Yorkshire Golfer - March by Yorkshire Golfer

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FLYING THE FLAG

Yorkshire’s amateur stars taking it to the world’s best Centenary plans Malton and in place at Headingley Woodsome Hall vie for title

March 2022

2 ADVERTISING: Sandra Kirton 07771 885757 sandra@yorkshire-golfer.com

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES & SUBMISSIONS: news@yorkshire-golfer.com Tel: 01904 236100

PUBLISHER: Danny Lockwood @yorkshiregolfer

IN THIS ISSUE ... or read online at www.yorkshiregolfer.net SWINGING WILD YG Publisher Danny Lockwood ponders pro golf’s obsession with money – and can’t find any up-sides p6

FINAL FOUR Headingley and Malton & Norton are shortlisted for the England Golf Tournament Venue of the Year p4 PRO CHALLENGE Alex Fitzpatrick takes on PGA Tour stars in Valspar p5

SUSTAINABLE GOLF The YUGC’s Annual Meeting at Pannal Golf Club is the place to be for the latest on the ‘green’ movement p11

NORTH YORKSHIRE IN FOCUS We look at some of the best courses across the county’s beautiful north... 14-19 CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS Woodsome Hall members are in for a feast of events on and off the course as their club’s ‘big birthday’ looms p8

TOP OF THE TREE Drax Golf club’s Liam Ridgill on how Christmas Trees won an England Golf nomination p23 SWING MAESTRO Scarthingwell’s Tony Howarth shows how to maximise your turn and stop the sway in your swing p24

MARATHON MAN New Harrogate Union Junior officer has a novel fund-raising idea p21

SCHOOLS APPEAL There is still time for school-age golfers to enter the County’s regional tournaments p26

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March 2022

ENGLAND HONOURS Florida State star back in national squad looking for World glory

Jet-setter Heath faces busy year F

ixby’s Charlotte Heath has retained her place in the England Golf women’s squad for 2022, with a busy international schedule ahead. This year England will look to retain their Home International crown at Ballyliffin in Ireland and also the European title when they defend at Conwy in Wales. The squad will then head to France for the World Championships aiming to become the first English team to lift the Espirito Santo Trophy in this 29th staging of the event. Her confirmation as an England women’s stalwart comes on the back of an outstanding Freshman year playing for the Florida State Seminoles, where she earned Golfweek’s All-America Honourable Mention status and won 2021 AllAtlantic Coast Conference honours. Heath tied the Florida State lowround record with a 65 in the Valspar Augusta Invitational, and led the team to three 2021 titles. Also in FSU’s autumn schedule Heath partnered fellow English recruit Dan Bradbury to victory in their mixed foursomes match against no.1 ranked Oklahoma State during the Barbara Nicklaus Cup at Muirfield Village, in which the FSU team eventually finished fourth. Already in the 2022 Spring season

TRANSATLANTIC DUTIES: Charlotte Heath in action Image - Leaderboard Photography

as a second-year Sophomore, Heath has had an individual 4th place finish

in the opening Moon Invitational, leading the Seminoles to the team

title over 14 rival colleges. The Seminoles’ no.1 seeded woman golfer led the way with three solid rounds of 70 as they won the title by six clear shots. Twenty-year-old Heath is joined in the England side by Rosie Belsham, Annabell Fuller, Caley McGinty, Mimi Rhodes and Amelia Williamson. All were either playing members or reserves in the squads which won last summer’s European Ladies’ Team Championships at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland and then kept hold of their Home Internationals title at Woodhall Spa. In addition, Fuller, Heath and McGinty all featured for GB&I in the Curtis Cup clash with the United States of America at Conwy Golf Club in August. Jennifer Henderson, assistant performance manager for women’s golf, said: “I think I speak for the entire coaching team when I say it is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with this exceptionally talented group of players this year. “With an exciting year of golf

ahead, these players remain committed, ambitious, and determined in the pursuit of excellence. “Our national coaching team will support this group of players technically, physically, and mentally throughout the year to help realise individual goals. “After a challenging few years because of the pandemic, 2022 promises to provide ever greater coaching and competitive opportunities. “These players will not only be focusing on developing their skills in the quest for individual success in terms of titles and representative selections, but a great squad dynamic will also help towards achieving our shared goal of defending the European Ladies’ Team Championship and contending for a medal at the World Championship in August. “Having not been held for four years, the Espirito Santo World Championship is the pinnacle of team golf for England where we get to compete against the very best players from around the globe. “Whilst elite female amateur golf continues to become ever more competitive, this group of players will have every opportunity to add to their already successful amateur careers in 2022 – we can’t wait to see how they get on.”

Florida’s a happy hunting Howley pair in the money ground for the English Howley Hall pair Dan Gavins and Marcus Armitage put in strong performances at the DP World Tour’s Magical Kenya Open in the first week of March. Gavins got off to a storming start at Mauthaiga Golf Club in Nairobi, leading after an opening round 64 for -7 and it could have been a lot better but for back-to-back bogeys.

He stuttered with a second round 73 but finished strongly for a total of -10 and a share of 6th place. Armitage was level par going into the weekend but he also finished well with rounds of 67 and 68 to finish in a tie for 17th on -7. It was his 4th consecutive cut made on what was the main European Tour since the Abu Dhabi HSBC

Championship in January. With four cuts made in his own last five DP World Tour outings, Gavins stands at 38 in the tour rankings while Armitage is at 30th. Both players were heading to South Africa for the MyGolfLife Open (March 10-13) at Hartbeespoort followed by the Steyn City Championship (March 1720) in Johannesburg.

Special Rate for Yorkshire Golfer readers. To book quote ‘YG2022’ VISITING SOCIETIES ALWAYS WELCOME Wakefield’s Dan Bradbury led his Florida State Seminoles golf team to a 4th straight victory in the Mobile Bay Intercollegiate Championship in February. Bradbury finished 3rd in the individual rankings as the Seminoles finished strongly at the Magnolia Grove Crossings course in Alabama, finishing on a -16 team total for a twostroke win over the field of 13 other southern colleges. The Seminoles’ next outing

came in the Watersound Invitational at Shark’s Tooth, Florida, where Hallamshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick was also competing for Wake Forest. Neither college was in contention and Fitzpatrick finished placed 16th in the individuals with Bradbury back in the pack. Los Cabos, Mexico was where Bradbury and the Seminoles started March, with a 3rd place team finish out of 15 teams, with the Wakefield

man tied for 12th in the individuals on -7 in the 54-hole tournament. Bradbury graduated with honours and an all-star record from Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee last summer and is now doing a Masters in Business at FSU, which is in the US college system’s NCAA Div 1. Pictured – Dan (centre) holds aloft the trophy accompanied by the Seminoles’ salute

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March 2022

ENGLAND GOLF Two Yorkshire clubs vie for Tournament Venue of the Year

Headingley and Malton in spotlight T

wo Yorkshire clubs are among the four shortlisted finalists for England Golf’s Tournament Venue of the Year in the England Golf Awards 2022. Malton & Norton hosted the England Girls’ Amateur Strokeplay Championship last July, while Headingley Golf Club co-hosted the strokeplay

stages of the English Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championship alongside north Leeds neighbours Moortown. The other two nominees are Farnham Golf Club in Surrey which hosted the Under 18s Mixed Open and Whittlebury Park in Northants, home to the Disabled Golfers Open. The virtual ceremony will

be hosted by broadcaster, journalist and avid golfer Naga Munchetty and will take place on Wednesday April 20 from 6.30pm and will be broadcast live on England Golf’s YouTube channel. Nominations were invited from the public for 10 of the 11 categories and an expert panel of 46 judges, made up of

