Northern Golfer #88 December 2021/January 2022

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DECEMBER 2021/JANUARY 2022

KINGS OF THE CASTLE Brancepeth duo Vaughan Raine and Shaun Elliott win the 20th edition of Match Play Pairs

WIN GOLF FOR FOUR AT ARCOT HALL, BRANCEPETH, AND LINDEN HALL

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WELCOME&CONTENTS The final edition of 2021 has brought with it a chance to reflect and look ahead to next season.

EDITOR Dean Bailey 01661 844 115 dean@offstonepublishing.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS Alan Hedley 07570 797 566 ahedley@northerngolfer.co.uk Chris Paisley Chris Simmons ADVERTISING MANAGERS Doug Brolls 07721 031 482 doug@offstonepublishing.co.uk Gillian Corney 07903 500 401 gillian@offstonepublishing.co.uk PHOTOGRAPHY Kevin Gibson & Nicky Rogerson info@kgphotography.co.uk EVENTS Dean Bailey dean@offstonepublishing.co.uk

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Publisher: Gary Ramsay Address: Offstone Publishing Unit 5b. Bearl Farm, Stocksfield Northumberland, NE43 7AL Tel: 01661 844 115 E: enquiries@offstonepublishing.co.uk Twitter: @offstonepublish

The year started with great uncertainty. Beginning in lockdown, with no golf played in England until the end of March, we had plenty of time to build our expectations for the season ahead - and what a season it turned out to be!

Writing our annual review (pages 28-31) was a fascinating journey through the many highs of 2021. Starting with Matty Lamb’s performance in The Walker Cup, our region’s golfers have shone throughout the season and each edition of Northern Golfer has been packed with success stories. The strength of our region’s female golfers again shone through in 2021 with players including Maggie Whitehead, Faye Wheatley, Rachel Gourley, Rosie Belsham and Jess Baker earning headlines regularly for their performances in the biggest national events.

We also saw great golf at the professional level, which continued in recent weeks as you’ll read throughout Teeing Off. At club level, the good news also kept coming thick and fast - and the launch of the Northern Golfer Weekly email allowed us to keep on top of this during the season.

If you haven’t subscribed already, visit our website and use the sign up form to keep up-to-date with what’s going on in golf around the region.

Onto this edition, our fourth and final one of 2021. This month we bring more success stories from players including Andrew Wilson and James Wilson, and the previously mentioned Faye Wheatley, Rachel Gourley and Maggie Whitehead. We also have a full report from the final of the 20th edition of the Northern Golfer Match Play Pairs tournament (pages 24-26).

We’ve also taken a trip to the fabulous Billingham Golf Club in our Course Profile, caught up with our old friend John Glendinning for A Round With, and asked tour caddy Chris Simmons to share more of what he has learned from the best players in the world. Chris Paisley’s Tour Life is again a must-read as he shares his thoughts on his season and his plans for next year.

A huge thank you to all our readers and partners for your support in 2021 - without you we would not be able to cover all of the good news in the region. Everyone at Northern Golfer wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See you in February.

Dean Bailey, editor editor@northerngolfer.co.uk

04-09 TEEING OFF

National and international success stories, and tour cards earned for 2022

10-18 TEEING OFF

Hickory golf, Rabbits, pro am wins, EuroPro final at Slaley Hall, and lots more

21 TOUR LIFE

With Chris Paisley

23 TOUR TIPS

With caddy Chris Simmons

28-31 YEAR REVIEW The biggest stories of 2021

32 A ROUND WITH

The Wisley’s John Glendinning

FRONT COVER

2021 Northern Golfer Match Play Pairs champions Vaughan Raine and Shaun Elliott Pages 24-27

36 SPECIAL FOCUS

When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it ©Offstone Publishing 2021/22. All rights reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All information contained in this magazine is as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press.

Offstone Publishing cannot accept responsibility for errors of inaccuracies in such information. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Offstone Publishing a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine. All material is sent at your own risk and although every care is taken, neither Offstone Publishing nor it’s employees, agents or subcontractors shall be held liable resulting for loss or damage. Offstone Publishing endeavors to respect the intellectual property of owners of copyrighted material reproduced herein. If you identify yourself as the copyright holder of material we have wrongly attributed, please contact the office. Offstone Publishing do not guarantee the insertion of any particular advertisement on a specified date or at all.

