Northern Golfer #83 - September 2020

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83

SEPTEMBER 2020

MORE THAN CARRYING A BAG The North East’s European Tour caddies - Chris Simmons, Michael Burrow and Sean Russell

WIN GOLF FOR FOUR AT SEATON CAREW, ARCOT HALL AND LONGHIRST

golfer NORTHERN

EDITOR Dean Bailey 01661 844 115 dean@offstonepublishing.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Alan Hedley 07570 797 566 ahedley@northerngolfer.co.uk Simon Olver Chris Paisley EVENTS Dean Bailey 01661 844 115 dean@offstonepublishing.co.uk ADVERTISING MANAGER Doug Brolls 07721 031 482 doug@offstonepublishing.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Gibson & Nicky Rogerson info@kgphotography.co.uk

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Publisher: Gary Ramsay Address: Offstone Publishing Bearl Farm, Stocksfield Northumberland, NE43 7AL Tel: 01661 844 115 E: enquiries@offstonepublishing.co.uk Twitter: @offstonepublish

WELCOME&CONTENTS We’re back! It’s been a long six months, but we’re back with a packed print edition covering the biggest moments of the region’s summer of golf.

Following our digital edition in August (which you can still view online on our website), it’s great to return with a fully loaded edition of Northern Golfer. We’ve had a lot of fun catching up with golfers, clubs and organisations across the region, hearing the success stories of our region’s best players and cramming as much content as possible into these pages.

One of the highlights of this edition was speaking to some of the industry’s experts about the impact of coronavirus on golf. The statistics show golf is booming in the UK and there is a fantastic insight on what the summer has been like for clubs, organisations and retailers, along with their hopes for the future, on page 16.

My personal highlight of this edition was getting to spend some time with Graham Chambers at Longhirst Hall for a Round With... Graham has been a great supporter of Northern Golfer over the last nine years and I’ve known him since my days a junior team player. His stories of growing Longhirst into a thriving business over the last 25 years, along with a few he wasn’t so keen to shout about, can be found on page 34.

It was a real pleasure to play Northumberland Golf Club again this summer. The course remains one of the finest inland layouts in the region and you can read more about our visit on page 28.

One of my final days spent outside before lockdown was a fantastic morning with Chris Simmons, Michael Burrow and Sean Russell. Their insights into the world of caddying - from being inside the ropes at The Masters and The Olympics to the pressure of helping a player keep his European Tour card - are absolutely fascinating. Read the full story on pages 24-27.

We’ve also got lots of results and news from club and county championships, national events, and club and charity competitions including a £25,000 hole-in-one in From the Bunker.

We’re incredibly grateful to all the clubs, retailers and organisations who have supported our return edition. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to share the stories of clubs and golfers from our region. Thank you to each one of them.

Enjoy reading this edition.

Club and county champions crowned across the region

08-15 TEEING OFF

Wilson shoots 59 and our girls’ national success continues

16 GOLF & COVID

Golf experts from across the region share their thoughts on the summer’s golf boom

19 TOUR LIFE With Chris Paisley

21 ON COURSE With Simon Olver

23 COLUMNIST

Dean Bailey on slow play

Dean Bailey, editor editor@northerngolfer.co.uk

FRONT COVER

Life on the European Tour with caddies Chris Simmons, Michael Burrow and Sean Russell Pages 24-27

28 COURSE PROFILE

The Northumberland Golf Club

30 SPECIAL FOCUS

Golf staycations 2020 & 2021

34 A ROUND WITH

Longhirst’s Graham Chambers

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04-07 TEEING OFF

38 THE LATEST GEAR NEWS

36 MATCH PLAY PAIRS The round one results are in

42 TIPS

Putting drills

44 COMPETITIONS

Win golf for four at Seaton Carew, Arcot Hall and Longhirst

46 FROM THE BUNKER Readers’ tales from around the region

NORTHERN GOLFER 03

TEEINGOFF

Maggie Whitehead (l) and Shannon O’Dwyer (r)

2020 champions

O

ur region’s best club golfers have lifted club championship trophies this summer – here are some of the winners so far.

David Moralee added to his remarkable record at Heworth Golf Club by winning his 15th club championship title. David won his first title in 1979 and has now won the club’s biggest event in six different decades.

At Wynyard Golf Club, where club competitions are played in mixed fields, Shannon O’Dwyer became the club’s first ever female club champion with a round of 67 giving her a five-shot victory.

Annette Walton also added to her record with a 17th ladies club championship victory at Consett & District Golf Club as Ryan Blemings won the men’s club championship for a second time, and Stephen Turnbull won the club’s junior title.

Steve Slater picked up his first win at the age of 60 in City of Newcastle Golf Club’s men’s championship. At Hobson Golf Club, Stuart Ord claimed the club’s top prize, 23 years after his last victory.

Northumberland and Durham’s county champions picked up their respective club tittles as Close House’s James Wilson led a top-class field with an eight under-par total

and Bishop Auckland’s James Glenn won his home club’s men’s championship with a score of two under-par.

A number of county players also picked up wins in their respective club championships. Maggie Whitehead added to her list of achievements with a fourshot victory in Close House’s ladies club championship while Durham’s Cameron Wallace and Martin McCririck won the men’s titles at Cleveland and South Shields respectively.

Adam Rochester lifted the Blackwell Grange men’s title as Rebecca Gibson won the ladies club championship trophy. At Longhirst, Carl Brydon won the club’s top prize while Lee Matthewson won his first club championship title at Backworth Golf Club.

At Alnmouth Golf Club, Joe Henderson won the club championship title while Kev Harmison (Newbiggin), Ryan Howe (Richmond) and Libby Bell (Gosforth Park Ladies) won their respective club championships.

There were also wins for Joe McStravick at Ponteland Golf Club, Dom Lee at Stocksfield Golf Club and Robert Hillier at Teesside Golf Club.

The Northern Golfer Champion of Champions in partnership with Brewin Dolphin will return in 2021.

04 NORTHERN GOLFER

Steve Slater

Annette Walton

Joe McStravick

James Wilson

Joe Henderson

Cameron Wallace

Stephen Turnbull and Daniel Vine

Adam Peart and James Glenn

TEEINGOFF

Chip off the old block

Millie Hixon

H

arrison Sewell added a local name to the list of talented young golfers to win the North of England Under 14 Championship at South Moor Golf Club.

Harrison, whose father Mark is a former Durham county player, shot a final round 75 to finish with a threeround total of 221 and claim a single shot victory over Connor Graham from Blairgowrie.

A member of The Northumberland Golf Club and Parklands, Harrison is coached by Andy Paisley and is part of Northumberland’s county junior system. He said: “I’m really proud to have won my first North of England title at South Moor.

“The course was really tough, but

Millie’s moment

Harrison Sewell and event organiser Guy Carr I played some great golf in all three rounds. I started the final round with a two-shot lead, but I was one behind with three holes to play. I made a good birdie at the par five 16th, got up and down on 17 to take a one-shot lead and then finished it off with a really good wedge shot into the last.

“I’ve had a good season and winning at South Moor is definitely

a big highlight. I’m looking forward to playing in more big events next year and being part of the Northumberland junior team.”

Meanwhile, Eleanor Parkinson from Willesey Park and Amelia Wan from Knotts shared the girls title.

Rockliffe Hall’s Tom Hartshorne took home the trophy for the leading player under the age of 12.

Rockcliffe’s Millie Hixon won the under 12 girls category in the North of England Under 14 Championship at South Moor.

Millie, 10, shot rounds of 97, 88 and 90 to win the trophy and reduce her handicap to 16.6. She went on to finish runner-up in the Durham girls’ Appleby Bowl with a nett 71 as Bishop Auckland’s Cassidy Hamilton led the field with a nett score of 70. Whickham’s Faye Wheatley won the best gross trophy.

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NORTHERN GOLFER 05

TEEINGOFF

Wilson’s week to remember Joseph Robson

Joe coasts to victory Hexham’s Joseph Robson completed a five-shot victory in Northumberland’s Strokeplay Championship at Dunstanburgh Castle before heading to college in the US. Joseph shot rounds of 71, 68, 69 and 67 on the Northumberland coast to lead the field by five shots as City of Newcastle’s Andrew Minnikin and Close House’s Christian Brown finished in a tie for second place.

J

ames Wilson completed a gruelling week of golf with victory in the Northumberland County Championship final at Newcastle United Golf Club.

James, a member of Close House, beat 2013 and 2018 champion Andrew Minnikin 1up in the event’s final after returning to the North East the night before following a tied-15th finish in the Brabazon Trophy at Sherwood Forest Golf Club in Nottinghamshire. James had reached the county championship final seven days earlier by beating Christian Brown and Mark Wharton in back-to-back matches.

“I’m incredibly proud to be a Northumberland county champion.

Winning the final was a great way to finish off a really tough week.

“I was lucky to just make it into the top eight, having not played my

best golf in the first two rounds of the strokeplay at Dunstanburgh.

From there, I played some really good golf in the first two matchplay rounds – beating two top players in Christian and Mark.”

In the final, James reached 3up quickly and narrowly missed chances to extend his lead before Andrew began clawing back his advantage. James then regained his lead with four consecutive birdies from the eighth. The momentum then swung to Andrew again with an eagle at the par five 13th before he birdied 17 to head down the last 1dn. With both players in the fairway, James’ approach found the left bunker as Andrew missed the green right. With Andrew facing a short putt for par, James completed victory with an 8ft putt across the final green.

“The final against Andrew was

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James Wilson a great game and it was back and forth throughout. The putt on the 18th green was the best putt I hit all day, and it was a fantastic way to complete the win.”

The top eight from the first 36 holes of Northumberland’s Strokeplay Championship qualified for this year’s County Championship.

While James reached the final with victory over Mark Wharton, Andrew beat strokeplay champion Joseph Robson in his semi-final.

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TEEINGOFF

Comeback win for Glenn

J

ames Glenn returned to the amateur ranks and picked up his first major county title with victory in Durham’s County Championship at Hartlepool.

The 31-year-old Texan stayed in control of the event over the closing holes with a superb round of 67 as defending champion Jack Ainscough produced a round of 64 to almost force a playoff.

“I’m over the moon,” said James. “It was tough on Jack, with him shooting 64 in the last round, and I feel for him.

