Yorkshire Golfer - Autumn 2021 by Yorkshire Golfer

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Shooting 60 at 59 – in Norton’s own words

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Autumn 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE ... or read online at www.yorkshiregolfer.net RULING THE RIDINGS New skipper Andy Lockwood on East Riding’s Inter-District triumph p12

FIXBY STARS SHINE Walker and Heath lead a stellar season for Huddersfield Golf Club p4 BERRY’S RIPE Teen star Josh ‘perfect’ for England and lifts Yorkshire Amateur p4 TEAM THEME The Yorkshire Men’s and Seniors’ teams top the Northern Regional leagues p8

ROGUE OPERATORS? Society’s fraud campaign as Golf Holidays Direct face multiple claims p15

DRAGON’S LAIR Stocksbridge Golf Club has a storied past – and a bright future 10/11 DOUBLING UP Dylan Shaw-Radford is Yorkshire Boys and County Champion of Champions p14

A LONG WAIT Leeds Union President Geoff Mortimer finally gets to host his Centenary Celebration event – albeit a year late p15

PARRY IN POSITION John Parry won the 2020protour Finals series and is well placed for PGA EuroPro showdown p20/22 YORKSHIRE CHALLENGE Pair from Hillsborough prevail in the tough GantonLindrickMoortown tournament p26

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Autumn 2021

RECORD BREAKER A ‘rainy 13-holes’ becomes a course best of 60

Not bad – a 60 aged 59! Richard Norton breaks course record at Beverley – here’s how it happened... My round on Saturday nearly didn’t happen because when I arrived it was raining. Four of us were going to just play 13 holes as a fourball and then have a drink and then watch the rugby, but because there were five of us we changed our plans. As a result, I played with my usual partner, Jim Clark, in a 2-ball. Jim had already paid and then the rain eased off so we decided to play. I started nicely with a birdie at the first and then on the 3rd I hit a 3-wood off the tee as I didn’t think that would reach the gorse on the left and then hit another 3-wood onto the green to 15 foot and holed the putt for a 3. I then birdied the 6th and 9th to be out in 29 shots. It was at that point that I realised that a good score was on the cards; but when I failed to birdie any of the next three holes it was going to be hard, if not impossible, to reach the magic 59. By now Jim was struggling and we were looking for his ball which strangely enough helped to divert my concentration. I birdied the 13th and missed a putt from 8-feet on the 14th, so I knew my chances of a 59 had gone. However, undaunted I finished strongly, birdying the 15th, 17th and 18th for a final score of 60. For some reason I never thought of the course record

Beverley’s previous course record was a 62 by head greenkeeper Neil Burnley

and stayed relaxed and just kept trying to get birdies. I have been far more nervous when just a couple under but for some reason I wasn’t on Saturday. I had a lesson the week before which has helped me because I have had a poor season and didn’t qualify for the England team. I hit my wedges close to the hole most of the time on Saturday and that is why I achieved a good score, although at 59-years-old I didn’t think I had a course record in me any more! I have been a member of Beverley golf club since I was 12-years-old (no matter what the records say) and I started

playing because my mum and dad were members. At age 16 I became the assistant to Nigel Bundy at Beverley and then when he left I went to Springhead Park under Barry Herrington for six months. I then decided to give up being a professional mainly because I was sick of going to work every Saturday and Sunday at 6am. I didn’t have the dedication to practice enough and would rather be out with my friends. I was still a Beverley member but I couldn’t play in board competitions because I was waiting to receive my amateur status back. When my kids left home and I changed jobs, I had some lessons, practised quite a lot and suddenly at the age of

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about 47 my handicap started coming down. A lot of this was with the blessing of my partner Debra and this made the biggest difference. I then changed to part-time work in 2018 and played for the England Senior team in 2018 and 2019, winning the European Senior Team Championship in Denmark in 2019. Covid has severely impacted golf in 2020 and 2021 and because I haven’t played well this year in the six weeks leading up to the qualifying period for the England team, I didn’t make the team and there was nothing in 2020 due to the Covid restrictions. I still play for the Yorkshire senior team and was part of the team that won the English county finals in 2019 and have won four English Senior counting Order of Merit competitions in 2018 and 2019. Although it is great to play good golf courses on my travels, Beverley golf club is still home to me and despite the distractions (cows, dogs, picnics, toy cars and planes etc) I always look forward to a game at Beverley’s fantastic course with my friends. I have been a member for nearly 50 years and still try to represent my club in scratch league and Yorkshire team championships. I would recommend Beverley & East Riding Golf Club to anyone, whether they are a beginner or just want to improve their game. Just call 01482 868757 (option 2) now and speak to Paul, Theo or Natalie. (Editor’s Note: You’re allowed a plug after a round like that Rich!)

Gavin’s a winner

Anything his Howley Hall clubmate could do, Dan Gavins could at least match. After Marcus Armitage won a nerve-shredding maiden European Tour event with a final round -7 to leapfrog the field in The Porsche European Open, world no 453 Gavins repeated the feat. Starting the final day of the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland seven shots back, Gavins carded an excellent 65 to leave him sitting in the clubhouse on -13 and dependent on the closing performances of fellow Englishmen David Horsey and Jordan Smith, plus New Zealander Daniel Hiller. Horsey seemed to have the upper hand, but stumbled down the back stretch and when he lost a ball on the 72nd hole, victory was the 30-year-old’s – along with a welcome purse of 191,640 euros.

After watching the closing stages from the practice ground on his mobile phone, the Pontefractborn Gavins, who learned his golf at Wheatley Golf Club, said: “I can’t believe it. Seven behind, I didn’t really think I was in with a chance of winning. “I think it will take a while to sink in - what an amazing day.” A somewhat yo-yo career mostly between the Challenge and EuroPro tours had finally matured into solid success. Gavins went on to make the cut at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in September, but further progress came at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championships in early October when an excellent 6th place against a high quality field earned him over 140,000 euros. Following the Open de Espana, he found himself elevated to 71st place on the Race to Dubai.

Autumn 2021

Yorkshire Champion 2021 – Josh Berry Alwoodley bared its teeth when the county’s cream of the amateur crop arrived to contest the 2021 YUGC Amateur Championship at the end of August. No players managed to finish the 72-hole battle under par but Doncaster and England teenager Josh Berry (pictured) had just enough in the tank to hold off Rotherham’s Charlie Daughtrey and Ollie White (Pannal). Berry finished on +5, a shot ahead of the chasing pair, who were in turn a shot ahead of Wath’s George Mason and Ben Rhodes from Headingley. Josh met his match howev-

er in the prestigious McGregor Trophy where Harley Smith edged him out by a single shot. Josh made a back-nine run to post -12, four holes ahead of Smith, but the Carris

Trophy holder held on for the win. Smith then completed an unprecedented treble with a 13-shot win in the Justin Rose/Telegraph Junior Championship. Both players are in a strong England squad for 2022, Josh being unbeaten as they won the Junior Home Internationals this season. Finishing in the top 10 of the Justin Rose were Garforth’s Jake Wallis, Tom Pyman from The Oaks and Masham’s Ben Brown. Yorkshire Girls champion Abigail Taylor (Headingley) finished a very creditable 6th in the Girls’ Championship.

Walker caps great year with ‘major’ Huddersfield Golf Club’s Adam Walker landed the prestigious YUGC Amateur Match Play Championship at Rotherham Golf Club. Walker was seeded 10th after qualifying and accounted for home golfer Jack Whaley and Waterfront’s Luca Houlgate before seeing off another Rotherham member and 2nd seed Charlie Daughtrey 2&1 in the quarter-finals. Top seeded Harry

Crosland Heath’s George Hanson romped to the Yorkshire Boys under 16 title at Sand Moor, by a stunning 8-shot margin. George was the only player under par, going out in a -3 69 and coming home with a +1 72 to finish 8-shots clear of Sam Norman (Fulford) with his Crosland Heath clubmate Jack Hampshaw a shot further back. Darrington youngster Tyler Sharpe held his nerve to win the under 14 title by a single shot. Tyler (pictured) was on fire in the morning session, going out in level par, although he ended up +5 after the first round. He followed it up with a +4 afternoon round which was enough to hold off Moortown’s Joshua Stephens by a single stroke.

Walker, Heath lead Fixby’s stellar season

Hunter-Mapp of Cookridge Hall had exited early, losing his first round match to Ilkley’s Henry Croft 3&2. Croft was then knocked out by Shipley’s Max Berrisford, who also accounted for Damon Sykes (Crosland Heath), South Bradford’s Oliver Tasker and 4th seed George Mason (Wath) on his way to the Championship shoot-out with Walker. The Fixby man prevailed 3&2 in the final.