England Golf staff as well as industry and media colleagues, then narrowed down the potential winners. Malton & Norton General Manager Richard Brown said: “We are delighted to have been nominated as a finalist for this prestigious award. England Golf run many championships every year so for Malton & Norton to reach the last four is a tremendous achievement. “It was a huge honour for us to host the English Girls’ National Amateur Strokeplay Championship in 2021, it gave us a fantastic opportunity to showcase our course nationally and to a new audience. “We are proud of our course and believe that it is consistently presented very well and is a test for any standard of golfer. It was great to get so much positive feedback from the competitors, parents, spectators and England Golf. “The club were a little nervous to host a national event at first, but as the championship came closer it was so pleasing to see the level of support and the efforts of staff, volunteers and the wider club membership. “It helped create a great community spirit amongst everyone at Malton & Norton and we just hoped the club did itself proud in making everyone so welcome and the organisation so smooth. We’d also like to give our best wishes to the other finalists, Farnham, Whittlebury and Headingley.” Headingley’s head greenkeeper Andy Stanger co-ordinated a team of 27 greenkeepers, all starting at 4.30am, to help make the week a stunning success and the club captain Tony Cavanagh was suitably proud of the club’s efforts in putting on such a memorable week. “There is no prouder moment in a Captain’s year than when you realise just how supportive and committed the membership are. My moment lasted a whole week when over 100 members turned out to help make our hosting of the English Amateur the success it turned out to be. “The members had lost the use of the course for over three months due to Covid and they were about to lose it for another week in the middle of the season but none of that would dampen anyone’s enthusiasm for this event. “I was one of the starters and I heard time and time again how welcome we had made everyone feel and to hear that from so many parents and supporters was very special.” The English Amateur is just the beginning of some very exciting new plans for the

club; they will see a worldclass short-game area completed by the end of 2022 as well as some huge improvements to their practice ground facilities. Manager Jon Hall explained: “Ten years ago we set out to improve our course for our members for yearround play and, in doing so, we also knew that this would improve our visiting golfer offer. An indication of that success might be to attract a major event so being awarded the English Amateur was huge for us. We were determined to

deliver exactly what England Golf needed for the week which included a stunning golf course. Based upon a huge amount of praise received during and since the event from all quarters, we achieved that. Being nominated for an award is wonderful and, as a club, we are looking forward to keep moving things onwards and upwards.” Pictured: The 1st tee at Malton & Norton (left) and (above) Headingley Golf Club

What the judges said... HEADINGLEY An army of over 100 club volunteers made Headingley a welcoming co-host for the English Amateur Championships. An extra 20 green staff were kitted out as a ‘tournament team’ thanks to local sponsorship. Filled with confidence, the club now markets itself as a championship venue and is beginning to reap the rewards. MALTON & NORTON With over 60 volunteers from the club on hand, outdoor catering facilities and gazebos constructed on site and extra staff recruited to maintain the course, the English Girls’ Championship was a huge success. Increased media activity and a live slot on BBC Look North helped promote the club to a wide audience. WHITTLEBURY PARK An inclusive-thinking attitude at Whittlebury Park helped it stage a successful English Open for Golfers with a Disability. The 27-hole venue was carefully configured with the competitors in mind and accessibility in and around the venue was key to ensuring a safe and enjoyable event. FARNHAM With volunteers, members, staff and sponsors combining, Farnham excelled for the inaugural English Under 18 Mixed Championship. With music on the range and a course prepared to perfection, the event attracted BBC South coverage and significant local sponsorship with profits reinvested in the club’s junior section.

March 2022

Pain in Spain but Sam is solid in South Africa It was disappointment for Brabazon Trophy champion Sam Bairstow in one of Europe’s premier amateur championship at the beginning of March. After the restrictions of the past two years there was a quality field assembled at the Sherry Club in Jerez for the Spanish Amateur Open. Hallowes man Bairstow was one of nine English golfers who made the 64man matchplay rounds after the 36hole strokeplay qualifier. The cut had come on +5 and missing out were Wath’s George Mason (+8) and Doncaster’s Josh Berry (+10) after a disappointing second round of 79. Berry had been inside the cut-line on +3 after the opening round, but a wayward second round saw him finish well down the field. Wath’s George Mason also missed out on the matchplay with rounds of +3 and +5. Bairstow, ranked at 13 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, fell at the first matchplay hurdle to Angel Ayora Fanegas, a Spaniard ranked 1293. Bairstow led early on but never managed to shake off his opponent who eventually won the match at the 20th hole. Only one Englishman made it to

Image: LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

the last 16 in John Gough of The Berkshire, but he went on to land the prestigious title with a 6&5 final win over Norway’s Michael Mjaaseth. Disappointment in Spain came after

Bairstow had enjoyed strong performances in South Africa in February. A storming -7 final round bagged 4th place in the South African Strokeplay Championship over the 7,399 yard Randpark Firethorn course. Bairstow was under par in all four rounds to finish on -22, with just a bogey-6 at the 2nd hole marring an otherwise unblemished final round that featured eight birdies. Ahead of him were Scotsman Rory Franssen on -23, plus South African pair Christiaan Maas (-25) and champion Jonathan Broomhead two shots clear on -27. The week before, Bairstow recorded four steady rounds to bag a top-10 finish in the African Amateur Championship. The winner of the England Order of Merit for 2021, Bairstow was just one of two English golfers to make the 54-hole cut at South Africa’s renowned Leopard’s Creek course, on the border of the Kruger National Park. His four-round total of 289 left him level in 9th place with fellow Englishman Zach Chegwidden (Orsett GC), the pair of them a full 16 shots being homegrown winner Casey Jarvis, in the Feb 13-17th tournament.

Fitz takes on PGA pros in Valspar Hallamshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick will be teeing it up against some of the best golfers in the world next week in the PGA tour’s Valspar Championship. The college Senior, leader of the Wake Forest University golf team, went into March ranked fourth in the World Amateur Golf Rankings. He qualified for the Valspar round the Copperhead course at the Innisbrook Resort in Florida, from March 17-20, after winning the Valspar Collegiate Championship last March. Over the past two years and in 25 counting WAGR events, Alex had landed three wins and ten top-10 finishes. He was in college action in the last week of January at the Southwestern Invitational at Westlake Village and finished in 18th on -1. Unfortunately his Irish Wake Forest and Walker Cup teammate Mark Power had a nightmare round of 86 to finish on +23 and last place. Alex led the Wake Forest Deacons in 2021 with a 70.41 stroke average and was named PING First Team All-American, PING All-East Region and also selected for the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team.

He was a finalist for the Fred Haskins Award, semi-finalist for the Ben Hogan Award and selected to the 2021 Arnold Palmer Cup Team International.

March 2022

Money talks and honesty walks in modern pro golf W hat’s that hackneyed old saying – ‘money talks’? Where golf is involved, right now money doesn’t so much talk as shout and bawl from every rooftop. On one hand the purported new Greg Norman-fronted Saudi League is offering vast fortunes to everyone from Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, to our own rather more modestly accomplished Ian Poulter. We may never know who is and isn’t waiting to jump ship, but it’s already clear that fans’ favourite Lefty will need a big tin of Brasso to shine his tarnished reputation. The fact that Phil has upset so many people, particularly the PGA overlords, is something of a puzzle though, given what I’ll shortly come to. All of the Saudi hullabaloo so far has only pushed golf’s top players into publicly committing themselves to the status quo with the rest keeping their heads down. I have to say, if you already have a comfortable few million dollars in the bank, involvement in the Ryder Cup and the well-deserved respect of your peers and the golfing public, why would you sacrifice all of that for a bit more in the bank? Sad to say, I think all know the answer. My guess would be that unlike cricket in both Kerry Packer and Allen Stanford’s days, golf is wealthy enough to withstand the Saudis and it’s a shame that Greg Norman may find himself on the wrong side of history.

SWINGING WILD...

Danny Lockwood

asdGreg Norman – wrong side of golf history?

But while the main tours protest in high dudgeon about the uppity men from the Middle East wobbling their boat, a rather more distasteful piece of financial golf news caught my eye. It’s ironic that Mickelson was mischievously winding up the ‘tight-fisted’ PGA about the Saudi plan, just weeks after he told the world he’d won the $8m 1st prize in the PGA’s inau-

gural PIP – Player Impact Programme. What is PIP? It’s a $40m prize pot the PGA set aside for the golfers who had the biggest social media and fan engagement presence in 2021. Phil remarkably won the US PGA title last year at the age of 50. He was big news. Also, you’d think his social media mind games with the PGA would play to this PIP initative. It seems it was a bit of fun too far though, because he found himself largely outcast by fellow pros and even ditched by his sponsors. Not that the PIP overlords seem bothered about bad news per se. Indeed, Mickelson spoke too soon regarding his ‘win’ because despite only playing a single 36-hole exhibition with his son Charlie in 2021, the $8m payday actually went to Tiger Woods. Hmmm. I thought the only significant ‘impact’ Tiger made in 2021 was piling a car into a tree at high speed in Los Angeles. I’ve driven that self-same road many times and you ride the brake – and Tiger’s speed was estimated somewhere between 75-88mph when he hit that tree. That sure was some ‘drive’. It was certainly big news and Tiger was a very lucky man to emerge alive, but I got to wondering just what kind of ‘hits’ the PGA tour’s social media metrics cover – because it’s hard to see how that reflects positively on golf. Had this scheme been in place earlier, would the ‘hits’ of Tiger’s ex-wife counted when she was smashing his car windows with a golf club?