34 COURSE PROFILE - BILLINGHAM

Exploring the work of golden age architects Harry Colt and James Braid

42 SPECIAL FOCUS Home on the range

45 COMPETITIONS

Win golf for four at Arcot Hall, Brancepeth, and Linden Hall

46 FROM THE BUNKER Readers’ tales from around the region

NORTHERN GOLFER 03

TEEINGOFF

Shannon O’Dwyer

James Wilson and Jeff Pitt

Foursomes champions Close House’s James Wilson and Jeff Pitt came through a season of foursomes matches across Northumberland and Durham to win the Inter County Foursomes Championship at Brancepeth Castle.

The knock-out competition, played throughout the season in 2021, saw Close House reach the final as Northumberland champions with victory over Newcastle United’s Mark Wharton and Simon Lee 3&2.

In the final, James and Jeff overcame Durham champions Bishop Auckland - who had beaten Castle Eden in the morning’s Durham final on the first playoff hole.

John Fletcher and Cameron Thoburn

Thoburn wins junior title Cameron Thoburn defeated Harrison Sewell to win the Northumberland Union of Golf Clubs’ Junior Matchplay title.

The final, played at Alnmouth Village, saw Cameron shoot 62 - three better than Harrison’s 65 - to win the match.

04 NORTHERN GOLFER

Faye Wheatley [left] and 24th Grand Final winner Patience Rhodes

Faye Wheatley wins Faldo Series final

W

hickham-based Faye Wheatley added international success to her growing golf CV with victory in the 25th Faldo Series Europe Grand Final at Brocket Hall.

Faye led the elite field of juniors from across Europe with a threeround total of six under-par, including a four under-par final round, to win the Girls U16 category by 14 shots and the overall title as the lowest scoring player across the five categories - beating Sam Potter by five shots.

“It is amazing to finish the week as champion in a really competitive field,” said Faye. “I really felt like it was won and lost on the greens.

They ran true and fast so I knew if I could putt well I’d be up there at the end of the week, and that’s what I did. I putted great and almost treated it like a putting competition because the greens were that tough.

“To come through qualifying and be at such a big event like a Grand Final was quite surreal at times, and I really didn’t expect the week to go as it did. I’ll continue to work hard on my game as one of my biggest goals for next year is to come back and defend my title.”

In the final round, Faye posted three birdies on the front nine to go out in 32 before adding another birdie at 11. Despite a double bogey at the next, she bounced back with

birdies at 15 and the par five 18th to post a closing round of 69.

Played alongside the 24th Grand Final at Brocket Hall, the event brought together qualifiers from across Europe, including Faye and Northumberland’s Morgan Blythe who secured their places earlier this season at Dunstanburgh.

Faye’s win earned her an invite to the Faldo Series Asia Grand Final in 2022, where she will get to compete against top performing juniors across the world.

Further building on the unique competitive opportunities for the event’s winners, Faye will also be offered a start in a professional tour event on the 2022 LET or Access Series schedule.

New format for Durham junior championships The 2022 editions of the Durham Boys and Girls championships will be held on the same course and on the same day - at Bishop Auckland Golf Club on June 18, 2022.

Officials from the Durham

County Ladies Golf Association and Durham County Golf Union will work in partnership to run both events.

Meanwhile, the Durham County Matchplay Championship will take place at Beamish Park

Bishop Auckland Golf Club May 14-22, and the County Strokeplay Championship will be held at Castle Eden July 8-10 as the club celebrates its centenary.

TEEINGOFF

Rachel Gourley wins Justin Rose Telegraph junior title

A

rcot Hall-based England international Rachel Gourley added victory in the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship to her growing list of achievements.

Sponsored by the Ryder Cup legend and major champion, who won the event himself in 1997, this year’s tournament took place at Walton Heath Golf Club.

Rachel, 17, came through a tense final round to earn her victory, edging out friend and England teammate Lottie Woad by a single shot to claim the girls’ title after closing her week with a one under-par round of 73 for a wire-towire victory.

Having birdied holes 15, 16 and 17, Rachel held a five-shot lead playing the 18th in the final round.

However, a quadruple bogey eight almost opened the door for Lottie.