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Adam Walker, left, and Louie Walsh, flanking YUGC President Cameron Thomson - after winning the YIDU Plate at the Yorkshire Amateur championship. PHOTO: Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs White Rose won the Northern in the scratch team champiBy Chris Stratford Counties Golf Union Seniors’ onship through the efforts of title for the first time since Josh Morton, Tom Green and Huddersfield Golf Club 2017. Mowl at Dewsbury and prebrought down the curtain on a Huddersfield’s Director of vailed for the 11th time in 13 summer of outstanding success Golf, Brad Tupman, commentyears in Division One of by completing a clean sweep Halifax-Huddersfield’s Scratch ed: “The success of Charlotte of all the scratch competitions Heath getting into the Curtis League. on the Halifax, Huddersfield Cup team, which surely must Walker, in tandem with and District Union of Golf make Charlotte Fixby’s greatLouie Walsh, added further Clubs’ calendar. est ever amateur, I know the On the same day that Adam gloss by securing the club as a whole are immensely Yorkshire Inter-District Union Walker was becoming the secproud of Charlotte and many Plate, between them returning ond Fixby member to claim a members got to see her play in a four-under-par aggregate, the Yorkshire championship in the tournament at Conwy in lowest 36-hole combined total 2021, Aron Schnacke and September. from a union pairing at the James Skirrow lifted the “It is incredible that we as Yorkshire Amateur Halifax-Huddersfield fourmembers are getting to see Championship at Alwoodley. somes title in the final at history made right in front of This enabled HalifaxCrosland Heath. Huddersfield to get their hands our own eyes and we all wish Walker had partnered Charlotte the very best. on the Plate for the first time Schnacke through the earlier “On the men’s side, Adam in their history. rounds, but naturally, after Walker winning the Yorkshire Charlotte Heath had qualifying, prioritised the final match play championship brought international recogniof the Yorkshire match play tion to Fixby in the summer by fresh off being only the fourth championship at Rotherham, person ever to win both the being a part of Great Britain & in which he defeated Shipley’s HHDUGC elite majors in a Ireland’s team that took on the Max Berrisford. year, to Dylan Shaw-Radford’s USA at Conwy, in Wales, an This he had preceded with double of Yorkshire Boys and event shown on live TV, and victory in the union’s individthen to become Champion of Dylan Shaw-Radford augual stroke play championship, Champions. mented his Yorkshire Boys’ for the PS Cockroft Trophy, as “Add to that the scratch title success by becoming well as winning the individual team so ably managed by English Boys’ County match play crown, the JR James Skirrow won the scratch Champion of Champions at Crawshaw Trophy, by beating league and Scratch Team Woodhall Spa (see p14). Huddersfield clubmate Harry Championships and the Charles Webb and Frank Mowl in the final. HHDUGC scratch foursomes Greaves, meanwhile, repreFixby claimed the sented Yorkshire Seniors as the and it’s been quite a season.” Founders Trophy for success

Autumn 2021

BRABAZON TROPHY Third Yorkshireman to lift Amateur Stroke Play Championship in last four years

Bairstow keeps a cool head at Ganton Ganton Golf Club provided a stern test for the country’s best amateur men golfers before yielding the prestigious Brabazon Trophy to the third Yorkshireman in the past four Championships. Hallowes left-hander Sam Bairstow played stunning golf all week to deservedly win the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship with a total of -11 (273), just 2-shots off The Brabazon record low score. He followed fellow Tyke champions Ben Schmidt at Alwoodley in 2019 and Nick Poppleton in 2018 at Frilford Heath. An opening round of 66 and three consecutive 69s saw Bairstow home by two shots, although he had to fight off a late charge from Zach Chegwidden whose -7 final round set up an exciting finish. Bairstow started the final round with a five-shot lead over Kent’s Josh Bristow. Five holes in, he had stretched that lead to six shots but by the 7th, Essex’s Chegwidden had suddenly appeared in his rear-view mirror after three birdies in a lightning start.

Brabazon Trophy winner Sam Bairstow Image: LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

As they hit the back-nine – with Chegwidden two groups ahead of Bairstow – it got even closer. Birdies at 12, 13 and 14 put the Orsett golfer just two shots behind Bairstow. The final stretch of holes at Ganton are renowned as some of the toughest in the country but the pair both parred the last four holes which gave Bairstow a two-shot winning margin. On 16 however, Chegwidden’s birdie putt from 40-feet

hung on the edge of the cup while on 17 Bairstow had to hole a slippery ten-footer down the slope for par. Aftwerwards Bairstow said: “If you’d have given me two under par for the round before I started, I’d have thought I’d win by five or six. “I don’t look at leaderboards, but I saw one at 15 and I noticed Zach was at nine under. It probably helped me as I knew I had to hit proper golf shots and not just feed my way round the golf course. I

was happy to par the last three and get it done. It means a lot – I’ve been feeling like a win has been coming this year. To do it in my last big event feels really good.” Referring to the clutch par putt he holed on the penultimate hole, Bairstow said: “I thought if I holed it, it would give me a bigger cushion going down the last. I didn’t want to be going down there having to make par. When I saw it turn in and drop, it wasn’t done, but it felt pretty near.” He added: “It’s very special – especially in Yorkshire. I had a lot of people out there supporting me which was nice. The win comes near the end of an amazing summer for Bairstow who qualified for The Open at Royal St George’s after setting the course record in Open qualifying at St Anne’s Old Links. He added: “I wasn’t as nervous today as I was on the

first tee at The Open but I still definitely felt it down the last few. That (playing The Open) helped me and I hit the shots when I needed to.” He had earlier made the semi-finals of the England Amateur Match Play at Moortown and Headingley, as had Wath’s George Mason. And on being so well

received as a champion by his peers, Bairstow said: “Out here at the top of the amateur game in the UK everyone gets on. It’s a good environment to play in.” Bairstow has decided to remain on the amateur circuit before hopefully heading to the European Tour Q School next year.

A Welsh raider, by George! Another Hallowes golfer, George Ash, produced four rock solid rounds at Southerndown Golf Club in Wales to lift the prestigious Duncan Putter. He was always in contention in the 72-hole scratch stroke play tournament after an opening 71 which saw him tied in a group of four for the early lead. Jake Sowden from The Oaks was in a group tied on 8th just two shots back – pretty much where he would end the week, eventually tied for 9th. But a second day round of 71 gave Ash a one shot lead over Caerphilly’s James Sharpe, a lead he stretched to three shots with a third round level par 72, and another 72 on the Sunday secured an eventual four shot margin over Sharpe and Milan Reed of Long Ashton.

Strictly Come golfing, with the BBC ladies

SWINGING WILD...

Danny Lockwood

t was one of Yorkshire Golfer’s stranger phone calls ... we don’t often get BBC producers asking for a helping hand. They wanted to visit a golf club to talk about ‘women in golf’. ‘Whereabouts?’ I asked, thinking it strange the Beeb’s London luvvies would have strayed this far north – unless (as I mistrustingly suspected) they thought us still a bunch of misogynistic dinosaurs ‘oop t’north’. ‘Between Batley and Leeds,’ came the answer which by now was frankly eery. ‘We’re in a road called Timothy Lane’. Until Lockdown, Yorkshire Golfer was based in my publishing company’s offices – about half-a-mile down the road from the BBC team. (For brief background I don’t ‘do’ BBC programmes like Newsnight and Daily Politics any longer – not watching, but appearing as I have a good few times. They occasionally call, I always decline. A long story.) But what was going on? All would quickly become clear. Timothy Lane is also less than a mile from that ever-accommodating and popular club Howley Hall. A couple of hours later a next-day visit was arranged courtesy of then

Strictly talking golf – Locky, Kirsty Wark, Shirley Ballas and Richard Blackburn

stand-in manager Richard Blackburn. Job done. And then Ms Beeb rang back and asked if I’d agree to be interviewed too ... but wouldn’t disclose who by, ‘because if it gets out, the club could be swamped’... Mystery indeed! I thought Her Maj, Queen Liz, might be a bit long in the tooth to take up golf, but as I waited the next afternoon on the club putting green it was indeed TV royalty swanning around the corner – Strictly Come

Autumn 2021

Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas, made up to the Nines, accompanied by senior Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark. Hmmm. At least as far as BBC journalists go, Kirsty is one I respect. Bemused members watched on from the patio as this hack-turnedhacker attempted to give Shirley a putting lesson. On her third go she sank a 20-footer and was over the moon at her ‘hole in one!’ Kirsty frostily declined a Locky lesson, declaring herself a seasoned

golfer (she came up dry!) And then to business – women in golf. The documentary airs in the New Year, and I confess that it’s been years since I ever gave a second thought to lady golfers – except to envy many of their swings and their admirable equanimity when duffing an approach into the pond at Malton & Norton’s 8th hole. It was a timely rendezvous because Howley Hall had just appointed a female General Manager in Julie Winn. My home club Malton had just hosted the England Girls’ Championships, and both club and members bent over backwards to make the most of the honour. Girls Golf Rocks is an incredibly successful venture and clubs far and wide embrace all golfers, irrespective of gender. Our sport shed its foisty old ‘men only’ stereotype long ago. I think it was Kirsty who had a bit of a prod regarding possibly transgender golfers. I hope I suitably sidestepped that potential hand grenade, although I suspect both lady and gent

golfers might be a tad put out if a 6’2”, 16-stone beardy turns up in full make-up and frock, walks onto the red tees and hammers a ball 280yards down the fairway on ‘her’ way to lifting the ladies’ monthly medal. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess. Such attempts as there were to extract some old-fashioned male chauvinism for the cameras came my way. I offered the legitimate view (I think) that there are few remaining places where four blokes can relax, exchange fruity anecdotes, tell the kind of ribald joke that may well now be considered a hate crime, and generally ignore the strictures of the Politically Correct thought-police. And by way of an example, I offered a possible scenario where I might be watching Strictly on a Saturday when the glamorous Shirley sashays on stage – rit-roo! – and I pass a remark that sees wife and daughter storming out of the room. It was just a joke – even Kirsty smiled – and Shirley burst out laughing before saying ‘that won’t make the edit!’ I think it might. But if it doesn’t I’ll share the punchline with you later...