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So far the PGA Tour hasn’t offered a transparent explanation as to how its PIP Award was measured/decided, but if Mickelson needed consolation it came in the form of pocketing the $6m runners-up bounty. For info the rest of the top 10 was Rory, Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson ($3.5m each), then Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Bubba Watson on $3m. Reading that does make you wonder if the ongoing pantomime antagonism between Koepka and DeChambeau is anything more than a carefully crafted cash generator. There’s little to gain from imagining the real-life good to golf (or anything) that the PGA’s apparently ‘spare’ $40 million could have benefitted. Indeed they must think they’re on to a winner because the PIP prize pot is being raised to $50 million this year. Time for a bit of light-hearted thinking outside the box now. If the on-course struggles of Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose continue much longer, and they’re not tempted by the Saudis, how about this headine grabbing stunt boys? How about letting a journalist – I’m free! – find you snuggled up together in a seedy motel room? Maybe even dressed in women’s gear, you know, to tick some trans-equality boxes? Imagine the social media metrics! I don’t see why not, given how the rest of professional golf seems more than happy to prostitute itself for cold, hard cash.

Special Offers for 2022 Introductory New Members Offer In-Year Includes £30 bar credit – full membership and associated benefits until February 2023. For more info contact John on the number below

Visiting Societies Competitive deals for visiting parties, tailored to your requirements for golf and food

Visitor Day Rates Weekdays £20 (£15 winter) Weekends £26 (£20 winter)

Social/golf membership taster £110 for six rounds (6x18 or 12x9 holes) and house membership to February 2023 A friendly club situated 11 miles north of Sheffield and just 5 miles from Jnc 35a & 36 of the M1. Enjoying stunning views of the Peak District to the west and the Lincolnshire Wolds to the east. Boasting a well-stocked pro shop run by our PGA professional Roger Broad, with a comfortable clubhouse – Stocksbridge & District Golf Club is well worth a visit

Call Treasurer/Secretary John on 0114 288 2003 or email: stocksbridgegolf@hotmail.co.uk

‘As profiled in Yorkshire Golfer, October 2021’ Call the Pro Shop on 0114 288 2779 to book a tee time or for more information www.stocksbridgegolfclub.co.uk Facebook @stocksbridgeanddistrictgolfclub

Clubhouse/Office 0114 288 2003 stocksbridgegolf@hotmail.co.uk

March 2022

We welcome all visitors Memberships available in certain categories

March 2022

CENTENARY PLANS Huddersfield club is celebrating in style

Historic Woodsome Hall looks to a bright future P

reparations are at advanced stages for the official launch of Woodsome Hall Golf Club’s Centenary Year, with a packed calendar of events ready to roll out. It was on October 13, 1921 that a small group of golf enthusiasts met at Huddersfield’s historic George Hotel with the lofty idea of turning the 16th century listed Woodsome Hall into a golf club. In just a few months, by March 1922, those men’s ambitions had taken shape and their legacy continues to grow a century later. The golf club’s big day is Sunday March 20th, the day after the formalities of the AGM and election of officers. The Centenary Opening Ceremony on Sunday morning will see the raising of the Centenary flag and unveiling of a commemorative stone and planting of a time capsule, with the Clifton and

Lightcliffe Brass Band present to lend a suitably festive atmosphere. The club actually launched a Centenary fundraising effort as far back as 2010, which has raised £88,000 towards club and course improvements including a pond complex and

Centenary Bridge which enhance the 8th and 9th holes. Following the opening ceremony, members and guests are invited to play five holes of ‘Edwardian style’ golf using hickory shafted clubs Woodsome has managed to acquire for the occasion.

Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club

Spring and Summer Opens 2022 Ladies Spring Open (team of 3) Wednesday May 4th Senior Men’s Open (team of 4, 50+) Tuesday May 10th Gents Open (singles/36 holes) Sunday June 12th

Festival Week

Mixed Open (pairs) Monday June 13th Senior Open (pairs) Tuesday June 14th Texas Scramble Open (mixed team of 4) Wed June 15th

Gents Open (team of 4) Thursday June 16th For more information and booking, visit our website: www.kirkbylonsdalegolfclub.com e-mail: info@kirkbylonsdalegolfclub.com Tel: 01524 276366

@KirkbyLonsdaleGolfClub

@kirkbylonsdalegolfclub

@KL_GolfClub

Looking the part ... the 2022 Captains Mark Fielding and Carol Dudley will be swinging hickory clubs at Woodsome Hall’s Centenary launch; and right, their official photographs

Period dress is encouraged if not required – the emphasis is on fun! Guests will be given a presentation about and tour of the Grade 1 Listed hall before a celebration lunch. To mark the Centenary, Woodsome Hall member David Russell has compiled literally hundreds of fascinating facts, members’ special memories and photographs. Together they are being made into a Centenary book, ‘100 Years of Memories’. On the golf course, the club’s celebrations will actually precede the official opening, with representatives of Woodsome’s reciprocal clubs playing the course on Thursday 17th – St Patrick’s Day – and enjoying the club’s hospitality while staying in the Dormy House. In April some 28 club members will be heading to Portugal and staying at Estoril Golf Club while playing a

match against Lisbon Sports Club. Major social events for the year are planned around the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Captains’ Week, a Centenary Ball and Fashion Show. The club’s charity is the ForgetMe-Not children’s hospice. Centenary Captains are Mark Fielding and Carol Dudley and Mark commented: “It is with great excitement that Woodsome Hall Golf Club is about to commence its Centenary Year. “Our intent for the year, after two years of Covid, is to ensure our members, visitors and guests have a fun year of golf and social activities. Carol Dudley and myself are very honoured to be representing the club as Captains for this special year and the club have many events planned. “A lot of hard work and preparation has gone into planning the year and our team are very much ready to show

Woodsome Hall of at its best. “There have been a number of projects completed in the last couple of years which have enhanced the offering of the club and we hope you will take the chance to come and visit. The combination of our mature parkland course, fabulous clubhouse, Dormy House, high quality food and welcome makes Woodsome a hidden gem in the Yorkshire golfing community. We look forward to offering you a warm Woodsome welcome.” General Manager Rick Devine added: “I am personally delighted to be part of a special year for such a special golf club. The hard work and heavy investment into the course and clubhouse has been inspiring despite of all the challenges the pandemic brought us. It is going to be a pleasure to watch our members, their guests and visitors enjoy all we have to offer in 2022.”

‘New’ Trilby Tour will visit KP Club The KP Club, located in Kilnwick Percy just outside Pocklington, will be one of the hosts of the rejuvenated 2022 Trilby Tour. The announcement of the return of the tour will see it debut a revised look under new owners, Darwin Escapes. Four tournaments, all featuring in televised Sky Sports packages, will culminate in a Grand Final in September at the recently upgraded Dundonald Links, Darwin Escapes’ flagship course. The schedule begins on June 13 at The Springs Resort & Golf Club in Oxfordshire before heading to Carus Green in Cumbria on June 27. Next up comes the Trilby Tour Championship of Yorkshire at KP on July 4

and then Ayrshire and the Dundonald Links on August 15. The top 15 players from each event – 10 men and five women – will return for The Grand Final on Sept 19. Sky Sports Golf presenter, Sarah Stirk, commented: “I’m thrilled to be part of the all-new Trilby Tour for 2022. The game is in really good shape right now, and it’s great to see the Trilby Tour moving forward since Darwin Escapes purchased it last year. “Not only is it now fully refreshed, with some great new partners, it also has women playing head-to-head with the men for the coveted title of Trilby Tour Champion. I can’t wait to be part of the show.”

‘The hidden gem in the heart of Yorkshire’

Golf Simulator and Teaching Studio now open – simulator special offer, 10% off When booking, quote ‘Sim2022’ – offer valid until June 2022

March 2022

CLUB/PLAYER SURVEYS Waiting lists and joining fees return as sport shows solid growth

Golf’s covid ‘boom’ continues S

urveys of UK golf clubs have found that four in five members’ clubs and nine in ten proprietary venues reported growth in 2021, while the number of people playing golf has hit record highs. The Hillier Hopkins 2021-22 Golf Club Report polled 99 golf clubs, of which 72 were private members’ clubs and 27 proprietary, across 10 regions.

It found that three in five golf clubs now have a waiting list – a nearly threefold rise since before the pandemic – and just over a third increased or reintroduced a joining fee in 2021. Other findings included that almost 90% of clubs said they are prepared to adapt rules and regulations to modernise, a rise from 69% a year ago. Four in

five members’ clubs are planning to increase their annual subscription with almost all proprietary clubs also planning a price increase. Visitor green fees at members’ clubs have increased by 10% since 2018, while there has been a 14.5% increase in society 18-hole green fees since 2018. Golf clubs also report that

costs have risen by more than 10% and for the second successive year, head greenkeeper remuneration packages fell. In terms of demographics, 75% of club members are adult men and 70% of members are aged 50 and over. Elsewhere, 83% of members’ clubs still maintain a dress code – a sharp drop from 92% a year earlier.

