom Greaves.

the may Junior medal div 1: 1st Stuart Wren 81-22-59, 2nd Jean Luc Farr 75-7-68, 3rd Nick Syer 83-14- 69; div 2: 1st Bradley Pearson 112-43-69, 2nd Tom Billson 126-54-72. seniors may medal div 1: 1st Tony Porcelli 83-16-67, 2nd Ian Strath 78-9- 69, 3rd Fred Ifill 80-10-70; div 2: 1st Andrew Bryans 91-23-68, 2nd Tony Bird 93-22-71, 3rd Albert Waldock 95-23-72; div 3: 1st Brian Ellicott 97-28- 69, 2nd John Cooper 100-26-74, 3rd Harry Hawkins 101-26-75. senior Ladies: 1st Irene Abri 85-14-71, 2nd Trish Purnell 94-14-80, 3rd Liz Harling 104-23-81. Ladies Winter League: 1st Irene Abri 64.5pts, 2nd Anne March 63.5pts, 3rd Devra O’Gara 58.5pts. men’s medal: 1st Neil Giddings 85-23-62, 2nd Mike Butcher 79-13-66, 3rd Richard Cousins 79-13-66.

Deadly Doug is feeling ace

oRToN MEADoWS NEW ladies captain Jean Fisher rattled up a stunning 48 points on her way to victory in the International Children’s Trust competition. Her remarkable efforts saw her handicap plummet from 33 to 27.4. Ping fourball Better Ball: 1Pat Russell & Maggie Spiby 37pts, 2nd Janet Gilbey & Sandra Lawson 36pts, 3rd Barbara Bird & Lynne Simpson 31pts. Peugeot coronation foursomes: 1st Pat Bate & Janet Gilbey 36pts, 2nd Sandra Lawson & Pat Russell 35pts, 3rd Barbara Bird & Lynne Simpson 31pts. vice-captain’s team beat the captain’s team (Leading scorers): Pat Russell 41pts, Barbara Bird 39pts, Jean Fisher 38pts. april medal/Lynne simpson salver: 1st Janet Gilbey 95-29=66, 2nd Rebecca Gregory 89-22=67, 3rd Barbara Bird 93-24=69.

THoRPE WooD NEW lady captain Suzanne Evans’ Charity Day saw Anne Nicholls come out on top with 38 points, one ahead of Pam Ellis.

His perfect seven iron into a strong SPAlDING wind helped him and his playing partner Mark German to a narrow victory over Anita Cross & Maureen Orwell as the men triumphed 8-5. Jason Houghton was an impressive winner of the May Medal. He fought off the poor weather conditions to post a winning round 776=71 to win the 0-14 handicap category by three strokes. Keith Hearne (76-2=74) took second place on countback from David Perrott (82-8=74). The higher handicap category was won by Alan Gough (90-20=70), one stroke better than Tony Houghton (89-18=71). James Crampton won the lowest gross score prize with his 74. The Bank Holiday Texas Scramble saw victory go to Jane Toal, Lisa Howling, Keith Moore and Doug Garfoot (53.2), ahead of Di Sanderson, Irene & David Brotherton and Neil West on 55.5. Spalding eased their way into the second round of the Bramley Trophy with a 3-0 defeat of Kirton Holme. Mark Mitchell got the ball rolling with a 3&1 win before big victories from Andy Grimwood (6&5) and Steve Wade (7&6) clinched the tie. Chris Hancock came out in pole position with a superb nett 64 in the EGU Medal Gold Medal qualifying competition.

hedley memorial trophy: 1 Nigel Alban net 72, 2 Stephen Cartwright net 73, 3 Paul Ringrose net 74. haddon Putter: 1 Michael Prince 83, 2 Neil Farrington 84. may medal division one: 1 Mark Forman net 68, 2 Y. Kong net 71, 3 Adrian Firman net 74; division two: 1 Nigel Jones, 2 Minaz Kassam net 73, 3 Kevin Hawkins net 74. thorpe Wood seniors 7, rutland county seniors 1 (thorpe Wood names first): Dennis Stimson & Derek Armitage won 3&2, Sam Bunton & Roger Harris won 4&2, Bill Hennigan & John Sergeant won 1up, Dudley Von Kerro & John Wilson halved, Graham Priest & John Dunnett won 4&3, Adrian Ennett & Alan Smith won 1up, Bill Rust & David Horne halved, Colin Bagley & Ray Palmer won 1up. thorpe Wood 4.5, kettering 3.5: Dennis Stimson & Derek Armitage lost 3&1, Colin Bagley & Dave Horne lost 4&2, Bill Hennigan & Alan Smith won 3&2, Sam Bunton & Ray Palmer halved, Ross Dyer & Bill Rust won 2&1, Dudley Von Kerro & Roger Harris lost 6&4, Adrian Ennett & Keith Drew won 1up, John Dunnett & Mel De Camps won 2&1. Ladies nine-hole bring and win: 1 Clare Robertson 24pts, 2 Andrea Spiers 23pta, 3 Karen Blacklock 21pts.

other leading scores: 67 - Stewart Barnett, 69 - Charles Lacey, 70 - Andrew Grimwood, 71 - Lloyd Chatham, Mike Crampton, 72 - Peter Clark, Graham Hutchings, Phil Packard, Malcolm George and Archie Davies.