Autumn 2021

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Autumn 2021

COUNTY TEAMS Regional glory, but national title evades defending Seniors

Men’s teams top Northern Counties Yorkshire Men’s Seniors romped to the Northern Counties league title, wrapping it up with a convincing 12.5-5.5 win against runners-up Cheshire. It meant that the Senior Tykes had swept through the regional league with an unbeaten record. Their tightest match came in their opener at Dunstanburgh Castle, when they edged out Northumberland 9.5-8.5. After that however Durham were vanquished 13.5-4.5 at Harrogate and Cumbria 14-4 at Brampton Golf Club. The most satisfying however must have been the 15-3 thrashing of the old enemy Lancashire at Crosland Heath. The league title was thus in the bag, however things were much tighter in the Northern Seniors’ qualifying 36-hole shoot-out for a tilt at the national title which they were current holders of. After the first round Yorkshire

found themselves 11 shots adrift of Lancashire and two behind Cumbria. They turned it around in the afternoon, reversing the margin with Lancashire to finish remarkably tied on a total of 748, Yorkshire prevailing by virtue of the better second round. The narrow win earned the defending champions a place in the national finals, where they faced off against recent threetimes runners-up Sussex, Warwickshire and Dorset in the first week of October. It proved a championship too far on this occasion as Sussex finally got over the ropes, with Yorkshire in third, just a point behind Warwickshire They were effectively tussling for second place in the final match and Yorkshire were left a point adrift after a 4-4 tie, despite wins for Stephen East, Richard Norton, Andy Woodhead and Ian Clarke.

A convincing 13-5 victory over Cumbria at Moor Allerton saw Yorkshire lift the Northern Union Men’s title once more. The Yorkshire team put their foot down from the off, taking five of the six morning foursomes to establish their superiority. A 7&6 win for Charlie Daughtrey and George Ash was the headline act, although Nick Raybould and Julian Wood had a 6&5 win, with Sam

Bairstow and George Mason recording a 5&4 triumph. In the afternoon singles Bairstow led the way with a 6&4 romp, before Cumbria briefly threatened a comeback, winning two and halving two of the next matches out. Yorkshire then landed six of the final seven matches to seal the win and the title. Yorkshire had previously travelled to Lancaster and earned a win over their

Red Rose rivals thanks to a strong morning foursomes performance which gave them a 4.5-1.5 lead. The singles were halved, leaving a final score on 10.5-7.5. Previous matches saw Yorkshire prevail over Northumberland at Garforth 14-4, Cheshire at Cleveland 12.5-5.5, and 11-7 over Durham at Bishop Auckland Golf Club. Pictured is the winning Yorkshire team that defeated Durham

WATERTON Park were the comprehensive winners of the Leeds & District Scratch League. They topped division one with 46pts from eight wins, a draw and a loss from their 10 fixtures. That left them a full 15pts clear of Wakefield and Moortown. Pontefract, Howley Hall and Wike Ridge rounded off the placings. There was a similarly dominant

result in Division Two where Cookridge Hall’s 45pts was way ahead of Selby (30) and Scarcroft and Moor Allerton on 29. In Division Three Horsforth (36pts) edged out Garforth on 34pts, ahead of Darrington on 32pts. But the biggest margin of victory was in the Scratch League’s Division Four where Headingley took 41pts from eight fixtures, with

Low Laithes, Normanton and Temple Newsam all on 22pts. In the LDUGC Nett League, Pontefract led the way in Division A ahead of Scracroft and Moor Allerton. City of Wakefield edged out Wetherby in Division B, while Woolley Park finished in front of Whitwood in Division C, and Sand Moor were just 1pt ahead of Barnsley in Division D.

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2 minutes from the A1, ideal for a game in the area or a stop off travelling North or South The Harry Colt & James Braid designed heathland course was established in 1898 to provide a challenging test of golf. Renowned for its firm, fast greens and strategic bunkering, the Club has hosted many major championships over the years recently including Open Championship Regional Qualifying. From the simple looking but often tricky first hole uniquely the course plays both inside and outside Newcastle Racecourse. The undulating greens combined with closely mown run off areas provide a stern test of the short game and though the course can be testing from the medal tees for even the low handicap golfer, it is a pleasure to play all year round

whatever your handicap. Whether you are just finishing your round or about to go out there is always a warm welcome in the elegant clubhouse. Guests will find a traditional feel with a modern outlook on making everyone welcome. We have excellent practice facilities including a range with a ball dispenser. Whether you are visiting the area, travelling North to Scotland or travelling South back home to Yorkshire, we are perfectly situated to break your journey and play one of the premier courses in the North. To book, please call Julie on: 0191 236 2498 or email: admin@thengc.co.uk

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Autumn 2021

The view from behind the 18th green, up to th elevated tee and (below) as it looks from the tee box

Stocksbridge Golf Club is rooted in Sheffield’s industrial past, but has eyes firmly on the future. DANNY LOCKWOOD reports

tanding atop the course at Stocksbridge Golf Club, betwixt the 17th green and 18th tee, it wouldn’t be too fanciful to invoke James Cagney’s famous last words from his movie White Heat – “made it Ma, top of the world!” Maybe not quite top of the world, but with 360-degree panoramic views that take in the Peak District’s distant Kinder Scout on a clear day, plus the Lincolnshire Wolds to the east, there can’t be many more inviting final tee shots, as you launch your drive into the yawning space below. Local legend has it that at over 1,000ft, the top of the course is the highest point a traveller heading dueEast would encounter until they reached the Ural mountains in Russia. Seriously. The Netherlands, northern Germany, Poland and Belarus – all low-lying lands. Not that even Bryson De Chambeau would be hitting it that far, but BDC would certainly fancy taking apart a course that’s fractionally under 5,000 yards from the guest tees.

A tale of dragons and mountains... Whether he would manage it or not is something else. Short courses are not necessarily easy courses, and Stocksbridge has plenty of tricks up its sleeves. When stroke index-2 is a modest 183 yards, golfers are given due pause for thought (the clue is in the hole’s name, ‘North Face’). Whatever the reality of that ‘Urals’ story, this friendly, community-based club 11 miles north of Sheffield has plenty of tales to tell, and as it approaches its centenary in 2024, hasn’t stopped writing its story yet. Far from it. The core industry of the ‘Steel City’ is far from what it once was, but that industrial legacy is patently rooted in the club. Stocksbridge was built as a 9-hole course for its workers by the United Steel Company, which grew out of major local industrialist Samuel Fox’s family enterprise. Just south of Stocksbridge, the course overlooks the village of Deepcar and the club is very much a part of the local landscape, with a

The 15th green, at an angle to your approach, and behind it the 9th green

healthy social membership to match a golf roll-call of over 300 players. “We cater for all forms of membership, from juniors and young adults, to our ‘Introduction to Golf’ scheme, 5-day, full and family memberships,” explains Club President John Yeates. “But the club is very much at the heart of village life too. And we pride ourselves on welcoming one and all, from golfers who just want to roll up, to groups and societies. Lone visitors will often be invited to join playing members if they so like.” There’s no BRS booking system, but as John added: “Just show up, we’ll find a way to get you out for a round!” The original 9-hole course was extended to 15 holes in 1982 with the current 18-hole layout completed in 1990 after Sheffield City Council leased disused land to the club for a peppercorn rent. Such as the Stocksbridge course has a flat area from holes 4-to-7 it is on that expanded area. All of the design – and much of the labour – was carried out by the members themselves. Restricted acreage means a modest par of 35/34 going out and 31 coming home, but you take this course for granted at your peril. Stocksbridge has more than its share of memorable driving holes and approaches. When played with a ‘brisk’ wind coming off the tops … well, you can imagine how the challenge quickly ramps up. Plentiful heather is both pleasant on the eye and punishing on errant shots amongst

this upland heath, and although many of the greens are relatively small and sheltered, accuracy coming into them is at a premium. You’ll find some devilish run-offs – several of which have the potential to bring the ball back to your feet if underhit. The club’s historical references include the landmark Dragons Well, high up the golf course, which until the 1970s was the main water source for the nearby Townend district. The well was reputed to cure asthma and bronchitis – but then again, the legendary Wharncliffe Dragon was said to drink from the well. Dragons Well (or its alternative name Allmans Well) is listed among the holy wells and spas of South Yorkshire. Whether or not dragons have swept over the course or not in the past, during one of the clubs’ previ-

ous landmark anniversaries the famed Red Arrows squadron marked it with a smoke-plumed swoop through the valley – low enough that Committee member Steven Haigh, watching from the top of the course, recalls actually looking down into the pilots’ cockpits! For now, all Stocksbridge eyes are on the next big anniversary in three years. “We’re also in the process of building a new swing studio, plus new greenkeepers’ sheds,” said John Yeates. As a golf club recognised by England Golf as being ‘dementia friendly’, with GolfMark and Golf Roots accreditation, plus a Junior Golf Passport aimed at getting local youngsters aged 6-to-12 into golf, it seems Stocksbridge’s future promises to be as interesting and fulfilling as its colourful past.

Autumn 2021

Stocksbridge Golf Club, very much a part of the village of Deepcar. Right - late afternoon on the patio with views of several holes that come back towards the clubhouse. Below right – on the 8th tee. Just make sure you carry to the fairway!

