9 minute read
WEST END MUSICAL Former
YUGC’s sad farewell to Hardman FORMER Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs President Neil Hardman, above has died, aged 84.
Neil served as President in 2008 having been elected to the Yorkshire executive in 1997 and was President of York Union of Golf Clubs in 1996 when they won the Inter District Championship.
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He was a very active member of Kirkbymoorside Golf Club as a past chairman, captain and treasurer, and was directly involved with the acquisition of land that enabled the club to extend from 9 holes to 18, an actuality recalled with a great deal of pride at his funeral.
He also ran schools golf in Yorkshire before handing over to current YUGC secretary Jonathan Plaxton two years ago.
TALENTED SHOWEx-footballer Windass discovers his audience in Halifax are in fine voice West End’s musical talents on display
FORMER Hull City, Middlesbrough, Bradford City and Sheffield United footballer Dean Windass was used to hearing a crowd singing loudly and lustily during his playing career.
But he will have been taken aback by the noise created by fellow diners when he was guest speaker at Halifax West End Golf Club’s presentation night.
For West End have a tradition of singing for their supper –or rather during it – with song books distributed at all tables, including the top one on which Windass was sat.
The members might have needed a prompt for some of the songs, such as Tom Jones’s Delilah or Bring Me Sunshine, made famous by Morecambe and Wise. But none needed any help to give three hearty renditions of the club’s anthem, The Road to Mandalay.
Gerald Smith, the MC for the night, did some digging at Yorkshire Golfer’s request to see if he could find the origins for this rather unusual format to presentation night, which at some clubs has been known to
Dean Windass, fourth left back row, at the Halifax West End presentation dinner
be stuffy and formal.
Mike Berry, a member who joined West End in 1965, told Gerald that he remembers going to his first dinners in the 1970s, and that singing took place at that time. But his father recalled the tradition decades earlier.
“Mike’s father, Frank, joined in October 1942 and
became Captain in 1964 and was elected a Life Member at the AGM in 2009,” said Gerald. “When Mike spoke to his father about the singing, he said he remembered singing at dinners in the late 1940s, early 1950s, and that The Road To Mandalay was the club’s signature song at that time, obviously to do with the end of the Second World war, I should imagine.
“In September 1969 Brian R Thomas joined the club. Brian was a singer, and enjoyed singing. He was Captain in 1978, and became Hon. Secretary of the club, some time probably in the 1970s, early 1980s, which meant he eventually took on the duties of MC at the club dinners, of which there were two – the men’s and the Rabbits’ – and were both filled to a capacity 120. Brian brought a certain amount of gusto to the singing and in particular The Road to Mandalay, which I hope I was able to emulate to some degree at the recent dinner.
“The pianist who used to play when I first attended the Rabbits’ Dinner was a gentleman named Roger Ray, I believe, who just sat there and played all evening without any music. When he passed away, Brian asked me what we could do about a replacement. I remember quite clearly saying to Brian that I didn’t really know, surely he was more of an expert than me, and he said, ‘I think I might know someone’, and we came up with John Wilson, who had been voted Pub Pianist of the Year previously in the Halifax Courier.
“John has been playing for us ever since 2005 apart from a couple of years when he was not available for personal reasons.”
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Sand Moor stars on the rise
IN THE early 1990s Sand Moor when he landed the Irish Open Golf Club was unrivalled in in 2011. producing talent in a golden This gilt-edged time at the generation that saw players like club is still a regular topic of Iain Pyman, Stuart Cage and conversation with the memthe Pullan twins scale the bers as they survey the heights of amateur golf. impressive honours boards in
Pyman won the 1993 the clubhouse, and they may Amateur Championship at soon be toasting the next crop Royal Portrush and just a few of champions thanks to a joint weeks later collected the Silver initiative between the North Medal as leading amateur at the Leeds club and the Golf Open Championship. Mark Foundation. Pullan had set the ball rolling in Assistant professional Glen 1991 when he won the Lent is the driving force behind Brabazon Trophy, and a year creating the next group of later Cage won the prestigious youngsters who could follow in Lytham Trophy the footsteps of and was crowned Leeds club’s new Pyman and Cage et al. English amateur champion. generation of top Under his guidance Sand Cage and Pyman both went on to repplayers growing with aid of Golf Moor has created a development squad of resent GB&I in the Walker Cup Foundation six players from the pool at Interlachen, of junior playMinnesota in ers in the club. 1993 before going on to comSelection is not confined pete on the European Tour. At solely to ability, with a committhe same time the Leeds & ment to the squad and selfDistrict and Yorkshire scene motivation equally important was being dominated by the attributes, and they benefit from likes of Stephen Pullan, Gary free coaching funded by Sand Harland, Gary Day and Adam Moor plus team kit and meals Gay. when representing the club.
