Stableford Championship 21

STABLEFORD

28 - 29 July 2021 Belton Park Golf Club

The AGA Stableford Championship for 2021 took place at the new (to us) venue of Belton Park Golf Club on Wednesday and Thursday, 28 and 29 July 2021. The change of venue resulted from Whittington Heath Golf Club not being able to accommodate us following the return to golf as restrictions eased out of the COVID Pandemic. The intent is to return to Whittington Heath in 2022.

Belton Park is situated on the outskirts of East Grantham and lies within the spacious parkland of the historic Belton House, now a National Trust estate. Founded in 1890 the Parkland course consists of 27 attractive and challenging holes that can be configured to accommodate a variety of 18-hole competitions.

The course is scenic and pleasing on the eye with vast herds of dear roaming unnoticed for much of the time.

Only occasionally do they disperse as players approach their ball following a wayward shot. The design provides ample opportunity to take risk for the reward of a lower score but has the ability to penalise and punish when things don’t go to plan.

There are strong links with the RLC given its proximity to PWoG Barracks and has hosted several RLC Championships along with a number of AGA Regional events.

The usual full field was slightly diminished this year with only 45 starters because of a clash with the RA and RLC Championships.

Sadly, this was unavoidable due to a late date and location change forced upon us by the pandemic restrictions.

With the country having just recovered from an unprecedented heatwave the weather conditions changed at the start of the week seeing unseasonably bad weather leading to the Championships.

The course however was in excellent condition with lush fairways and receptive greens; off the fairway was not the place to be as with all the good weather and then rain the rough was treacherous. The course was set up to be a great test of golf and those able to stay on the short stuff would reap the benefits.

Four ladies helped make up the field of 45, including the newly crowned Ladies’ Champion Pte Niki Sutton AGC (SPS). Round one and the day started overcast with a few short sharp showers to add a level difficulty to an already challenging course. As the morning progressed however, the sun broke through making for a pleasant afternoon.

The course offered opportunities

Capt Bruce Saunderson RA, winner of the Thales wedge draw, demonstrating his bunker extraction technique.

for the more adventurous where the reward of a birdie of two was well worth the shot; either way staying on the fairways was a must.

The competition format ballots out those with the lowest handicaps, so this event provides an opportunity for the middle to higher handicap players to have a good run for the trophies. Any idea that the lowest handicap players will automatically fair better is a myth well dispelled early in the first round.

Maj Nikki Jordan AMS posted an early lead with a superb 44 pts off an 18 Handicap. After round one, the clubhouse leaders were Jordan 44 pts, then Mr Ian Bosley (17) on 41 pts, WO1 David Smith REME (11) on 40 pts and Sutton (4) & Maj Helen (Wendy) McChlery AGC (SPS) (17) both on 39 pts. These were followed by a further 28 players on 30 pts or better.

The second round of day one started in glorious sunshine, although the wind had picked up to create different challenges. While the course continued to dry, allowing drives to run longer, the greens remained receptive and true.

This proved to be rewarding for those brave enough to take the opportunities that the course design offered and for those able to navigate their way around the course avoiding the traps and the increasingly problematic rough. Scoring remained consistently high for the top half of the leader board with many players posting higher than 30 pts, but as the afternoon progressed the weather became increasingly ominous and overcast as the predicted bad weather of rain and thunderstorms moved in. It was touch and go as to whether the final few flights would finish the

day before the claxon brought a premature end to the day.

Fortunately, the final few flights were able to pick up their pace and managed to close off their round minutes before the course was closed due the now present thunder and lightning.

Scoring remained steady with 27 players scoring 30 pts or better and 8 players carding an impressive 36 pts or more. Of the early leaders from round one, only Sutton was able to maintain a high level of consistency bettering her morning round with an excellent 41 Pts. The closing pack saw Mr Simon Place (15), Capt John Donaldson IG (14) and Sgt Gavin Turner RA (19) post scores of 38 pts. Next up were Capt Rod Farnworth Int Corps (16), WO1 Glen Stones RLC (12) and Mr James Addy (25) all posting an impressive 37 pts thus making the result far from a “done deal”.