Stocksbridge GC Yellow Tees

1 – 247yds, par 4 Don’t be fooled by the yardage on your card, and get used to this sort of challenge. All uphill, there are trees on both sides to block you out, plus a couple of fairway bunkers. If your second doesn’t crest the rise to the green, your ball could come all the way back into a narrow ditch. Mounding at the rear of the green assists anything long, but there’s also a bunker above right. Index 15? Hmmm.

2 – 132 yds, par 3 A short hole but again difficult to club on first playing. All uphill, a flat plateau of a green, and very pretty with the heather in full bloom. Beware a steep drop off left, plus a short left bunker. Banking on the right helps gather your ball in.

3 – 333yds, par 4 Prepare for lift-off. A glorious, driveable short par-4 from an elevated tee. Trees can catch you out, but hit high and straight and the hole funnels into almost a lightbulb shaped green, narrow at the front, with dropoffs all around.

STOCKSBRIDGE GOLF CLUB ROYD LANE, DEEPCAR, SHEFFIELD, S36 2RZ

TEL: 0114 288 2779 www.stocksbridgegolfclub.co.uk YELLOW TEES

4 – 335yds, par 3 A slightly rising hole into a larger green. Tree trouble all the way down the left, but a big enough fairway – just watch the ditch wide right which reappears about 40 yards short of the green. Another elevated right-side bunker with runoffs left.

5 – 337yds, par 4 A rare flat hole along the bottom of the course with OB left, but plenty of room right. Fairway bunkers are in play, then approach slightly downhill to a green sloping from the right.

6 – 146yds, par 3 A medium uphill par-3 but take plenty of club because anything short could come back and meet you on your way. A buffer at the back helps on a wide but shallow green.

7 – 403yds, par 4 Index 1 and a tough par-4. Play for position to the

corner (stay right – OB left) and your dogleg left approach is still tough. There’s the ditch and a front bunker to contend with, the ground falls away to the right and it’s a small green tucked away. A bogey would suit most golfers.

8 – 420yds, par 4 It’s quite a walk to the 8th tee, but another spectacular driving hole from an elevated platform, especially from the whites where it is the course’s only par-5. A wide and handsome fairway heads down towards the clubhouse, but beware – trouble awaits your second, even if you avoid the right-side trees/bunkers on your drive. Everything runs away down to the right into trouble, and there’s very little room behind a green which also slopes away from you.

9 – 278yds, par 4 Similar to the first, rising all the way and getting steeper the closer you get to the two-tier, MacKenzie style green which is wide but shallow. A back left pin position could break some hearts, let alone ruin some cards. Terrific short par-4 (well I would say that, I birdied it...)

10 – 164yds, par 3 Steeply uphill to a more undulat-

ing green, cut into the hillside, again at a MacKenzie-like angle to your approach. If you’re going to miss, miss left.

11 – 407yds, par 4 Another sweeping downhiller, but stay left as anything right and short of the dogleg is blocked out by trees. A gully sits in front of the back-tofront sloping green, with run-offs left and rear.

ters might cut the corner marked by a stone wall, but the safe shot is left side, staying out of the three clumps of trees and bunker on the elbow. A good looking approach to a green slightly above you with plenty of sand in front. Again, the green is cut at an angle to your approach, and slopes away left to right.

16 – 183yds, par 3

Gently rising, tree-lined slight left-to-righter. Favour the left side on your approach to a quite flat putting surface.

The hole they call North Face (as in ‘North Face of the Eiger’). It’s index 2, which tells you all you need to know. You probably won’t need oxygen climbing up to the green. Probably.

13 – 153yds, par 3

17 – 123yds, par 3

12 – 353yds, par 4

Downhill par-3, to a green with a narrow entrance, widening towards the back. There’s sand and a run-off on the left, but the green slopes towards you, so take direct aim.

14 – 169yds, par 3 A virtual reverse of 13, parallel back up the slope, just take plenty of club, although the green seems to slope away from your approach if anything.

15 – 378yds, par 4 A good challenging par-4. Big hit-

I thought I could hear strains of Julie Andrews singing ‘the hills are alive with the Sound of Music’ after hitting across the top of the course to the final par-3. Just avoid the heather, hole your putt and admire the spectacularly panoramic views.

18 – 382yds, par 4 Prepare for lift off from over 1,000ft! Launch your final drive into the heavens and follow it all the way downhill back towards the patio in front of the clubhouse. A cracking finishing hole.

Autumn 2021

INTER-DISTRICT UNION LEAGUE Back to winning ways for resilient East Riding

Just champion for ‘new’ skipper Andy Lockwood helped East Riding to two Yorkshire InterDistrict Union League titles as a player and now, in his initial season as captain and manager, he has led them to their first crown in 12 years and fourth overall. They did it in dramatic fashion by usurping outgoing champions HalifaxHuddersfield on match points after both sides had finished with five wins, a draw and a loss, the tied match coming against one another in the penultimate round. “It was a really enjoyable season. The lads were a credit to the union,” said Lockwood, who took over managing East Riding at the end of 2019, but had to wait until 2021 to send his team into action because of Covid. They began with a 21-15 defeat against annual favourites Sheffield at Abbeydale and he admits his

From the left: John Illingworth (ER secretary), Will Storr, Steve Uzzell, Jamie Gregory, Mark Lamb, John Chambers (ER President, Andy Lockwood (Captain/manager) Tommy Risker, Steve Lynch and Howard Palmer (team support manager)

CHRIS STRATFORD talks to East Riding’s overjoyed Captain Andy Lockwood troops were down, but his experience as a player enabled him to lift their spirits. “It was really close. Two or three things could have gone our way and it would have been our win,” he recalled. “They had a chip-in that turned a match into a half when we were one up, and we had a couple of matches in the singles where we were one up with two to play and we lost both games. “However, I expressed to the lads how we are now to what we were when we previously played Sheffield away [a 28-8 thumping]. I said, ‘we have just run them really close, it is seven games, it is not a sprint, it is more of a

Photo courtesy of Cameron Thomson

marathon. If we can show what we have done against Sheffield and keep at that level or even improve through the season, we can still win this

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Win Yorkshire’s oldest trophy and make golfing history

Thursday 16 June 2022

league’.” His words proved prophetic and four successive wins followed, against Leeds (20-16), York (27-9), Teesside (27-9) and Harrogate (20-16) although the overall scores do not convey the true drama of the former and latter victories. “Against Leeds at home we were losing 9-3 after the foursomes, but then we came back and won the majority of the singles. I think that really brought home to the lads what I was wanting them to do in playing for each other and battling. From then on the emphasis was all of them were wanting to play, and play for each other. “Harrogate had their top team out against us at Rudding Park and that shows their respect for what we had been doing this season. We lost the foursomes there as well, 8-4, and the lads came back and did exactly what they did against Leeds to win.” East Riding and HalifaxHuddersfield shared both sessions in their tussle at Scarborough North Cliff where the visiting champions moved to the cusp of victory with two matches to play only for youngsters Jack Northgraves and Tom Benson to secure victories for a tie. It meant Lockwood’s team

knew a win in their final game at home to Bradford would in all probability be enough to secure the title. “We have got some very good youngsters and some very experienced players,” he added. “A couple of experienced players came back in Mark Lamb, who had been working in Singapore for 20 odd years and had been part of the 2001 league-winning team, and Steve Uzzell, who had turned back amateur after playing tournament golf. “Steve had played in the 2009 championship team with me, so he passed on his experience as well to the lads. Youngsters are like sponges, and if you give them good vibes like we did they will enjoy it. They were like, ‘wow I didn’t realise we could be this good’. “It still gives me stress when I think of the last game against Bradford. It was six-all after the morning foursomes session and I think even in the singles in the afternoon the majority of the matches after nine holes we were possibly losing, but then the lads came to the back nine and won easily, to be fair.” East Riding had prevailed 24-12 meaning HalifaxHuddersfield’s 24-12 home

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In Cookridge Hall’s final Junior Order of Merit event of the year,16-year-old Isabelle Forbes holed in-one at the 14th. Three weeks before Isabelle had come within inches of a hole-in-one and she took the advice of the Junior Organiser – she hit it a bit closer this time! As well as a hole-in-one Isabelle chipped in twice and ended up with 45 points off her 23 handicap. As a result of her fantastic round her handicap dropped to 19.8. Isabelle has had a fabulous season individually, but it is in her role as Captain that she has excelled, involving nearly all of the 64 Juniors in competitions and activities. One of her greatest triumphs was last year when, almost single handedly, she ensured that there were 48 girls in the Girls Golf Rocks event at Cookridge Hall.

win over Harrogate was to no avail. Their manager Frank Greaves was among the first to congratulate Lockwood. Lockwood praised East Riding support manager Howard Palmer, commenting: “Howard has been absolutely fantastic again. He does all the food, the drinks, helps organise stuff. He is a past president, so for him to be involved and be part of the team, he loved it and we sort of bounced off each other – I’m not sure who was more stressed in the Bradford match, him or me.” East Riding are already planning for their title defence with the foursomes an obvious area where Lockwood can see room for improvement. “It has crossed my mind a number of times with the foursomes, why has it gone like that? Maybe it’s just that we do have quite a lot of younger players who just need to get used to playing more foursomes. I look at the pairings and think, ‘that looks good on paper’, but some of the tighter games just didn’t work out. “We’ll be having autumn and spring get-togethers at Ganton, I have got that organised for the lads to meet up so we can practise as a squad leading into next season.”

