Yorkshire Golfer - January 2020

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January 2020

ENGLAND’S No.1 AGAIN Oaks professional Walker named nation’s top coach

HOME ON THE RANGE SPECIAL FEATURE ON BEST PLACE TO HONE YOUR GAME

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January 2020 Yorkshire Golfer is published by League Weekly Ltd, 31 Branch Road, Batley, W. Yorks WF17 5SB Tel 01924 470296 for subscriptions & deliveries

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IN THIS ISSUE DOUBLING UP Halifax-Huddersfield Union enjoyed a special celebratory dinner to mark their dual triumphs in Yorkshire Inter District Union events...p4

visit our website: www.yorkshiregolfer.net BLOOMING WITH RED ROSE Brabazon Trophy winner Ben Schmidt has been named in England Golf’s men’s squad for the 2020 season and Yorkshire colleagues Charlie Thornton and Sam Bairstow are in England’s ‘A’ squad...p11

PUTT IN YOUR PLACE Peter Cowen Academy coach Luke Allen on the importance of putting...p6

A HANDY DIVERSION Durham City settled in its ‘new’ home

ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL Former European Tour player Chris Hanson and his caddie Adam Walker launch innovative 2020 Pro Tour in which men and women will compete against one another...p7

DRIVING YOUNGSTERS FORWARD Thirsk-based Factory Eleven GolfParc are partnering England Golf as they look to encourage more juniors to take up the great game of golf...p14

12/13

SWEET TREAT Scarthingwell’s Tony Howarth provides practice drills that will help you find the sweet spot more often in 2020...p16 RANGE RAVERS Golfers forced by unseasonably wet autumn conditions to shun the course have found salvation in driving ranges such as at The Manor and Waterfront Golf...p18/19

SECOND TIME AROUND Former Yorkshire ladies county player Rochelle Morris reflects on her first year as a Tour player and outlines what she plans to do differently in 2020...p21

Spread your club's good news... email your results, open events, photographs and news items to us on: news@yorkshire-golfer.com and follow us on Twitter @yorkshiregolfer THE NEXT ISSUE OF YORKSHIRE GOLFER WILL BE DELIVERED TO CLUBS ON TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020

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January 2020

DOUBLING UP Man from The Oaks claims England Golf coach of the year award for second time in five years

Walker honoured yet again GRAHAM WALKER has added the accolade of England Golf coach of the year to enhance further his burgeoning reputation.

Walker, who is based at The Oaks, was presented with the award by Nick Dougherty at the England Golf 2019 Performance Conference.

It is the second time he has won the award having first being recognised in 2014. Three years later he was awarded Master Professional status, which is the highest honour bestowed by the Professional Golfers’ Association.

Dougherty – a three-times winner on the European Tour and now lead presenter on Sky Sports Golf – excelled as an England amateur international after making his debut as a 15year-old in 1997.

Walker is recognised as a leading expert in short-game teaching and over the years has worked with European Tour winners such as Danny Willett, Paul Waring and David Horsey as well as Ladies’ European Tour winner Holly Clyburn.

Currently, Walker coaches world No 10 Tommy Fleetwood and passes on his knowledge to all the England Golf performance squads.

The Sheffield native has been on the staff at England Golf since 2011 and his coaching continues to be of huge benefit to aspiring players looking to fulfil their potential.

England Senior Women’s manager Debbie Richards was recognised as volunteer of the year for 2019 while the final

award winner was Cheshire’s Roy Smethurst, who has led the England Men’s Senior squad to three Home International titles along with a gold medal at last year’s European Senior Men’s Team Championships.

Dougherty paid tribute to all the winners saying: “The success enjoyed by all the England performance squads over recent times wouldn’t be possible without the excellence in coaching and management that all the teams receive.

“I know from my time representing England at amateur level just how crucial it was to have a good grounding in the game before making the move to the professional ranks.

“I made my debut for England aged 15 and my heart was bursting through my shirt.

You only have to look at the numbers of English players currently making their way in both the men’s and ladies’ games to see that the work being done at grass-roots levels, and then with the performance teams as they move through the age groups, is bearing fruit.”

Walker had just returned from a four-day pre-Christmas training camp in Dubai with Fleetwood when he spoke to Yorkshire Golfer.

The relationship started in earnest just over three years ago, but they first got to know each other through England Boys coaching sessions.

Walker works exclusively on what he describes as the short game – defined as shots in and around the green from up to 50 yards – and wedge play,

Graham Walker, left, pictured at work with Ryder Cup player and former Race to Dubai winner Tommy Fleetwood which can be out as far as 140 yards.

The training camps can be intense in terms of workload.

The day starts around 9am with shots from the fairway from short distance until , in Walker’s words, they are happy with the strike Fleetwood is achieving and then they move further out, into the rough, closer to the green in both fairway and rough, and finally bunkers where they have seen the greatest improvement.

“Tommy’s bunker play has definitely improved, but our overall focus is to be what we describe as ‘worldclass with loft’. If you can control the loft and spin and have the ability to get the ball in the air quickly and land it softly and get it close to the pin you can never be short sided.”

The days last until winter darkness falls in the Gulf around 5.30 local time, but

Walker’s work is not confined to the practice ground. This year he will be at the Majors and another eight to 12 of the bigger events watching his protégé.

“Not all of the work is done on the range. When I travel to events with Tommy it’s more about watching him play and looking for things we can improve or work out shots we need to add to his armoury,” continued Walker, who points to Fleetwood’s attitude as one of his strongest assets.

“Tommy’s thinking is a bit like the one of Yorkshire and England Golf in that he gives me time to develop his game and make him better and he’s also very willing to listen to new ideas and then give them a go.”

Walker first came to the fore as a teacher at Hillsborough Golf Club where he developed

‘It’s about watching Tommy play and looking for things we can improve’

the junior section to produce a string of professional golfers.

John Mellor, Oliver Whiteley and Neil Cheetham all made it to the European Tour while another eight became PGA qualified professionals.

Walker had started the game on various municipal courses around Sheffield before joining Doug Poole at Chesterfield Golf Club as an assistant.

“I was very lucky in having bosses like Doug and Ray Wilkinson at Lees Hall who both encouraged me to play, practise and teach as much as I could.”

By his own admission he worked very hard at this game in those early years and he became good enough to place in the top 20 of the World Under-25s, compete in the 1982 Open Championship, and collect a host of Yorkshire titles and finish second in the British Assistants.

Sixteen years ago he moved to The Oaks on the outskirts of York where in his role as Yorkshire’s lead coach he hosts the county men’s squad and Yorkshire Boys as

well as some of the other players he tutors including long-term client Paul Waring, who had his best season last year and is now ranked 75th in the world.

“The Yorkshire officials are great to work with and it started out with [former Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs secretary] Keith Dowswell who had great vision. They let you get on with it and give you time to get results. The same goes for Nigel Edwards, the Performance Director at England Golf. That kind of trust and support makes you feel liberated as a coach.

“And the Nutt family who own The Oaks have been incredibly supportive in investing in the academy and the short-game area and creating a facility good enough to help develop the players we work with.”

And the key to being a top coach? “Listen before you speak, study your pupil, understand what they want to achieve and work out a way to get them there. But my No 1 rule is always: ‘Pupil First’.”

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January 2020

UNION GAP BRIDGED Senior team and their junior counterparts savour Yorkshire Inter District Union triumphs

Halifax-Huddersfield celebrate double HALIFAX-HUDDERSFIELD Union celebrated their victory in two of Yorkshire InterDistrict Union’s four championships with a special dinner at Halifax West End Golf Club.

Having won the YIDU junior league in 2018, with seven wins out of seven – the first time they had worn that crown – they annexed their level’s sixman team championship last summer, again for the first time, while the seniors ended a 25year wait for only their second league triumph.

Team manager Frank Greaves gave an emotional speech in which he thanked everyone involved in the union’s dual 2019 success.

Huddersfield Golf club member Greaves had an excellent record as a union player and has managed to instil in his players the same sense of pride and commitment in wearing their colours that he displayed when competing on the course.

“One of the things I’ve said often is that it has helped tremendously that the guy who’s leading them actually has some knowledge of what it takes, how to do it, and has some focus and some determination,” said Greaves. “That’s important to me, otherwise it’s just empty words.”

His speech was warmly received and the union come into 2020 under the presidency

Team members and officials at Halifax-Huddersfield Union’s celebration dinner at Halifax West End Golf Club of Crosland Heath’s Andy Taylor confident that they can achieve further success.

Golf’s governing bodies are conducting a review of the Rules of Amateur Status to make them easier to understand and apply.

The comprehensive evaluation by the R&A and the USGA is part of the continued joint effort to modernise the Rules by reducing complexity and ensuring they effectively guide how the game is played today.

As part of a review process that began early in 2019, they will seek the perspectives of golf’s stakeholders as an integral component of the review process, including elite amateurs, golf event organisers, national golf associations, professional golf associations and other industry partners.

The aim is to provide the golf community with a modernised set of Amateur Status Rules in late 2021, with the goal of an effective date of 1

January 2022.

Grant Moir, Director – Rules at the R&A said: “We will be looking at the Rules of Amateur Status carefully and considering ways in which we can modernise them and bring them more into line with the way the modern sport is played.

“The code remains a fundamental framework for amateur golf and we will be listening to the views of players, officials and associations to give us a fully rounded view of how we

can improve them.”

In a separate move, with effect from January 1, 2020, the R&A and the USGA will introduce one change to Rule 3-2b of the Rules of Amateur Status, which regulates hole-in-one prizes. The rules will no longer limit the prize an amateur golfer may win when making a hole-in-one outside a round of golf (eg on a driving range, golf simulator, or putting green) provided that shot is at least 50 yards long.

Got a story for us?

Send your club’s news to news@yorkshire-golfer.com

@yorkshiregolfer

January 2020

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January 2020

LABORATORY ASSISTANCE Chris Stratford gets much-needed help with the ‘flat stick’ at Peter Cowen’s Academy

Practice emphasis ‘putt’ in right place W

Luke Allen analyses the data provided by the sophisticated technology in the Peter Cowen Academy’s putting laboratory

HAT was your golfing New Year’s resolution? Add another 20 yards to your drives, perhaps; gain more consistency with your mid-irons; practise your wedges to get short approach shots dancing around the flag?