Matt Bailey (pictured) a senior manager at Hillier Hopkins, said: “The good news for golf clubs is that golf appears to have sustained the popularity that it felt the boost of early on in the pandemic. It has been a strong year for the sector.” He added: “The concern amongst some clubs that membership numbers would fall again once people could go back to their normal leisure pursuits post pandemic has thankfully not come to light. “This is due to the popularity of golf generally but also 87% of members’ clubs and 92% of proprietary clubs were willing to change their rules and regulations to modernise highlighting the recognition that clubs need to look to the

future and maintain their strong memberships. “Forty percent of clubs are now offering a flexible membership which has helped attract members in a time of ongoing economic uncertainty, making a financing facility attractive to existing and prospective members. “One of the challenges for clubs with a full membership and waiting list is to optimise their member categories. “Clearly maximising the number of full, highest subscription members would maximise the clubs’ income, but does that lead to issues with course capacity and difficulty looking further to the future by limiting younger members on lower subscriptions?”

No sign of ‘new’ players leaving

ccording to Sports Marketing Surveys (SMS), 2021’s annual rounds were up 12% against 2020, continuing the surge during the year of lockdowns and home working. Even comparing against 2018 and 2019, with no lockdowns, the number of rounds was up by a huge 17% on both. The growth was even bigger when just comparing fourth quarter data. When compared against the pre-pandemic period, 2021 surged past equivalent figures from 2019. Against Q4 2019, for example, 2021 was up 40%. “As expected, there was some drop off against the peak months in 2020 when lockdowns ended and golf reopened to a groundswell of pent-up demand,” said an SMS spokesman. “In October and December 2020 rounds played were well above equivalent levels in previous years. Although in 2021 quarter four could not maintain the strong 2020 demand levels, it still outperformed previous seasons.” Richard Payne, director of SMS, said: “First and foremost, it’s great to see rounds played growing, proving that demand for golf is strong as we head

into an exciting 2022. “Rising costs and inflation are likely to put pressure on leisure budgets this year and so, particularly for those who came into golf during the pandemic, the key question now is how embedded has it become in their sporting and lifestyle DNA. “Is it a core hobby that they will continue to play even if the costs of access and equipment rise in line with inflation in other areas of the economy? The strong results for Q4 do suggest golfers continuing to play through the inclement winter months, and so we are optimistic that people will stay in the game.” Phil Anderton, chief development officer at The R&A, welcomed the results. He said: “We have seen full-length course user golf participation rise to over 66 million worldwide in 2021 and almost 11 million in Europe. The (GB) rounds played in 2021 continue to support the evidence that more golfers are playing more often and realising the benefits of the sport for their physical and mental health. “Golf, however, cannot become complacent as a sport and the industry must grasp the opportunity to maintain this interest.”

March 2022

The Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs

Golf must play its part in a sustainable future ‘S

ustainability’ is one of the key buzz-words in modern life and as the custodians of large tracts of some of the nation’s most impressive landscapes, golf clubs have an increasingly important part to play. It’s why the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs’ upcoming Annual Meeting is something of a ‘must’ for everyone already invested in preserving and protecting their courses, or wanting to learn more about what they could and should be doing. Many Yorkshire clubs already champion the idea of caring for their environments and Drax Golf Club has been recognized for its work by being shortlisted for England Golf’s Sustainable Project of the Year 2022 (see page 23). To get the very latest on what clubs should be doing and to get a glimpse into the future of sustainable golf however, Pannal Golf Club is the place to be on the morning of Wednesday March 16th. The keynote presentations at the

GEO’s Jonathan Smith event, which is open to representatives from all affiliated clubs, will come from the R&A’s Head of Sustainable Agronomy Alistair Beggs, plus Jonathan Smith, the Executive Director and founder of the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf. Mr Beggs’s presentation is titled The Future of Our Courses – Threats and Solutions.

He will be followed by the head of GEO speaking on sustainability and climate action for golf clubs. Mr Smith has been helping advance sustainability in and through golf for more than 20 years. A geographer and graduate of the University of St Andrews, he led the environmental team at Scottish Golf before founding GEO in 2006 with the mission of helping golf become stronger and more resilient through sustainability. Working alongside a growing team of sustainable golf professionals, Jonathan has rolled out programmes around the world including designing the OnCourse® support programmes for clubs, new developments and tournaments – now adopted in over 75 countries. GEO became the only body in sport to meet the rigorous ISEAL Alliance criteria for sustainability standards, certification and reporting systems, joining peer groups such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, plus the Forest and Marine Stewardship

Alistair Beggs of the R&A Councils. Mr Smith has also directly advised some of golf’s leading associations, tours and tournaments including The R&A, European Tour, Ryder Cup Europe, the LPGA, Ladies European Tour and Olympic Golf. GEO, a non-profit organization, says of its mission: “Among all sport and business, golf has a unique

opportunity to make a powerful difference. Every golf club and new development can be a responsible, resource-efficient business in an ecologically rich landscape. Every golf event can be a showcase for sustainability. “Every golfer can play a part, from beginners to top athletes. Fostering nature, conserving resources, strengthening communities and taking climate action ... golf has an opportunity to be part of the solution.” Attendees will gather at Pannal for coffee from 9.30am with the presentations beginning at 10.15am. There will be a buffet lunch for delegates staying on for the formal part of the proceedings, the Annual Council meeting at 2pm. Prior registration is required as numbers will be limited. Anyone interested should contact the YUGC Secretary Jonathan Plaxton on secretary@yugc.co.uk with your name, club, official capacity and any dietary requirement.

About the YUGC – who we are and what we do Northern Region Champions – Yorkshire Men

ith the 2022 competitive golf season fast approaching, it’s the time of year when the hard-workers of the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs really start to earn their corn – at least it would if they got paid! In fact the YUGC is a non-profit making organisation established in 1894, sustained largely by a huge number of expert volunteers and officers who dedicate thousands of hours into making the sport in Yorkshire ‘tick’. The YUGC is managed by an Executive Committee comprising elected representatives, Past Presidents and Vice Presidents. The ‘Council’ (the governing body) comprises of Officers and male voting members from the 183 affiliated clubs (as of February 2022) with an annual meeting in March. The main aim of the Union is the promotion and welfare of amateur golf within the County in co-operation with the clubs. The YUGC works closely with The Yorkshire InterDistrict Union of Golf Clubs (YIDU) and also The Yorkshire Ladies County Golf Association (YLCGA) to promote golf and social interac-

tion. Indeed the members of the Executive receive travelling expenses only when on duty at Championships and other golf events. In terms of actual staff that’s down to the full-time Honorary Secretary and parttime Honorary Treasurer in respect of their many and varied duties and responsibilities. The following are just some of the roles the YUGC oversees or assists in:

Competitive Golf * The County Championships are arranged for Boys, Men and Seniors with over 500 competitors taking part in 2021. The County Championship and Matchplay events carry World Amateur Golf Ranking points.

* County matches – Seventeen Inter-County fixtures for Boys, Men and Senior levels in 2021. * Team Championship for clubs – the YUGC arrange for club teams to compete in a county-wide event. There are 6 divisions each featuring 18 clubs and a 7th Division with a preliminary qualifying round in operation. There is also a team event specifically for members of clubs with fewer than 18 holes. * Coaching up to elite level with World Class coaches supporting our players/teams. This has resulted in our teams being successful and our players gaining national and international honours on a regular basis.

* County Members’ Association – Ten fourball better-ball meetings take place across the county. The CMA has 2,500 + members.

‘Level 2’ qualified referees. * Club Support – We work with England Golf staff (Rob Moore, Helen Searle, Neil Burke and Jason Budd) to assist clubs with matters relating to membership, safeguarding and best practices. * Facility fees / Agronomy fees totalling almost £25k are paid to clubs annually for hosting YUGC championships and meetings. YUGC have partnered with the R&A to deliver a sustainable agronomy initiative in 2022.

Working with clubs

And there’s more...!