Autumn 2021

IN FOCUS: Low Laithes GC Founded in 1925, Low Laithes Golf Club is an Alister MacKenzie design with tight fairways and fast greens which provides a great test of golf. Head greenkeeper Jonathan Brown is restoring some of the original MacKenzie features as part of an ongoing course programme which also includes significant investment in drainage. After enjoying some of the signature holes your round finishes with two par fives including the classic MacKenzie 18th at 544 yards from the white tees. The club and its membership pride themselves on providing a friendly welcome and relaxed surroundings for you to enjoy your golf and refreshment before or after play. The club is always a hit with society golfers, many of whom return year after year. PGA professional Adrian Ambler is on hand to offer golfing advice, tuition and equipment. His pro shop was nominated from hundreds across the British Isles as one of the outlets of the year. Low Laithes Golf Club is ideally located just off junc-

tion 40 of the M1 which makes it ideal for your society day, or for meeting friends from near and far to play this excellent course. Golfers are welcome to visit, or enter one of our popular open days, as the club approaches its much anticipated centenary year. The 2022 open days are available to book via the club website. Memberships for 2022, full and midweek, are available and demand is anticipated to be high. Please contact the secretary for more information.

Low Laithes has also welcomed back an ‘old boy’ in signing Richard Law as Head PGA Assistant Pro. Richard started his elite amateur career as a Low Laithes junior. Head Professional Adrian Ambler, pictured with Richard, said: “Exciting times lie ahead and we believe we now have a team in place to deliver class-leading levels of products and services.” Law joins the club from Bradley Park on November 15th.

Champion Dylan is right on track... Fixby’s Dylan Shaw-Radford found magical back-to-back birdies on his final two holes to add the English Boys’ County Champion of Champions title to his Yorkshire win. The 16-year-old was consistency personified with rounds of 70 and 71 round the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa to see off 29 fellow champions from rival English counties. His winning total of -5 gave him victory by two shots from Warwickshire’s Seb Cave. Dylan was two in front after the opening 18 holes thanks to a -3 round which featured 13 pars, four birdies and just a solitary bogey. Cave drew level as the players neared the closing holes but he was left needing an eagle on the par-5 18th in order to force a play-off. The title was previously won by Ryder Cup team member Matt Fitzpatrick and this year’s Walker Cup star Ben Schmidt. After receiving the

trophy Shaw-Radford said: “I hope I can do what they have done – that would be nice.” He added: “I kept it in play off the tee and tried to hit a lot of fairways and managed to do that and shoot nice scores. “I had a feeling someone would shoot a low one in the afternoon and I knew I had to go under par again. I tried to extend the lead. “I didn’t look at my phone so I only knew how close it was when my mum told me after the round.” Lancashire’s Andrew

NO W

lowlaithes

Haswell finished in third place after bouncing back from a +3 76 to shoot a best-of-the-day round of 68. Dylan qualified for the Champions play-off by landing the Yorkshire Boys title at Bradford Golf Club. Over 36holes his consistency was again key with rounds of 70/71 making him the only golfer under par at -3. Michael Robson of Oakdale was 3 sshots back on level par. Image: LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

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For bookings and further information contact: Low Laithes Golf Club, Park Mill Lane, Ossett, WF5 9AP

T: 01924 266067 or visit: www.lowlaithesgolfclub.co.uk

Autumn 2021

The longest Centenary year Geoff Mortimer had to wait a long while to host golfing dignitaries from around the county after his year as Centenary President of the Leeds & District Union was put on hold because of the global pandemic. But the wait was worthwhile as the sun shone throughout the day at his home club Moortown for a Centenary Celebration event that involved lunch, a lot of laughter and a better ball stableford competition around the former Ryder Cup venue. Six of the current presidents from Yorkshire’s seven other unions were in attendance, along with one of Leeds Union’s most ardent sponsors, Andrew Thirkill, and Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs’ President Cameron Thomson and

their Secretary Jonathan Plaxton. Plaxton proved as impressive on the course as he is administratively off it and the Fulford member partnered Horsforth’s Simon Lax and Hessle’s Andy Woodhead to victory with a 75-point total off a combined team handicap of around scratch. Everyone in attendance was presented with a specially minted ball marker on which is inscribed the names of the original member clubs of the union. Honourable guests are pictured (main) with (inset from left) Simon Lax, Jonathan Plaxton, Geoff Mortimer and Andy Woodhead. PHOTOS: CHRIS STRATFORD

Jake’s on a roll Garforth golfer Jake Wallis has had an outstanding year, graduating from the Yorkshire under-16s last year to the men’s County side – and at at his home club no less. Jake brought home his foursomes point with Tom Broxup before halving with Northumberland’s very tough competitor Angus Buchanan. Playing for the senior Boys’ side against Lancashire, not only did Jake record a foursomes win with Louie Walsh but he bagged a hole in one into the bargain! Jake is pictured with his County mug to mark the ace at Rudding Park! He followed it up in September with another hole-in-one at his home club. Having qualified for the prestigious Justin Rose/Telegraph Junior Golf Championship at Walton Heath, against the cream of the country’s best juniors, Jake finished in a more than creditable 4th. And although Yorkshire Boys lost the Northern Counties decider against Northumberland at Northumberland GC by a single point, having led 4.5-0.5, Jake brought home both his points, with Sam Norman in the morning foursomes, and a 5&3 win anchoring the team in the afternoon singles. The future is certainly bright!

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‘Buyer beware’ as group locked out of 5-star resort By Danny Lockwood A golf society founded by two friends from Batley, businessman Stephen Callaghan and his best friend Steve Hardwick, found themselves locked out of their 5-star Cyprus hotel after their tour operator Golf Holidays Direct failed to pass on their money. It was supposed to be the 21st anniversary celebration of the Calco Cup, drawing friends from all over the country after the tragic death of their good friend Gary Birkenshaw. Sports-mad Gary was just 40 when he collapsed and died while golfing at Cleckheaton Golf Club. A good proportion of the 31-strong society this year were Howley Hall Golf Club members. But things turned sour when they returned from the golf course on day two of the competition to find the management of Aphrodite Hills had locked them out of their rooms and were demanding £1,000 from each player. The group had paid £30,525 to Stevenage-based Golf Holidays Direct Ltd back on the 24th August and have since set up a social network group to help other victims – and plenty of aggrieved customers are coming forward. Mr Callaghan reported GHD director Lewis Remington to Hertfordshire Police after claiming he was threatened with the words “you are messing with the wrong people”. Other customers left out of pocket have made similar claims, while former employees have also come forward. The group were partially refunded by Aphrodite Hills but are significantly out of pocket to the tune of thousands of pounds. On the same day that Golf Holidays Direct told Yorkshire Golfer the hotel had now been paid, the Cyprus company commented: “Please note that despite numerous attempts at trying to contact the tour operator, to date we still have not received the money.”

LOUD AND CLEAR: The message from the Calco Cup group

At the beginning of October Essex businessman Stephen Barham won a court case against Golf Holidays Direct after they refused to refund his £2,500. Mr Barham said GHD did not attend the hearing, but repaid the money after losing the case. Now Mr Barham and Stephen Callaghan are helping other alleged victims take legal action against Golf Holidays Direct. One group claims to be owed £23,500. The company is reported to have had its membership of the travel-regulator ABTA revoked last November. Trading Standards officers in Stevenage are also reported to be dealing with a large number of complaints about the firm.

After numerous approaches for comment, GHD replied: “All your emails are with our Solisitor’s (sic), and your emails are almost blackmailing. Do not contact GHD further in matters you know nothing about.” Stephen Callaghan and Steve Hardwick commented: “The handling of this is just unbelievable. Today the phone system still advises they are ABTA protected and ABTA themselves know this is illegal but they will not take it down. “The money here is astounding, we have been contacted by cases due to our public Facebook page and it runs into the many tens of thousands. We will never give up until ours and everyone’s losses are paid in full.”

Autumn 2021

TONY HOWARTH, Director at Scarthingwell Golf Academy

Distance info key to club choice A

s a general rule, up to 90% of golf shots finish short of the flag, so one of the best ways to get the ball to the hole and lower your score is to know your golf club distances. Understanding how far, on average, each club in your bag carries can make a direct impact on your handicap. How far can you hit a 7-iron? How far do you usually hit a 7-iron? These are two different questions that most amateur golfers consider similar when choosing a club on the golf course. “I hit my 7-iron 160 yards last week on the 5th so it should be the perfect club today from the same distance. Each shot faces different conditions including lie, wind, uphill/downhill, temperature and more. In addition, the biggest factor is how well the shot was struck. Add all these variables, and it’s easy to see why amateurs struggle with identifying their golf club distances.

Why is it important to know your golf club distances? Statistics would say 150 yards is the key distance for most amateurs to practice. Remember however that there is a difference between carry distance and total distance. Many amateurs typically use their total distance (carry + roll) on their best shots as opposed to their standard carry distance. In addition to understanding the difference between carry and total distance, another reason for knowing how far each club goes is to properly manage the gaps between your clubs. For example, if you have a 20-30 yard gap between your 5-iron and your hybrid, you’re in deep trouble if a shot requires a distance in the large gap!

