Bringing you all the news from Ghyll Golf Club
GHYLL
Golfer
Meet the new Head Greenkeeper Ladies make history In the clubhouse Juniors are our future www.ghyllgolfclub.co.uk
Lowest fees in the area THE state of the economy is making it a tough time for golf clubs across the country – but Ghyll has gone a long way towards meeting the challenges head-on. Although income dropped considerably during 2009 the overall financial position has improved. Now the club has to make sure it works to continue to develop, despite having the lowest membership fees in the area. “The accounts show a much improved picture with a much stronger balance sheet. At the end of 2009 the bank balances stood at £26,502 against £11,605 the previous year. “We also had an improved position on the Income and Expenditure side – despite income being £13,200 down on 2008,” said treasurer, Terry Hunt. Cost were kept under control thanks to reducing the number of greens staff from three to two and also changes were made to the bar and catering arrangements. “These two areas of savings, together with cost savings by the committee chairmen, resulted in a surplus of £8,672 for 2009, which was £6,409 better than the previous year,” Mr Hunt said. The budget for the current year reflects the ongoing problem of membership levels. “Despite the reduced numbers we have been able to bring in a new Head Greenkeeper and kept the subscription increase to £10 per annum – less than 20p a week. “This leaves Ghyll with the lowest membership cost in the area,” he said. 2
Planning for bright future PLANS to improve the course and facilities for members took shape during 2009 – and are now bearing fruit. A number of members who left in 2008 said their reasons for leaving were the lack of qualified greens staff and poor catering and bar facilities. The same points were also raised by members at the 2009 annual meeting and the club’s Council began to address both issues – and were able to present the solutions at the 2010 AGM. Changes that have already taken place include: ■ Lady members have equality of membership, with voting rights and membership of the Council. ■ Catering and Bar services have been re-organised to provide the level of service members require while making a positive contribution to the club’s finances. Please continue to support David and Lynda Hoyle in their efforts to provide the service you want. ■ A fully qualified Head Greenkeeper has been recruited to maintain the course and improve the quality of the playing facilities for all the members. Please support David in his efforts to achieve this.
■ Payment dates for subscriptions have been brought forward by a month with the closing date now being 28th February. Members have responded well to the change with subscription payments at the end of January being £10,000 higher than January 2009. I hope, by the time you read this that trend will have continued.
Active In the current economic climate we will continue to have problems with membership levels. We must all do everything we can to bring in new members, but also to retain existing members. With this in mind we will: ■ Continue with the Open Days and the Off-Peak membership offer ■ Bring in a new offer of a £50 voucher off next year’s subscription for any member who successfully introduces a new member to the club ■ Actively pursue positive changes in the way the club operates to help retain and recruit members ■ Communicate with members by reporting what is happening at the club and listening to constructive criticism and suggestions for making improvements.
Busy social year ahead The social committee will be organizing a number of events throughout the year. Already pencilled in are the Music Quiz that proved very popular last year. This year it is to be held towards the end of June. The Ladies Putt and BBQ will be held in July and details of
other social events will be posted on the main notice board and on the events page on the web site. Social events provide an important source of income for the club so your support really would be appreciated. Any ideas for new social events would also be welcome.
Ladies make history AFTER 102 years as a male-dominated preserve, women have become full members of Ghyll Golf Club. At an historic special general meeting in July last year members voted to make all ladies, on payment of a £25 entry fee, full voting members of the club. The move is a sign of changing times which could eventually see all golf clubs forced to make the same move when EU equality legislation comes into force. But times haven’t always been so enlightened. The club was formed in 1907, and it would be 21 years before all women had the right to vote. Indeed in 1907 one Conservative MP, in response to the campaign of ‘Votes for Women’, stated: “Women are creatures of impulse and do not decide questions on the grounds of reason as men do. I am too fond of them to ask them to undertake responsibilities
which they do not understand or care for.” Whether the members of the new Ghyll GC subscribed to this view is unclear. However, ladies had their own committee – and were certainly given the responsibility of ensuring the proper running of the kitchen and the provision of refreshments. During the 1914-18 ‘Great War’ the ladies were regarded as rational enough to take full responsibility for the clubhouse. Certainly throughout the club’s existence the male members have always accepted, ‘on the grounds of reason’ of course, the many contributions, financial or otherwise, the ladies have made for the benefit of the club. In January the first women were elected to the club’s Council. ■ Pictured above are (from left): Susan Taylforth and Stephanie Robinson (centre) with 2009 Lady Captain, Eileen Chapple.