All would help you improve if you achieved your goal, but those of you who answered that you plan to improve your putting are more likely to see a tangible end product.

Luke Allen, a coach at the Peter Cowen Golf Academy, in Rotherham, explained: “Putting is a third of most people’s golf shots, but do they practice it a third? No. “They mostly practice driving at the range – driving 90 per cent of the time, pitching five per cent, iron shots another five per cent and putting is hit three putts before you play, onto the first tee and off you go, expecting to be better at putting.

“But there’s lots of things you can do at home and indoors to improve your putting.”

Luke’s invitation to visited

the Academy’s renovated putting laboratory in the run-up to Christmas had come in the wake of two short missed putts that had led to a Winter League loss for myself and my partner at Huddersfield Golf Club.

This had punctured my confidence with the flat stick, but an hour in his company and that of SAM – the Science and Motion PuttLab – opened my eyes Peter Cowen Academy coaches Luke Allen, left, and Callum Bergin to my (many) faults doing,” commented Luke, who stroke you can get, ie one that and, more crucially, what I stood patiently by his computer starts the ball on line.” need to do to eradicate them. reading out the feedback as I Complementing the SAM A sensor attached to the putadjusted the clubface to align it technology were visual aids ter shaft enabled 28 different correctly. from Visio such as the T-bar parameters to be recorded and A short lesson in how to line (along the thin arm of which then analysed, presenting a 3D up the ball followed along with the ball begins its journey, callslow motion playback of not a change in my stance, from ing for correct alignment and only how the clubhead moved, crouched and cramped to swing path at impact), and but also the grip. upright and unified. gates of different widths placed Luke commented: “Three “We want to be able to lock at varying points along the line specific areas we would start to everything into position and use of the putt. look at are: Do you start the your body, use the engine to “Visio’s Gate Pack has three ball on line, what’s your pace swing the putter on the natural different gate widths - 50, 55 control like, and then we move arc,” encouraged Luke. “It and 60mm - and you can set to relative green reading. takes the wrists out of the them at different distances “If you can’t start it on line away from the ball that relate to swing. and struggle with a bit of pace “I like to create equal and different degrees of miss on then you might think you’re opposite pressures in the your start line. You can take it poor at reading greens due to hands, like we do with the full to the practice green and make you not getting the first two swing, so that it stabilises the your practice more purposeful fundamentals right. face to the body and the shouland with intent,” said Luke.

People in general, and even ders. Then we can start to get My regular miss, particularelite players as well, don’t get the putter working around the ly on short putts, is to the right to grips with how they’re startarc.” and I deduced this was as a ing the ball.

Bad weather restricted me to “The first step is to hit a few result of a push. SAM’s data indoor practice only before, on quickly proved that I could not putts, see if we can see any the first green of my next have been further from the common faults or any tendenWinter League match, I stood truth. cies that you repeat, see if over a 25ft putt – and canned it.

At the beginning of the sesthere’s any correlation with the Meaning my New Year’s resodata. Moving on we go into ball sion my clubface at set-up was lution was to ensure I spend closed, my swingpath out-to-in, alignment, how to align the ball one-third of my 2020 practice and I was – subconsciously – correctly, so then that gives you time on the putting green workturning the clubface open in an a better way of lining up, so ing on Luke’s recommendaattempt to get the ball on line. you’ve got a better opportunity tions.

Spin imparted by the open of aligning your putter to your clubface was sending the ball intended target line.

For more information on right of the cup despite an out“It has to be specific to the booking putting coaching at the to-in path. individual, finding something Peter Cowen Golfing Academy “Once you get the data from that suits their needs physically call 01709 555 999, email SAM you can then quickly and then adjust accordingly to lukeallenpga@gmail.com or relate what you need to be get the most efficient putting visit www.petecowen.com.

Dreamflight charity day set for June DREAMFLIGHT ambassador Adian Healey is organising a golf day to raise funds for the charity that takes children with serious illnesses or disabilities on the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando, Florida.

The Garforth assistant professional, 24, has just returned from the latest trip where he was an escort to two children from Yorkshire, having been a recipient himself in 2004 when suffering from a rare autoimmune dis-

ease Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) that affects just one in a million.

“I came back from that trip a different person.

Dreamflight really did change my life and I have been overwhelmed by the early support and we have received some brilliant prizes and items so far,” he said.

The day will include breakfast, a nearest-the-pin competition on the indoor simulator, a nine-hole putting competition,

longest drive sponsored by PXG and an 18-hole competition with two from four scores to count, all rounded off by a two-course meal, raffle and auction.

The date is June 26, 2020 at Garforth Golf Club with a 11.30am shotgun start.

Teams cost £300 with individual places available at £75 and can be reserved by calling 01132 862063 or by email: aidan@thegolfroomgarforth.co. uk.

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January 2020

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD Hanson and Walker launch exciting new venture for men and women

2020 Pro Tour’s vision for equality FORMER European Tour player Chris Hanson and his caddie Adam Walker have launched a Northern region mini tour that will see men and women compete against each other on an equal footing – just six weeks after committing to an idea that formed around five years ago.

Within the first week of serious planning the pair had 10 venues for events for their 2020 Pro Tour and by the time they went live with their website and social media accounts 23 clubs had agreed to play host to competitions that look set to give added momentum to golf’s push towards gender equality.

The women on the 2020 Pro Tour will play a course 11 per cent shorter than their male rivals, a figure that research has shown offers a level playing field, with all the entrance fees for the 18-hole competitions – bar the green fee costs - going into the prize fund.

The 2020 portion of the club’s branding – the zeroes in the logo are made up of the male and female gender symbols – refers to 20:20 vision rather than the calendar year in which it is to be launched, starting at Walker’s home club Huddersfield in February.

It quickly attracted around a dozen sponsors and Hanson and Walker are confident enough to have ambitions to expand the

Chris Hanson and Adam Walker, centre pair, pictured with some of the first members of the 2020 Pro Tour Tour to two-day events in 2021 and three-day events in 2022.

A YouTube channel will be used to provide a small highlights package of each of the tournaments and Hanson and Walker were delighted by the immediate and substantial support for the venture communi-

cated through social media.

“We have probably talked about it for five years on and off, that there is room to do one of these tours, especially in the North of England,” said Hanson. “It kind of spiralled from an evening in Madrid, talking about it and spending

two hours of writing notes in a note book, to a week of writing notes, to a week later having 10 venues lined up and then to having 23 venues lined up.”

Walker said: “Membership is set at £119 and comes with a member’s benefits package, discounts on various brands, and a

discounted entry fee of £99 per tournament.

“We want to give value back to the players. We want to make it really worthwhile that they join.”

More details can be found at 2020protour.co.uk, or by emailing 2020protour@gmail.com.

Golf Travel People are on board YORKSHIRE-based golf tour operator The Golf Travel People is to sponsor the new 2020 Pro Tour.

The Golf Travel People will support the tour through sponsorship, providing a prize package for the winner and discount on future golf travel for all tour participants. The Holmfirth-based golf tour agency have been long-term supporters of equal gender golf in both the amateur and professional arenas and are excited to be part of this development in UK professional golf.

MD of The Golf Travel People, Dan Thomson, said: “With a high percentage of our golf travel decision-makers being female golfers, it is great to finally see that equal gender golf is taking centre stage in professional events. We firmly believe that this model is the future of pro-golf – both on mini-tours like the 2020 Pro Tour and in the higher-profile main tours around the world.

“Like Chris and Adam, we are confident that the success of events like the 2020 Pro Tour will only serve to fast-track these equal gender events and tours onto bigger and better things with more and more female golfers signing up to challenge male golfers on a level-playing field.”

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January 2020

Two courses lose survival battle TWO golf clubs in Yorkshire have closed their doors while the future of others hangs in the balance.

The first to go was South Leeds Golf Club, which ceased trading before the end of November last year after attempts to secure its financial position failed.

Vandalism, declining membership and the rising price of bills were all listed as reasons the club – founded in 1906 – was unable to survive.

Director David Appleyard told The Golf Business Magazine: “We’ve been trying to fulfil memberships and keep it running until the end of the year, but circumstances have forced us to close, sadly.

“There is a decline in membership, and a decline in people playing golf in general. We have had issues with vandalism at the club.

“Vandals come onto the course with quad bikes and that puts people off wanting to play.

It works on a pay-and-play basis, so people aren’t going to pay to use the course if there’s a chance it could be in a bad condition.

“Many of our members understood that this would probably be the last year. Some have been expecting it, but, even so, it is still a shock.”

South Leeds Golf Club was one of the founding members of Leeds and District Union of

Golf Clubs, which celebrates its centenary this year.

Lofthouse Hill Golf Club, which sits between Leeds and Wakefield on the A61, is also said to have closed.

The 18-hole course and clubhouse opened in 1994 and according to the club’s Facebook page refunds have been issued and alternative memberships have been offered at various clubs in the area including The Manor and Low Laithes. Yorkshire Golfer was unable to contact anybody at the club for comment.

A few miles across the city members of Temple Newsam Golf Club are fighting Leeds City Council who want to turn the 27-hole facility into a family cycle track, as reported in Yorkshire Golfer last November.

Original reports suggested that the Council wanted to close down the course by the end of 2019 but it looks like golf will be played over the current layout at least until the end of August 2020, allowing Temple Newsam to fulfil their commitments to the Leeds & District Union in hosting various events.

Club President Charlie Brown also confirmed that the council had promised to continue to maintain the course at least until that time. He also feels the most likely outcome will be the creation of one new 18-hole layout.

“I feel quite positive that

Robinson’s service to Skipton honoured with top award LONG-SERVING Skipton professional Peter Robinson has been recognised for his outstanding service to the club.

Robinson, who joined as an assistant in 1987 before taking over as the full-time professional in 1992, received the prestigious Donald Anslow putter at the club’s annual presentation evening. golf will continue, but probably in the form of just one 18-hole course. We met with the council last December and we all sensed that their attitude had changed and that they were more willing to look at a compromise. Maybe

I’m being too optimistic because we know that, deep down, they want rid of golf.