What makes the golf ball fly further? What are the biggest factors in determining how far a ball will fly? Swing speed, impact point on the face, clubhead design, shaft? In my opinion,

carry distance is primarily determined by correctly applying your swing speed to the ball at impact. What does that mean in simple terms? It’s the combination of clubhead speed combined with the correct swing path and angle of attack. All of that, plus a centred strike on the clubface, will see the speed applied correctly.

How do we measure these elements? They are shown in data collected by Flightscope launch monitors, all of which are displayed in a simple table for you and your coach to understand.

After a session on the Flightscope launch monitor (right) Tony can study that data with his student (top). Below – average yardages to swing speed, plus the main Tour averages

How golf clubs affect distance Shaft length can have a significant impact, providing greater clubhead speed and therefore increased distance. Increasing driver length from 46 inches to 48 inches could be expected to provide an increase in driving distance of between 4 and 5 yards. Over the past years, the lofts on many irons have decreased on average by around 4 degrees per club. The decrease in loft and the increase in shaft length both contribute significantly to increased hitting distances for these clubs when compared to corresponding irons in the past.

How golf balls affect distance The performance of golf balls has changed significantly over the last 25 years, contributing directly to hitting distance increases. The use of multilayer, solid-core balls has made a significant impact to how golf balls affect distance. Multi-layer, solid-core balls often spin considerably less than wound core balls at typical driver impact angles. This is an important factor for driver shot distance because decreases in spin can directly contribute to increases in distance.

Course conditions affect distance Wet or dry fairways and rough, uphill or downhill lies, the temperature, wind and humidity can all affect

hitting distance. The landing conditions of the shot are also a contributor to the overall distance.

How golfers affect hitting distances On average, a clubhead speed of 93mph generates 215 yds carry off the tee with a driver, whilst a clubhead speed of 70 mph generates 172 yds carry off the tee with a driver. Various physical attributes of the golfer such as height, weight, strength and flexibility also have the potential to affect hitting distances.

Using Launch Monitors to Increase Distance and Accuracy Launch monitors have provided coaches and golfers with the ability to measure and understand how changes in swing technique or equipment influence ball launch and shot outcome. As well as providing accurate, objective feedback about a shot or change in equipment, launch monitors supply data that can assist in understanding ball striking and ball flight at all levels of playing ability. The use of launch monitors can help a player achieve increased distance through the optimization of equipment and launch angles.

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

WIN A 1HR FLIGHTSCOPE SESSION! For your chance to win a one-hour Flightscope Session with Tony Howarth at Scarthingwell Golf Academy, just send an email to tonyhowarthpga@gmail.com with your name and contact details. TWO lucky winners will be drawn on 30th October 2021. All those entering the free draw will also be sent a voucher for a half price Flightscope or Video lesson with Tony. For details of all sessions available, please visit tonyhowarthgolf.co.uk or call Tony on 07588 355588.

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

GREEN FEE OFFER £20 PER PERSON Monday-Friday

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For details on our 2021 MEMBERSHIP OFFERS contact TONY HOWARTH

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Scarthingwell Lane, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 9PF T: 01937 557878 tony.howarth@scarthingwellgolfcourse.co.uk www.scarthingwellgolfcourse.co.uk @GolfPick

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One of Yorkshire's Friendliest Golfing Venues

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE TO SAY... “I was excited about playing a course with a reputation for a friendly atmosphere. It did not disappoint – I was met with a very professional and cheerful welcome.” “York is blessed with some really good courses and you can put this one right up near the top!” “Thanks again for another great day’s golfing, yet again the course was in immaculate condition.”

Autumn 2021

Parry a good EuroPro bet Harrogate professional John Parry is in a strong position to claim a place on the Challenge Tour for 2022 going into the PGA EuroPro Tour’s seasonPlenty to smile about: John Parry won the 2020 protour Tour Final and is in a strong PGA EuroPro qualifying position PHOTO: ANDY CROOK

ending Championship at Slaley Hall. Hot favourite for the tour title is Mitch Waite of Filton Golf Club, leading the Order of Merit by a huge £16,600 ahead of second placed Parry, with a £25,000 first prize to be played for this weekend (October 20-22) at the Northumberland track. Parry won at Cumberwell

10th anniversary reunion success

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The great and the good of Yorkshire golf came together for the 10th annual staging of the Captains and Presidents Reunion at Pike Hills. Local knowledge proved key as home club members Dave Bell and Jack Smith came in with the winning best 2-from-4 stableford competition, along with Cottingham Park’s Richard Gleghorn and Tony Stevenson from Hessle. YUGC President Cameron Thomson presented the prizes and guests received a commemorative memento of the anniversary. Pictured, from left – Dave Bell, Richard Gleghorn, Jack Smith and Tony Stevenson

Park and made 12 cuts out of 14 tournaments entered and stands on earnings of £22,300, trailing Waite on nearly £39,000. The top five in the final Order of Merit get a Challenge Tour card and Worksop’s Joe Dean leads the chasing pack in 6th place on £17,868. Dan Brown (Romanby) is close behind in 9th spot, while

Nick Poppleton (Wath), Ben Hutchinson (Howley Hall), Reece Samson (Bondhay), Bailey Gill (Lindrick) and Nick Marsh (Huddersfield) all qualified for the Championship inside the top 60, but need a special performance to break into the top five and will be looking for good results to improve their exemption status.

Autumn 2021

SELBY GOLF CLUB Winter al i c e p S 4-ball £110 1st vember o N m o r F

Friday Winter Open Series £25 per person inc Bacon Roll & Hot Drink 29th October – 10th December – 28th January – 25th February – 25th March –

Gents Pairs Team AmAm (any gender) Gents Pairs Gents Pairs Team AmAm (any gender)

CDH & Handicap required – Limits 28 (men) 36 (Ladies)

Book online for these and our 2022 Opens via our website: www.selbygolfclub.co.uk

Summer Society Bookings 2022/23 SPECIAL RATES for groups between 17 & 39 From £35 plus food SPECIAL OFFER for groups above 40 FREE fourball on the day worth £140 Cannot be used against bookings already made www.selbygolfclub.co.uk Selby Golf Club, Mill Lane, Brayton Barff, Selby YO8 9LD Tel: 01757 228622 email: Manager@selbygolfclub.co.uk

Autumn 2021

Lindrick juniors tough it out to make All-England final Lindrick’s junior team progressed through two tense qualification rounds to reach the British Junior Team Home International Championship Final. The Yorkshire qualifying round at Hallamshire hosted junior teams from Lees Hall, Lindrick, Thirsk & Northallerton and Worksop. In a tense affair Lindrick squeezed through by only 2-points from second place Thirsk & Northallerton with Loui Goff, Lucia Maturi and Joseph Simpkin top scoring for Lindrick. The North-East of England Final saw the Lindrick kids pitted against some very notable clubs on a blustery day at the immaculate Cottingham Parks. The under-18 event saw very experienced teams fielded by Close House, The Wynyard, Hexham and George Washington GC but as the scores came in it

was to be another battle between Lindrick and Thirsk & Northallerton to decide which club reached the final. The result was again a very narrow margin, this time it was 4points that separated the teams with two nett 76s from Spencer Gill and Scarlett Ward proving decisive scores. Lindrick Captain Lucia Maturi, said after that win: “We are just very surprised to get this far. We were just thrilled to bits to win at Hallamshire and didn’t really expect anything from today especially when we saw that the other teams were much older than ours. “But we are a great team, supported each other all day long and just kept going to get the best score that we could – this was just so much fun.” Ramside Hall on October 10th howevIt wasn’t to prove to be national er, with the Peterborough Milton club glory in the All England Finals at landing the title.

York Union winners

Forest Park Golf Club hosted the York Union’s Open Championship with Kirkbymoorside’s Ryan Diuga taking the title thanks to a 2-under round of 69. Matty Dolling won the Seward Trophy for the Juniors’ best net, thanks to a birdie, birdie, birdie finish which pipped Alfie Messias on a back-3 countback. York President Mike Ward is pictured with the winners. The York Union 2021 Scratch Match Play Champion and recipient of the Wilkinson Trophy was George Robson from Fulford GC, who got the better of the Union’s Open Champion Diuga at Pike Hills.

Lees Hall at a stroll

Sheffield Union’s Lees Hall trio of Kenna Liversidge (10), Ashton Rollitt (14) and Jake Charleworth (15) powered to the Yorkshire Inter-District Union Team Championship at Horsforth. With a 95% handicap allowance and the top two scores to count, they topped the three individual returns with 40, 38 and 37pts respectively, to register 78pts and a 7pt margin over Hull, representing the East Riding, with Teesside Golf Club a further five ponts back on 67.