“A couple of people had asked if I wanted to know how Jack was doing, but I knew 10 under-par would be hard to beat if I could get there. Even if Jack was doing something silly, he would have to shoot a course record to get to 10 under-par. If I had known he was seven under-par after 12 holes and had taken a two-shot lead, I don’t know what I would have done.”

James won the Durham County Scratch Order of Merit in 2018 and was a serial winner before he decided to turn pro.

Duran Gun

Duran out guns boys

James Glenn with Durham president Tony Garrity “I had a flirtation with the professional ranks but it was a case of really poor timing,” said James. “ I turned pro after getting my card for the EuroPro Tour. In the third week of May, after my third event, the Home Office changed the restrictions of my visa. My university didn’t find out until my fifth event, when I’d finally made a cut and was getting settled.

“They told me ‘you have to stop playing right now’ and as they were

my main visa sponsor, I had to. That was it. As my wife Amanda and I want to stay in the UK long-term, I can’t work as a golf professional, so I got my amateur status back.

“The opportunity to go back to the pro ranks may come along, but I’m enjoying my golf as an amateur.

I’m playing the best golf of my life at the age of 31. If I feel I’m playing well enough, I may give it another go in a couple of years.”

George Washington’s Duran Gun underlined his potential as a top county player with victory in the Durham Boys Championship at Billingham.

Reduced to 18 holes this year, Duran won the event with a round of 72.

Duran, the 2018 Mizuno Race2Rockliffe order of merit title winner, led the elite field of juniors by three shots as Ramside’s Adam Charlton finished in second place.

The under 16 boys title went to Eaglescliffe’s Harry Caygill while Wynyard’s Alex Boyes won the under 14 title.

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NORTHERN GOLFER 07

TEEINGOFF

The Ramside team

Ramside team wins qualifier Ramside Hall’s junior team will represent the region in the next round of the Junior Team Golf Home Nations Inter-Club Championship.

The Ramside team - Ryan Pagnel, Maggie Whitehead, Mark Walton, Jamie Jopling and Evan Oliver - won the regional qualifying event at Morpeth Golf Club. They will now move on to the North East semi-finals at Hornsea Golf Club.

David Clark

Chris McDonnell

Andrew Wilson

Ryan Pittiglio

The new Mr 59

A Barry Parkes and John Hall

Magic moment at Seaton A couple of old friends have marked the year they became octogenarians by adding to their incredible collection of holes-in-one at Seaton Carew Golf Club.

John Hall and Barry Parkes both turned 80 in January and made aces on the third hole at the Durham links within a week of each other.

The ace was John’s ninth hole-in-one since joining Seaton Carew in 1953. Barry, a former inside forward for Hartlepool United, now has eight holes-in-one.

08 NORTHERN GOLFER

ndrew Wilson shot a spectacular round of 59 to win the North East & North West PGA Bamburgh Castle Golf Club Pro Am as the packed summer schedule continued on the professional circuit.

Andrew, a Challenge Tour member, returned to the North East following a string of victories around the country to post a nine under-par round of 59 on the Northumberland

coast. Simon Calvert, Michael Nesbit and Andrew Scrimshaw shared second place with rounds of 65 - six shots back.

Meanwhile, Ryan Pittiglio picked up his first win as a professional with a six under-par round of 64 in the Brancepeth Castle Pro Am. David Clark, from Morpeth Golf Club, added to his victory at the NENW PGA Championship earlier this season with a two-shot victory over Vince Guest in the Bishop

Auckland Pro Am with a six underpar round of 66.

In the Hexham Golf Club Pro Am, Chris McDonnell returned to his roots to post a six under-par round of 64 and lead the field by two shots as David picked up another second place finish alongside South Moorbased Mark Ridley.

In the Goswick Golf Club Pro Am, Vince Guest’s round of 65 saw him lead the field by two shots as Paul O’Hara finished in second place.

Wilson’s winning form continues Rockliffe Hall-based professional Andrew Wilson continued his fine form this summer with victory in the Carus Green Pro Am. Andrew (pictured right), who shot a 59 at Bamburgh Castle in the NENW PGA pro am the day before, posted a 10 under-par round of 60 to win the event.

He then almost went on to make it three wins in as many days, shooting a round of 62 at Windermere Golf

Club to finish in a tie for second place in the 2020protour event.

At the end of August, Challenge Tour member Andrew was fourth in the season-long 2020protour order of merit following a win at Willow Valley in August along with his victories at Worsley Park, Worksop and Rockliffe Hall. He has also picked up a win on the 1836Tour this year while having to focus on playing events closer to home.

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For more information go to www.durhamcountygolfunion.co.uk/county_card *At no additional cost to the annual affiliation fee that members pay with their club membership subscription

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Visit www.durhamcountygolfunion.co.uk and www.durhamladiesgolf.org.uk for more information.

TEEINGOFF

Girls’ summer success continues

T

he region’s best female golfers have collected a string of top finishes at events across the UK. In the Faldo Series Wales Girls Championship at Vale Resort, Durham’s Jess Hall finished in second place, one shot behind winner Harriet Lockley with rounds of 71, 72 and 73. Cumbriabased England international Caitlin Whitehead finished in fifth place as Arcot Hall’s Rachel Gourley finished in a tie for sixth.

Close House’s Maggie Whitehead also finished inside the top 10.

At The Women’s Amateur Championship at Kilmarnock (Barassie) Rosie, Caitlin and Jess made it into the matchplay rounds as Wynyard’s Shannon O’Dwyer missed the cut by one. In the matchplay, Rosie and Jess were knocked out in round one - Jess

losing her match on the fifth extra hole - as Caitlin went on to reach the quarter-finals.

Rosie meanwhile reached the quarter-finals of the English Women’s Amateur Championship at Woodhall Spa. Qualifying in the top-16 with rounds of 72 and 78, Rosie beat Roehampton Golf Club’s Annabell Fuller 5&4 before losing to Stoke by Nayland’s Lily May Humphreys 2&1. In the Women’s Strokeplay Championship at Burnham and Berrow, Caitlin picked up a top-10 finish as Rosie and Jess finished inside the top-25.

In the English Girls’ Strokeplay Championship at Sandy Lodge, Rachel picked up the trophy for the leading under 16 player as she and Maggie were part of a five-player tie for third place, three shots behind winner Davina Xanh.

Meanwhile, in the Wee Wonders

Rosie Belsham, Zara Naughton and Rachel Gourley

Rachel Gourley

Charlotte Naughton Grand Final 2020 at Gullane, Heworth Golf Club’s Charlotte Naughton finished in second place in the girls 11-12 category.

Stuart Brown and Sandy Twynholm

Seniors double

Stuart Brown and Sandy Twynholm have been crowned county senior champions in Durham and Northumberland respectively.

Castle Eden-based Stuart edged out defending champion Nigel King in a fivehole playoff to win the Durham title at Bishop Auckland.

Sandy, competing in his first Northumberland seniors championship at Burgham Park, led the field with rounds of 77 and 71.

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TEEINGOFF BE PART OF THE NEXT EDITION OF ISSUE NO.

84

We’ll be back in October with another packed edition of Northern Golfer reaching clubs across Northumberland, Durham, Teesside, North Yorkshire, the Scottish Borders and Cumbria

www.northerngolfer.co.uk

Major Players RN NORTHE

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Captain Mike

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TO BE PART OF THE NEXT EDITION CONTACT DOUG BROLLS, TEL 07721 031 482 OR EMAIL doug@offstonepublishing.co.uk

INSIG

Mike Greener receives his captaincy badge from county president Tony Garrity

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NORTHER

a plan for the county side, starting with a two-day trip to Woodhall Spa. “I’ve had a chat with the players and we have identified the short game as our weakest area as a team, so we’re going to work on that,” said Mike.

“We’ve never been far away from getting to the top and it’s small margins that make the difference.

That’s what we are looking at.

“With the right coaching and support, and hard work by the players, we can compete with all the teams in the Northern Counties league.”

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urham’s new county captain will oversee a new approach for the men’s team ahead of 2021’s Northern Counties league campaign.

With the 2020 county programme cancelled, the Durham union took the opportunity to appoint Mike Greener as captain as Peter Dewar moves into his new role as chairman of the county executive.

Mike, a three-handicapper from Rockliffe Hall, has a wealth of experience in team golf and a passion for short game performance coaching. He has already mapped out

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THE COSMETIC DENTAL CLINI C SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

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The Business and Leisure Magazine for the North East Region

For advertising and editorial enquiries contact Michael Grahamslaw on mjgrahamslaw@outlook.com or visit the website www.northern-insight.co.uk

12 NORTHERN GOLFER

Grand designs A new planning application has been made for a £13m golf facility at Centurion Park, Wallsend, which will include the reconfiguration of the existing golf course and the development of an innovative golf centre, which would be the first of its kind in the UK. The Centurion Golf Centre will combine the facilities of a traditional driving range over

two stories with state-of-the-art virtual reality technology from Foresight UK, which transposes players’ shots onto digital screens which can show virtual reality games or digital courses.

Meanwhile, the golf course at Centurion Park will be reconfigured to create the option to play six, 12 or 18 holes while investment will be made to further improve the course.

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The Hall, a Grade-II listed building built in 1802 by George Shum, has recently been refurbished and now offers several warm and welcoming spaces to relax after your round or

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www.arcothall.co.uk • email: arcothall@yahoo.co.uk Arcot Hall Golf Club, Dudley, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 7QP NORTHERN GOLFER 13

TEEINGOFF

Andrew Griffiths and Henry Joynson

Boys champs crowned Three of Northumberland’s most talented young golfers picked up wins in the boys’ county championship events at Dunstanburgh Castle.

Close House’s Andrew Griffiths won the under 14 title while clubmate Henry Joynson won the under 16 title.

In the under 18 event, Matfen Hall’s Angus Buchanan took home the trophy.

Two out of three for Ridley

M

ark Ridley overcame howling winds and pouring rain to win his second Northumberland and Durham Open title at Linden Hall.

Mark, from South Moor Golf Club, shot rounds of 69 and 70 for a five under-par total and a one-shot victory over Graeme Bell.