“After consultation with the greenkeepers the council have put forward a proposed 18-hole layout and so have we.

Hopefully we can reach a compromise on the new layout by the end of March.”

The routing of the new layout is likely to be heavily influenced around access to Jacobs Well, which sits in the middle of the current layouts. The council wants to renovate the well, which originally supplied water to the Tudor-Jacobean mansion Temple Newsam House, and make it a tourist attraction using a lottery grant, meaning a new public entrance will have to be created.

Ironically, the Council’s proposed layout will require giving back three of the holes it took away when the 36 holes were reduced to 27 in 2017.

Meanwhile, Scarborough Council has moved to address claims that it is planning to sell off part of Whitby’s golf club for development.

According to a report in The Scarborough News, a petition had circulated online stating that the borough council, as the owner of the course, was looking to reduce it to nine holes and sell part of the property to a developer.

In response, the Council has admitted it has been in discussions with the club, which is struggling to remain viable due to dwindling membership, to consider reducing the number of holes, but said no decision had been made.

A spokesman for Scarborough Borough Council told the newspaper: “We have worked with Whitby Golf Club

Robinson said: “It came as a complete surprise, but I was honoured to receive the award, which recognises outstanding service to the club. I have loved my time at Skipton and hopefully have many more years to come.”

Pictured above, left to right, are Skipton President Tom Hayes, Peter Robinson and 2019 club captain Bill Simpson. for many years in a bid to support the club and golf in Whitby in order to try and make it sustainable.

“Despite the Council’s best efforts, unfortunately, the club is still struggling to be financially viable. The number of members has dwindled, income has reduced and coupled with the decline in the popularity of golf among some demographics, the club is finding it hard to survive without subsidy.

“We are continuing to see how we can help the club and golf in Whitby to continue while at the same time ensuring

‘We are continuing to see how we can help the club and golf in Whitby to continue’ best value for money for the council taxpayer. We are in discussions with the club about a potential rescue package, which would require the club to produce a business plan setting out how it could be sustainable for the future.

“One consideration could be to operate as a nine-hole course instead of an 18-hole course although no decisions have yet been made by the club or the council about that option.”

A spokesman for the board of directors of Whitby Golf Club said an offer to buy the club had fallen through, leading to it moving forward with other options.

They added: “In line with national trends, Whitby Golf Club has struggled financially

for a large number of years.

Scarborough Borough Council has continued to support the club financially, but this has not enabled the longer-term financial future of the club.

“We had hoped that a private buyer would purchase the land and run the golf operation for members and visitors, but after three years of protracted negotiations, this offer was withdrawn.

“Since the summer our board has been working with the council on a new deal that would allow significant investment in the clubhouse and facilities whilst ensuring that the club would be financially secure in the long term.

“We held an extraordinary general meeting last September to present the outline proposal from the council. The members overwhelming voted to accept it and instructed the board of directors to work with the council to develop a final scheme for approval.

“We will continue to work with the council to develop the long-term plan for the future of the club. This will preserve this historic green space and sports facility not only for its members but for all the residents of Whitby.”

The petition, which has more than 900 signatures, claims that the club was forced to choose between closure or accepting the reduced number of holes and advocated the success of a golf club in Middlesbrough being allowed to operate for a “peppercorn” rent as a potential way forward.

The spokesman for Whitby Golf Club said the views expressed in the petition “are not supported by the majority of members at the club”.

Got a story that needs telling in next month’s Yorkshire Golfer? Send your story and photos to @yorkshiregolfer mike@yorkshire-golfer.com

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January 2020

Hillsborough history is an alluring read HILLSBOROUGH Golf Club has produced a limited-edition centenary book that recounts many historic events over the past 100 years at the Sheffield club.

Thursday, December 12, 2019 marked the 100th anniversary of the election of the first committee of the Hillsborough Golf Club and the election of the first President, Rev. G. C. Weaver.

The book recalls how the Hillsborough co-founder and Vicar of Wadsley had to give up the Presidency of the club due to Sunday golf being voted in.

They say you can hear the roar of the Sheffield Wednesday crowd on match days and there are close links between the football club and the golf club.

Scotland international Andrew Wilson, who is still the record goalscorer and appearance holder for the Owls, joined the newly-formed committee in 1920 after his retirement from

football at the age of 39.

The book also details the memorable day in 1939, inset, when a plane had to make an emergency landing on the 9th fairway when it ran short of fuel. The pilot managed to obtain six gallons of fuel from a nearby house and was soon back in the air.

And one long-time employee of the club told how he never had time to play a round when he worked there for half a century.

Greenkeeper Les Easthorpe retired in January 2007 after 50 years.

Easthorpe recounted how he never managed to play a full round of golf because there was so much to do in his role.

But he did admit to spending his lunch break every day on the putting green, Filled with many more stories and images, and priced at £14.99, the centenary book is available to buy from the pro shop or the bar.

Yorkshire-born Ashley Pheasant will direct golf operations at Dundonald Links for Darwin Escapes

Dundonald Links set for luxury makeover THE owners of the KP Club in Pocklington plan to transform Dundonald Links golf course in Ayrshire, Scotland into a leading luxury golf and lodge resort.

Dundonald Links, which is one of Scotland’s leading championship links golf courses, was acquired by KP’S owners Darwin Leisure Development Fund in 2019.

Planning permission has been granted for ambitious plans for Dundonald Links, which include building a two-storey stateof-the-art clubhouse to replace the current temporary structure and adding 97 luxury lodges to the site, offering a mix of selfcatering and hotel style accommodation from one to six bedrooms in size, designed to suit individuals and groups of golfers.

In addition, the plans include a new halfway house for the course, a swing studio and a new 120-space car park.

Commenting on the decision to grant planning permission, Anthony Esse, Chief Executive of Darwin Alternatives said: “I’m delighted that the Planning Committee of Ayrshire Council has granted approval for our plans.

“The lodges will bring a style of accommodation which is sorely lacking in the local area, and will, I’m sure, provide a real boost to tourism in Ayrshire, attracting both golfers and non-golfers.

“Our plans will ensure that Dundonald Links will soon have the facilities to match the high standards of its golf course and I have no doubt that Dundonald Links will

become one of Scotland’s finest golf resorts.”

Dundonald Links has joined the ‘Darwin Escapes’ portfolio of golf courses and lodge resorts, sitting alongside 20 award-winning lodge resorts, holiday parks and golf courses around the UK. Darwin Escapes is recognised as a pioneering leader that has transformed the face of the UK leisure park industry and Dundonald Links will become its first golf and lodge resort in Scotland.

Golf operations at Dundonald will be directed by Yorkshire-born Ashley Pheasant, Head of Golf for Darwin Escapes, who also oversees golf at the KP Club and The Springs in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

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January 2020

RED ROSE CALL Rotherham teen on international duty

England squad spot for Schmidt ROTHERHAM teenager Ben Schmidt is the youngest member of the England men’s squad for 2020.

Schmdt, 17, had a stellar year in 2019 capturing the Brabazon Trophy, Carris Trophy, Henry Cooper Junior Masters and the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship.

And more recognition for Yorkshire came after Fulford’s Charlie Thornton and Sam Bairstow were named in the England ‘A’ squad for the first time.

Nine players will comprise the men’s squad with a further eight taking part in ‘A’ squad training.

Schmidt is joined by Walker Cup player Tom Plumb from Somerset while Northamptonshire provide a trio of players for the squad in the shape of Ben Jones, Robin Williams and Callum Farr.

Jones reached the semi-final of the Amateur Championship in 2019 and retains his place while Williams steps up from the Boys’ squad after a year in which he won a professional event on the MENA Tour.

Farr – runner-up in both the

Spanish and English Amateur Championships in 2019 – makes the move from the ‘A’ squad.

Scottish Amateur Stroke Play champion Jake Bolton from Wiltshire has also earned his place in the squad.

Northumberland’s Matty Lamb – runner-up in the 2019 St Andrews Links Trophy – is included alongside Gloucestershire’s Joe Long, who graduates from last year’s ‘A’ team.

Sussex’s Charlie Strickland completes the line-up following a challenging year returning from illness.

In 2020, the England men’s squad will travel to Royal Dornoch in Scotland to defend their Home International crown won in fine fashion at Lahinch Golf Club in September.

They will also compete for the 2020 European Team Championships, which will be held in July at Hilversumsche in the Netherlands.

A good showing at Hilversumsche would open the door to the world championships to be staged in October in Hong Kong.

The season tees off with a

challenge match against France at Ganton Golf Club on May 910.

As well as attending regular coaching sessions, six players from the ‘A’ squad will take part in the annual Costa Ballena Octangular later this month.

Thornton,21, is a former England Boy international and won the England Golf Boys’ Order of Merit in 2016.

Bairstow, who is also 21, has been a stalwart of the Yorkshire team and was pipped

by Bolton by a shot in the 2019 Scottish Men’s Open Championship at The Duke’s in St Andrews.

Smith on road to Forest of Arden after ace

Otley’s Mike Smith after his hole-in-one

OTLEY member Mike Smith is heading to the Marriott Forest of Arden thanks to a new partnership between the club and local Renault dealership Kineholme of Otley.

Smith’s hole-inone on the par-3 second hole won him a two-night stay for four people at the West Midland resort, which hosted the Farmfoods European Senior Masters last October.

His ace came in the inaugural event of a new business relationship between Kineholme and Otley Golf

Club, which saw the dealership sponsor a hole-inone at all the par-3 holes during a 4BBB Stableford competition.

Had Smith’s golden shot found its way into the hole on the 156yard 17th he would have driven away in a Dacia Sandero Essential SCe75.

Mario Cordeiro, Business Manager of Kineholme Garage, and Otley secretary Peter Clarke hailed the day a fantastic success and plan to introduce more initiatives to further develop the partnership in the future.

Gill and Maturi win Lindrick Brace FORMER England international Bailey Gill and fellow Lindrick member Lucia Maturi combined to win the club’s annual Brace competition.

The traditional mixed foursomes event held before Christmas allows juniors to play with an adult partner and Gill, 21, and Maturi,12, sealed victory with a birdie two on the last to claim victory over 17-year-old Mia Eales Smith and Chris Bellingham.