Regional winners: From left – Joseph Simpkin, Lucia Maturi, Olivia Streets, Scarlett Ward and Spencer Gill (Missing from the picture are Loui Goff and Max Tomlinson)

‘Mr Consistent’ is 2020protour Merit winner Romanby’s Dan Brown topped the Order of Merit in the second running of the Yorkshire-based 2020protour after a thrilling Final series across three Scottish courses. Eighty players teed it up on day one at Irvine Bogside before moving on to Glasgow Gailes and Dundonald Links. Harrogate’s John Parry landed the Tour Final title, opening rounds of 65 and 66 leaving him virtually uncatchable by day three. A closing 70 left him atop the leaderboard on -13, three shots clear of Scotsman Stuart McLaren from The Renaissance club. Three solid rounds earned Fixby’s Nick Marsh third place alone at -6, but it was a +1 three-way tie for 7th place – alongside tour founder Chris Hanson – that earned Romanby’s Brown the OOM. The 2021 journey for the fledgling professional tour started at Huddersfield GC in April and took in 21 stops, with occasional variations in format like the Cleckheaton Pairs, designated Majors, a Pro-Am and more ‘Tour Experience’ schedules, allowing non-tour members to share a stage with the professionals. The regular season wound up with the last Major at Fulford in York, where Nick Marsh edged out Nick Poppleton for the top prize, both of them a shot ahead of eventual OOM winner Brown. In the penultimate regular season event at Howley Hall home favourites Marcus Armitage and Dan Gavins had shared top spot, one ahead of Rotherham’s Ben Schmidt, who turned professional after playing in GB&I’s Walker Cup team in the US. For Howley Hall members it was a

Order of Merit winner Dan Brown

Tour Final champion John Parry

chance to help Gavins celebrate his first European Tour win in the ISPS Handa World Invitational (see p3), on the back of Armitage doing the same earlier in the season. In the 2020protour ultimately it was Dan Brown’s consistency across the season that earned him the win, after taking a

substantial lead into the Tour Final. He ended with earnings of £6,319, ahead of Blankney’s Rob Harris on £4,525, edging out Nick Marsh by a mere £25. Nick Poppleton was 4th and Parry 5th. The top 10 was rounded out by Ben Firth, Nick McCarthy, Marcus Mohr, Chris Hanson and Paul Kinnear.

PHOTOS: ANDY CROOK

Veteran pro Iain Pyman rolled back the years as he set a new Low Laithes course record of 63 (-9) when the 2020protour rolled into town on August’s Bank Holiday Monday. Pyman reached the turn in a modest -2 on the par 34 outward half, but he tore up Low Laithes’ back 9 which features three par-5s and a solitary par-3, bagging another five birdies and an eagle on the 558yard 13th. Formby pro Paul Kinnear sank 9 birdies of his own but a couple of bogeys left him two adrift of 48-year-old Pyman, who has won a record eight times on the Challenge Tour, although his last victory was 2008. Two shots further back on -6 was Romanby’s Dan Brown, while former Low Laithes member Richard Law (Bradley Park) and Oliver Sullivan (Phoenix) on -1 were two of just four other golfers to break par.

Autumn 2021

The Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs

Club Grant Initiative Up to £1,000 for new golf projects GRANTS IN THE SUM OF AROUND £20,000 OVER PAST FIVE YEARS The Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs (YUGC) has many strings to its bow in helping develop the sport across the Broad Acres. One which member clubs may well not be fully aware of is the annual club grant initiative. Under this scheme, clubs can apply for funding simply by completing a form on the YUGC website and submitting it to Honorary Secretary Jonathan Plaxton. The aim is to encourage clubs to develop projects which either attract new members, encourage people into golf, or conversely help retain membership and keep people active in golf. WHAT ARE THE SCHEME’S LIMITS? Better to ask ‘what are the limits on your club’s ideas for trying new things?’ What the annual grant initiative is not for, is paying for what might be considered dayto-day, business-as-usual golf activities, which clubs would generally undertake. It’s core aim is to encourage clubs to try something new – it is ‘seed’ funding that allows clubs to invest in trying something different; something that might encourage new players to try golf, to join a club, or indeed to keep existing members involved in the club and the game.

funding, but it is important to stress that each and every application is considered on its own merits. AND WHAT’S NEXT? Simply visit www.yugc.co.uk and search for the Grant Application which is in the subdirectory of the ‘Admin’ page on the website. Have a look at the grant criteria, consider how your project might fit in and simply take it from there. The deadline for 2021 grants has already passed but it’s never too early to consider what might be useful for your club and members in 2022.

WHAT’S REQUIRED OF US?

HAVE YOU ANY EXAMPLES?

In the first instance the club applying for the initiative would be expected to provide either services or indeed a level of matched

In the year to date the YUGC has made the following awards. The Union allocated £5,000 for 2021 schemes, but reviews this figure on

Moortown lifted the YUGC Foursomes title, beating Fulford in the final at Harrogate GC. From left: Captain Steve Johnson, Adam Frontal, Oliver Cage and Martin Gaffney an annual basis. Beverley & East Riding – Get into Golf campaign with an emphasis on girls and women. Birley Wood – Junior golf initiative/afterschool and holiday club. Brough – Get into Golf campaign with an emphasis on girls and women. Calverley – Associate membership scheme

Join us at the YUGC Annual Dinner Graham Gooch, one of England cricket’s greatest opening Test batsmen, will be the celebrity guest speaker at the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs’ 126th Annual Dinner. The gala event will take place in the Voltigeur Suite at York Racecourse on Friday November 5th and both individual guest places and tables are still available to purchase. Gooch set the record for the most runs scored in a test match versus India at Lords in 1990, when he accumulated 456 runs thanks to a first innings of 333 and a follow-up 123. As well as a cricket pundit Gooch has been in high demand as one of the most entertaining speakers on the after dinner circuit. Joining ‘Goochie’ addressing guests will be England Golf President Graham Yates and the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs President Cameron

for under-represented groups. Horsforth – Junior membership initiative. Middlesbrough – Get into Golf initiative including social activities as well as golf and competitive opportunities. Pending: Ben Rhydding – social media campaign to promote golf and club membership. Also the Yorkshire Golf Development Group have assisted in promoting Jonathan Pearson’s junior section initiative at Horsforth, plus a ‘Ladies Give Golf a Go’ female recruitment push at Sand Moor.

The following 40 golf clubs have all benefited from the YUGC’s Grant Initiative over recent years – visit the Grant Initiative page under the ‘Admin’ tab on the website to apply

YUGC President Cameron Thomson will be joined by Graham Gooch (above left) and the President of England Golf, Graham Yates (top right) Thomson. And for guests wanting a round of golf before heading out to the famous racecourse, special 4-ball prices are available at local York Union courses York (Strensall), Easingwold, Forest of Galtres, Forest Park, Heworth and Pike Hills. Just call the club and quote ‘YUGC ANNUAL DINNER OFFER’. There is also a special ticket offer of £375 for a table of 10, but the party

has to be from one club. Otherwise tickets for the evening are £40. Applications for tickets can be made via Club Secretaries or individual club members can get theirs via the YUGC website, or via the contact below as soon as possible: Alan Garbutt Esq c/o The Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs, Sandburn Hall Golf Club, Flaxton, York YO60 7RB. Telephone Alan on 07768 551283 or email him at:

alan.garbutt@btinternet.com The organisers are hoping they can get close to matching the attendance at the 125th anniversary dinner in 2019, when around 350 guests were present, with Sky Sports’ Nick Dougherty the guest speaker. The evening begins with a drinks reception at 6.45pm for a 7.30pm start. The dress code is Red Coats, Dinner Jackets or County Blazers. The YUGC hopes to see you there!

Abbeydale Bedale Ben Rhydding Birley Wood Bondhay Bracken Ghyll Bradley Park Brough Calverley Catterick Cleckheaton Concord Park Cookridge Cottingham Parks Crosland Heath Doncaster Town Moor East Bierley Filey Forest Park

Fulneck Gotts Park Hessle Hornsea Howley Hall Hull Low Laithes Malton & Norton Marsden Middlesbrough Northcliffe Oulton Hall Pike Hills Richmond Saltburn Stocksbridge Tankersley Park Teesside Wakefield Whitwood

Keep up with what’s happening on the county scene by visiting www.yugc.co.uk

Autumn 2021

II ANDREW STOCKS PGA Teaching Professional at Waterfront Golf

How does your strike affect your distance? Andrew Stocks has been looking into distance loss when not striking the ball correctly... Using the Trackman range at Waterfront Golf to check ball speed has revealed some very interesting findings. Trackman range has indicated a large drop in distance from one shot to the next for most amateur golfers. But why is this happening? A lot of it is about the strike location on the club. Most club manufacturers have made a big shift to improving the distance in off-centre hits. However we have seen a change in some of the data that comes from these off-centre hits. On the whole the new Trackman range data at Waterfront is able to give feedback to everyone that uses it, as to how much ball speed is lost

with off-centre strikes. The images show the difference a centred or off-centred hit has on ball speeds and as a result shows the difference in carry distance. You might notice the total distance isn’t much different, but if there’s a bunker between you and your target, and you need your full carry, it could be critical.

Many swing faults cause miss-strikes, but the biggest factor we feel affecting strike is maintaining posture throughout the swing. Creating good posture at address makes for better swings. If the body doesn’t move towards or away from the ball too much at impact you increase your chances of hitting a centred strike, eliminating elements such as inconsistency in swing path and club face direction at impact. As a result the ball speed and carry distance of your irons will stay consistent. My diary is filling up fast at Waterfront Golf so to try all of Trackman’s capabilities please call for a lesson or if you want to try your ball speed gains with good strikes come and test for yourself. Every bay at Waterfront includes Trackman technology included in the price of your balls. See you all at Waterfront soon.