“It’s a great feeling to get my hands on the Northumberland and Durham Open trophy for the second time in three years. I played well considering it was a really tough day weather-wise, particularly when the rain started to come down and puddles started

OUR PROMISE TO YOU We appreciate your support through the Covid restrictions. Therefore we have held our prices at pre Pandemic rates.

What you have paid prior you will pay for the rest of 2020.

Weekday Green Fee £20 Weekend Green Fee £25 Book online www.ssgc.co.uk

Mark Ridley and Andrew Minnikin forming on the greens. The team did a great job getting the 36 holes played. I managed to hold it together and shoot 70 in the afternoon, which was an excellent score given the conditions.

“It’s been a strange year with no events at the start and then a really busy schedule locally in the second half. It’s a shame the national seniors events aren’t going ahead, but I’m playing well and I’m really happy to

be out playing in the local pro ams and professional events.”

The N&D Open brings together the region’s best professionals and amateurs. This year, 16 amateurs competed alongside the pros. City of Newcastle’s Andrew Minnikin took home the prize for the leading amateur with a two under-par total, beating Will Bowe and Adam Charlton with the best second round score.

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14 NORTHERN GOLFER

ADVERTORIAL

A FAMILY AFFAIR AT HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING GOLF CLUB Keeping captaincy in the family at Houghton-le-Spring This year has been an unprecedented one for golf clubs around the country, but it has also been a very special one at Houghton-leSpring Golf Club.

Ian Baxter, his wife Pauline, daughter Emily and father Norman are this year’s Club Captain, Lady Captain, Junior Captain and Seniors’ Captain respectively. Four captains from the same family representing Houghton during one of the most challenging years in the club’s 112-year history.

Little did the Baxter family realise while striking their first celebratory tee shots of 2020 at midnight on New Year’s Eve, that before any serious golf was played they would be swapping competitions, presentations and social nights for lockdown, sanitiser and social distancing.

That New Year’s Eve night, Ian said: “Houghton is very much a members club…

It’s a great place to be when we’re all

pulling in the same direction”. Those words became poignant and increasingly true as restrictions on golf clubs were lifted and relaxed.

The Baxter family and many members volunteered in their droves, taking on various roles to ensure the golf club bounced back and moved forward as quickly as possible, while securing a meaningful year for all the club’s members.

Their dedication ensured that a full competition calendar will be concluded, every open competition will be played, over 40 new members will enjoy becoming part of the club, and the course continues to be presented in great condition.

The Baxter family can now look forward to their combined Captains’ Day on September 13 - where undoubtedly members will pass on their thanks to them for all their hard work and endeavours in a year of firsts.

NORTHERN GOLFER 15

GOLF&COVID

16 NORTHERN GOLFER

GOLF&COVID

The summer of golf Experts from golf clubs and organisations across the region share their thoughts on the post-lockdown surge in demand for golf

S

ince golf ’s return in England on May 13, clubs have seen demand for tee times increase massively with some clubs in England reporting 100% increases in demand. Following the initial phase of reopening, rules have been relaxed, retailers have reopened and clubhouses are welcoming golfers once again. In July, the European Tour returned at Close House while national, regional, county and club events have also returned.

In May, Sports Marketing Surveys’ Rounds Played Monitor reported an average 40% increase in the number of rounds played compared to the same period in 2019.

In June, that rose to an average of 70% more rounds completed. Meanwhile, GPS company Shot Scope analysed the activities of 50,000 golfers around the world in July and compared it to data from 2017, 2018 and 2019. It found the UK had experienced the biggest growth in rounds played – up 39.7% while the European average was up 27.9%.

In the North East, both Durham and Northumberland’s county unions are reporting an increase on newly registered members of clubs, and these figures will be finalised when a year-on-year comparison is available in early 2021.

Durham County Golf Union secretary Jonathan Ward said: “The feedback so far from clubs is very positive. The early mid-year updates we’ve received from a few clubs are very positive, and we’re looking forward to seeing how that plays out in the year-on-year numbers.

“In April we were preparing to see a fall in membership numbers, but we found members were sticking by their clubs in that initial phase of course closures. Many more have since seen the value in membership and joined clubs.

“Clubs have prioritised members, which is fantastic, and many have proven the value in their product by maintaining a healthy green fee rate. We hope to see those numbers sustained in 2021 and beyond.”

A number of clubs are also reporting growth in visitor numbers and membership.

Longhirst Hall Golf Club has increased membership across all categories. Director of golf Graham Chambers said: “The last five months have been a complicated and stressful time with a period of complete closure followed by a highly restricted period of twoballs only, which made it difficult to get the high volume of players who wanted to play out onto the golf courses. Since those guidelines were relaxed, we’ve definitely seen the golf boom at Longhirst.

“The number of visitors has been fantastic with people playing more and many playing for the first time. We’ve committed to valuing our product and we’ve kept our green fees up, which has been a positive step and hasn’t put anyone off playing. We see the value in our golf courses and in golf in general, and we hope to see numbers remain high

as people get value for money from their memberships.”

Meanwhile, Tyneside Golf Club has also gone through the many phases of reopening and seen the effects of golf ’s surge in popularity since courses were allowed to reopen. General manager Peter Simpson said: “It’s been an incredibly challenging year for businesses of all kinds, including golf clubs. 50 days of course closure and more than 100 days of clubhouse closure was always going to have a huge impact on every club. We’ve gone through many phases, from focussing on securing future viability with the excellent support of our members through to managing a surge in demand post-lockdown. Overnight the value of membership became apparent as many clubs opened for members only. We’ve then seen the demand for golf sustained right through the summer months with near-capacity tee allocations each day, which is fantastic to see. Golf is one of the few industries to have taken some positives from the pandemic and now we must focus on maintaining that positivity, continuing to provide value and a great product to members old and new, and maintaining healthy green fee rates across the industry.”

At Wynyard Golf Club, membership numbers have reached capacity and a waiting list is now in place for prospective members. Wynyard’s director of golf, Chris Mounter, said: “In the early part of the lockdown it was incredibly tough for the whole business. Since golf was allowed to reopen in May, it’s been full tilt. We have certainly seen a big surge in the number of people playing the game, and in people playing more regularly. As more services have been allowed to reopen, those too have been popular, particularly custom fitting and the demand for products in the pro shop. Looking ahead, we’re very optimistic and now is the time to concentrate on providing a great product in order to maintain membership numbers and keep people coming back to golf clubs regularly.”

Retailers were restricted to click and collect and online sales until June, but many of the region’s biggest independent retailers are also positive post-lockdown.

Shaun Cowell, who runs pro shops at South Moor, Hobson and Crook golf clubs, said: “Following the lockdown, golf reopening before other sports was very positive and we saw a big surge in demand. The golf industry as a whole appears very buoyant right now. It will be interesting to see how the surge can be maintained as other industries reopen, but the signs are very positive.”

Post-lockdown life is still far from normal, but participation in golf is up and clubs across the region are thriving. Work is already underway to continue that growth and maintain the momentum generated this year, and Northern Golfer will be part of that work.

NORTHERN GOLFER 17

GEORGE WASHINGTON GOLF CLUB

30

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18 NORTHERN GOLFER

TOURLIFE

Chris Paisley

In full swing Chris Paisley on the success of the European Tour’s UK Swing and the importance of keeping all your plates spinning

W

e have finished the six UK Swing events and my form since my last column, which followed the first event back at Close House, has been mixed, but positive overall.

I finished third at Forest of Arden and followed that with a T-19 finish at Hanbury Manor. I then a missed the cut and finished T-27th in the two events at Celtic Manor before missing the cut by one at The Belfry. Unfortunately I also just missed out on a US Open place ( for the top 10 players through five events) by a couple of spots. This was obviously disappointing, but honestly I gave it all I had. You win some, you lose some! It has been brilliant to play so many events close to home in the first UK Swing and I can’t wait to come back for the second one later this season.

Each area of my game has been brilliant at times. It almost all came together at Forest of Arden, but it feels like it’s just a case of getting it all to click at the same time. I suppose we’re always spinning plates as golfers, trying to get them all going at the same time.

In general, my approach play has been letting me down more than anything else. My driving stats have improved on last season, which was a goal of mine, while my short game and putting stats continue to be among the best on tour.

At Celtic Manor, I chipped the ball insanely well to make up for a poor long game. My caddy Jason would rather I didn’t keep short siding myself, but he does enjoy some of the up and downs I can make from impossible spots! If I can tighten up my mid and long irons then we should start seeing some great results.

Next up is one of my favorite events, the Portugal Masters.

The tour continues to do an amazing job regarding Covid-19. The protocols have remained very strict, which shows in the fact we’ve only had one positive test in five weeks. It was panic stations for a day or two after that positive test. They closed all the restaurants for at least 24 hours, the entire hotel and clubhouse were deep cleaned, and the infection seemed to have been contained.

Some of the protocols appeared over the top at the beginning, but the tour can’t afford to take any chances and they really have done a wonderful job under difficult circumstances.

It seems this is going to be the new normal for a while, but it’s a small price to pay for being back at work. On to Portugal, stay safe everyone.

NORTHERN GOLFER 19

THE GOLF FACTORY

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Pay a visit to Ronnie and the team at the new Golf Factory store on Stephenson Industrial Estate in Killingworth to browse the biggest selection of quality new and used golf equipment in the North East of England.

The new store, officially opened by Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer and world record holding triple-jumper Jonathan Edwards, is bigger and better with clubs from all of golf’s biggest names alongside bags, trolleys and more. There’s also a full repair service centre, practice putting green, indoor swing room and simulator available to test equipment.

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The Golf Factory Newcastle

ONCOURSE

Simon Olver

A season of two halves Simon Olver on managing a golf course during Covid-19

I

t has been a year unlike any other, including out on the golf course.

In springtime, as greenkeeping teams around the country prepared for the season, we became increasingly aware of the Covid-19 pandemic as every TV channel was taken over by it. Then came the lockdown and the closure of all golf courses. This unprecedented situation left clubs with zero income, staff members across every department worried for their futures, and golf courses continuing to grow while the country stayed at home. Some tough decisions were required to ensure businesses had the best chance to survive financially and golf courses remained in a position to reopen once they were allowed to. Doing nothing was simply not an option.