Playing in the same fourball, both pairs were level on +2 after nine holes before Eales Smith and Bellingham accelerated into the lead

with three consecutive birdies. Two bogeys then stalled their run as Gill and Maturi remained bogey free, and three birdies on the way home saw them card a one-under-par gross 74 on Lindrick’s winter course to win the handicap prize.

Gill starts 2020 as a professional and will have to make his way on the various developmental tours around the world having failed to make it through to the final stages of the European Tour qualifying school in November.

Pictured, left to right, are Gill, Eales Smith, Maturi and Bellingham.

12

January 2020

Yorkshire Golfer publisher DANNY LOCKWOOD goes north to discover the delights of Durham City

F

OR a golf club that is very close to ‘the beaten track’ – in this case the arterial A1M between Yorkshire and all points north – Durham City is a delight just waiting to be discovered for many travelling golfers.

The eponymous golf club of the historic university city has been around much longer than most inland courses, being founded in 1887, but its third and final choice Your of home has proven propitious on a approach to number of counts. the par 5 The decision by members in 10th hole 1969 to decline a merger with the risks running Brancepeth Castle club saw a back to you if search for a new home that bore not judged fruit when the new Littleburn site, accurately just south-west of the city, opened in November 1974.

The foresight shown in planning the brand new layout has never been more in evidence than when Yorkshire Golfer came calling at the end of December and, despite weeks of torrential rain, the course was being played off all 18 tees and greens – and with buggies still in use.

Head professional Tom Cranfield explains how some key decisions made when Durham City moved from its two previous locations in the Pinkerknowle area, have reaped rich dividends.

“The club is well regarded for its large, undulating greens,” said Tom, a PGA AA professional who moved north from the Gosfield club in they run really true.”

Essex in the summer of 2014.

Golf green gurus STRI are brought “The size of them means that in in to advise on the Durham City surwinter the greenkeeper has plenty of faces every year and Tom says they are options for pin positions and thus usually very complimentary. avoiding too much wear and tear, but “The greens have some intriguing critically they were sown with a mix of undulations but we think they are fair two fine grasses. The greens might and very exciting to play,” Tom added. have taken longer to become estab“When they’re at their best in sumlished, but it means they are more mer they can be really quick, but if durable, less likely to get diseased and

Durham diversion is well worth the visit you pick the right line and get your weight right, good putts will be rewarded.”

In addition, the more durable nature of the fine grass recipe means that fewer days are lost to frost than many traditionally grassed greens.

Despite being only 35 years old, another feature of Durham City is its thoughtfully designed planting, with many of the holes defined by the avenues of well matured trees, which demands that golfers think about their tee shots.

Such has been the rapid development of the club and course that in 2007 it was rewarded by hosting the prestigious English Girls’ Championship.

“I think we’re the only club in the area to have hosted an England Golf event,” added Tom, The course’s who is keen to see bunkers more visiting are all golfers discover meticulously the attractions of kept Durham City.

“The north-east is a popular destination for many

Durham’s splendid clubhouse features a private room visiting parties can use The tee seen from behind the uphill, par 3 2nd hole

societies and visiting groups with some well known golf clubs, but I like to think that ours is as good as, or better than, any of them.”

The course has a summer and winter layout that affects the yardage, with one fewer par 3 on the outward nine at this time of year, and an extra short hole on the back nine, meaning the par changes from 35/36 now to 34/37 in summer.

Changes in elevation add character to many of the holes, particularly the three downhill par 5s and the striking par 3 uphill 2nd, while the river Browney accompanies golfers down the right side of the 3rd, 4th and 6th holes.

The bunkers are immaculately kept across the course.

Finding the club for the first time can be fun as it is tucked quietly away behind an industrial area, but once you turn the corner off its 600-yard driveway, beautiful Co Durham vistas reveal themselves.

There is a 250-yard long outdoor practice area adjacent to the wellappointed clubhouse which overlooks

both the 1st tee and 18th green, a chipping green and practice bunker, practice nets and a large putting green between the clubhouse and 1st tee. As a member of the Foremost group, the pro team have a well-stocked shop and in addition Tom Cransfield has one of the biggest designated swing studios in the area.

As a busy club with in the region of 700 members, the clubhouse is a busy social hub, but there is a separate room that can be reserved for visiting groups or societies, with an attractive range of offers which can be found on the club website.

In addition, highly regarded golf club caterer Tony Johnson joins the Durham City team this month.

For any golfers moving into the area and perhaps considering a new club, Durham City has reduced membership rates up to the age of 29 (under 15s are free) and enjoys reciprocal playing agreements with Barnard Castle, Richmond, Bedale, Knaresborough, Easingwold and the Cathedral City courses at Lincoln and Ely.

January 2020

13 An attractive elevated tee shot on the 3rd with the river Browney down the right

DURHAM CITY GOLF CLUB (Yellow Tees – Winter layout) 1 – 526yds, par 5 Downhill opener with a generous target area – favour the left side but avoid the trees. The trees narrow on the approach with a right side bunker plus one short left and front left, to a green sitting in a horseshoe of trees, which slopes front left to back right.

2 – 153yds, par 3 Set back in the trees, you are teeing steeply uphill to a big, MacKenziestyle tiered green, with a big right side trap. You want to be below the flag, but take enough club because anything short will meet you on your walk up there.

3 – 383yds, par 4 Meet the river Browney, all the way down the right, but you’ve plenty of room from an elevated tee. Beware the left side fairway bunkers, and you’re into a long green with traps front right and front-to-mid left, which the putting surface curves behind. A thinned approach could find the river as it loops to escort you back up the 4th.

4 – 397yds, par 4 The water encroaches tighter on your right this time, but equally trees up the left could block you out. The fairway rises from about 150 yards out, before a big, back-to-front sloping green with entrance bunkers, then run

offs to left, right and rear.

right trap and sunken pond centre left.

5 – 164yds, par 3 Slightly downhill, like many Durham City greens this looks a big, inviting target. But not only does it slope slightly from back left to front right, but there are subtle undulations aplenty.

10 – 517yds, par 5 Inviting drive, tree-lined but a generous target area, on a stepped, downhill hole. Your approach is across a deep gully and anything not quite making the long but lateral running green will gather down there.

6 – 406yds, par 4 Stroke index 1, and now the river really is tight up your right side, on a longer par 4 with three left side fairway bunkers. It’s gently rising but gets steeper as you approach another large, oval green sloping back right to front left, but full of characterful breaks.

11 – 119yds, par 3 A tree-sheltered teebox, to a flattish, smaller green with a back right bunker and run-offs. Try not to thin your tee shot through the driver’s window of the 10.52 LNER express to Edinburgh…

7 – 372yds, par 4 Stay the right side of the marker pole, because everything runs down to the left. You’re coming in downhill to one of the smaller greens that slopes away from you towards run offs.

8 – 382yds, par 4 An uphill, dogleg right, so favour the left side of the sloping fairway. A steep-faced bunker protects the left side of the green with run offs to the rear and right.

9 – 337yds, par 4 Back up top of the course, a dogleg left wrapping around the practice area and clubhouse. It’s a shorter par 4, so avoid the right-side ditch and play for position to the elbow. It’s a narrow fronted, but long green, with a front

DURHAM CITY GOLF CLUB Littleburn, Langley Moor, Co. Durham DH7 8HL Tel: 0191 378 0069 www.durhamcitygolf.co.uk Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

White 557 163 420 406 164 425 386 391 345 526 123 319 399 496 183 373 332 342

Yellow 526 153 383 397 164 406 372 382 337 517 119 309 386 481 167 362 311 275

3257 35 3093 36 6350 yards Par 71 SSS 71

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

SI 11 13 7 3 15 1 9 5 17 6 16 18 2 14 8 4 12 10 3120 35 2927 36 6047 yards Par 71 SSS 69

Red 480 132 373 399 152 410 357 320 315 459 119 293 358 432 138 351 289 273

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

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

2938 37 2712 36 5284 yards Par 73 SSS 73

Queensbury members look at selling to developers

12 – 309yds, par 4 The ditch that runs in front of the 10th shouldn’t come into play, so find position up another tree-lined fairway and you’re taking a short iron into a well bunkered green that slopes slightly back to front.

13 – 386yds, par 4 Straight on, and the tight line of conifers down your left will save anything hooked from getting a possible train ride, so the tendency is to leak right. The hole rises to a green slightly above you, sloping back left to front right, with a front right bunker well short, and another centre right. There’s not much room left or long.

14 – 481yds, par 5 Another stepped, downhill par 5, over two marker posts, and running distinctly right to left as you near the sunken green. Again, a big, undulating green with run offs to the right and rear.

15 – 167yds, par 3 A very pretty mid-length par 3, towards a green cut into the hillside. A big target, but anything short will come back to you. There’s sculpted mounding with a rear trap, on a green which has all the protection it needs anyway.

A back left to front right slope, but with a pronounced ridge down the centre. A nice hole.

16 – 362yds, par 4 Big risk or reward dogleg left.

Bombers can cut the corner, but the marker post is a better (safer) line, before you come in uphill to a huge, raised green with lots of sand right, but out of bounds left and long.

17 – 311yds, par 4 Big hitters can take the green on, but it’s fraught with danger, not least the bunkers which protect the approach for golfers playing sensibly to the dogleg, and protecting the front if they’re coming over the trees from the tee. Out of bounds is to the right.

18 – 275yds, par 4 Straight on towards home, up a shorter tree-lined, rising hole. You can’t see the green from the tee, so aiming left of the clubhouse flagpole is a decent line. The putting surface is long and widens to the back, with sand to both sides.

MEMBERS of Queensbury Golf Club are understood to be discussing a possible sale of the golf club to a housing developer.

A statement from the club last month confirmed that there had been an approach, but discussions were at an early stage.

The statement said: “We have been approached by a third party regarding the possible purchase of the golf club.

“We would stress that we are at a very early stage of any potential discussions, and we will issue a full statement at the appropriate time.”

Posts on social media have speculated that club members could receive up to £50,000 each for the sale of the ninehole course and clubhouse which is located between Bradford and Halifax.

In a report in the Bradford-based Telegraph & Argus newspaper former Queensbury councillor Andrew Senior estimated that the site could hold about 200 homes.