That dynasty inspired the Members have raised over next breed that included future £1,500 so far to help fund the European Tour players Ben enterprise, which has also led to Mason and Simon Dyson, who the number of junior members like Cage went on to win on increasing by 30%. one of Europe’s biggest stages The investment in its future
Pictured after winning the Leeds & District Division Three title last year, from the left, are Tai Naylor (junior vice-captain), Lily Dunn (junior captain), Amaan Iqbal and Glen Lent
stars is starting to pay off as last year they secured promotion to Division Two of the Leeds & District junior league, along with many notable individual performances.
Tai Naylor, 12, has been selected for Yorkshire Under-16 training and the five-handicapper has also represented the Leeds & District Union. Fourteen-year-old Lily Dunn reduced her handicap in 2019 from 31-17 and was unbeaten in the league. Amaan Iqbal has only been playing the game for two years and is now playing off four. His gross 64 recorded in a members’ competition set a new junior course record and was just one shot shy of Cage’s course record, while Jesse Gordon,11, secured an impressive nine points in the league to help secure elevation to the next tier.
Lent, who has also taken the game to over 500 children in local primary schools with the help of the Golf Foundation, said: “It made me very proud to see so many juniors from Sand Moor succeed last year.
“Thanks to Stacey Mitchell from the Golf Foundation for all her efforts and our fantastic Junior Committee consisting of volunteers who help and support the section in their free time. Paul Dunn (volun
teer), Cath Blakeman (junior chair) help out endlessly and we couldn’t do this without them and without all the support from Sand Moor members and the club. We now have a promising junior section and I am excited for what 2020 holds.”
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@yorkshiregolfer
March 2020 BIGGA show gets bigger and better ALMOST four and a half thousand turf industry professionals converged on Harrogate Convention Centre for BIGGA’s annual exhibition.
One hundred and fiftyfive turf industry companies packed into 4,880 square metres of exhibition space and showcased the latest technology and product developments, while more than 250 hours of education helped to prepare British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association members for what lies ahead in their careers and out on the course.
“It’s been a fantastic few days,” said York-based BIGGA chief executive Jim Croxton. “Massive thanks to all the exhibitors for supporting it and all the visitors for coming and I’m looking forward to seeing everybody next year.”
More than 100 delegates and trade representatives attended the BTME Early Bird 5K Run, with BIGGA staff being joined by members of the mental health charity CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.
The run raised more than £1,000 for BIGGA’s charity, which supports members who encounter difficulties in their personal lives.
East Coast Golf Passport
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SCARBOROUGH SOUTH CLIFF Deepdale Avenue, Scarborough t: 01723 360522 www.southcliffgolfclub.com
Bridlington and the surrounding coastline proudly boasts six of Yorkshire’s finest golf courses all located within a short distance of each other, offering golfers of all abilities an excellent test of golf on six very different and contrasting courses
Working together the six participating golf clubs continue to offer the hugely popular East Coast Golf Passport scheme which offers The Special reduced cost of your passport is: visitors to the area the opportunity to play at the courses and enjoy savings on the normal Green Fees of up to 50%. £63* for 3 rounds of golf! How to apply for this great deal? £80* for 4 rounds of golf! Simple, just contact the office at Bridlington Golf Club, tel. 01262 606367 seven days a week or e-mail £95* for 5 rounds of golf! enquiries@bridlingtongolfclub.co.uk arrangements for you.** and let us take care of the ENJOY EXCELLENT SAVINGS!
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Three Day Golf Break £159
Inc. 5 rounds of golf & 4 nights b&b