Thankfully, the government’s furlough scheme protected jobs while skeleton crews of greenkeepers were allowed to preventatively manage areas so they were not lost to nature. In some cases, clubs left

Halo - our lockdown greenkeeper’s best friend

just one member of staff to maintain an entire golf course while greenkeepers were told they must only work on essential areas, leaving areas such as bunkers, ditches, paths and even areas of rough to nature - an unbelievable but unavoidable situation which further highlighted the skill and dedication of greenkeepers all over the UK. Maintaining the course during lockdown was a very strange feeling.

During my drive to work, the streets were deserted. Some days I wouldn’t see a single person for 10 hours while out on the course. Greenkeepers across the UK had to deal with the lack of companionship and the mental health issues that can highlight, with many turning to social media to stay connected while my dog Halo became an essential team member, mainly having to patiently listen to my moaning.

As golf clubs reopened and golfers returned, it became clear this phase would be the toughest yet. Many

greenkeepers remained furloughed while golf courses needed to be presented for play after weeks of only essential maintenance. This pushed teams to their limits with many passionate greenkeepers working long, sometimes unpaid, hours to ensure their courses were in the best condition possible.

It has been amazing to see the demand for golf grow so much this summer.

Everyone involved in the industry deserves credit for their tireless work to provide a safe environment for golfers and staff.

Everywhere you look, clubs are bustling as participation booms, but we must remain grounded as we look ahead to 2021.

If golf is your sport of choice, there has never been a more crucial time to support your golf club. Every penny which is spent, membership which is continued, or hour which is volunteered will help to secure the game we all love and the jobs of the teams who prepare your course and host you before and after your rounds. Together we will all get through this.

NORTHERN GOLFER 21

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HARTLEPOOL GOLF CLUB HARTLEPOOL GOLF CLUB, Hart Warren, Hartlepool, TS24 9QF 01429 274398 hartlepoolgolf@btconnect.com www.hartlepoolgolfclub.co.uk

COLUMNIST

Dean Bailey

Time to change Golf can take far too long - it’s time to speed things up

O

ne of the biggest issues for occasional or prospective golfers is the amount of time it takes to play 18 holes, so it’s time to sort it out.

A round of competition golf should not take more than four hours in all but extreme circumstances. A practice round in a threeball should never take more than three hours. If those points were universal, we would all be happier golfers. So why does it take so much longer for so many?

Before I get into the details, I do understand that those playing Royal Birkdale off the back tees in 40mph winds and rain may take a long time, and that busy courses can be the cause of queues. My issue isn’t with these particular circumstances, it’s with the unnecessary time-wasting and lack of awareness which sees every weekend round grind to a near-halt.

First of all, pre-shot routines. I get that they’re important but I don’t understand is why a club golfer would think it is acceptable (or necessary) to take five practice swings, tap their belt buckle twice, stand perfectly still as if posing for a Renaissance portrait for 68 seconds, then send the ball crashing into the trees 100 yards from the tee. If you think this might be you, please stop doing this immediately. Ever player who ever plays in a group behind you will be incredibly grateful.

There are also those who appear completely unaware of the need to keep their round moving. They fail to

plan their exit route from the green or they will mark their card on the green rather than doing it on the tee or in the next fairway. Then there are those who feel their conversation is so important it should start as they get over the ball on the tee rather than during one of the many walks between shots.

And what about those who still fail to practice Ready Golf, even when all four players in their group are spread to the wind on a par five? The principle is simple, if it’s safe to hit, get on with it.

There are so many things golfers can do which add no time to their own round, but when added together, cause recurring misery for the groups following them. If you recognise yourself in any of the points above, take note and get on with it. If you recognise your playing partners doing any of these, have a word with them as it’s not fair for the hundreds of players queuing up behind them.

Clubs also have a part to play. If you’re playing singles competitions, play in threeballs rather than fours. It’s the recommended number of players for a reason – fourballs take too long. The amount of time spent dancing around markers and getting out of eye lines on the greens could shave hours off a year of golf.

Do you remember the initial phase after lockdown, those sub-three-hour rounds in twoballs? Let’s get back to that pace of play - the game will be much better for it.

© Todamo-Shutterstock.com NORTHERN GOLFER 23

MICHAEL BURROW Home club: Northumberland Golf Club CHRIS SIMMONS Home club: Newcastle United Golf Club Current bag: Matthew Jordan Past bags: Peter Fowler, Graham Bannister, Joël Stalter, Brandon Stone, Julian Suri, Fabrizio Zanotti Career highlights: Caddied for Brandon Stone in two European Tour wins and The Olympics in Brazil

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Current bag: Thomas Detry Past bags: Garrick Porteous, Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Scott Henry, Marcus Armitage, Haotong Li Career highlights: Caddied for Haotong Li in multiple majors and for his win at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic

TOURCADDIES

More than carrying a bag Life on tour with North East-based caddies Chris Simmons, Michael Burrow and Sean Russell

C

addying has come a long way from the days when bag carriers were simply required to show up, keep up and shut up. Today, caddies are an essential part of every top player’s team - more psychologist and statistician than bag carrier.

SEAN RUSSELL Home club: Gosforth Golf Club Current bag: Jean-Baptiste Gonnet Past bags: Diana Luna, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet, Alex Levy, Phillip Price, Ken Ferrie, Chris Paisley, Sam Brazel Career highlights: Caddied in The Solheim Cup for Diana Luna, chairman of the European Tour Caddies Association

The North East is home to three of the European Tour’s best loopers - Sean Russell, Michael Burrow and Chris Simmons - and we caught up with them to find out what it’s really like to be inside the ropes with the world’s best golfers…

How did you get into caddying?

Chris: I used to caddy at Slaley Hall in the European Seniors Tour events. When I was 17, I carried the bag for Peter Fowler. I worked the next week for him at the Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie, he did OK, and I ended up doing some more events that season. I did the next season, but there wasn’t much money in it, so I came home and took a job in recruitment.

A few months passed, I was bored, and Michael rang me up with a lead on working for Joël Stalter. I’ve been out on the tour ever since.

Sean: I did some work for the BBC at The Open and bumped into an Italian guy who caddied on the Ladies European Tour. I told him it was my dream job and he ended up getting me a job the next week. I took a week off to carry the bag for Diana Luna, we got on well and I ended up working the next week. She finished

in the top-10 and offered me the job for 2008. She had a decent year, but I went back to work for BT that winter. I then took voluntary redundancy in 2009 to give caddying a proper go. Diana won twice in 2009, finished second twice, played in the Solheim Cup and set me up with JeanBaptiste before she went off to have a baby.

Michael: Caddying is all about luck. I’d done the odd week carrying the bag at Slaley and I was between jobs in 2014 when Garrick Porteous asked me to caddy for him at European Tour Q School. We played with Mike Lorenzo-Vera, we got on and Mike asked me to go and work for him on the Challenge Tour. He finished ninth that year and got his European Tour card.

I went on to work for Marcus Armitage and after he missed out on a card by one spot at Q School, I got a call to do a one-off tournament for Haotong in Hong Kong.

It was a bit of a punt going halfway round the world for one week, but on the Sunday morning he asked me to work for him fulltime. We won our third event together and spent a couple of seasons in the top-50 in the world.

What has been the highlight so far?

Sean: Caddying at the Solheim Cup in 2009 at Rich Harvest Farms in Illinois for Diana. I also caddied for Chris Paisley in Hong Kong when he managed to hole a 15ft putt for par to make the cut - with Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose looking on - which meant he would keep his European Tour card.

NORTHERN GOLFER 25

TOURCADDIES Chris: The Olympics in Rio was just phenomenal. While caddying for Brandon Stone, he finished sixth in the final event of the Challenge Tour season to get his European Tour card, which was a special moment.

Michael: Caddying in the majors and being on the bag for Haotong’s win in Dubai was brilliant, but there’s nothing better than playing the opening two rounds of The Masters with Tiger Woods in 2019. It’s the only time I’ve been nervous before a round. I shook his hand on Thursday morning and it was so surreal to hear him introduce himself.

What’s the best part of your job?

Michael: It’s the only sport where you can be there in the critical moment without having the talent. If England get to the World Cup final, I won’t be on the pitch, but when Haotong was winning in Dubai I was right there.

Chris: It’s a very nice lifestyle. We work hard, but we chase the sun around the world and get to come home for long stints.

Sean: We get to work in an environment we absolutely love, and we get half the year off !

What are some of your favourite memories off the golf course?

Chris: Caddying at The Olympics in Rio was amazing. There were so many amazing moments out there, like looking out the window in the athletes’ village and seeing Novak Djokovic practising with Boris Becker.

Sean: The special moments like walking into the opening ceremony of the Solheim Cup, and the little ones like when Monty - a guy you’ve watched on TV for years - starts chatting to you in the Mizuno truck.

Michael: In 2018, Haotong played with Phil Mickelson in Mexico and they hit it off. We then went to Augusta to practice and Haotong got me in for breakfast in the Trophy Room as his guest, which caddies can’t do during the tournament. Phil was there, saw us and said “Morning Michael” as if he was one of the lads on a Tuesday morning back at home.

If there was ever a moment I wish my mates had seen, that’s the one.

What are the biggest challenges of being a caddy?

Chris: It depends who you work for.

We have to adapt to suit players and be able to handle stressful situations.

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Chris Simmons at The Olympic Games in 2016 Sean Russell and Ken Ferrie

Michael: The skill in caddying is adapting to who you work for. Haotong and Thomas are two totally different people, so I need to adapt how I do things to suit them.

Sean: You need to have a thick skin. Things can get stressful, both player and caddy make mistakes, and you need to be able to move on and have the confidence to make the next decision.

Have you had any strange requests from players?

Sean: I was once asked to get a quarter of a degree taken off a sand wedge. The guys on the tour truck weren’t very impressed.

Michael: I was once sent out with a player’s putter and a couple of balls to get the pace of the greens for them, I still don’t understand what that was going to do for his feel.

Chris: I’ve had a player ask how many holes were left while standing on the 18th green.

Are there any moments from your career which you’d like to forget?

Chris: While caddying for Julian Suri, we had a one-shot lead playing the last and hit it into the water. That was a $450,000 mistake.

Sean: How much time do we have? Caddies are very self-critical and we remember all our mistakes far better than any great decisions or moments.