He said: “My personal feeling is that the infrastructure of the village is not good enough for it. We are kind of saturated.

“It would be a lovely spot to buy a house but there is a shortage of affordable houses and they should be looking at brownfield sites.

“Queensbury’s green spaces are shrinking nearly every year. Houses need to be built but they have to be appropriate.

“We have traffic issues and the schools are overflowing.”

In the same report Cllr Lynda Cromie (the Queensbury Ward Independents) agreed that the village could not cope with any more devel-

opments but thought this one would not happen. She said: “I’ve heard the rumours, but I think it’s more or less unlikely. It’s classed as sports and leisure land.”

She said the idea was mentioned at a recent meeting of councillors to discuss Section 106 agreements but added: “It’s very hard to build on leisure ground.”

She said the village infrastructure and roads were already struggling to cope with the houses already in the area.

“Traffic is at standstill. They are building all these houses on the outskirts of the city, but the roads can’t cope.

“There aren’t enough schools. All the playgrounds have portable buildings on them.”

But a former member of the club told the T&A that any sell-off was inevitable as the club has not been doing well – but it could be two years before anything happened.

He said: “It might be a good thing; it might be a bad thing.”

Queensbury’s website says the club has a healthy membership and a newly refurbished bar and function room which is also open to non-members.

Its Facebook page adds: “It’s business as usual and all functions and events booked with us are confirmed and will be going ahead. We are currently accepting function bookings through until the end of 2022.”

If the sale does go ahead it will not be the first golf club in Bradford to be lost to developers. In 2007 the 324 members of West Bowling Golf Club decided to sell their 100-yearold club for £12 million to developer ProLogis.

Send your pictures and stories to mike@yorkshire-golfer.com

14

January 2020

START THEM YOUNG Thirsk-based Factory Eleven GolfParc partnering England Golf in bid to grow the game

Driving youngsters forward ENGLAND Golf’s commitment to growing the game has strengthened thanks to a new partnership with a Yorkshire company.

Thirsk-based Factory Eleven GolfParc has come on board to play their part in supporting a nationwide drive to encourage clubs to develop and grow their junior programmes and increase the overall numbers of young people getting into golf and keeping up their interest after initial taster sessions.

The partnership will enable affiliated clubs to access resources and products that can impact on the way they engage with young people and help England Golf roll out its aims as stated in a national children and young people plan, Growing the Game for the Future.

Factory Eleven GolfParc is a portable golf hole that has been

designed to help develop the key fundamental skills of golf and an understanding of playing the game. The GolfParc equipment gives participants the experience of navigating the hazards of a golf course in a fun and engaging way wherever you want to play.

GolfParc has already been utilised by a number of golf professionals, teachers and club organisers in their work engaging juniors and creating family participation at golf club facilities and in community settings.

Peter Gray from Factory Eleven said: “We are proud to be working in collaboration with England Golf supporting their junior participation plan.

“We designed our GolfParc equipment to create a positive, fun introduction to golf ‘wherever you want to play’ and it has been exciting to work with a wide range of our customers

Factory Eleven GolfParc’s equipment offers young would-be players a fun way to experience navigating the hazards of a golf course over the years to make impactful local golf programmes happen.

“We are looking forward to working with England Golf and their county networks, giving more coaches, teachers and volunteers the opportunity to deliver engaging golf experiences right across their local communities.”

Factory Eleven GolfParc is one of three new companies to partner with England Golf.

Golphin’s involvement comes in the form of discounted access to their MyPathway2Golf structured learning programme. It was developed and tested at clubs in Scotland and is now being used in the UK, USA and Europe.

This programme provides clubs, coaches, junior organisers and volunteers with a comprehensive set of resources to inspire children in the age bracket of 5-12 to get into golf and develop their skills.

Golf Access will provide expertise in the field of recruiting younger players as well as offering a structured route from

the beginner level to that of regular golfer.

The programme, which is delivered on course from shortened tees, takes golfers through nine, fun stages of development from complete novice to the final level, which allows them to move from the range to the course and play confidently off standard tees.

Waste Management Open will offer tips ELSHAM Golf Club head greenkeeper Colin Hopper is venturing across the pond for his next step up the ladder of excellence.

Having conquered Europe as part of the team responsible for preparing the courses at Le Golf National for the Ryder Cup and Gleneagles for the Solheim, Hopper is set to share those experiences with our American cousins.

He has been asked to help at the Waste Management Elsham Golf Club’s greenkeeper Colin Phoenix Open to be Hopper is heading for Arizona held at TPC Scottsdale, Arizona “Colin is one of the best later this month from January greenkeepers in the country and 30-February 2. a genuine person who continues He will get to experience to push Elsham from strength to first-hand the famous 163-yard strength.” par-3 16th hole that is the only Hessle Golf Club has hole on the PGA Tour fully surappointed Steve McAdams as rounded by stands, which hold its new head greenkeeper.

20,000 enthusiastic fans.

One of his first tasks will be Club chairman Robert to ensure that the course is in Taylor said: “Colin will be tip top condition for the away from mid-January for two Northern Qualifier for the weeks. The trip and the further Brabazon Trophy on May 12. knowledge he will acquire will Scot McAdams joins Hessle yet further enhance Colin’s from Howley Hall Golf Club ability to maintain Elsham as having previously worked at one of the premier courses in Galashiels, Mid Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and beyond.

Lytham Green Drive and Drax.

Other changes at the Hull club include a new multi pitched roof for the clubhouse, which replaces the flat roof that dates to the 1970s when the course first opened.

The PGA in Yorkshire has confirmed that the Yorkshire Open will once again be played at Howley Hall Golf Club, on July 1.

The full list of confirmed fixtures is: Mar 3: Proquip Wheatley Winter 4BBB; Apr 7: Sheffield Masters – Rotherham GC; Apr 8: Proquip Ganton Winter 4BBB; Apr 16: Trainees and Players’ Tour - Howley Hall GC; Apr 24: Brough Ladies Pro Am; May 15: The Oaks GC Pro Am; May 22: Burstwick GC Pro Am; June 1-2: Brough Classic; June 5: Seaside Pro Am – Bridlington GC; June 10: Dewsbury GC Pro Am; June 19: Crow Nest GC Pro Am; June 24: Trainees and Players’ – Forest Park GC; June 30: D+B/Service Metals Yorkshire Open Pro Am – Howley Hall GC; July 1: D+B/Service Metals Yorkshire Open – Howley Hall GC; July 3: Hornsea GC Pro Am; July 8: Hessle GC Pro Am; July 1516: YPGA Premier Pro Am – Ganton and Fulford GC; July 4: North of England Pro Champs Pro Am – Oakdale GC; July 27: Championship – Hull GC; July 31: Malton GC Pro Am; Aug 3: York Pro GC Am; Aug 7: Richmond GC Pro Am; Aug 12-13: The Royal Pro Am; Aug 25: Players’ Tour Event – Waterton Park GC; Aug 28: Cleckheaton GC Pro Am; Sep 3: Pannal GC Pro Am; Sep 4: Abbeydale GC Pro Am; Sep 16: Scarcroft GC Pro Am; Oct 24: Cottingham Parks GC Pro Am.

Further events are to be confirmed; details available from Aran Wainwright on 07795 964913.

15

January 2020

HONOURING FORCES Leeds club provides free golf

Oulton opens doors to troops OULTON HALL has partnered with the armed forces charity Tickets For Troops to provide complimentary golf at its award-winning venue.

What’s more, director of golf Jon Pilkington has persuaded other resorts in the Almarose-managed group to donate fourball vouchers so recipients also have the opportunity to visit other venues, while Oulton Hall, situated on the outskirts of Leeds, is also offering an overnight stay.

The charity provides members of the armed forces, those medically discharged post 2001, and the next of kin of those who have died as a result of their service with the opportunity to attend events with friends and family.

Its aim is to show the troops how much their service is appreciated by their country and allow them to make lasting memories, especially as they often miss out on so many other key moments with their loved ones.

William CampbellLamerton, director of opera-

tions at Tickets For Troops, said: “It is fantastic to sign up Oulton Hall as a supporter of Tickets For Troops. Yorkshire has a fantastic military presence, and I am sure lots of our members will be heading to beautiful Oulton Hall to enjoy a round of golf. We are both delighted and grateful for their support.”

In July 2019, Tickets For Troops marked 10 years since it was first established and, in that time, the charity has distributed more than 1.5m tickets to members of the armed forces to attend events around the UK. Pilkington added: “We were delighted to be able to make this offer through a very worthwhile charity. Peacetime or not, we all owe members of our armed forces and, at least by doing this, we are going some small way to show that we appreciate them and their service to the nation.

“They simply access the Tickets For Troops platform and then contact us at Oulton Hall to book – and they can bring a playing partner for free, too.”

Six Yorkshire clubs are in the top 100 in England according to National Club Golfer’s firstever ranking of the best courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

The Leeds-based magazine announced the positions at a ceremony attended by over 150 guests at the Royal Armouries hosted by sports commentator Andrew Cotter.

Royal County Down was crowned the best golf course in Great Britain and Ireland, while Royal Birkdale was the highestranked course in England, Royal Porthcawl the best in Wales, and Muirfield the best in Scotland.

Ganton was Yorkshire’s highest ranked course in 10th followed by Alwoodley (15th), Moortown (37th) and Lindrick (70th). Fulford was placed in 71st and Hallamshire also made it into the top 100 in 93rd spot.

Course Awards Most Playable: Kingsbarns; Best Conditioned: Adare; Most Consistent: Royal Lytham & St Annes; Most Memorable: Old Course, St Andrews; Best Designed: Muirfield; Course with Most Variety: Prestwick; Best New course: Kingsbarns.

Wetherby Golf Club member Norman Jackson still plays twice a week off a handicap of 18

Norman still conquers at the age of 92 GOLF continues to play an important role in the life of 92-year-old Wetherby member Norman Jackson.

He’s a regular in the ‘Fiddles’ held twice a week at the picturesque course, which meanders alongside the River Wharfe. On Wednesdays he is joined in a buggy by his non-golfing wife Shirley, 86, but on Fridays he pulls his own trolley or sometimes carries his bag.