* Grants are available to help clubs retain and recruit members with £22k granted since 2016. For more details email secretary@yugc.co.uk * Course Ratings/Rules – In partnership with the YLCGA we assess courses to comply with the World Handicap System / Slope rating requirements. The YUGC supports clubs with handicap issues, can assist clubs with re-writing local rules, and a wider range of rules issues. YUGC coordinates a panel of R&A

* The County Card is available to buy for members of participating clubs and thus receive discounted green fees at 1,300+ England clubs. * The County Secretary acts as an intermediary between clubs, England Golf and the R&A and attends meetings of The Northern Counties Golf Union. * Our delegate attends EG General meetings and acts as a conduit between the County and EG. The annual England Golf affiliation fee is current-

ly £9.50 and in 2022 the YUGC fee is just £3.95. * Annual Dinner – A black-tie dinner open to all clubs and their members. Guests usually include The President of England Golf and The Captain of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. Jon Paramour will be our guest speaker in 2022, on Friday 4th November. * The YUGC President/Past Presidents regularly speak at Inter District and Club events when invited. * Clothing – ‘Yorkshire’ County clothing items are available to buy - members of The County Members and County Team proudly wear the white rose logo. * Website / Social Media – the website www.yugc.co.uk delivers fixtures and results plus live on-course scoring for inter county matches and major county championships. You can ‘follow’ us on Twitter @YUGCUK for all the latest news and photos. For more details and information contact the honorary secretary Jonathan Plaxton on secretary@yugc.co.uk, telephone 01904 468442 or via mobile on 07484 730349.

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

March 2022

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

olf4Home are a Yorkshirebased company specialising in designing and constructing synthetic putting greens and short game areas for your garden. Our team of industry experts consists of PGA Professionals, on hand to give advice, an EIGCA-qualified Golf Course Architect to help plan the green specifications and experienced builders, landscapers and grass fitters to complete the job. At Golf4Home we’re dedicated to creating top quality, bespoke home short game installations, built to the highest standards. The low maintenance putting greens and fringe grass surrounds are guaranteed for 10 years. They provide a first-class, professional quality surface, ideal for short game practice. We offer three different green surface options depending on your requirements. Our greens receive chip and bunker shots realistically, whilst also providing a true golf ball roll for putts. Having your own bunker to practice from has proved a very popular extra feature. The Golf4Home Putting Greens

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How we work at Golf4Home....

t Golf4Home we are dedicated to creating professionally designed, bespoke, synthetic putting greens, while giving you the confidence that the project will be specific to your needs and requirements, and the individual characteristics of your garden practice area. Every one of our projects begins and ends with your dream green! Requiring very little maintenance, our expert team will design and landscape a beautiful backdrop of easily maintained trees and shrubs to create a wonderful outdoor space, ideal for practice and fun with friends and all family. Our top-quality all-weather greens receive many plaudits and compliments for how true they ‘play’ for every part of your game. There is also the added benefit of optional extras like having your own

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March 2022

Golf4Home partners Paul Hebdon and Angus Taylor

From just 3x4 metres, in as little as two days... Our expert team at Golf4Home will help design an amazing putting green and beautiful surrounds for your garden, showing you how it will look using our designers’ 3D graphic imagery. This will show you the shape of the putting green and fringe grass with recommended dimensions. Plus, any option extras such as surrounding landscaping, lighting, bunkers, water features and chipping pods etc. Golf4Home Putting Green sizes start at 3x4 metres upwards. We also offer an additional extra option of walkthrough 3D imagery, this helps Golf4Home customers to visualise their dream projects (please see our home page for an example). Synthetic grass is now widely recognised worldwide by the golf industry as a great alternative to real grass. Many professional and amateur golfers have synthetic putting greens in their gardens at home, and golf courses around the world are choosing to replace their tee areas and greens with synthetic turf to minimise maintenance and allow year-round play. Synthetic grass provides a consistent, quality surface that resembles the perfectly manicured green of a championship golf course, offering an excellent golf ball roll. We can also add in undulations to produce realistic breaking putts. The versatility of Golf4Home synthetic putting greens is that they can be installed wherever you want. Putting greens can also be installed in hotel grounds, schools or anywhere else you wish. Timescales: Normally from start to finish our projects are finished within 2-6 days depending on the size of the installation and the weather conditions. All work will be carried out with the minimum of disruption and all waste will be disposed of responsibly. Call us for a site survey or to get more details on Golf4Home’s many options.

March 2022

FOCUS ON the best of North Yorkshire

At home in the Broad Acres... F

ew if any parts of England or even Britain can boast a range of national parks and recognised areas of outstanding natural beauty to rival North Yorkshire. From the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Parks, to the Howardian Hills and Nidderdale Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, plus the Yorkshire Wolds winding their way from the Humber estuary to the North Sea, this one district is blessed by dramatic landscapes and stunning scenery. For golf enthusiasts, it means it lends itself to a diverse and wide-ranging choice of locations for them to sample. From clubs dating back to the county’s first golf ‘boom’ in the early 1890s, to relatively new facilities with their own exciting take on the modern golf experience, there is more than enough for everyone. Here, Yorkshire Golfer takes a look at North Yorkshire golf clubs with outstanding appeal to golfers from the occasional social visitor, to societies and potential new members.

SANDBURN HALL

andburn Hall is set amongst 1,000 acres of lakes and woodland, on the outskirts of York. Whether you are looking to enjoy a short break, play a round of golf with friends, organise a corporate event or book your dream wedding, Sandburn Hall is the perfect venue. Whatever your reason for visiting Sandburn Hall, you can be sure of a warm Yorkshire welcome from the professional and friendly team. The site is based just off the A64, east of York and now boasts a new 40-bedroom hotel which takes its ‘location’ status on to a whole new level.

What is more Sandburn Hall also sports the most acclaimed golf coach in recent England Golf history as its head professional. Steve Robinson was previously named England Golf’s Coach of the Year and he won the accolade again in 2021 after the England Ladies’ coach won the European Ladies’ team tournament in Northern Ireland. Sandburn has a state-of-the-art teaching facility and excellent practice grounds and driving range to ensure visitors have everything they could possible require, including equipment hire. The club has a range of excellent value society and stay-and-play offers on its website at www.sandburnhall.co.uk

Look out below! From the 7th green back up to the tee at Ripon City

THE OAKS

he Oaks Golf & Spa has established itself as so much more than a championship parkland golf course, sporting USGA specification greens. Since opening in 1996 The Oaks has matured into a highly-rated golfing challenge which has hosted many county and national tournaments. This included The Oaks hosting Northern qualifying for the presti-

gious Brabazon Trophy in 2021. In addition, The Oaks is home to the Graham Walker Golf Academy which features both an indoor and new outdoor driving range, private teaching bays and a top-quality short game and putting practice area. One of the highest regarded coaches in the game, Graham Walker is assisted by John Mellor and England Boys coach Lysa Jones, who was recently named in a ‘Top-50’ list of British golf coaches.

With a sumptuous clubhouse which sits at the hub of the 1st and 10th tees, plus 9th and 18th greens, The Oaks is also home to a luxury health spa and fitness suite. It can accommodate specialist wedding ceremonies utilising the Spa reception room, expansive clubhouse ballroom, restaurant and even outside marquee events by the stunning lakeside. Details of all The Oaks’ many facilities and visitor offers can be found by visiting the website at www.theoaksgolfclub.co.uk

March 2022

FOCUS ON the best of North Yorkshire SELBY GC

lready with an excellent reputation as a Top 25 Yorkshire golfing location, Selby, which was founded in 1907, has not been resting on its laurels. Over the past two years the club has been busy with a course development programme, fine-tuning and enhancing an already highlyrated location which new visitors never fail to be impressed by. Benefitting from a sandbased playing surface means that Selby drains exceptionally well and is highly regarded as a ‘year-round’ layout. Formatted in two loops of 9-holes that return to the impressive clubhouse, the course was originally designed by top architects JH Taylor and FG Hawtree. Modifications were carried out by Donald Steel after work began on the Selby bypass in the 1990s, but have only added to the golfing experience. For visitors wanting to loosen up the club has both an indoor and outdoor driving range, plus short game practice area. Head professional Nick Ludwell is going into his

20th year at the heart of Selby’s golfing operations, having joined the club from playing on the European Tour and Challenge Tour. A stalwart of the Yorkshire PGA, Nick is highly regarded by fellow professionals and the golfers he teaches and inspires on a daily basis. Selby prides itself on offering a warm welcome to all visitors and details can be found at www.selbygolfclub.co.uk

in 1908 and it was 1993 before it became its current 18-hole layout. Since then progress has been constant at Ripon City, with its stunning views including ones of the historic Cathedral. A new balcony added in 2018 to the relatively new clubhouse lends to spectacular sunny afternoon relaxing after a challenging round on a course benefitting from an ongoing development programme. There are no fewer than four greens and two tees visible from the raised clubhouse and balcony, and although by no means a long course, a winding parkland layout and changes in elevation make Ripon an excellent test. With a warm welcome guaranteed, casual golfers and societies can find out more about visiting Ripon City by heading to www.riponcitygolfclub.com.