Michael: Everything is amplified on a Sunday and it’s bigger again in a playoff. In Turkey, Haotong was in a playoff with Justin Rose and we three-putted the 18th twice – once to force the playoff and then to lose it.

Which events are the best to caddy at?

Chris: The Nedbank at Sun City in South Africa is phenomenal. We’re all on site so we walk to the course, the fireworks display during the tournament week is amazing - it’s just a brilliant event to be part of.

TOURCADDIES

Sean: The WGC Mexico event is great. There’s only a small field, it’s all the best players in the world, there’s no cut and the atmosphere is very relaxed compared to a normal event.

Michael: The Masters, being at Augusta National is even better than everyone says it is.

Which events are the toughest to caddy at?

Sean: Malaysia is really tough as it’s 30 degrees, the humidity is high and the course is hilly.

Chris: Leopard Creek in South Africa - it can be up to 45 degrees.

Michael: The Nedbank in South Africa as the golf course sits between three mountains and the wind swirls between them.

What do caddies do that we don’t see on the TV? Michael: Depending on who you’re working for, keeping statistics and analysing them can be a big part of the job. It helps me come up with strategies, but you need to be careful to understand your player and what they want to know.

Chris: Having stats and keeping on top of them is really important, whether your player is big into them or not. It’s our job to create a course strategy and ultimately the more knowledge you have, the better that plan will be.

Sean: The best players have supreme confidence; they truly believe they can win every time they tee it up. A big part of our job is instilling that confidence in them. It’s a really special skill.

How much have you learned while being out on tour?

Sean: The game has moved on so much since I started in 2010.

The distance the professionals hit it is phenomenal and it’s not just the top guys, everyone has to bomb it now.

Michael: The amount of work the players put in is phenomenal.

I spent a week sharing a house with Haotong and everyday he would work on his fitness and golf game from 8am to 9pm. That was the same every day and he’s been doing it for years.

Chris: The players work incredibly hard every day and now it’s every player on tour. You have to do it just to be able to compete.

Caddying has changed a lot too, there are a lot of younger guys and you see a lot more caddies in the gym these days.

Why have the caddies launched the Tour Caddies brand?

Sean: As Chairman of the European Tour Caddies Association, I’m pushing for caddies to be sponsored as a group - a bag strap, cap or towel for example - and then use that money to better support caddies, giving them additional revenue streams and financial support. We want to be able to support caddies who get injured or those whose players get injured, and support all caddies on the tour. It will definitely move our profession in the right direction.

Michael: The caddies at the top are well looked after, but there will now be something there to support all the guys further down the pecking order, which can be really important.

Chris: We’re all self-employed and relationships between caddies and players can end abruptly. Hopefully this will give all the guys support financially, while also giving us the chance to work with partners to move the profession forward.

Chris Simmons and Michael Burrow at Carnoustie during The Open in 2018

What’s your dream as a caddy?

Sean: I’m coming to the end of my caddying career, but I’d still love to caddy in an Open Championship.

Chris: I’d love to go back to The Olympics – it was so special the first time in Rio. Michael: I’d love to caddy in a Ryder Cup. It would also be amazing to stand on the 18th with the The Masters champion.

How would you sum up what it’s like to be a caddy on the European Tour?

Sean: We’re very lucky. There are very few days when you feel like you’re at work.

Chris: We’re very fortunate to live the life so many people dream of. We work hard when we’re away, but we get a lot of down time and the lifestyle is amazing.

Michael: You don’t realise it when you’re at work or when things aren’t going well, but we’re so lucky to do what we do and be so close to some of the best sportspeople in the world.

For more from the European Tour caddies, check out www.thetourcaddies.com and follow @TheTourCaddies on social media.

NORTHERN GOLFER 27

COURSEPROFILE

A walk in the park Dean Bailey visits one of the region’s finest inland courses – The Northumberland Golf Club

A

sk any Northumberland-based golfer to name the best-presented courses in the county over the last 50 years and The Northumberland Golf Club - or The Park - will feature highly. A golf experience among the finest in the North of England, the club is a past host of qualifying events for The Open Championship as well as the European Tour.

Today it is one of the finest examples of Harry Colt and James Braid’s design work. Modern tweaks and additions, all inkeeping with Colt’s style of green design and bunkering, have maintained the course’s challenge.

Laid out on the same parkland which is home to Newcastle Racecourse within High Gosforth Park, the club was founded in 1898 and has been renovated and adapted throughout its history with changes made by Harry Colt and James Braid in the late 19th and early 20th Century, and further alterations made ahead of the course hosting Open qualifying in the 2010s.

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The bunkering at Northumberland can be penal, while the tightly mown approaches and lightning fast greens – both features which win the course regular praise - offer a stern test of short game precision and control.

The opening stretch at The Park is the most scoreable - a pair of par fives and a short par four making up three of the first four holes. The first, 319 yards from the back tee, is a good birdie chance. Play a long iron to the right of the fairway bunker to leave around 100 yards back up the hill.

The second is the toughest of the opening four holes, a 434-yard par four with out of bounds right and a fairway bunker 280 yards from the tee which guards the safer line to the left.

The par five third and fourth holes are both good birdie chances, though both are well defended with 10 fairway bunkers split between the two holes.

Leave short approaches here as both greens are ringed by bunkers.

The 186-yard fifth is played to a large, undulating

green with bunkers on three corners and a steep mound at the back left. A demanding tee shot at the dogleg-right par four sixth follows – play left here to leave a better angle to approach the green. The green here is big with three distinct tiers - good club selection is essential.

The seventh is a tricky 171-yard par three with a green encircled by classic Colt bunkering. At the short par four eighth, play over the cross bunker with a long iron or take driver down the right side.

An aggressive approach can yield a good birdie opportunity here.

Heading for the turn, the ninth is toughest of the par fives. Play to the left side of the fairway if playing it in three shots, while those taking aim in two must get close to the bunker to the right of the fairway to leave the best angle to approach the putting surface, which is defended by three bunkers - including two particularly deep ones on the left side.

The par three 10th is again well defended by greenside bunkers, though the green is generous.

COURSEPROFILE

Heading into the toughest section of the course, the drives at the 11th and 12th can intimidate even the best players. At the 11th, the fairway narrows at 230 yards while a deep bunker protects the right side of the 12th fairway. Longer hitters can be aggressive here and go over this to find the widest part of the fairway. The bunkering around the 12th green is some of the deepest and most challenging on the course.

The 13th, one of the region’s toughest par fours, was our pick for signature hole see fact file.

Played over the racecourse, the short 14th features out of bounds right and requires plenty of club to make the carry to the green.

The straight run back to the clubhouse begins with the par five 15th and par four 16th along the racecourse’s home straight. The 15th is a very good birdie chance should you avoid the cavernous fairway bunkers left. The two greenside bunkers are also deep, though the green is generous.

The 16th is the toughest of the final run at 440 yards. The tightest tee shot on the course, play between the left fairway bunker and the road to leave around 170 yards for your approach to a narrow green.

The 17th and 18th are good birdie chances should you find the fairway. Play left at both – the clubhouse clock is a good line for both shots - with trees on the right side able to block the approach at 17 while out of bounds awaits to the right of the 18th fairway. Hit driver at 18 to run down to the bottom of the hill and leave a short approach uphill to the green in front of the clubhouse’s veranda.

FACT FILE CONTACT The Northumberland Golf Club High Gosforth Park Newcastle, NE3 5HT tel 0191 236 2498 www.thengc.co.uk

While tradition is an important part of The Northumberland Golf Club, history is not holding the club back. Excellent practice facilities are popular with the club’s membership and thriving junior section, while continued investment has seen the course maintain its position at the very top of Northumberland’s best layouts. A casual spike bar and the clubhouse veranda are welcoming spots to relax after a round, while the club’s academy system continues to welcome new players to the club.

GREEN FEES Sun-Fri £60 Buggy hire £25 TOTAL DISTANCE White tees 6,687 yards Yellow tees 6,325 yards Red tees 5,351 yards FEATURES Stunning clubhouse and dining room Locker rooms and changing facilities Large short game and putting greens Grass driving range CADDY’S TIP Solid driving is rewarded here, while heather, gorse and penal bunkering will torment wayward players SIGNATURE HOLE The 13th is an arrow-straight, long par four of 470 yards. Aim towards the three fairway bunkers to the left to leave a long iron or wood to a green protected by a steep rise and a single bunker cut into the hill on the left side. The green is generous and flat, though reaching it poses a stern challenge

OUR VERDICT

A traditional English course, The Park has managed to keep up with modern technology while maintaining the strategic challenge envisioned by its architects. The presentation is superb and regular visits are highly recommended.

NORTHERN GOLFER 29

STAY&PLAY

Golf staycations in 2020 & 2021

Whether you’re looking for a last-minute 2020 getaway or preparing for your 2021 golfing holiday, we highly recommend a visit to these clubs and accommodation providers…

CLOSE HOUSE If you spend a full day on the golf course you need a relaxing stay in luxurious surrounding – and the Courtyard, Pavilion and Lodge accommodation at Close House ticks all the boxes. The Pavilion, next to the Yearling par three course, is a private two-bedroom residence for up to four people with space to relax in the evening sunshine while enjoying views of the golf course. Meanwhile, the Lodge sits at the top of the Close House estate and can accommodate up to four guests

in complete luxury. The Courtyard suites are just a short walk from No.19 and provide a high standard of accommodation with 16 rooms accommodating up to 34 guests. As well as having access to the two Lee Westwood golf courses and excellent facilities at Close House, guests have the beautiful Northumberland countryside on their doorstep while Newcastle is just minutes away. www.closehouse.com

EXCLUSIVE RESIDENTIAL GOLF OFFER FROM

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MERCURE GEORGE WASHINGTON HOTEL, GOLF & SPA Stone Cellar Road | High Usworth | Washington | NE37 1PH 0191 402 9988 | www.georgewashington.co.uk

30 NORTHERN GOLFER

STAY&PLAY

ALNMOUTH GOLF CLUB A trip to Alnmouth Golf Club is always highly recommended. England’s fourth oldest golf club has hosted some of the region’s biggest events in its history, including the northern counties Big Six and the Senior Home Internationals in 2019.