Despite being blind in one eye he is still playing to

a handicap of 18 and has won several open events, the most recent of which came in the Lawrence Batley over 90’s Cup in 2017.

A detached retina led to a loss of vision in his left eye, but he compensates by moving his head from side to side to focus.

Norman played rugby until he was 42 before his 50-year golfing career started in 1969 in Redcar where he worked for Unilever.

He joined Wetherby Golf

Club in 1983 and says club life is really important to him to keep fit and active and, more importantly, to enjoy comradery with his pals.

He finds the new 18th a tough hole and wishes its indexes were different as he mainly uses his woods and his ‘get me out of trouble’ club, his pitching wedge.

But his love of the game and the enjoyment it gives continues to make Norman an inspiration.

16

January 2020

TONY HOWARTH, Academy Director at Scarthingwell Golf Academy

You’ll get sweet treat practising these drills...

IMPROVING your ball striking can make a significant difference to your game.

There's no better feeling in golf than the shot where you feel that pure contact between club and ball. A pure golf shot is truly a magical feeling! When you experience the sensation, you're hooked, and will both enjoy and be frustrated by trying to repeat it over and over again!

Achieving a consistent crisp strike tends to be difficult for many golfers; it's what separates the pros from average and higher-handicap golfers.

However, if you work on the accompanying tips and drills, you can learn how to hit solid and pure golf shots a little more often.

Hands ahead at impact As you strike the golf ball, the grip end of the club needs to be leading the hands and club head through the hitting area (an absolute MUST for hitting solid iron shots). This move causes the club head to compress the ball against the clubhead, which helps you take a divot after the ball, not before.

Many times you hear golf coaches and commentators say strike the ball first on iron shots - this is impact position they are talking about.

Correct posture Another main ingredient in achieving solid contact is having the correct posture throughout the swing. This allows you to swing the club on the correct plane. The majority of golfers who struggle with making solid contact lose their posture as the club head connects with the ball. This leads to many miss-hit shots. These include heavy and thin shots, hooks, slices and hitting behind the ball. It is essential that you keep your posture, just as it is at address, throughout your swing.

Control the clubface Another vital part of solid ball striking is a square clubface through impact. It is essential that the face of your club is square to your target line when it comes into contact with the ball. Many golfers have their clubface open at impact and this leads to a loss of power and distance. The clubface

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should rotate from “toe up” prior to impact, to square at impact, to “toe up” after impact. The timing of this face rotation is what separates great ball strikers from average players.

Practice drills To help you achieve these pure strike goals, here are a series of practice drills that are as simple as they are effective.

Golf ball drill: Place an extra golf ball on your target line, 12 to 14 inches behind your ball (picture 1). This will help you learn to strike the ball with a descending blow and have your hands leading the club head through the impact area (picture 2). If you use a scooping motion and tend to hit the ground before you make contact with your ball, or if your swing plane is too shallow, you will make contact with the first ball as opposed to your target ball.

Posture drill: Controlling posture throughout the swing is something that all good ball strikers achieve. When your clubface strikes the ball, you must return to the same posture that you had at address. To work on this position, practise by facing a mirror and taking a half backswing (picture 3), then swing the club down to the ball, and stop.

You should return to your address height and posture (picture 4). Keep repeating this motion until it starts to feel natural. When you head to the range, run through this drill before you hit each practice shot.

Release the clubhead drill: Put a dot on the back of your lower hand (picture 5). At waist high on your down swing, make sure you can see the dot. Swing the club head through the hitting area, ensuring that at waist high on the follow through you can once again see the dot (picture 6).

Throughout your practice swings, do this slowly, so you experience the feel of the club head turning through impact. When hitting balls, try to allow this action to happen naturally and after a little practice it will begin to Book a one -hour video lesson with Tony Howarth during January or February for just £25 become an automatic “release”.

To book, contact Tony on 07588 355588 quoting Yorkshire Golfer Offer

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Special Yorkshire Golfer Offer

TONY HOWARTH, 2004 Sinclair Award Winner, Academy Director and Golf and Marketing Manager at Scarthingwell Golf Course, has over 25 years PGA experience and has taught all levels of golfers. This experience ranges from European Tour, Ladies European Tour and County players through to club golfers and complete beginners. Tony has appeared as guest speaker at many events including the Junior Golf Partnership seminar held at the Belfry, as Key Note Speaker at the inaugural Golf Careers Convention at the University of Northumbria,

guest speaker at the UK Golf Show, the Turkish Golf Federation 1st Annual Coaching Conference and most recently at the GolfEurope Show in Augsburg, Germany. In his role as SNAG Master Trainer, Tony works with International Golf Development implementing first touch coaching and development programmes across the world including Europe, Africa and Asia. Tony’s simplistic style of coaching has been his road to success and he has become known as an expert not just on the golf swing but especially on the short game and putting.

Scarthingwell Golf Course

2020 GREEN FEE OFFERS £15 per person

for 18 holes of golf All day Monday - Friday

2 for £35 or 4 for £60 on a weekend Offer ends 31st March This offer may be amended or withdrawn at any time To book telephone reception

01937 557878 2020 MEMBERSHIP OFFER Join Now and receive 3 months FREE Membership For details contact

Ellie Northam

01937 557878

Scarthingwell Lane, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 9PF T: 01937 557878

tony.howarth@scarthingwellgolfcourse.co.uk www.scarthingwellgolfcourse.co.uk @ScarthingwellGA

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GOLF SOCIETY PACKAGES

BOOK YOUR 2020 SOCIETY DAY NOW! Organisers go free if numbers reach over 20 players on the day each player will receive a green fee voucher for use on their next visit

Summer society packages from 1st April 2020 until 31st October 2020 Monday — Friday Packages 18 Holes of golf £17.50 per person 12 or more players £15.00 / person Coffee and bacon sandwich on arrival 18 Holes of golf £25.00 per person 12 or more players £23.00 / person Coffee and a bacon sandwich on arrival 18 Holes of golf Sandwiches and Chips on completion £30.00 per person 12 or more players £28.00 / person Coffee and bacon sandwich on arrival 18 Holes of golf 2 course meal — Main Course and Dessert £40.00 per person 12 or more players £37.00 / person

THE SUNDAY PACKAGE Tee times available from 12:00 onwards Coffee and bacon sandwich 18 Holes of golf £30.00 per person Tee times available from 12:00 onwards Coffee and bacon sandwich 18 Holes of golf Sandwiches and Chips on completion £35.00 per person

Please visit our website for further details for our Winter packages

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January 2020

ADVERTORIAL Record autumn rainfalls have seen even the hardiest of golfer heading for the warmth and comfort of d

Ranges are firmly in the d Waterfront’s Frank Houlgate pictured working with Brabazon Trophy winner Ben Schmidt on the range at Waterfront Golf

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N EXTREMELY wet autumn has played right into the hands of range operators as golfers seek to stay dry and keep their

games in shape.

Driving ranges traditionally come into their own during the winter months, but record rainfalls have made them a

welcome haven for even the hardiest.

Change is the only thing that’s constant at The Manor following the recent refurbishment of

the driving range.

The makeover of the 20-bay floodlit range is just one of a number of investments in the facility, which is conveniently situated just two miles from Junction 27 of the M62 at Drighlington.

A championship golf course, a par-3 academy course, two qualified PGA professionals, a well stocked shop plus a multifunctional and wellappointed clubhouse make The Manor one of West Yorkshire’s most thriving golf destinations in West Yorkshire.

Driving ranges can be busier than normal in the winter months and the newly-refurbished 20-bay floodlit range is open seven days a week from 8am until 9pm through the week and until 7pm on weekends.

The range, academy course and putting greens deliver a perfect pathway to golf with top-class tuition available for all standards from beginners to scratch golfers from Director of Golf Richard Hedley and his team.

The Manor is home to an exceptionally wellmaintained 18-hole par-72 championship golf course.

The undulating parkland layout is framed by treelined fairways and woodland with stunning backdrops over Tong village and the Cockersdale Valley.

There’s a good deal of variety over a course that measures 6,508 yards off the white tees and 6,073 yards off the yellow tees, and arguably the most

memorable and demanding features are the six lakes that meander over the 170 acre estate, which create a series of varied water hazards.

There’s also a special winter offer available for new members who can enjoy 15 months for the price of 12.

Licensed to carry out civil wedding ceremonies and receptions, The Manor has developed into a popular venue for a variety of events and can cater for up to 200 people a day.

Waterfront Golf at Wath upon Dearne is a popular place during the harsher

Aimpoint Express Clinics delivered by Chris and which formed part of a series of clinics aimed at improving short game skills and was co-hosted by Waterfront head teaching professional Danny Walsh.

The new putting studio also features the latest technology in the form of a Capto putting lab, so Waterfront really is the place to go if you want to read greens better and improve your stroke.

Danny and fellow PGA professional and Waterfront owner Frank Houlgate also have brand new teaching studios following the remodelling and other improvements include an upgrade of the indoor simulator to the Trackman system, which means golfers can play some of the best courses in the world from the warmth and comfort of the studio.

Top-grade full-distance two-piece Srixon balls and new Tru-Strike mats have further enhanced the experience while the fitting centre features the latest equipment from Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made and Cobra.

There’s also an extensive menu offering freshly cooked fare on offer in the bar and restaurant, which also screens live golf on Sky TV. Early bird golfers are flocking to Darrington to take advantage of their special offer where they can hit 50 balls and enjoy a bacon bap accompanied by freshly brewed coffee for just a fiver at the state-of-

The Manor is conveniently situated just two miles from J27 of the M62 Waterfront’s new putting studio features a Capto putting laboratory months as tees and greens designed to USGA specifications ensure year-round play on the full nine-hole course. The range at Waterfront has also undergone a recent refurbishment including new introductions.

First up is the new putting studio headed up by European Tour putting coach Chris Dennis, who is an Aimpoint Certified instructor.

Aimpoint is a greenreading system used by some of the best golfers in the world including Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Lydia Ko. It is a system that works for all standards as demonstrated at the regular

the-art driving range. The offer is available from 8.30am until 10.30am and bookings are not required.

The heated and floodlit 24-bay range is one of the biggest projects the club has seen since opening in 1993. The wind-sheltered premier bays feature extended mirrors and added features including a sofa area and are popular with golfers who just love hitting balls in a quest to lower their scores.