Having holed her putt for eight on the final hole to win, Rachel said: “I can’t even remember the putt.

But I do know that I didn’t forget to fist-pump.

“This means a lot. It’s my best win so far and to do it like that… well I’m always going to remember it aren’t I? I’m disappointed in a sense that I was five ahead and put myself through all that, but I’m more proud of the way I eventually finished it off. I don’t even want to think about what it could have done to me if I’d lost.”

Meanwhile, 16-year-old England international Harley Smith won the boys’ event by 13 shots with Northumberland’s Angus Buchanan finishing in a tie for second place.

Boys winner Harley Smith and Rachel Gourley

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NORTHERN GOLFER 05

TEEINGOFF

New Rules of Amateur Status Golf’s new Rules of Amateur Status have been published

by The R&A and the USGA ahead of coming into effect on January 1, 2022.

The new set of Rules removes many of the restrictions that previously applied to amateur golfers, while ensuring the integrity of the game is protected by limiting the form and value of the prizes an amateur golfer can accept.

As part of a modernisation effort, the new Rules identify just four acts that will result in a golfer losing their amateur status - accepting a prize with a value exceeding the prize limit (£700/$1000) or accepting prize money in a handicap competition, playing as a professional, accepting payment for giving instruction (although all current exceptions still apply), or accepting employment as a golf club professional or membership of an association of professional golfers.

The Rules also distinguish between scratch and handicap competitions in terms of the prizes that may be accepted, clarify the Rules only apply to tee-to-hole competitions, and remove all advertising, expense-related and sponsorship restrictions.

For more information visit www.randa.org

Andrew Wilson (second from right) with the 2021 Challenge Tour graduates (© Getty Images)

Wilson steps up to DP World Tour A ndrew Wilson secured his DP World Tour card for 2022 with a nervewracking finish at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A in Mallorca.

Having graduated from the EuroPro Tour in 2019, Darlingtonbased Andrew continued his fast progression through the professional ranks by securing his card with a top-20 finish in the Challenge Tour’s order of merit.

“It’s been a bit of a whirlwind the last few years,” he said. “When I played well at The Open in 2019, I knew I was good enough to make it to the European Tour. There’s a big difference between thinking you’re good enough and getting out there though - you’ve got to play your boots out for a couple of years to

climb up through the system. I’m not surprised I’ve got my card, but I didn’t think I’d have it this quickly.”

Heading into the final event of the season inside the top-20, Andrew opened with a round of 75 before rallying to post a second round 67, and maintained his position with a level par round of 71 on Saturday.

Going into Sunday’s final round, everything was still to play for.

“I didn’t earn my card the conventional way,” Andrew added.

“Being in last place after the opening round wasn’t how I wanted to start the week. I think nerves got the better of me, but I managed to shoot four under-par on day two.

“I struggled again on Saturday and felt like I was blowing the opportunity. On Sunday I stayed patient and then out of nowhere,

double bogeyed the 13th. I was devastated standing on the 14th tee.

“On 14, all of a sudden, the putter started to work. You can’t give up on the golf course as you never know when it’s going to turnaround.”

Andrew’s turnaround - birdieing four of his last five holes - saw him finish in a tie for 12th place, securing 18th place on the order of merit and a place on the DP World Tour.

“Sitting in the last qualifying place going into the event, I knew it wasn’t going to be a lot of fun. It was always going to be more of a mental battle than a golfing one. I was prepared for the fight and although I didn’t play by best golf, I’m really proud of the way I kept it together throughout the week. I’m looking forward to getting out to tournaments again and seeing what next season brings.”

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06 NORTHERN GOLFER

TEEINGOFF

Wilson and Trewhitt secure EuroPro cards for 2022

J

ames Wilson and Ramside Golf Club-attached Jack Trewhitt earned full playing rights for the 2022 PGA EuroPro Tour following the final round of this year’s Qualifying School at Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa. Both players earned the highest available category for next year’s EuroPro Tour schedule with top 30 finishes. Jack posted a closing six under-par round of 65 to climb into a tie for 22nd place alongside James - who turned professional ahead of Qualifying School following a successful amateur career.