Overlooking Foxton Bay, an area of natural outstanding beauty on the Northumberland coast, the course was designed by HS Colt. Renowned for the condition of its greens and overall presentation, the course is included in the Top 100 golf course in the UK and is also home to first-class practice facilities and a driving range. Only 40 minutes drive from Newcastle, visitors are always given a warm Northumbrian welcome here. For those staying and playing, the 26-bed Dormy House within the clubhouse is designed to accommodate golfers with twin or single rooms with en-suite facilities, while golf breaks can be organised to include a choice of the best courses in Northumberland. www.alnmouthgolfclub.com

GEORGE WASHINGTON HOTEL, GOLF & SPA George Washington is everything you want in a golf resort. The championship course is complemented by a 16-bay driving range with teaching suites. There’s also a five-hole Academy course and the 103-bedroom hotel offers great stay and play rates and dining throughout the day as well as gym and spa facilities. At the heart of the resort is the par 73 18-hole layout measuring 6,625 yards from the back tees. The fairways are generous, however trees await should you fail to find the short grass. www.georgewashington.co.uk

NORTHERN GOLFER 31

STAY&PLAY LADYBANK GOLF CLUB Laid out by Tom Morris, the golf course at Ladybank Golf Club dates back to 1879. Set out over attractive heathland, the landscape features stunning gorse, broom, heather, scots pine and silver birch.

The sandy soil creates tight turf while the gentle undulations to fairways and fast, firm greens make for a memorable occasion on every visit. Deep bunkering adds a links-like feel when matched with the tight fairways. The links resemblances end there however, for the many trees here demand far more accuracy from the tee than the traditional linksland of the coast. There are few straight holes and while just four of the par four holes stretch more than 400 yards, this is no pushover thanks to the doglegs and subtle curves. www.ladybankgolf.co.uk

GOLF BREAKS

Situated on the magnificent Northumberland Coast only 100 yards from the beach, Alnmouth Golf Club has all the ingredients for a unique golf break…

• Dinner Bed and Breakfast with 2 round Golf Breaks available from £95 per person.

• More packages can be found on our website.

Book a last minute Golf Break for October or November or reserve your rooms for 2021 now, let us know when and where you want to play.

We do all the booking, you relax and enjoy!

Email: bookings@alnmouthgolfclub.com Call: 01665 830231 Visit: www.alnmouthgolfclub.com 32 NORTHERN GOLFER

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ROUNDWITH A ROUND WITH...

Graham Chambers Longhirst Hall’s director of golf on his 25 years at the club, his passion for the golf business and who would make it into his dream fourball

G

5 What’s your best score ever?

Playing off a handicap of 14, I had 47 points at Sharpley with the Buffs society. I’m not off 14 in their sweeps anymore.

David. I also have to pick David Gilroy, Northumberland’s county captain, as he’s at Lognhirst all the time and we spend a lot of time together playing events and travelling.

6 Which is your favourite golfing memory?

I went to an event at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Florida and while we were having breakfast with the superintendent, Arnold Palmer was there, sitting quietly having his scrambled eggs on toast. I didn’t want to disturb him, but just seeing him at his home course was a great moment.

1 How much golf do you get to play?

I’ve played a little bit more since joining the Ashington Buffs Golf Society and I’m lucky to visit some great venues around the UK through work, so I tend to get one or two games a month. If I could only choose one though, I’d choose preparing courses over playing them myself, that’s where my passion really lies.

7 What about embarrassing moments?

In the early days of Longhirst, I went to a travel industry event at The Mere with Tommy and we needed 32 points between us in the final round of a six-event series to qualify to play at Wentworth with Gary Player. We played the warm up nine holes and then I got a bit carried away over lunch.

Tommy had 27 points in the afternoon and I got four. He still talks about how much I let him down that day.

13 What would you be doing if you weren’t running a golf club?

Back in the day, I wanted to work in TV production. I fell into working in retail before joining Longhirst and I really enjoy running the business. I’ve also got a great passion for music. I’ve played in bands for years, worked with some amazing artists, and I love writing and recording music. I’m working on my third album at the moment and I’ll be working on more in the future.

raham Chambers, director of golf at at Longhirst Hall, has been a fixture in North East golf since joining Longhirst founder Tommy Dawson in 1995 – two years before the club’s first course opened. Today, Graham oversees two golf courses, The Dawson and The Lakes, both hosts the EuroPro Tour on several occasions. In 25 years Graham has covered everything from growing the first blades of grass on the fairways to building a driving range which is home to the Northumberland Union’s county coaching programme while growing the club into one of the largest in the North East. We shared a round with him at Longhirst to learn more…

2 How did you get into golf?

I grew up in Amble and my uncle John was a member of Warkworth, so I played with him before joining Newbiggin as a junior. I got married and joined the team at Longhirst as the golf courses were being finalised in 1995. I’ve worked on everything from maintenance to marketing since and seen the business grow incredibly.

3 Which is your favourite course in the North East?

I love what has been done at Wynyard, it’s a welcoming club and a successful business.

I’m not normally keen on links golf, but Dunstanburgh Castle was beautiful when we played it earlier this year.

4 And further afield?

Playing at Lake Nona in Florida was an incredible experience. In the UK, playing at Wentworth is fantastic and I’ve really enjoyed visiting The Grove as well.

34 NORTHERN GOLFER

8 Do you have any superstitions?

Only one – if I see a magpie I have to see a second one. I’ll search for that second magpie even if it means driving around the course to see one before I come in.

9 What are your strengths on the course?

I’m solid around the greens, chipping and pitching are definitely my strengths.

10 And your weaknesses?

Although I’m pretty straight, I’m short off the tee which means I have to rely on my short game a lot.

11 Which is your favourite club?

My Cobra Baffler hybrids, I can hit shots from 110-200 yards with them.

12 Who are your best golfing friends?

I’ve played all over the world with my son,

14 Who is your favourite tour player?

Tiger Woods has moved the needle more than any sportsman in the last 25 years, and when he’s playing he’s good for business.

15 Which event would you love to attend?

The BMW PGA at Wentworth is a fantastic experience. If I had to pick one, it would have to be The Masters.

16 Who have you learned from?

There’s not one particular person, but I’ve learned a lot from the clubs at the top of the game in our region. Clubs like Ramside, Wynyard, Slaley and Matfen proved that a modern approach to running a golf club could work in the North East. Learning from and working with those businesses has been great over the last 25 years.

17 Which three people would join you in your dream fourball?

Tiger Woods, just to be able to talk to him and see him play up close; Seve Ballesteros, who would be great company; and Freddie Flintoff, who would be great fun for four hours on the golf course.

18 If you could have one mulligan, when would you have used it?

I’d have got that fifth point at The Mere. It doesn’t matter which shot, just one of them.

ROUNDWITH

NORTHERN GOLFER 35

MATCHPLAYPAIRS

2020 finals venue - The Northumberland Golf Club

Match Play Pairs continues

The 2020 edition of Northern Golfer’s regionwide pairs tournament has reached round two Round one results Match 1 Brian Robinson & Tim Carney (Woodham) BEAT Paul Scott & Jai Scott (Newbiggin) SCORE: 6&5 Match 2 Andrew Howard & Ashley Coveney (Brancepeth Castle) BEAT David Pringle & Gareth Dawson (Houghton-le-Spring) SCORE: 3&2 Match 3 Steven Dodds & Neville Wanless (Durham City) BEAT James Guy & James Melville (Brancepeth) SCORE: 4&2 Match 4 Edmund Thompson & David Jenkinson (Wearside/ Houghton-le-Spring) BEAT Steve Bell & Ian Duff (Hobson) SCORE: 1UP Match 5 Colin Mackay & Les Gutteridge (City of Newcastle/ Wallsend) BEAT James Ogden & Kevin Nixon (Tynemouth) SCORE: 5&3 Match 6 Alan Clark & Robert Richardson (Beamish Park) 36 NORTHERN GOLFER

BEAT Greg Giles & Steve Vickers (Crook/Knotty Hill) SCORE: 5&4

Andrew Dixon & Kevin Hodgson (Durham City) SCORE: 5&4

Match 7 Steven Garbutt & Michael Purcifer (Billingham) BEAT Steve Weldon & Rob Armstrong (Whitley Bay) SCORE: 2&1

Match 13 Stephen Hetherington & David Turner (Hobson) LOST TO David Cameron & Rodney Martin (Beamish Park) SCORE: 20th

Match 8 Rory McNally & Lee Small (Longhirst) BEAT Michael Hughes & Stephen Turnbull (Crook) SCORE: 1UP Match 9 Keith Muldoon & Phillip Fitzsimons (Durham City) BEAT Dan Younger & Alan Slater (Hexham/Ramside) SCORE: 19th Match 10 Simon Watson & Rusell Taylor (Longhirst) LOST TO Ian Messenger & Michael Monk (Longhirst) SCORE: 1UP Match 11 Michael Trippett & Gary Tough (Seaham/Castle Eden) BEAT Gareth Hold & John Buxton (Wilton) SCORE: 2UP Match 12 Trevor Smith & Gary Stoker (City of Newcastle/Newcastle United) LOST TO

Match 14 Steven Akers & Anthony Coates (Durham City) BEAT Andrew Sharp & Martin Quince (Prudhoe) SCORE: 3&2 Match 15 Vaughan Raine & Shaun Elliott (Brancepeth Castle) LOST TO Steve Slater & Andy O’Neil (City of Newcastle) SCORE: 3&1 Match 16 Cameron Bowman & Adam Wright (Newbiggin) LOST TO David Wailes & John Barnes (Bedlington/Arcot) SCORE: 5&4

Round two draw Matches to be played by Sunday September 13 Match 17 Keith Muldoon & Phillip Fitzsimons (Durham City) VS Steven Akers & Anthony Coates (Durham City)

Match 18 David Wailes & John Barnes (Bedlington/Arcot) VS Colin Mackay & Les Gutteridge (City of Newcastle/Wallsend) Match 19 Edmund Thompson & David Jenkinson (Wearside/Houghtonle-Spring) VS Brian Robinson & Tim Carney (Woodham) Match 20 Steve Slater & Andy O’Neil (City of Newcastle) VS Rory McNally & Lee Small (Longhirst) Match 21 Ian Messenger & Michael Monk (Longhirst) VS Michael Trippett & Gary Tough (Seaham/Castle Eden) Match 22 Steven Dodds & Neville Wanless (Durham City) VS David Cameron & Rodney Martin (Beamish Park) Match 23 Andrew Dixon & Kevin Hodgson (Durham City) VS Alan Clark & Robert Richardson (Beamish) Match 24 Steven Garbutt & Michael Purcifer (Billingham) VS Andrew Howard & Ashley Coveney (Brancepeth Castle)

ADVERTORIAL

NEW MAN IN CHARGE AT SEATON Expert greenkeeper Tom Coulson returns to the North East and Seaton Carew Golf Club

While it already has a great reputation as one of the must play venues in the North East, Seaton Carew Golf Club is now working towards enhancing its standing in the golfing community further.