Always at the forefront of new thinking, Darrington also offers memberships just for the driving range starting at £100 a year, which includes use of the premier bays, up to 800 balls a year free plus discounts on additional baskets, a lesson from a PGA pro, a round of golf on the 18hole championship course and a social membership, which comes with a 10% discount on purchases from the bar.

European Tour coach Mike Walker has exclusive use of two private bays so don’t be surprised to see more than a few famous faces around the place.

Darrington’s facility is also the home of the Stoneacre Junior Academy, which provides a perfect pathway into golf for youngsters of all ages. The team of PGA professionals provide tuition and equipment if required and the club offers heavily discounted rates for junior members.

The range is open from 8 am until 6pm daily with the exception of Wednesdays and Saturdays when it closes at 8.30pm.

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January 2020

of driving ranges such as those at The Manor and Waterfront

driving seat

The Manor is home to an exceptionally well-maintained 18-hole par-72 championship golf course

The Driving Range is the perfect place to practise. If you are picking up a golf club for the first time or are a seasoned golfer, The Manor has everything you need to improve your game to chip away at your handicap

Two PGA-qualified teaching professionals in residence 20-bay covered and floodlit Driving Range Extensively stocked Pro Shop Excellent practice putting greens

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Winter Opening Hours (from 3rd November) Monday to Friday – 8am to 9pm (Last basket) Saturday & Sunday – 8am to 7pm (Last basket) £2.60 per small basket of 40 balls £4.20 per large basket of 80 balls Club Hire £0.50 each • Kids' clubs free (under 16s

There is no dress code to use the Driving Range Bradford Road, Drighlington, Bradford, BD11 1AB T: 0113 285 2644 • golf@themanorleeds.co.uk

Higgins was at head of queue for a return to Helm’s charity golf day HAZZAD Golf’s Stuart Miller used his inaugural blog on the Shipley-based company’s website to recall the day that some of the world’s bestknown sporting celebrities descended on Baildon Golf Club to play in a charity event.

The man behind the Baildon Golf & Cricket Club Celebrity Am/Am/Am on May 20, 1987 was TV and radio commentator John Helm, who is still plays at Baildon and lives in the village.

Helm, who has commentated on ten World Cups in a distinguished career as a broadcaster, was born in Baildon and initiated the event to raise funds for all of the sporting institutions in the village.

Such was the power of Helm’s contact book that celebrities including Gordon Banks, Jimmy Tarbuck, Peter Lorimer, Eddie Gray, Johnny Giles, Norman Collier, Eddie Large, Geoff Cope, Ashley Metcalfe, Willie Morgan, Charlie Williams, Freddie Trueman, Brian Close and many more turned up to support him.

In the interview Stuart did for the blog Helm recalled the day with great fondness. He said: “They came from all over the country, comedians, entertainers, footballers, sportsmen of all kinds.

“Looking back, it’s a snapshot of its time, village life and the way celebrities behaved, it was all very different then.

“The one I was a bit concerned about was Alex Higgins, I knew of his reputation to be a bit of a handful. I had scheduled his tee-off time so he could get back to London for a Benson & Hedges press conference for the following day. I was amazed to find him still in the clubhouse challenging anyone to a putting competition for £2 nearest the hole “He stayed right to the bitter end, challenging one of the locals to three frames of snooker at the local Conservative Club, and then onto the Soldiers & Sailors club.

“He had been brilliant, and a gentleman all day and enjoyed himself so much he asked to play again the following year.

“His driver had long since gone, the last thing I saw was an inebriated Alex Higgins

walking into Baildon village trying to thumb a lift back to London.”

As a thank you, Stuart presented John with three personalised headcovers bearing Helm’s trademark broadcasting microphone.

Hazzad Golf was established in 1998 by Mark Cook, a scratch player and former Bradford Open winner who saw a chance to combine his love of golf with a degree in Product Design from Sheffield University.

Two decades later Hazzad is firmly established in the corporate golf market providing golf day merchandise to a wide range of companies and societies, and current and past customers include Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, David Howell, Ernie Els and Matt Wallace.

Helm is pictured with his custom made headcovers.

Net Double Bogey adjustment is in play UNDER the new World Handicap System, the maximum hole score for handicap purposes will be net double bogey, allowing golfers to pick up when the format of play permits.

By setting a maximum score on each hole for handicap purposes, the new Rules of Handicapping will ensure that the occasional bad hole does not impact a Handicap Index too severely or prevent otherwise good scores from being used in the Handicap Index calculation.

This, in turn, will help to ensure that a player’s Handicap Index should always reflect their demonstrated ability.

The maximum score for

each hole played is limited to a net double bogey – which is equal to par of the hole plus 2 strokes (double bogey) plus any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on that hole based on their Course Handicap.

For example, a player with a Course Handicap of 12 is entitled to one additional stroke on holes allocated with stroke index 1 through 12 on the scorecard. On a par-4 hole, with a Stroke Index of 10, the player’s maximum score would be 4 (par) plus 2 (double bogey) plus 1 (stroke received) = 7.

When the format of play allows, players are encouraged to pick up at their maximum hole score to keep up a good pace. For competitions,

the adjustment is applied after the round.

This means that the score posted for the competition and the score submitted for handicap purposes could be different.

The Net Double Bogey adjustment prevents high individual hole scores from inflating a player’s Handicap Index and promotes fair play when golfers of various abilities enjoy a round of golf together.

Though many countries are planning to adopt the new system this month (January 2020), the system will go live in other parts of the world throughout the year to accommodate different implementation plans and variations in the golfing calendar.

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January 2020

HIGH PRAISE FROM GOLFING LEGEND ‘This is how golf should be played. It’s beyond a dream’ – Tiger Woods

MacKenzie influence in Australia is lauded N

ORMANTON-BORN golf course architect Alister MacKenzie loved the way Walter Hagen played golf and was an admirer from the first time he saw the great American hit a shot.

It was a tricky pitch at the Road Hole at St Andrews in the 1921 Open and was played with typical Hagen flair and abandon.

St Andrews gave Hagen space to play and MacKenzie’s understanding of the Old Course allowed him to transport its principles to some of his most famous designs including Augusta National and Royal Melbourne’s West course, which drew rave reviews after hosting the Presidents Cup in December.

MacKenzie didn’t know it at the time, but he was building Augusta and Royal Melbourne for Severiano Ballesteros. The Spaniard was Hagen reincarnated.

He was also building it for the best of the post-Seve generation, Tiger Woods, who was leading the US team for the first time. Tiger is a great US Open player; a winner three times on the typically tight, restrictive courses over which the USGA likes to decide its championship.

Twenty four of the best players in the world went head to head over the composite Royal Melbourne course and Tiger was head and shoulders above the rest as many struggled to cope with the firm and fast greens and necessity to put the ball in the right place right from the outset.

Off the tee Tiger put the ball right where he had to and then set to work with his irons. In fairness, most of them were short ones, but every time he looked up the ball was going right where he aimed it. The trajectory was perfect, the ball shaped to suit the green and only rarely did he take himself out of a hole by missing in the wrong place.

On the last day Tiger gave a master class in playing a treacherous golf course where distance is not the defining factor.

The course received worldwide plaudits including from Tiger himself who summed up the good doctor’s work perfectly: “This is how golf should be played. It’s beyond a dream.”

Former Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn said: “Watching the Presidents Cup on my favourite course gave me that tingly feeling. Royal Melbourne is the greatest test. They don’t

Tiger Woods plays from a bunker during the USA’s victory in the Presidents Cup in December build them like that anymore. “ Mackenzie is credited with changing the face of golf in Australia as a result of his visit in 1926 and much of the superlative golf available in Melbourne’s southern suburbs is related – directly or indirectly – to him.

With the city continually expanding Royal Melbourne’s layout at Sandringham had been swallowed up by suburbia so the club decided to sell off now valuable real estate and moved slightly to the east into the main paddock in Black Rock. Only six holes were lost, but following the purchase of 68 acres the club decided to rebuild.

MacKenzie left his home in Leeds and arrived in Melbourne in the early hours of Monday October 25 following a passage on the SS Otranto and spent much of the day with Royal Melbourne’s greenkeeper Mick Morcom, who would become a valued associate.

Bradford to host top YLCGA event THE Bradford Golf Club will stage the 2020 Yorkshire Ladies Championship from May 8-10.

Designed by renowned architect Herbert Fowler in 1923 the course will provide a stern test for the best ladies in the county thanks to a course development

programme introduced to ensure that the layout continues to retain its open moorland aspect and unique features of Fowler’s original design.

A full list of fixtures is available on the Yorkshire Ladies’ County Golf Association website: ylcga.org.uk.

He spent a week at the club also visiting other courses in the Sandbelt area including Metropolitan and Kingston Heath, to inspect and advise.

When he delivered his plans to the club, which had been granted ‘Royal’ status by Queen Victoria in 1895, an Extraordinary General Meeting was called seeking the authority to proceed.

Although he was 56 when he arrived in Australia, MacKenzie’s two best known designs in the US – Augusta National and Cypress Point – were not yet open and it was his work in Yorkshire on courses like Alwoodley, Moortown and Headingley that had forged his reputation.

Golf in Australia was fairly primitive at the time and members voted for ‘the best expert advice procurable with no limit to the cost’ and MacKenzie, who was the R&A’s consultant architect at the time, was hired.

The following day MacKenzie sent his proposals to Kingston Heath with which he had been “most favourably impressed” describing the property as “an excellent piece of golfing country”.

Metropolitan and Victoria Golf Club, which sits next to Royal Melbourne in the Sandbelt, received their plans a few days later before MacKenzie left for Sydney on December 2 to look over Royal Sydney GC, New South Wales GC and the Australian GC. A little over a week later he was in Brisbane where he would propose changes to Royal Queensland, where Greg Norman trained as an assistant, Brisbane Golf Club and Indooroophilly.He was back in Sydney the following week to visit Bonnie Doon, Manly, Killara and NSW again.

MacKenzie left Australia on New Year’s Day 1927 aboard the SS Marama to continue his

antipodean adventure in Auckland, New Zealand. His tour of Australia had lasted just 73 days during which time he had consulted at 19 clubs – with numerous requests from others – and earned £2,400.