Keeping up drive for new members THE club is keeping up its drive to recruit new golfers and is offering current members an incentive to help. Anyone who is successful in encouraging a new adult member to join will get a ‘Recruitment Bonus’ of £50 off their next year’s subscription. The ‘bonus’ will be given the year after the new member joins the club. Anyone wanting to take advantage of the scheme must ensure their name is included on the new member’s application form. A third ‘Recruitment Open Day’ is also to be held in May which it is hoped will be as successful as the previous events. The club will also be promoting a half-price ‘Intermediate Membership’ package for 21-25 year olds . “We want to introduce younger members golf and to the club and the package works out at less then £5 a week,” said club secretary, Ken Wilkinson.
Sally and Craig’s charity trek Craig and Sally Holden received tremendous support from members when they decided to raise money for the Lady Captain’s charity. They set out to walk the 127¼ miles along the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal – which runs just a few hundreds yards from Ghyll’s
clubhouse. “The walk was a superb gesture of support and the response from other members was magnificent. Altogether they raised over £900 which went towards the overall total of £1,400 raised over the year,” said 2009 Lady Captain, Eileen Chapple. 3
Captain David is getting to fantastic grips with greens Clifford Hillary is captain for 2010 – an honour that completes a remarkable record. It means he has been captain at every game he has played, and there aren’t many that he hasn’t tried. Clifford has been captain at cricket, football, rugby league, darts – and even dominoes. “I’m really looking forward to everything about my year in office – it’s a tremendous honour to be captain at Ghyll,” he said.
NEW head greenkeeper David Pinder is already making an impact and is delighted with the feedback from members. “So far people seem pretty happy with what I am doing so that make my life an awful lot easier,” he said. Despite being just 25 years of age David brings with him a wealth of experience. After spending three months at the Bracken Ghyll Club in Addingham he moved to Rudding Park – rated one of the best courses in Yorkshire – where he started work-
ing as a trainee greenkeeper. “The great thing about Rudding Park was that they encouraged you to learn as much as you can, and once you have got the basic qualifications to keep studying. That is why I was able to take my NVQ qualifications,” he said. His love for the work of a groundsman began at school. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to work in an office, I wanted an outdoor life, and got some work experience at Leeds Met University cutting the cricket and football pitches. “After moving to Rudding Park
21st Anniversary Derick Hartley is celebrating 21 years of membership by serving as President. He joined the club in 1989 and served was Captain in 2002. This year he is particularly looking forward to working alongside Clifford Hillary. “We go back a long way, we’ve played together at cricket, football and darts, it is great to be Captain and President together. “I’m sure it will be a good year and I hope everyone enjoys their golf. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone on the course and in the clubhouse. 4
David Pinder with (from left): Jim Warner, Martin Robinson, Bob Presland, Eric Hepworth and Clifford Hillary.
A warm welcome THERE is a warm welcome in the clubhouse from David and Linda Hoyle who joined the Ghyll team in August last year. In their first six months they have made a big difference to the atmosphere in the clubhouse, and after a long cold winter they aim to really bring things to life as the warmer weather arrives. “There isn’t a better place to socialise in the area, with a pleasant bar and superb patio area. We are certainly aiming to be open more as the longer evenings arrive,” David said. Before taking over as stewards at
Plans for the course ADDITIONAL TEES – a second set of tees for each hole will be put in temporarily and put in on a permanent basis if they are a success. REPAIR BUNKERS – the edges of the bunker faces will be lifted to make them more challenging and visually better. ADDITIONAL BUNKERS – more bunkers may be added. in October 2001 I immediately started my NVQ level 2 and finished my qualification in 2003. “I moved up the ranks in the greenkeeping staff from there as well as taking other qualifications in spraying, first aid and chainsawing. “In 2007/2008 I was temporary first assistant and started my NVQ level 3 and technical certificate, then mid-2008 I was appointed technical supervisor and was in
that role until I moved to Ghyll.” Now he is looking forward to some warmer weather when his work will begin to have an impact on the course. “I am told Ghyll used to have some of the best greens in the region, and the basis is still there. With a bit of work they will soon be back on top form again. David is married and lives in Keighley. His wife, Phillipa, is expecting their first child in May.