‘From Dales and Moors and even to Wolds, North Yorkshire is blessed’

RIPON CITY

ew clubs can boast the history of Ripon City, which can trace its roots back to being loaned land by the Marquis of Ripon in 1891. The Marquis was the inaugural President with his vice being Earl Grey, for whom golf was presumably literally his cup of tea. Harry Vardon was an early if brief club professional, but there were many changes before the club established its current home

A parkland beauty ... looking back from the 17th green at Sandburn Hall

The Oaks clubhouse overlooking its excellent practice area, at the hub of both 9-hole loops

Continued on page 16

A stunning parkland course in the heart of North Yorkshire

2022 OPENS Sun 24 Apr: Gents Spring Team (4) £100 Thu 12 May: Seniors Spring Pairs £50 4BBB Stableford, 55yrs & +

Fri 13 May: Ladies Spring Pairs

£40

4BBB Stableford

Sat 14 May: Gents Spring Pairs

£50

4BBB Stableford

Sun 15 May: Mixed Spring Team

£100

Stableford, 1 man + 1 lady to count

Sun 19 Jun: Gents Summer Team (4)£100 Thu 21 July: Seniors Summer Pairs £50 4BBB Stableford, 55yrs & +

Fri 22 July: Ladies Summer Team (4) £80 Sat 23 July: Gents Summer Pairs £50 4BBB Stableford

Sun 24 July: Mixed Summer Team

£100

Stableford, 1 man + 1 lady to count

Sun 11 Sept: September Team (4) ENTER VIA WEBSITE AT WWW.RIPONCITYGOLFCLUB.COM

£100

March 2022

FOCUS ON the best of North Yorkshire

...from peaks to parkland... SKIPTON

n a tranquil setting on the outskirts of the market town and just off the adjacent A65, Skipton offers visitors a scenic delight in the southern reaches of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Founded in 1893 as Craven Golf Club on the banks of the River Aire in Gargave, Skipton moved to its current location just three years later. However some of the most significant changes were completed when it was extended to 18-holes in 1980 and just three years ago saw the completion of three newlydesigned holes at the lower end of the course. The recently refurbished restaurant, lounge and bar area overlooks the closing 18th hole and provides spectacular views of the Dales. With a range of challenging doglegs, handsomely wide fairways, but also elevated tees and raised greens, Skipton offers an enjoyable test to all levels of golfers. Right now the club currently has an attractive membership offer, with no more fees due until June 2023. This summer will also see the inaugural Dales Trophy, a scratch competition which the club hopes will become a Yorkshire ‘classic’ to attract golfers from across the county. Visit www.skiptongolfclub.co.uk.

With stunning Dales views Skipton winds, rises and falls from tee to green

MALTON & NORTON

ucked away not far from the A64 York-Scarborough road, at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds while sporting views of the Howardian Hills, Malton & Norton has had something of a ‘coming of age’ recently. Staging the England Girls Strokeplay Championship in 2021 and being shortlisted for an England Golf 2022 Championship Venue award has been timely recognition of one of the most complete golfing

venues in the region. The course and club is already familiar to county teams and elite players who use its extensive practice facilities. With both an outdoor and 12-bay indoor driving range, Malton & Norton also has one of the county’s biggest and best short game areas, besides an indoor state-of-the-art teaching studio. With 27-holes consisting of three loops of nine, which all start and finish by the clubhouse, Malton is able to accommodate

Wide and handsome ... the attractive approach to the 11th hole at Selby

Continued on p18

2022 – Spring’s Around the Corner! Spring Open Am-Am Thurs April 14 Pro-Am Friday May 20 BOOK ONLINE

Long Lane Aughton York YO42 4PW

Tel: 01757 288577

email: info@theoaksgolfclub.co.uk

www.theoaksgolfclub.co.uk

March 2022

FOCUS ON the best of North Yorkshire not just large-scale events and visiting groups, but keep its welcoming membership on the golf course too. Recent winter work across the Welham, Park and Derwent courses has included new drainage, and the construction of a new driving net area adjacent to the 1st tee. The south and west-facing clubhouse patio lends itself to idyllic late summer afternoon and evening views of one of Yorkshire’s most eye-catching parkland courses. To see more of society, visitor and membership offers, go to the website at www.mngc.co.uk.

ditional parkland track with treelined fairways, some ponds to negotiate and the occasional threat of the dyke which runs from the traditionally-named ‘Askham Bog’. The course isn’t long at 6,212 yards but a mix of long and short par 4s and testing longer and shorter holes are complimented by some of the trickiest greens around. Excellent practice facilities and a warm and friendly welcome always awaits guests and visitors at a club with an excellent social reputation. For more see www.pikehillsgolfclub.co.uk

PIKE HILLS

BENTHAM

ocated just two miles from the historic city of York, Pike Hills Golf Club is handily found literally just off the main A64 arterial route from Leeds to the east coast. That notwithstanding, much of Pike Hills’ rolling parkland layout winds in and around the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Askham Nature reserve which is a recognised Site of Special Scientific Interest and is regarded as one of the most ecologically diverse sites in the north of England. The club was formed in 1904 as the Knavesmire Golf Club and moved to Hob Moor in 1922 before finally arriving at its current home in 1946. The golf-course itself is a tra-

entham Golf Course in the heart of The Three Peaks is marking 2022 as a milestone year as the club reaches its centenary. The picturesque course has been under the nurturing ownership of the Marshall family since 2009. They have invested heavily in the course, constantly improving the facilities and championing golf to attract visitors and new members. In recent years, they have built luxurious lodges and glamping pods discreetly amid the fairways, offering the opportunity for visitors to ‘stay and play’, or even purchase their own golfer’s dream holiday home. With panoramic views of the

Stunning views ... Centenary club Bentham Yorkshire Dales and the Lakeland hills, the challenge is keeping your eye on the ball here. But you can get some practice in at the new driving range! As part of the 100-year celebrations, an extra Open competition has been added to the fixtures for visiting golfers. Sunday 7th August is the date for the event, which will be held as a fundraiser for prostate cancer. Teams of four, with any gents/ladies combination are invited to play, and the winners’ prize is a 4 ball voucher to play Royal Birkdale. To join the Centenary Open or book to play anytime, visit www.benthamgolfclub.co.uk

Always a warm welcome at Pike Hills

SKIPTON GC 2022 OPEN COMPETITIONS

THE 2022 DALES TROPHY 36-holes Gross Amateur Scratch Tournament

Seniors Opens (over 55)

FRIDAY 5 AUGUST 2022

THURSDAY 21 APRIL THURSDAY 16 JUNE THURSDAY 15 SEPT

– ENTER NOW – One of the UK’s first gender-equal Scratch Championships

Men’s Opens SUNDAY 8 MAY SUNDAY 25 SEPT

Join us for what will be a future classic tournament

Rabbits’ Open (H.I. 15.5 - 36.00)

Prizes for:

SUNDAY 10 JULY

Overall Scratch Winner

Ladies Opens SUNDAY 24 APRIL FRIDAY 24 JUNE FRIDAY 7 OCTOBER

Mid-Amateur Champion Junior Champion Maximum handicap 12.0 Entry fee £25 per person Maximum 2-members from same club per tee time Tee booking round 1, with round 2 to follow on the day

For full details on all of our open events and to reserve a tee time visit: www.skiptongolfclub.co.uk email: enquiries@skiptongolfclub.co.uk

Skipton Golf Club, Short Lee Lane, N.Yorks BD23 3LF

Mixed Opens SUNDAY 26 JUNE SUNDAY 4 SEPT

Tel: 01756 795657

Winter 4-ball special

£110 until March 31st

Open Events 2022 Includes food and drink if listed Sunday 15th May -

Rabbits 12-28 £40 per pair

Thursday 16th June - Seniors Open £40 per pair Sunday 19th June -

Auchterlonie 36-Hole Scratch £35 (Includes light lunch) Index limit 5.4

Summer Society Bookings SPECIAL RATES

Thursday 14th July -

Over 55’s Mixed AmAm £80 a team

Friday 29th July -

Men’s Pairs £50 a team (Includes a light meal after)

Book 17 to 39 from £35 plus, food per person

SPECIAL OFFER Groups above 40

FREE fourball on the day worth £140 Cannot be used against bookings already made

Sunday 7th August -

Mixed Open AmAm £80 a team

Friday 26th August - Men’s Team AmAm £100 a team (includes a light meal after) Thursday 6th Sept - Ladies Open AmAm £80 a team CDH & Handicap required, limits 28 (Men), 36 (Ladies)

Selby Golf Club, Mill Lane, Brayton Barff, Selby YO8 9LD Tel: 01757 228622 email: Manager@selbygolfclub.co.uk www.selbygolfclub.co.uk

March 2022

Time to get your County Cards

The popular 2022 County Card is now on sale and available via the YUGC’s member clubs. Despite being called a ‘County Card’ the scheme gives golf club members who own one access to clubs and courses nationwide. Of the 35 golfing counties in England only Norfolk and Suffolk are not signed up to the scheme. County Card holders can use it at more

than 1,350 clubs including large numbers of championship courses, like Yorkshire’s own Ganton, Fulford and Lindrick. Clubs typically charge County Card holders a green fee equivalent to a guest playing with a home member, but individual clubs have discretion to apply their own rates. Typically the card costs £10 per year and can be obtained through club secretaries or managers.