Results after two rounds then; Sutton on 80 pts, closely followed

by Jordan, in her first Army event, on 78 pts, then back in third on 74 pts was Donaldson with McChlery and Stones both on 72 pts. Hot on their heels though were SSgt Adrian Bennett R Signals (7) on 71 pts, Smith on 70 pts, Cpl James Watson AGC (SPS) (8) on 69 pts and Place, Mr Frank Finch (11) and Sgt Daz Linfitt AGC (SPS) (6) all on 68 pts.

Still much to play for.

Day two, round three commenced in good sunshine with a stiffening breeze. The overnight rain had softened the course so the early starters had the advantage of attacking the greens with their approach shots, but with the breeze becoming stronger by the hour the course would soon dry out and present challenges for the later players.

The ground staff had changed the pin positions overnight and

Maj Nikki Jordan during round 1 presented the course in immaculate condition, something that had become a familiar trait at Belton Park, stripped fairways and aprons, clearly (daily) painted boundaries of hazards and well raked bunkers; we were so lucky to have found this hidden gem of a course.

Scoring on the third round proved to be difficult with the average score dipping from the two previous rounds, concentration at this stage was a must. Donaldson and Bosley posted the best two scores of the round each with 38 pts.

Closely followed by Ash Ingham with 37 pts, making a serge for the top 10. Phillip Edwards posted a commendable 36 pts, but thereafter a whole host posted 34 pts, including the overnight leader Sutton.

The leaderboard was slowly taking shape going into the final round there were realistically four players in with a chance but what order the prizes was still very

much in the balance: Sutton 114 pts Donaldson 112 pts Jordan 108 pts Bennett 105 pts The final round saw lots of tired legs and mentally fatigued players starting to drift from the leading pack as the course setup and prevailing weather conditions took its toll. That said, the vast majority of players were able to post scores of between 20 and 30 which was credible given the toughness of the course.

Of the final groups contesting for the lead, there were lost balls within the first three holes. The balls having only to drift off the second cut of rough to be lost for another day; either that or left for Keith or Steve to find as they ‘spotted’ flights throughout the day.

After a hard final round in bright sunlight and strong winds the

competition drew to a close, scores were again down as an average with only three notably commendable scores above 36 pts. WO2 Steven Ball AGC (SPS) (28) posted a good 39 pts, but Sutton held her nerve and form to post a solid 37 pts alongside Maj Ben Stephens Int Corps (11).

McChlery scored well again in her first Stableford Championship with 35 pts.

So, after a long and difficult four rounds of golf Pte Niki Sutton AGC (SPS) came in a clear winner by 10 pts from Maj Nikki Jordan AMS and Capt John Donaldson IG who both scored 141 pts, with Jordan winning on count back. The top ten positions were: Pte Niki Sutton – 151 Maj Nikki Jordan – 141 pts Capt John Donaldson – 141 pts SSgt Adrian Bennett – 138 pts WO2 Steven Ball – 137 pts Cpl James Watson – 135 pts Mr Ian Bosley – 135 pts Maj Helen McChlery – 134 pts Maj Ben Stephens – 132 pts Lt Col (Retd) Roger Crook – 132 pts

It should also be noted that Niki Sutton also won the Courage Cup with 132 scratch pts and John Donaldson won the Senior’s Shield (over 45).

Our thanks go to the Chair and Captain of Belton Park GC, John Cooke and Andy Macgowan. To Karen Armstrong in her second week in the hot seat as the Club Manager and her team for helping to arrange the event, to Lorraine Winfield and the restaurant staff for their kind hospitality. To Sarah Walton the Club Professional and Josh her assistant and finally to Spike and the team of green keeping staff for presenting an excellent, challenging course. The AGA is indebted to all at Belton Park for stepping in to assist us in our time of need when COVID threatened to force another cancellation. We hope to return in 2023 and 2025 with the Strokeplay Championship and look forward to forging new and lasting relationships with such a welcoming and friendly Golf Club.

All photos can be found here.

John Cooke and Pte Niki Sutton Left to right: Maj Nikki Jordan, Capt John Donaldson, Pte Niki Sutton