in the clubhouse
the club Linda and David ran the Fosters Arms public house in Gisburn Road, Barnoldswick, and have brought their knowledge of the hospitality trade to the club. Since they took over behind the bar Ghyll Golf Club has become a popular place for family functions, with weddings, christenings and birthday parties already booked well into the year. “One wedding we catered for has already brought in four other bookings and there aren’t many weekends available,” he said. Members are also well catered for with lunchtime opening for
busy Tuesday and Thursday sessions and there is a full menu available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. “We will be opening more throughout the summer, although we haven’t finalised what the hours will be, to start with we aim to open at 4pm and then decide what hours members want. “There has already been a very positive response and we are certainly looking forward to getting into the spring and summer, when we hope to make Ghyll a popular place for people to socialise and enjoy a bite to eat,” David said.
PREVENTATIVE SPRAYING – if this is carried out it should help against diseases that may damage greens and other areas. CLEAR POND & DITCH – over the next year I hope to clean out the pond and ditch to make them look visually better and ensure any drains that run into these areas are not obstructed. ADD & REPAIR DRAINAGE – this will mainly be carried out in winter 2010 and current wet areas will be priority. TIDY UP TREE BELTS – areas such as back of 2nd Green and the right hand sides of 7th and 9th will have dead, damaged and fallen trees tidied up. GROUND AMONG TREES – Level the ground to make it playable, this will be done by possibly using cores from tining, woodchip or soil. All these projects are likely to be carried out, but will be ongoing work over the next 12 months. 5
Super year ahead
Lady Captain Stephanie Robinson (above) is looking forward to her year in office. She began playing golf at Accrington Golf Club 17 years ago and joined Ghyll after she retired to the area, with her husband, five years ago. “We were invited by friends to have a round of golf and Ghyll and loved it,” Stephanie said. This year she hopes to expand the Charity Day and there will also be an emphasis on developing mixed golf to get families playing together. Events planned include two 11hole scramble competitions, with the first on Saturday May 1 and the second on August 21. Teams will consist of a lady, a man and a junior. Ladies will also be able to play a medal card on the last Saturday each month alongside the men’s medal competition. A lady and a man may mark each others’ cards but will enter them separately. The club’s Mixed Foursomes competition will be switching from its usual Wednesday slot to become a Saturday event in 2010. The competition will be on June 19. Ladies have raised money to buy new patio furniture. Ladies A team matches this year are against Otley, Phoenix Park and Knaresborough golf clubs. 6
Ghyll Ladies enjoyed a superb 2009 both on – and off – the course. They raised £1,400 for charity with £700 going to the Pendleside Hospice and a further £700 going to Motor Neurone Disease, the charities chosen by Lady Captain Eileen Chapple. In 2010 both the Captain and Lady Captain have selected the Pendleside Hospice as their charity of the year and the club hopes all members will support the fundraising events. Martin Robinson ran coaching
sessions for the ladies last summer and added two four-week sessions over the winter. It is hoped to continue with coaching sessions during 2010 and details will be available on noticeboards at the club as soon as details have been finalised. The Ladies trip will be to Nelson Golf Club on Sunday, June 27, when golfers will wear pink and raise money for breast cancer. Ladies and seniors have also planned a mixed charity competition on August 17, so pencil the date in your diary.