The Club has appointed a new Head Greenkeeper, Tom Coulson, who moves to Seaton from Open Championship host venue Royal St George’s in Kent.

Born and raised in Redcar, Tom always had a yearning to one day be the head greenkeeper at the Teesside course: “Managing a championship links course of the authentic quality Seaton Carew offers is an honour. I have a great affinity for this type of golf and golfing landscape.

This has always been one of my favourite courses, having been a past member and visited it on a great number of occasions.

“My main aim is to get the course, not just to the standards of the glorious past, but to a level that will send ripples through the golfing landscape. I believe

the potential of the land at Seaton Carew is sufficient to present a truly exceptional links golf course and one that stands shoulder to shoulder with the highest ranked courses in the UK.” Alongside the changes to the course, the club has recently opened

a Trackman coaching facility with the help of a grant from Sport England, and has plans to build a short game practice area. With a new catering and bar franchise now in place, Seaton Carew Golf Club really can offer a full golfing experience.

At Seaton Carew Golf Club we’re raising our game!

Join us and experience a true championship links at this timeless classic. With a new head greenkeeper and new catering operation, Seaton Carew is on target to cement its position as best course in the North.

SEATON CAREW GOLF CLUB TEES ROAD, HARTLEPOOL, TS25 1DE secretary.seatoncarewgolfclub@gmail.com

www.seatoncarewgolfclub.co.uk NORTHERN GOLFER 37

GOLFERGEAR

Gearing up

It’s been a busy summer of equipment releases and this month we have new irons from TaylorMade and Mizuno, a new Titleist golf ball and a state-of-the-art watch from SkyCaddie. We’ve also got new trolleys from PowaKaddy, Motocaddy and JuCad, new clothing from FootJoy and a pocket-sized golf towel which has proved popular with the Northern Golfer team.

ON THE NUMBER

SkyCaddie LX5C GPS Smart Watch RRP: £349.95 www.skycaddie.co.uk

The new SkyCaddie LX5C GPS Smart Watch has joined the SkyCaddie GPS family, adding a stylish, scratch-resistant and hard-wearing ceramic finish to the industry-leading technology.

The closest thing to having one of SkyCaddie’s SX400 or SX500 rangefinders on your wrist, the LX5C provides easy access to comprehensive ground-mapped course data through an HD colour touch screen.

You can zoom and pan to get yardages while accessing intuitive navigation as you play thanks to SkyCaddie’s proprietary HoleVue and IntelliGreen Pro technology, which rotates the green’s exact shape to match your angle of attack.

Preloaded with more than 35,000 ground-verified, full-colour HD SkyCaddie course maps, the watch also comes with a threeyear Worldwide Membership at no extra cost.

ROLL WITH IT

CLEAN AS A WHISTLE

Caddyboo Golf Towel RRP: see website for details www.caddyboo.co

We see all kinds of new products at Northern Golfer and very few of them make it past a week of testing. However, with course furniture including ball washers out of action, the Cadyboo Golf Towel has proved indispensable and found a permanent place in our bags.

This pocket-sized microfibre towel sits inside a leakproof outer shell which is held closed with a magnet. Simply wet the towel before you play, pop it in your pocket and it’s on-hand every time you step onto a green. A simple, inexpensive product which we’ve found super useful – this will be staying in our bags from now on.

Caddyboo also supports good causes across the game, partnering with organisations including Alzheimer’s Society, Anna Golf, The Cairns Cup and many more.

38 NORTHERN GOLFER

BIG MAX TI Lite trolley & 2020 cart bags RRP: £199.99 (trolley), various (bags) www.bigmaxgolf.com BIG MAX has expanded its TI range with the introduction of its lightest ever push trolley – the TI LITE. The TI LITE weighs just 5.4kg and features an ultra-stable, straight axle design with an adjustable handle and bag brackets to accommodate golfers and golf bags of all sizes. The TI LITE’s quick release wheels and quick folding mechanism allow the trolley to be packed into the smallest spaces.

Along with the TI LITE, BIG MAX has introduced four new cart bags this season. The Aqua Tour 3, Aqua Prime, Aqua Silencio and Dri Lite Sport bags offer unique features and options for golfers requiring maximum storage space, all-weather protection or a lightweight combination of the two.

GOLFERGEAR

WHOLE NEW LOOK

Motocaddy 2020 line-up RRP: trolleys from £599.99 www.motocaddy.com

Motocaady’s 2020 line-up offers industry-leading technology, its first touch-screen electric trolley, an updated remote controlled option and five new bags.

Leading the way, the M5 GPS trolley features a 3.5ins touch screen display, which has been tested in all weather conditions and can be used while wearing a glove. The trolley also features an integrated GPS system along multiple other functions - from score tracking to smartphone notifications supported by the Motocaddy GPS app.

Alongside the GP5, the new M7 REMOTE offers a hands-free option with significant upgrades on Motocaddy’s previous remote controlled trolleys. Golfers can remotely move the trolley forward, backward, left and right while the M7 includes Automatic Downhill Control, an emergency stop and handset lock functions with a remote range of 50 metres.

Motocaddy’s S1, M1 and M3 PRO trolleys have also been given makeovers for 2020 with upgraded handle designs, new frame and wheel colouring, and many more new features and upgrades added to each model.

Meanwhile, the new-look bag collection features five new models alongside the Pro-Series bag, which was updated last season. The Dry-Series, M-TECH, Club-Series and Lite-Series cart bags are joined by the new HydroFLEX carry bag. Each model incorporates the brand’s EASILOCK bag-to-trolley connection system, removing the need for a lower bag strap, and the six-bag range incorporates 17 colourways in super-lightweight, waterproof and carry options.

HITTING BOMBS

Callaway Big Bertha B-21 range RRP: various eu.callawaygolf.com

Callaway has released its latest line-up of drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons - Big Bertha B-21. The range includes a new driver with a combination of a high launch, low spin design and a significant draw bias for players who hit a slice or struggle to find a consistent ball flight.

Meanwhile, the Big Bertha B-21 Fairway Woods are Callaway’s easiest to launch fairway woods yet and have been designed to promote distance, consistent contact and smooth turf interaction.

They are available alongside a new range of hybrids and new irons featuring an AI-designed Flash Face Cup to create high ball speeds and increased spin robustness.

NEW BALLS, PLEASE

Titleist Tour Speed ball RRP: from £40 per dozen www.titleist.co.uk

The new Titleist Tour Speed ball has been unveiled, promising the fastest, best performing golf ball in its category. A threepiece ball with a proprietary thermoplastic urethane cover, the Tour Speed has been tested extensively with amateur players and features a high speed core formulation and a fast ionomer casing layer to increase speed for category leading distance. The Tour Speed’s thermoplastic urethane cover is proprietary Titleist technology which generates increased greenside spin for short game control.

NORTHERN GOLFER 39

GOLFERGEAR

10 YEARS OF FREEWAY PowaKaddy FX collection RRP: from £549.99 www.powakaddy.co.uk

PowaKaddy has unveiled the 10th reimagining of its Freeway range - the FX Collection.

The latest Freeway brings together new styling and powerful intelligence with industry-leading construction to create PowaKaddy’s most technologically advanced collection to date.

The latest Freeway models feature a new 1-Click system, which folds 20% smaller than previous versions while the new PowaFrame chassis is the strongest in the game and a new optional self-sensing Electronic Braking System slows the trolley on steep slopes.

The collection is led by the FX7 GPS, the world’s first GPS electric golf trolley to feature touch screen technology. A 3.5ins touch screen LCD delivers fast and accurate distances on more than 40,000 courses worldwide.

NEW LINE-UP

TaylorMade P•7MB, P•7MC and P•770 irons & SIM UDI and SIM DHY utility irons RRP: various www.taylormadegolf.eu Fresh off watching staff player Collin Morikawa win his first major title at the PGA Championship, TaylorMade announced details of its new P•7MB, P•7MC and P•770 irons.

The P•770 irons (RRP £1,299) feature a forged hollow body construction with SpeedFoam injection and advanced tungsten weighting - akin to the P•790 irons from TaylorMade. More compact than the P•790 and featuring a thinner topline, P•770 promotes a higher launch with the long irons and additional spin compared to the P•790.

Designed with insights from the game’s best ball strikers, P•7MC and P•7MB have been designed to provide maximum feedback for players.

The P•7MB design (RRP £1,299) is a clean and elegant muscle back which takes cues from Dustin Johnson’s Tour Prototype irons.

The irons feature a thin top line, minimal offset and a narrow sole.

Meanwhile, the muscle cavity P•7MC design (RRP £1,299) aims to meet the standards of the game’s most discerning players. Classic shaping and minimal offset deliver control and precision while perimeter weighting offers just the right amount of forgiveness.

Alongside the new irons, TaylorMade has also unveiled two new utility irons - SIM UDI and SIM DHY. SIM DHY offers a larger overall footprint with a thicker top line, wider sole and a shallower profile that delivers hybrid-like forgiveness while the SIM UDI features a more traditional players iron profile with a thinner top line and slimmer sole for enhanced workability and shot making characteristics.

40 NORTHERN GOLFER

FIRST STEPS

RIFE Golf shoes RRP: from £49.99 www.americangolf.co.uk Putter brand RIFE Golf has moved into the golf shoe market with the launch of four new designs.