Powerhouse - home to the new Ellwee Easy Powerhouse Golf are the exclusive UK distributors for the radical new Ellwee Golf buggy. Built in Sweden, Ellwee are extremely efficient. The Ellwee was made for adventure but also happens to be the proven leader in the electric 4-wheeler class. Available in different colors, accessories and configurations, the stylish and capable Ellwee is practically in a class of its own. Ellwee is the first green, affordable, multi-purpose vehicle, that seriously challenges traditional transportation and thinking. Ellwee was created to become a key player in the green economy that is rapidly expanding across the globe. The company has developed the next-generation electric vehicle, focusing on ease of moveThe super-efficient Ellwee Easy – distributed only by Powerhouse Golf in the UK ment within urban- and confined

areas/communities. The Ellwee Easy offers a new take on the famous Ellwee X electric cart, built for freedom of mobility. It has the same functionality as the Ellwee X, but it has an altered, inclusive-body design meant to improve comfort, stability and handling. This comes at the cost of a slightly slower maximum speed of 11 mph. Looking at the cart itself, you’ll notice that the front-center portion is carved out. Combined with a seat that is slightly more forward than on the Ellwee X, you have an electric golf cart that is much easier to get on and off, hence the ‘Easy’ in the name. As mentioned, the Ellwee Easy has all the functionality of the X. Tests have shown that rounds take roughly 25% less time than

when using ordinary two-seater golf carts. With all the talk about slow play these days, this is more important than ever. The Ellwee’s tyres run at just 3.2 PSI, which is almost half of the typical golf cart PSI of 5.7. This drastically limits damage to turf. The cart uses an electrified power-train control system developed by Cabeco, a worldrenowned automotive manufacturer. The design allows for the addition of functions like gyro control, GPS, lane assist, and auto-braking. The buggy weighs 348lbs with the battery, has a range of 65km, and has a powder-coated steel frame. The Ellwee is extremely efficient and was made for adventure and aims to be the leader in the electric 4-wheeler class. www.powerhousegolf.co.uk

Autumn 2021

GOLFING AT WATERFRONT

2021 AT WATERFRONT GOLF

Waterfront Golf has gone through some huge changes in recent years, and our membership numbers continues to rise to the point that we have very limited spaces for 7 day members but still have spaces available for 5 day members. Annual subscriptions of £470 for 5 day and £560 for 7 day offer fantastic value for our 12 month full tees and greens course. We do not have any temporary tees or greens .... ever!

Our nine hole course has eighteen different tees and our members have the option of 9 or 18 hole comps throughout the season. Our comps are open to all members gents and ladies alike. We have a thriving senior and mixed section at the club who play every week socially and in competitions.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ANY OF OUR MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES PLEASE CALL FRANK ON: 01709 877616 Our floodlit driving range has had a brand new makeover and our new putting and indoor studio which features a Capto putting lab and our Trackman driving range is now open and ready for use. Andrew Stocks will soon join our three coaches Frank, Danny and Chris who all have private studios for you to learn comfortably in. Frank and Danny both use TrackMan radar and video on all lessons and Chris uses Capto putting lab so you can learn everything you need at Waterfront Golf. The brand new Trackman 4 golf simulator is available to rent and is amazing when the weather is bad! Our fitting centre has Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made and Cobra available to try and we will match any genuine quote.

WE WILL NOT BE BEATEN ON PRICE!

SPECIAL OFFERS - LESSON PACKAGES A great introductory offer from our new coach Andrew Stocks – 1st hour half-price Danny – 10x 1-hour sessions £350 Chris – 3x 1-hour sessions £200 Call: 01709 877616 or visit www.waterfrontgolf.co.uk FOR INFO ON ANY OFFERS OR MEMBERSHIP. AND REMEMBER YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER TO USE ANY OF OUR FACILITIES – OUR CLUBHOUSE IS A MODERN, RELAXED PLACE WITH NO DRESS CODE SO COME ALONG AND ENJOY A VIBRANT ATMOSPHERE!

STATION ROAD, WATH-ON-DEARNE, ROTHERHAM S63 7BU

Food available daily

Autumn 2021

Oldies goldies at West End

Halifax West End Golf Club held a quite unique event early in the summer with a competition in which the players’ handicap was his age rather than his WHS rating. The Quaich Trophy competition was the idea of club member Ian Mair who wanted to bring a little fun to competitive play as well as giving the senior golfer a little advantage. The competition was well received with over 30 people playing in this midweek event. The winner was John Kirkwood with a net round of 9 after recording a gross 81, less his age which was 72. Pictured are the Halifax West End club Captain Derrick Ratcliffe, winner John Kirkwood and the creative genius behind it, Ian Mair.

Alan Wilson – Past President Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs Honorary Secretary Jonathan Plaxton has paid tribute to County stalwart Alan Wilson, who died on September 2nd at the age of 86. Mr Plaxton wrote to members: “It is with considerable sadness that I write to announce the passing of our Senior Past President/Vice-President and good friend Alan Wilson. As you may recall Alan has been in poor health recently following a fall near his home in Selby. “Alan was YUGC President in 1989 having been President of Leeds & District Union in 1978 and Captain of Selby Golf Club in 1985. He was also Captain of Captains in the Leeds District. “Educated at Giggleswick School a career in the RAF followed during which Alan qualified as a translator. At a time when the world was a very tense place (the Cold War) his knowledge of the Russian language must have been particularly valuable to Queen and Country. “I first met Alan when playing my golf at Selby in the late 1970s. He was full of encouragement and probably influential in my very first selection and County ‘cap’. He was a keen supporter of inter-county matches and travelled widely so becoming well known outside Yorkshire and on the ‘dinner circuit’. “Yorkshire enjoyed a particularly successful ‘oncourse’ period during Alan’s term as Chairman of Selectors (1995-2002) winning five national titles. “Alan was involved with many facets of YUGC activities but in latter years he enjoyed assisting at County Member meetings and was a popular member of that team. “When last I met Alan he greeted me as always with ‘hello Jon boy’ and spoke fondly of the roast beef luncheons shared with me and other members of our Executive Committee. He spoke with great pride of his association (40+ years) with the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs.” Mr Wilson’s funeral took place at St Wilfred’s Church, Brayton, on September 23rd.

YORKSHIRE CHALLENGE 400-plus tee-up at Ganton, Moortown and Lindrick

Hillsborough pair prevail Hillsborough duo Fred Steel and David Grocutt lifted the 2021 Yorkshire Challenge title by the narrowest of margins in a pairs better ball competition reduced to 45 holes over the county’s three Ryder Cup venues – Ganton, Moortown and Lindrick. Heavy downpours and accompanying lightning at Moortown on the middle day of three left some competitors unable to complete their rounds over the Leeds layout and organisers decided that only the front-nine scores there would count in the overall standings alongside full-round tallies at Ganton and Lindrick. Doncaster Town Moor’s Neil Murray and John Waller (Renishaw Park) finished as runners-up with an aggregate of 109 points to Steel and Hillsborough club president Grocutt’s 110 in the increasingly popular event that attracted more than 400 competitors from around the UK. The eventual champions opened with an impressive 40pts at Ganton and 24pts on the front nine at Moortown before ending in real style with 46 at Lindrick where they had four birdies and Grocutt’s nett eagle at the 5th on the way out and four more birdies coming in. They also won the Ganton series. The Moortown Series and Lindrick Division outcomes were decided over the full 54 holes – competitors take on players who start the same day/course, then the overall winner is the best of the three group winners. Hessle’s Matthew Moore and Peter Marshall triumphed in the former after amassing 42 at Moortown, 44 at Lindrick and 38 at Ganton, where they had three birdies to the turn and two on the back nine. The 2017 overall champions James Appleyard and Miles Foster, of Howley Hall, finished atop the Lindrick Division having accumulated 39 points at Lindrick, 36 at Ganton and 45 at Moortown. On the final day their scorecard was enhanced by two nett eagles from Foster. Murray and Waller had the best score on

the final day at Lindrick, matching Steel and Grocutt’s 46pts, but besting them on countback. Wath’s Steve Harper and Paul Levin were the top pairing at Moortown, also with 46, and Ganton’s best score of 42 was posted by Darren Richardson and Jack Richardson (Durham City). Pannal pairing Jeremy Halliday and Peter Jones had set a blistering pace to hold the first-round lead in the ninth staging of the Yorkshire Challenge. The winners of the final day of competition at Moortown two years earlier, Halliday and Jones built the foundations for their 44pts at Lindrick by amassing 24 on the outward nine with six birdies. On their tails, just a point adrift, were Royal Jersey’s Chris Huelin and David Oliver, best duo on the day at Moortown with 43pts having also begun the journey back to the clubhouse with 24pts with four birdies and a nett hole-in-one when Oliver birdied the eighth. While Moortown’s competitors were stalled by the weather on day two it was business as usual at Lindrick where 44pts proved the winning score again, brought in by Matthew Moore and Peter Marshall, of Hessle. They edged a pair from Liphook in Hampshire on the back nine thanks to a rare occurrence – a five-point hole. Marshall eagled the 487-yard par-5 16th and with his shot marked down a nett albatross that meant

Hillsborough’s Fred Steel, left, and club president David Grocutt are the 2021 Yorkshire Challenge champions

they came home with 24pts compared to Alan Weaver and Kevin White’s 23. Howley Hall’s Bob Carr and Paul Blackshaw were the top dogs on the day at Ganton with 40pts, leaving three pairings a shot back in their wake. Meanwhile, first-round leaders Halliday and Jones found Ganton a tougher proposition than Lindrick, carding 10pts fewer with a tally of 34.

Send your stories and photos to news@yorkshire-golfer.com

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Autumn 2021