Pictured (above) Lady Prizewinners 2009 and (top) preparing to tee off on Lady Captain’s Day
Ghyll set to host National Nines Open
The regional final of the National Nines Golf Open is to be played at Ghyll again this year. The event will be held on June 23 and will lead to a Grand Final to be held on the island of Jersey. Details of the competition will be published on the notice board and are available on the website: www.nationalninesgolf.com During 2009 the English Golf Union and the English Women’s Golf Association introduced a system of Active/Inactive Golf Handicaps. To maintain an ‘Active Handicap’ players must return three Qualifying Scores during the current calendar year. An inactive handicap can still be used for social golf and those competitions for which an active handicap is not a condition. “There were good entries in
competitions at the start of last season but after June entries went downhill and competitions were poorly supported. I feel we could all take part in a few more competitions.” said competitions chairman, Jim Warner. Results will be published on the internet: www.howdidido.com Senior Medal Competitions will be held monthly from April to September and the popular knockout competitions will also be a feature of the golfing year. “I would encourage all competitors to read the rules in the Fixtures Handbook as they will be strictly applied this year,” Jim said. ■ Pictured (above) are prizewinners with 2009 Captain Bill Lee.
Competitors line up for the Mixed Winter League, a social competition held on Saturdays over the winter months which encourages golfers and their partners to play together.
Scratch team aim high in battle for promotion The 2010 golfing season is fast approaching, which once more brings the scratch team into action. The team will be competing in Division Three of the Bradford Union Scratch League after just missing out on promotion last year. Matches are held on Friday evenings and start with an away trip to Clayton Golf Club on Friday May 28, with the first home game being Friday, June 4, starting at 5.30pm. All members and their families are more than welcome to come along and support the scratch team and see some excellent golf being played. All the details for the league can be found on the Bradford Union notice board in the men’s locker room. Regular players last season included: Martin Robinson (Team Captain), David Cockell, Steven Pickles, Steven Mortimer, Josh Riley. Other players that have taken part include: Gavin Stocker, Carlo Langhorn, Steven Greenwood, Billy Aitken, Scott Boardman and Tony Stocker. ■ During 2009 almost £700 was raised for the President and Captain’s charity. The money went to St Andrew’s House, Barnoldswick, a home for young physically handicapped people. 7
Young golfers are our future
JUNIOR GOLF at Ghyll is going from strength to strength during 2010 when we will be working towards gaining GOLFMARK accreditation. GOLFMARK is an award made to clubs which have met minimum standards in Coaching and Playing, the Club Environment and Child Protection and Duty of Care. Members, children and parents are asked to help and participate in our efforts to gain this award. The rewards for everybody are not only ensuring a safe environment for children, but grants can be
obtained to improve our coaching facilities. Junior coaching starts again on Thursday evenings with two sessions 6pm to 7pm and 7pm to 8pm. starting on April 22. This year there will be a four-week gap in the coaching as our coach Martin is getting married and will be away on honeymoon, our best wishes go to Martin and Charlotte wishing them a happy and healthy future together. Other activities will be arranged for these evenings. Lads and Lasses will be able to
enjoy fun competitions on Monday evenings details of these will be posted on notice boards. The Junior competition season starts on Saturday April 10 with the George Smith Trophy and once again we will have a team in the Pendle Summer League with first match being played at Ghyll on Wednesday April 14 at 9.30am. Finally all members of the Junior section would like to congratulate Clifford Hillary on becoming Captain and thank him for his work as Junior Organiser.
Club Officials and Committees Captain . . . . . . .Clifford Hillary President . . . . .Derick Hartley Vice-Captain . . .Bill Lee Capt Elect . . . . .Steve Mortimer Vice-President .Tom Ashby Secretary . . . . .Ken Wilkinson Treasurer . . . . .Terry Hunt
SOCIAL COMMITTEE Bill Lee (Chair) Susan Taylforth David Hoyle Bob Presland COMPETITIONS COMMITTEE Jim Warner (Chair) Steve Mortimer Jonathan Riley Mick Parkins Bob Bugler
Bill Lee Susan Taylforth Andrew Harling HOUSE COMMITTEE Jonathan Riley John Robb Bob Wood
PRESS OFFICER GREENS COMMITTEE Ken Wilkinson Eric Hepworth (Chair) SCRATCH TEAM Martin Robinson Martin Robinson JUNIORS COMMITTEE Jim Warner Bob Presland (Chair) Steve Mortimer 200 CLUB Tom Ashby Bob Bugler John Blackmore The President, Captain Elect, Vice President, and Lady Captain are also invited to attend all committee meetings.
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Ghyll Golf Club, Ghyll Brow, Barnoldswick, BB18 6JH
Tel: 01282 842466
E: secretary@ghyllgolfclub.co.uk