Know your rules with help from the YUGC

Let the Captains’ ceremonies begin!

Members at Scarcroft Golf Club in Leeds turned out in their numbers for a refresher on the rules of golf courtesy of officers and volunteers of the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs. The YUGC President Cameron Thomson is pictured at the evening event, demystifying – or trying to! – some of the issues that every golfer is faced with from time to time. The YUGC offers a wide variety of assistance to the183 affiliated clubs across the county. For more details on not just golf club and course rules, but other facilities and services, visit www.yugc.co.uk

Got a story or photo for us? email news@yorkshire-golfer.com It’s that time of year again when brand-new club captains around the county are loosening up for their annual drive-in. Garforth Golf Club, with two of Yorkshire’s team captains this year in Seniors leader Andy King and Junior Jake Wallis, paraded their past, present and new leaders. Pictured being watched by the club’s faithful are (from left) President Alan Garbutt, 2022 Captain Ian Doughty, his Vice-Captain Ken Findlater, plus outgoing 2021 Captain Bob Hatch and 2020 Captain Charles Phillipson. PHOTO: GARFORTH GOLF CLUB

@yorkshiregolfer follow us on to advertise call Sandra on 07771 885757

March 2022

HARROGATE UNION Novel idea for junior fundraiser

Julian’s marathon start to new role The new Harrogate Union Junior Development Officer is throwing himself straight into the job with a novel fund-raising plan. Julian Knowles, also the Junior Liaison Officer at Thirsk & Northallerton Golf Club, plans to bike and walk the 75 mile route that links all of the Union’s member clubs this summer, playing a hole at each one. Beginning at Ilkley and heading via Otley and all the Harrogate clubs, Julian plans to shoulder his clubs aboard a bike for the first 25 miles. The final 50 miles will be on foot and – fingers crossed – the bar will be open when he ends his marathon task at his home club. He hopes that his fund-raising effort will underpin junior development and coaching in the Union for the next year or two. Julian’s wife Nicola has also taken on the role of the Juniors’ secretary. Detailed plans of the date and route and how to support Julian’s fundraising effort will be publicised when available. The member clubs he will be visiting are: Ilkley, Otley, Bedale, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Masham, Oakdale, Pannal, Rudding Park, Ripon City, Romanby and Thirsk & Northallerton.

Anyone need a golf net...? Did you know ... Yorkshire golf clubs can borrow inflatable driving nets for events either at their club or for promotional/development work in the community. The Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs has the help of dedicated England Golf support staff in Northern Region Partnership Manager Jason Budd, plus Yorkshire Club Support Officer Rob Moore. There are two large nets and one medium net available to affiliated clubs. For more information contact Rob on r.moore@englandgolf.org

County Members fixture list The YUGC County Members’ fixture list for 2022 has been finalised and will open at Middlesbrough Golf Club on Thursday May 5. Entries are now open and close on March 31. Two Seniors’ CM events will follow at Waterton Park on May 19 and Brough on June 9. Silkstone GC hosts on June 23 before an Am-Am event at Bracken Ghyll on July 14. The next three open County Members stops are at Halifax West End (July 28), Flamborough (August 11) and York (August 25).

The annual CM Invitation event is on September 15 at Bingley St Ives before the season rounds off with an Am-Am at Knaresborough on September 22. Membership of the County Members costs a one-off £40 fee and entitles members to apply to play in any of the regular events and buy the association’s tie and knitwear. Full details and applications can be made via the County Members page on the Yorkshire Union website, at www.yugc.co.uk.

March 2022

Exciting times in prospect at Skipton

Roger Moore is the new men’s Captain at Skipton Golf Club, with current ladies Captain Dagmar Hecker-Woodhead reelected for a further six-month term. Yorkshire-born Roger, 74, who takes over from retiring captain Ian Sewell, has been a member at Skipton since 2015, also serving as rabbits captain in 2019 and served on the board since 2018. Roger said there was much to look forward to including continued course improvements and the launch of a brand-new Junior Academy, plus the Dales Trophy in August. He said: “My hopes for my captain’s year in two words would be ‘levelling up,’ which seems to be a hot topic at the moment! This means bringing our non-golfing businesses to the same level of financial health as the golf side, opening

up the whole club through broader engagement of all members, including breathing new life into our new member mentoring project.” Re-elected ladies captain Dagmar moved to Skipton in 1992 and has been a club member ever since, serving on various committees. Dagmar said she is looking forward to continuing her work with Women in Golf and Skipton’s own Pathway into Golf. She is also hoping that her application to England Golf for the club to become a centre for Girls Golf Rocks will be accepted. Both captains, along with re-elected ladies vice-captain, Lorraine Raeburn, who takes over from Dagmar in August, have joined forces to support a single charity for fund-raising efforts during the year, Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope, “We are already

working with them on a programme of fundraising ideas for this very worthy local cause,” explained Roger. A standalone charity golf day in aid of Manorlands is due to be staged on April 23. Sylvia Eastwood was reelected club president having become the first lady ever to hold the office. Jim Fox continues as chairman, while Bob Jarman was appointed men’s vice-captain. Other section captains are Sean Lemon (scratch team), Scott Amos (rabbits), Bobby Dixon, (juniors), Rob Watson and Gordon Whinkup (8-15) and Richard Spencer (seniors). Top team – new Skipton Golf Club captain Roger Moore, second left, is congratulated by retiring captain, Ian Sewell, joined by Sylvia Eastwood, left, and Dagmar HeckerWoodhead.

Honours shared in Leeds OoM The Leeds & District Union Order of Merit title for 2021 went all the way down to the wire – and in the end two District stalwarts couldn’t be separated. After accruing points from championships and Inter District matches, Josh Bassitt (Garforth) and Bailey Hird (Cookridge Hall) couldn’t be separated on 31 points and thus shared the title. Hird got off to a great start by landing the Leeds Strokeplay Championship at Wakefield in May. After some consistent performances in the YIDU team matches where he secured 21 Order of Merit point, he finished the season as the lowest scoring player in the Leeds team at the YIDU Team Championship at

Hornsea in September. Bailey began accruing OoM points in the opening YIDU matches and then won the coveted Swithenbank Trophy as leading player in the First

Division Team Championship at Cobble Hall in July. The joint winners are pictured with the Leeds Centenary president Geoff Mortimer.

March 2022

ENGLAND GOLF Innovative idea gets Drax ‘sustainability’ nomination

Save your Xmas trees! An ingenious recycling idea by head greenkeeper Mark Sneap has seen Drax Golf Club shortlisted for England Golf’s Sustainability in Golf Award. When the course was built in 1989, an extensive tree planting operation took place but due to the site’s industrial background, it was expected that two-thirds of the trees planted would eventually die. However by 2017 the majority of trees planted were still in situ although many were becoming diseased due to the lack of space caused by overplanting with trees battling for light. That winter the greens staff began the first stint of their Tree Regeneration Programme, removing the old, diseased trees and improving airflow, before strategically planting new evergreens such as Scotch Pines. Two seasons later, with many trees removed, Drax was selected to be part of the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy and received five tree saplings. Since then, Drax has continued to plant over 250 trees on the golf course rang-

ing from Hazel and Cherry Blossom to Norway spruce. In October 2021 Mark Sneap had the idea to re-plant Christmas Trees on the golf course and save them from going to landfill. The club discovered that over six million Christmas trees are taken to landfill each year. With this, the ‘Replant your Christmas Tree’ initiative was born. Via social media the Drax team called for people who were ordering real Christmas trees to ensure they got them with the root ball still attached,

so they could be re-planted on the golf course in the new year. Sure enough Drax received 15 Christmas trees which have since been replanted. Club Secretary Liam Ridgill (pictured) said: “Whilst this [15 trees] may not sound like a lot, it is one small step in creating a more sustainable approach to disposing of real Christmas trees. We have already started on plans for 2022 to ramp up the campaign and increase awareness. “Being shortlisted for an England Golf Award in itself is

a fantastic achievement. Ever since Mark’s appointment in 2017, sustainability has been at the core of every project he and his team have undertaken. We have already installed a borehole, built five ‘bug hotels’ and created two large wildflower areas to help enhance our diverse eco-system. “For us, being shortlisted for such a prestigious award is not just recognition of the replant your Christmas Tree campaign, but all of the work the club has carried out over the last five years”.