His fees included an arrangement with Royal Melbourne, who had paid his travel expenses as well as 500 guineas, that would see any design fees split down the middle if they persuaded other clubs to use MacKenzie’s services.

MacKenzie’s influence on golf in Australia was felt around the country from Perth to Adelaide and from Sydney to Melbourne.

Paul Daley, acclaimed author of Sandbelt, said: “Golf in Australia changed when Dr MacKenzie visited in 1926. His knowledge and application of sensible golfing principles helped establish a template of exemplary design.”

Howley Hall duo’s Sawgrass surprise TWO Howley Hall members found a surprise in store for them during their annual trip to play golf in Jacksonville.

Miles Foster and Bob Carr were invited to play the TPC Sawgrass, which hosts The Players’ Championship every year, by two-time PGA Tour winner and honorary member Len Mattiace.

They were joined by their long-time friend and Jacksonville resident Stephen Joost, who is a Director of the Len Mattiace Foundation, which has raised over $450,000 for various Jacksonville charities.

Mattiace first gained notoriety when he surged into contention in the final round of the 1998 Players.

Trailing by one shot going into the infamous par-3 17th hole at Sawgrass, he hit his tee shot into the water, his third shot into a bunker, and his fourth shot into the water.

He ended up with a quintuple-bogey 8 on the hole and finished in a tie for fifth, four strokes behind the eventual winner Justin Leonard.

Mattiace’s career year was 2002 when he earned wins at the Nissan Open (his 220th PGA Tour start) and the FedEx St. Jude Classic. In 2003, he contended in the Masters by shooting a 65 in the final round, which put him into a playoff with Mike Weir.

On the first play-off hole, Mattiace found himself stymied by trees when his approach drifted offline and Weir needed just a bogey to become the only Canadian man to win a Major.

Foster said: “You couldn’t meet a nicer guy although we didn’t bring up the 1998 Players when we got to the 17th tee! And it was also nice to take money off a PGA Tour winner as Stephen and I managed to edge out Len and Bob.”

Howley Hall pair Bob Carr, left, and Miles Foster, right, with Len Mattiace on the tee of the 17th hole at Sawgrass

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January 2020

LOOKING BACK ON THE 2019 SEASON Woodsome Hall’s Rochelle Morris reflects on her first Tour campaign

I’m aiming to be a lot calmer and more collected in second year SIXTEEN tournaments, 10 countries, 23 flights, one ferry, one euro tunnel, one mixed event, four trips back and forth to London, a one-shot miss at the Open Championship and one robbery…yes, my first year on Tour has been very eventful, It has also been full of laughs, a few tears (not always mine) and a lot of hard work both on and off the course, so 2019 is a year I’ll never forget.

My 123rd-place finish on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit as a rookie from only four starts is a result I was pretty pleased with. I split my year between the LET Access Tour and the main Tour in order to take the opportunities I was given, and had no regrets.

From being excited chatting to Laura Davies in Morocco to warming down next to Carlota Ciganda in Spain, last year gave me so much experience. I learned a heck of a lot and I can’t wait to put this into practice this year when I aim to be a lot calmer, more collected and

with a sense of belonging.

My last tournament of the year was in Barcelona where the weather was freezing, but my caddy (Dad) is always well prepared and had hand warmers at the ready. My irons were on fire, it was just a shame about the big stick. A 24th-place finish in the end, but there were lots of encouraging things to take out of the week.

I’m currently working on stability, which hopefully equals a more consistent ball strike. This is transferring from my gym sessions into the golf swing and consists of a lot of glute work!

So much work goes on behind the scenes that many people never see. Every elite golfer/sportsperson has a fantastic team around them, and I don’t think mine is too bad either.

First up I’d like to thank my coach John Eyre for his endless support of my game for the last 16 years. My strength & conditioning coach Adam Batchelor

Rochelle Morris was proud to have placed 123rd on the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit from just four starts continues to raise my fitness levels, and my thanks also to my physio Craig Coulson for sorting out all my niggles. I’ve had very few injuries so thankfully I don’t see him too often.

Finally, to the newest member of the team, my management company Underpin Sports, and I’m looking to progressing with them under the guidance of Greg and Duncan.

To my family for their lifetime of support financially, emotionally and physically, and

for being there at every opportunity, thank you. My Dad caddied for me a lot last year and definitely saved me a few shots and my uncle Mike, Polly and my Mum also shouldered my bag at various times.

I also want to thank all the businesses and individuals that sponsored or supported me in 2019 .It is extremely difficult to find people who want to help and especially in your first couple of years on Tour, and the help I have had from Selbie

Opticians, Propack, Pennine Weavers, Florelle, Blacksmith consultancy, Sue & Paul and the Lahitte-Toupiere Golfers, Liz and David, Cathy Baxtor, Mark Cooper, Titleist, Srixon, Woodsome Hall, Howley Hall and my newest supporters, The Golf Travel People, has been invaluable.

You’ve all helped tremendously in many different ways and taken a lot of pressure off of my shoulders. Thank you all so much.

Got a story for us?

Send your club’s news to news@yorkshire-golfer.com

@yorkshiregolfer

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January 2020

INTERNATIONAL CALL Hallowes player is heading for Spain with England

Bairstow set for the Challenge YORKSHIRE’S Sam Bairstow will make his senior England debut later this month in the Costa Ballena Octagonal International Challenge.

Bairstow, 21, from the Hallowes Golf Club in Dronfield, was promoted to the England ‘A’ squad for 2020 and will join the Warwickshire duo Sam Broadhurst and Max Martin, Gloucestershire’s Joe Harvey, Cheshire’s Jack Brooks and Arron Edwards-Hill from Essex in the six-strong team.

The event is being staged from January 21-24 at the Costa Ballena Ocean Club near Jerez in Southern Spain.

Bairstow finished last year in fine style with a seven-shot victory in the North of England Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Alwoodley where he closed with a superb six-under-par 65.

He also won the Hampshire Salver last May and was runner-up in the 2019 Scottish Men’s Open Championship at The Duke’s in St Andrews.

England will take on teams representing Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Portugal and Ireland.

Now in its 19th edition, the tournament was first held in 2001 with England the inaugural winners. England have won it on another four occasions – 2005, 2006, 2014 and 2016.

However, home advantage has proved crucial with Spain aiming to defend their 2019 title and claim their 11th overall victory.

The format for the three-day event is morning foursomes followed by afternoon singles.

Sam Bairstow with the Hampshire Salver

Leeds Union raises £5,000 for charity A TOTAL of £3,000 was raised for charity at the Leeds & District annual Christmas alliance, which was played at Scarcroft Golf Club.

The Union is a long-term supporter of The Leeds Children’s Charity and President Mike Gallagher presented a cheque for £5,000, which was the total sum raised by the Union during 2019, to The Leeds Children’s Charity organiser Dave Norman MBE. Twenty teams turned out on the day to compete in a four-man team competition, which was won by Alan Pearson, Brian Stephenson

(both Howley Hall GC), John Beevers and Bernard Duffy (both Pontefract & District GC) with a score of 88 points.

Mike Gallagher, right, is seen presenting the cheque to Dave Norman.

Opening window onto Knaresborough’s centenary celebrations FOUNDERS’ DAY celebrations to mark 100 years of golf at Knaresborough Golf Club included the unveiling of a commemorative centenary stained glass window.

Knaresborough Town Cryer Roger Hewitt opened proceedings before Harrogate Dramatic Society provided a brilliantly written and performed re-enactment of the signing of the papers on December 19, 1919 that brought Knaresborough Golf

Club to life.

In front of a packed audience of members and guests, which included Knaresborough Mayor Christine Willoughby, the recital marked the day Col William Collins gained unanimous support at a meeting in Hicklings Café on Knaresborough High Street for a golf club to be formed.

Then it was over to the BBC’s Harry Gration, who revealed the ‘Centenary Window’, which was created

by Caryl Hallett of Harrogate.

This piece of history and many more can be read about in Picking The Stones, a centenary history of the club written

by Mike McKay and available at £10 from the club.

Pictured alongside the beautiful new ‘Centenary Window’ unveiled by Gration, are Knaresborough Mayor Christine Willoughby, Gration, the window’s creator Caryl Hallett and a suitably attired club President David Lund.

Schmidt and Pagdin are both riding high in Europe TWO golfers from Yorkshire finished 2019 in the top three of the European Golf Association rankings.

Rotherham’s Ben Schmidt and Sheffield-born Joe Pagdin were second and third respectively behind another English player, Conor Gough, from Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire.

Alex Fitzpatrick, who has just completed his first year of a golf scholarship at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, was ranked 14th.

Both Schmidt and Pagdin, who has just joined the golf team at the University of Florida, closed out their year at the prestigious South Beach International Amateur, played over Miami Beach and Normandy Hills the week before Christmas.

Hallamshire’s Barclay Brown, Charlie Thornton, from Fulford, and former Yorkshire champion Sam Rook (Lindrick) made up the White Rose contingent.

Pagdin set the early pace, but it was Brown who

Europe’s top three male golfers for 2019, left to right, Joe Pagdin, Ben Schmidt and Conor Gough proved to be Yorkshire’s top performer finishing in a tie for 18th on six over par following rounds of 71, 71 73 and 72.

It was a decent end to the season for Brown, who is in his Freshman year at Stanford University, alma mater to both Tom Watson,

winner of eight major titles, and Tiger Woods, who has 15 after his win at Augusta last year.

Despite rain delays and strong winds, Pagdin started well with a two-under-par round of 70 to be just two shots off the pace on a day when scoring was unusually high with Thornton carding a 76, Schmidt returning an uncharacteristic 78 and Rook struggling to an 81.

But a second round of 75 in windy conditions that made scoring difficult put Pagdin out of contention and he eventually finished 24th.

Schmidt improved by six shots in the second round, but his nine-over-par 36 hole total of 150 led to a rare missed cut and there was also an early departure for Thornton, who finished on the same mark.

Rook (81,76) also missed out on the last two rounds as the mark fell at eight over par.

Victory went to America’s Ben Shipp who beat compatriot Garett Reband in a play-off.