The RIFE RF-01 Pro Approach Spikeless shoe (£59.99) delivers on and off-course versatility along with performance stability through the golf swing thanks to the Ultra Track spikeless outsole. With transition from course to street in mind, the shoe has a rubber midsole for high-rebound cushioning and a specifically moulded Rife insole for maximum walking comfort.

The RIFE RF-02 Blade Spikeless shoe (£64.99), RIFE RF-05 Element shoe (£74.99) and RIFE RF-07 Epic Ace Spikeless shoe (£49.99) complete the new range.

GOLFERGEAR FORGED FEEL

Mizuno JPX921 irons & ES21 wedges RRP: JPX921 Forged £150 per iron, JPX921 Tour £150 per iron, JPX921 Hot Metal Pro £135 per iron JPX21 Hot Metal £120 per iron, ES21 wedge £155 golf.mizunoeurope.com Mizuno has unveiled its new JPX921 series of irons alongside new ES21 wedges.

The JPX921 series has been developed alongside Mizuno’s custom-fitting programme to deliver performance for all golfers. The new family includes the JPX921 Forged - integrating the power of Chromoly into a full body forged iron for the first time alongside the JPX921 Tour, JPX921 Hot Metal and Hot Metal Pro models, with each model engineered to help enhance performance for particular swing types.

The JPX921 Forged offers the fastest ball speeds Mizuno has ever produced from a fully forged iron while the JPX921 Tour design blends precision with enhanced stability from off-centre strikes and the JPX921 Hot Metal and Hot Metal Pro models represent the third generation of Mizuno irons to be crafted from high-strength Chromoly 4140M. Meanwhile, the ES21 range of wedges features a higher, more central sweet spot than many traditional wedges, which delivers a squarer strike and greater levels of controllable spin. A multi-piece stainless steel construction features a hollow body for a higher and deeper centre of gravity while the high toe and low heel keep the wedges extremely stable when the face is opened.

ROLLIN’

JuCad trolleys RRP: various www.jucadgolf.com German brand JuCad has introduced its stylish, hand-built golf trolleys to the UK. The range is led by the titanium-framed JuCad Travel, the company’s best-seller with its minimal, unfussy frame and a seemingly invisible battery. Light and easy to carry one-handed, the Travel is able to fold quickly and tidily into a tiny size.

The range also includes models with titanium, carbon and stainless steel frames - offering varying degrees of foldability, power, control methods and personalisation.

The JuStar range of golf trolleys is also available in the UK, offering JuCad quality and performance for the more price conscious golfer.

NEW THREADS

FootJoy 2020 apparel RRP: various www.footjoy.co.uk FootJoy’s Spring/Summer clothing lines for men and women incorporate the latest in performance fabrics and fits to ensure comfort on the course in a range of weather conditions.

The range is available in four new colour collections in the men’s range and two new colour collections in the women’s GolfLeisure range.

Designs range from understated to eye-catching with collections brought together to suit every golfer – from statement prints on the course to classic, comfortable styles suited to on and off course settings.

NORTHERN GOLFER 41

GOLFERTIPS

KNOW THE DRILL The full swing is an incredibly important part of the game, but we make more strokes with the putter than any other club in bag – and it’s the one that’s easiest to practise.

Rather than spending all your time on the range, dedicate a good portion of time to the putting green and use these two drills. A small change in your practice routine could yield a big improvement in scoring. The pressure soon builds as you improve and it’s a great way to practise with a purpose and create a little competition, which is ideal ahead of facing the same kind of putts on the course.

Drill one – Par 18 Pick nine putts ranging from 20-30ft around the putting green, mixing up angles, uphills and downhills, and left and right breaks to simulate the putts you’ll face in a round. Use your oncourse routine for each putt and see if you can get all nine balls in the hole in 18 strokes.

Drill two – Par nine Place nine balls around the hole ranging from 4-8ft. Using your normal routine, try and hole out from each position.

Doug Brolls PGA Profe ssio

nal

Justin Thomas © Masuti-Shutterstock.com 42 NORTHERN GOLFER

ADVERTORIAL

AN EXCITING SUMMER OF GOLF AT WHITBY GOLF CLUB Club plans to continue the success of the summer of golf on the Yorkshire coast Like all golf clubs, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has had a big impact on Whitby Golf Club, but it hasn’t stopped the club looking ahead and working hard to provide excellent facilities for members and guests.

European Golf Teachers Federation coach Johnny Norton has joined the club and launched new coaching programmes for junior and adults.

Johnny graduated from the International Institute for Golf Education with a degree in golf coaching and performance before working at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. He then moved to Hunley Hotel & Golf Club in Brotton, where he developed one of the most successful junior programmes in the region with 55 juniors taking part.

Johnny will be working to develop a new junior golf coaching programme at Whitby, in which children of all ages can take part in fun sessions, learn and play golf. As part of

the new Junior Academy system, youngsters will also be invited to ongoing coaching sessions as well as regular competition and family friendly activities. A newly measured junior course will also be available to play, while the club has teamed up with Hunley’s juniors to create competitive golf opportunities. Johnny will also be coaching club members as well as hosting beginner classes for men and women.

Meanwhile, the UK’s summer of golf has proved successful at Whitby with 128 new or returning members taking up a range of membership options.

The newly appointed board plans to build on a successful summer with a range of plans

Newly appointed Whitby Golf Club coach Johnny Norton. Contact Johnny through the club website, the Johnny Norton Golf Coaching Facebook page or email johnnynorton1994@gmail.com

already in place for the coming months.

A renaissance in volunteering has driven the course forward this summer too with work carried out on sprucing up bunkers, planting new flowers and weeding, repairing and painting woodwork, and creating a new rockery garden. The team has now turned its attention to the clubhouse, refurbishing the gents locker room, decorating throughout, adding a new drinks and snack machine, and preparing for the launch of the club’s new catering facilities. A new Members Hub and app has also been launched to support bookings and share club news while providing an online booking facility for visitors.

A range of membership options are available at Whitby Golf Club, including incentives for those under the age of 30.

For more information, see the club’s website, email office@whitbygolfclub. co.uk or call 01947 600 660

WHITBY GOLF CLUB

VISITORS BOOKINGS 2021 MONDAY £20pp ALL DAY TUES, WEDS & THURS £25pp 1 OR 2 BALL £67.50 - 3 BALL £80.00 - 4 BALL

Whitby Golf Club, Sandsend Road, Low Straggleton, Whitby YO21 3SR tel: 01947 600660 | email: office@whitbygolfclub.co.uk | www.whitbygolfclub.co.uk

FRI, SAT & SUN £32.50pp 1 OR 2 BALL £87.95- 3 BALL £104 - 4 BALL NORTHERN GOLFER 43

GOLFERPROMOTIONS

win Northern Golfer competitions are also listed on our website www.northerngolfer.co.uk/ competitions Alternatively, you can post your entry to: Competitions, Northern Golfer, Unit 5b, Bearl Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland, NE43 7AL

Please include your contact details and telephone number. Closing date Thursday October 15, 2020. Usual competition rules apply – available on request. Winners will be published in our next edition.

WIN GOLF FOR FOUR AT SEATON CAREW GOLF CLUB Few courses can boast as interesting a history at Seaton Carew. Eighteen of the 22 holes here were designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, the man responsible for Augusta National, while some of England’s biggest events have been staged over the links. This is true links golf – the fairways are generous enough but they are lined with punishing sand dunes, wicked buckthorn, whins and rough, and if the wind blows Seaton is a fearsome test.

For your chance to win answer the following question: Who won the 2019 Open Championship?

WIN GOLF FOR FOUR AT ARCOT HALL GOLF CLUB The James Braid-designed layout at Arcot Hall Golf Club remains one of Northumberland’s finest parkland layouts.

For your chance to win answer the following question: Who won the Open Championship at Royal St George’s in 1985?

WIN GOLF FOR FOUR AT LONGHIRST HALL GOLF CLUB Longhirst is home to two beautiful courses, The Lakes and The Dawson, offering the challenge of American-style golf in the Northumberland countryside.

For your chance to win answer the following question: Who won the 2020 Women’s Open Championship at Royal Troon?

Congratulations to last month’s competition winner: South Shields - Shaun Barron of Seghill 44 NORTHERN GOLFER

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Welcome to your reader feedback page. We want to hear your likes, dislikes and funny golfing stories, and if you’d like to make suggestions about Northern Golfer, let us know. We want to hear from you!

Holding a course record is a great achievement for any golfer, but achieving two at the same club is a rare feat.

Northumberland county player and Longhist Hall member Gary Donnison has achieved just that this summer, posting a nine underpar round on the The Lakes course at Longhirst before following it up with a 10 under-par round on The Dawson course.

Congratulations Gary, a great achievement.

Stewart Bailey with Angela Doran, Paula Moore and Amanda Simmister from GNAAS Charity champion Stewart Bailey has now raised more than £700,000 for good causes following his annual golf day at Linden Hall.

Stewart’s 11th annual golf day raised money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service and brought together 80 golfers to compete for the Pig n Mix trophy. Among the prizes on the day was £25,000 for a hole-in-one, which was won

by Richard Walton – a regular supporter of the event and member of Parklands Golf Club – with an ace at Linden’s 15th hole.

Amazing work again Stewart, and congratulations to Richard on his hole-in-one.

Congratulations to the team of Darren McCaig, Steve Wilkinson, Andrew Mitchell and Jamie Robson on completing a 24-hour golfing challenge at Whickham Golf Club and raising more than £4,000 for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

Darren said: “Saturday started with an 46 NORTHERN GOLFER

Richard Walton

unexpected visit from Lady Elsie Robson before we teed off. The hours of darkness were particularly tough and mentally challenging, but it was all worth it in the end.”

Well done guys, a great effort for a fantastic charity.

Tom Ward, 80, raised a few eyebrows after using a wedge to ace the 167-yard 14th hole at Whitburn Golf Club.

Played downhill, the partially blind shot is notoriously difficult and should always require more than a wedge. But, to Tom’s delight, a forward tee is in use at the moment to allow for work on the approach, meaning his wedge was plenty to cover the 90 yards to the hole on this occasion.

Tom has sadly not seen any of his four aces, as he explained: “I’ve been bending down to pick up the tee every time they’ve gone in, but I’m not really complaining.”

Well done on adding to your record Tom.

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