Trade turf exhibition back at Harrogate With ‘sustainability’ being an environmental keyword, the return of the British and International Greenkeepers Association trade show to Harrogate’s Convention Centre this month is timely indeed. BIGGA is back in Harrogate from March 20-24 after a two year absence with the British Turf Management Exhibition (BTME). In 2020 nearly 5,000 BIGGA members, turf managers, golf club owners, managers and industry decision makers packed into the exhibition centre to discover the latest products and innovations. Running alongside the exhibition, Continue to Learn is BIGGA’s world-renowned education conference, providing the equivalent of two hours-worth of education for every golf club in the country. That makes it one of the most influential and important annual events in the golf and greenkeeping calendar. The Continue to Learn programme will be divided into three parts, conference, classes and seminars and runs from March 20-23. BIGGA said: “The golf industry is changing faster than ever with new rules, new technology and new chal-

Event host Naga Munchetty lenges posed by the economy and our changing climate. “BTME provides BIGGA members and the entire golf and sportsturf industries with the tools we need to overcome any of the challenges we face, helping to create a strong and vibrant sport for generations to come.” More than 100 exhibitors are already registered and the event will also see winners of the Golf Environment Awards named, the BIGGA Awards 2022 and Excellence in Communication Awards. The event on Tuesday March 22 from 5.30pm to 6.30pm will be hosted by television presenter Naga Munchetty. Registration to attend any of the events is at www.bigga.org.uk

March 2022

TONY HOWARTH

Academy Director, Scarthingwell Golf Academy

Turn and coil for power, not slide and sway...

n an ideal golf swing, the hips should rotate from the setup position, 45-degrees away from the ball on the backswing. The shoulders ideally turn at 90-degrees to the top of the swing. This, however, is not always possible for all golfers due to age, suppleness, or injury. But understanding that this is the power generator for hitting the ball far and straight should motivate any golfer to attempt to get the hip turn into a good position. The most important phrase here is to turn not slide the hips. (Image 1) A very common fault in a golf swing is to slide the shoulders and hips away from the ball on the backswing, rather than rotate or turn them. Sliding the shoulders and hips takes away a lot of the power that could be generated by a correct turn of the hips, leading to mishits and weak, inaccurate shots. Sliding the shoulders and hips on the backswing can make the player feel like they are putting power into their shot by transferring their weight away from the ball on the backswing. This, however, results in the player requiring exactly the same amount of forward slide to get back to the ball and this, coupled with the lack of correct coil in the shoulders and hips, is where the inconsistency of strike comes from. (Image 2) Another common error is to overturn the shoulders on the backswing, without any weight transfer. This also results in inconsistent, weak shots and very often hitting behind the ball. I mentioned the hips turn at 45-degrees and the shoulders at 90-degrees. Even without this full turn, the feeling of ‘coiling’ the muscles like a spring will deliver power in the swing. The shoulders turn more than the hips, and the hips create resistance for the shoulders to turn against. If you can create this coil correctly, you will see the ball fly far and straight. To work on the correct movement, take a look at the following images. I have used four drill sticks but if you only have two, you can replace the ones on the ground with clubs. One of the sticks I have placed across my shoulders at address, the other one is across my hips. I have done this by sliding the drill stick through the belt loops of my trousers. The sticks on the ground are placed just inside my rear heel and also from my rear heel to the toe of my front foot (Image 3) Rotate the hips and shoulders until the shoulder stick is over the rear ground stick and the waist stick is over the other ground stick (Image 4) Done correctly, this will give you a 45 degree hip turn and a 90 degree shoulder turn without any swaying motion from your body. Having repeated the exercise several times and checking you are in the correct position, take your regular setup with your club, leaving the waist stick and ground sticks in place (Image 5) Take a backswing, again ensuring the waist stick is over the top of the ground stick (Image 6) If you practice this drill regularly, you will begin to create a much better coil to your swing, resulting in more powerful and accurate shots. 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

YORKSHIRE GOLFER READERS OFFER Book a 1-hour Flightscope and video analysis session with Tony Howarth for just £30 To book, contact Tony on 07588 355588 or email tonyhowarthpga@gmail.com

Visit www.tonyhowarthgolf.com for more information on the sessions offered 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

£25 PER PERSON

Saturday-Sunday To book telephone reception

01937 557878

For details on our 2022 MEMBERSHIP OFFERS contact TONY HOWARTH

01937 557878

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

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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.”

March 2022

NEWS in BRIEF

JUNIOR GOLF Chances to go for national glory await students

Area Schools titles in play The Yorkshire Schools’ Golf Association will stage its area championships between March 2125 at four golf courses across the region. There is no limit on the number of students from any particular school, but both boys and girls must have a WHS handicap index with a handicap limit of 36. The entry fee is £10. The four area winners will have the chance to compete in the North Regional Boys’ and Girls’ Championships, which is a scratch competition. In 2021 Masham member Ben Brown from Bedale High School won the North of England title by four shots from Northumberland pair Angus Buchanan and Junior Dobson, while Headingley’s Abigail Taylor from Prince Henry’s Grammar School was Girls runner-up. Howley Hall will open the competition week on March 21, with entry inquiries to Ray and Juliet Agar on jaagar@hotmail.co.uk. Ripon City is the following day (March 22), contact Steve Akrill on sakrill@outlook.com. Hickleton Golf Club is host on March 24 with entries/enquiries to Lewis Hollingworth at lhollingworth@maltbyacademy.com. The final competition is at Malton & Norton on March 25, with the contact being Kevin Hughes on wkhughes28@yahoo.co.uk. All players must be in full time education and studying A levels or below and have been born after Sept 1, 2003, and Sept 1 2006 for the under 16 category. Schools can nominate teams of three players with a chance to qualify for the National Schools’ Team Championship. The format is a best two scores to count,

A Coronation for one team THE LEEDS & District Coronation Cup will be staged at Darrington Golf Club on Thursday March 31. The 4-man aggregate stableford competition is open to one or two teams from each member club and professionals can compete. One member of each team must have a WHS index of 9.0 or lower. Entries are via club captains or secretaries and the competition contact is John Knott on 07954 169309.

2021 winners Abigail Taylor and Ben Brown played as a stableford with handicaps. The top teams from the four area tournaments then playoff at Low Laithes Golf Club to determine who progresses to the National Championship at Woodhall Spa. The nominal closing date for entries is March 11 although late entrants may be accepted if

vacancies remain. Entrants should include the name of their school and a contact teacher, their email/phone contact details, plus the name of their home club, their CDH number and date of birth. More information can be found at www.yorkshireschoolsgolf.co.uk

WAKEFIELD GC will host the Leeds & District’s Associate Members Team Invitation competition on Friday March 25. It is a four-man team stableford competition with the best two nett scores at each hole to count. At least two players must be paid up members of the Associate Members Scheme and guests must be amateur members of clubs in the Leeds Union but not necessarily from the same club. The handicap Index limit is 24.0 with the competition allowance of 85% of the course handicap. There is no limit to the number of teams from a club but a ballot may be needed if over-subscribed. All players must have a CDH number and entries are online at the Union website, www.ldugc.co.uk The contact for the competition is John Macmillan (07720 413023)

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into the past! Escape it all on a short break at Garstang Country House Hotel and Golf Club. You’ll feel like you’re a million miles away in this peaceful location where the only sound you’ll hear is the golfers teeing off on the 18-hole golf course. It’s perfect for some stress-busting time out. The welcoming staff will make you feel right at home. Sit and relax in the lounge with a newspaper and a pot of tea in the morning then sample some mouth-watering local produce in the brasserie for dinner. Nestled in the heart of the county, Best Western Garstang Country House Hotel gives you a perfect base for discovering the serene Lancashire countryside and beyond. So book yourself in now for a break to remember.

CLAYTON GOLF CLUB pair Bruce MacDonald (9) and Phil Girdlestone (13) prevailed at the Bradford Union’s Baildon Alliance on February 23. They returned 37 points in tough conditions to win by three points from a trio of pairs on 34pts, Northcliffe’s Paul Stoker (7) and Ian Livingstone (9), Ian Peirson (13) and Ray Hawley (14) from West Bradford, plus Keighley’s Simon Tabel (9) and Chris Lonsdale (7). The planned Branshaw Alliance (Feb 16) was cancelled owing to heavy rain. WAKEFIELD GOLF CLUB’S 2021 Club Captain Elizabeth Newton presented a cheque for £3,500 to Keeley Harrison the fundraising manager of Wakefield Hospice at the club’s dinner for the retiring captain. The money was raised during her term as Club Captain and thanks were extended to club members for their generous support.

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March 2022

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