CAMBRIDGE MERIDIAN

oUG Garfoot claimed a hole-in-one at the 155-yard ninth hole during a third team match against the ladies.

Holders Spalding are also through to the second round of the Elsham County Foursomes thanks to an 11 up victory at Sudbrook Moor. Mark Mitchell & Richard Laud found themselves three down after nine holes but came back to win one up. Lloyd Chatham & Mark Laud were never troubled and won five up as did the third pairing of Steve Wade & Andy Grimwood. sutton Bridge mixed 3, spalding mixed 2: Pete Orwell & Carole Holland won 8&6, Roy Parker & Judy Rawlings won 5&4, Bob Sutton & Maureen Orwell halved.

april midweek medal: 1st Konrad Bidwell net 70, 2nd Brian Woodward net 72, 3rd Scott Barker net 73. april stableford: 1st Scott Barker 41pts, 2nd Andy Breacker 40pts, 3rd Kieron Edwards 39pts. april midweek stableford: 1st Simon Baker 38pts, 2nd Ed Sandford

37pts, 3rd Steve Gedny 36pts. spring cup 36-hole medal: 1st Gubby Panesar, 2nd Ali Sales, 3rd Ed Sandford. may medal: 1st Ed Sandford net 71, 2nd Bob Boulton net 72, 3rd Andy Phillips net 71 may midweek medal: 1st Andy Breacker net 70, 2nd Mark Grant net 70, 3rd Simon Bakerr net 72. seniors summer cup individual stableford: apr 6 – 1 Garry Swain 36pts, 2 Willy Wilson 33, 3 Mark Grant 33; apr 13 – 1 Garry Swain 36pts, 2 Roger Harrison 34, 3 Brian Uttridge 33; apr 20 - 1 Geoff Miller 43pts, 2 Bill Wilson 40, 3 Mark Grant 38; may 4 – 1 Mark Grant 38pts, 2 Steve Clements 37, 3 Steve Gover 37. seniors spring texas scramble: 1 Mark Grant, Brian Pycock and Steve Gover 68, 2 Brian Buncombe, Les Thorne and Brian Whitelaw 71. malton seniors 0, cambridge meridian seniors 4: Bob Batty & Willy Wilson won +2, Norman Edwards & Bill Liddell won +1, Andy Grigor & Mark Grant won +7, John Bishop & Roger Harrison won +2. menzies seniors 3, meridian seniors 3: Peter Hulyer & Brian Pycock lost 6&4 to George Miskimmin & Paul Stone, Colin Russell & David Arlette beat Don Green & John Moore 6&5, Brenda Pryor & Andy Grigor lost 3&2 to Mike Wisebey & Julian Polinghorne, Brian Uttridge & John Bishop beat John Fordham & Brian Burrage 3&2, Rick Bone & Ian Clow lost 6&4 to John Morris & Bob Lawson,Terry Wall & Steve Clements won 1 up against Geoff Bloomfield & Geoff Lucas. Meridian seniors 2, Cromwell seniors 1: Bill Liddell & Norman Edwards beat Roy Wilson & Ian Cody on the first extra hole, Roger Worth & Willy Wilson beat Brian Plunkett & Mike Skidmore 1up, Roger Harrison & Bob Batty lost 5&3 to John Grieves & Alan Kirkham.

lAKESIDE loDGE KAYE Sargeant rattled up 40 points for the best score of the day in the Ladies’ May Stableford, finishing ahead of Heather Lyon (38) and Helen Jones (37) in the second division while the top division honours went to Maureen Evans (38) with Elizabeth Walters (36) and Janet Oliver (34) her closest challengers. Ladies medal div 1: 1st Elaine Ottley 92-20-72, 2nd Janet Oliver 98-24-74, 3rd Catherine Wilkinson 87-10-77; div 2: 1st Denice Smith 101-34-67, 2nd Helen Jones 104-32-72, 3rd Sally Acton 101-28-73.

Dave Lyon was an impressive winner of the John Parsons High Handicap Trophy with 41 points, finishing five points clear of runnerup Les Oliver. men’s medal div 1: 1st D Brass, 2nd D Simpkins, 3rd B Moseley; div 2: 1st S Rebane, 2nd J Walton, 3rd J Watts; div 3: 1st J Boyce, 2nd J Britten, 3rd S Boyce.

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