James, who has also started his PGA training and will be based at Tyneside Golf Club with professional Gary Vickers, said: “I’m buzzing to have got the job done and secured full playing rights on the EuroPro Tour for 2022. It’s been a great start

James Wilson (© Scottish Golf) to my professional career, shooting under par in every round I’ve played as a pro so far, so there’s a lot to look forward to.

“The environment among the

pros is different, particularly going down to Stoke by Nayland after making it through first stage at Longhirst among a lot of local guys.

The final stage was far from my best

golf, but I’m happy with the way I finished - making an eagle and three birdies in my last five holes to squeeze into the top 30.

“Getting my card on the EuroPro is a great first step. I’ve always wanted to do something in golf, but I’m realistic and understand how hard it is to make it as a tour player.

My main focus in the next three years will be my PGA training while playing some golf locally and on the EuroPro. The PGA course will give me a great base from which to build my career, whatever path that takes long-term.”

Meanwhile, Close House-based Christian Brown will have limited playing rights for the 2022 tour after narrowly missing the cut at the final stage of Q School. Thomas Thurloway, Rhys Nevin, and Ross Cameron took joint honours as winners of Q School by one shot.

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NORTHERN GOLFER 07

TEEINGOFF

Shannon O’Dwyer

Luke Tate

Border raider Luke Tate - a member of Boldon and Whitburn golf clubs - outscored 107 other competitors to win the Ayrshire Links Cup. Players travelled from across the UK and Europe for the event - played at Western Gailes, Kilmarnock Barassie, Gailes Links and Dundonald Links. Luke led the field in the 72-hole competition with 143 stableford points, including a superb closing round of two under-par for 41 points. He was also part of the winning team alongside Dave Tate (Boldon), Ed Krawitt (Royal Mid Surrey) and Steve Couper (Kendal).

Gregg Tarplee and James Walker

Top honour High Gosforth Park Golf Club has recognised the dedication of member James (Jimmy) Walker with honorary membership.

The first such award since the club’s name change, it recognised James’ invaluable volunteer work in recent years, which has included assisting the greenkeeping team and working as a course marshal and starter. The club also presented James with a silver salver and a voucher for The Border Minstrel pub at High Gosforth Park to mark the occasion.

08 NORTHERN GOLFER

Maggie Whitehead (© Leaderboard Photography)

Maggie’s year to remember M

aggie Whitehead ended her 2021 season with an outstanding record finishing inside the top-10 in every national event she played and securing the number one ranking among England’s under 16 girls in the European Golf Rankings.

Fifteen-year-old Maggie, a member of Close House and Ramside, closed out the season with a seventh place finish in the R&A Girls U16 Open Championship at Enville. Playing in the final group, she jumped into a tie for the lead with eagle at the opening hole before fading on the back nine.

The event was won by England’s Rosie Bee Kim, while Whickham’s Faye Wheatley finished in a tie for 16th place.

The finish added to Maggie’s win in the English Girls (U16) Open Amateur Championship at Morecambe, and third place finishes in the R&A Girls Amateur Championship at Fulford and

the English Girls’ Stroke Play Championship at Malton & Norton.

“It’s my best season so far,” said Maggie. “I felt some pressure going into the event at Enville, knowing I could achieve a top-10 finish in every event. I’m really proud to have achieved it - it’s been a busy season and a really good one.

“I missed having a full season of competitive golf in 2020 so getting back to it was a lot of fun.

To have the best season of my golf career so far was amazing.”

This season also saw Maggie compete in the Rose Ladies Series event at The Berkshire - where she led the field late in her round before falling back. She also competed in the pro am at the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie alongside Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, world No. 14 Jessica Korda, and broadcaster Eilidh Barbour.

“Winning at Morecambe was really special and representing GB&I in the Junior Vagliano Trophy

was incredible. Playing in the Rose Ladies Series alongside the professionals was so much fun and I got some lovely messages from some of the professionals afterwards.

“Next year is going to be really busy with lots of events in my last season in the under 16s to fit in around my exams. I want to defend the English Girls title and I’d really like to play some international events, including some for England, if that’s possible.”

Castle Eden Golf Club 18 Hole picturesque parkland course

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TEEINGOFF

Centenary celebrations

A

Jim Simpson and Deborah Roberts

Whitburn’s charity champions Members of Whitburn Golf Club handed over a cheque for more than £6,000 to local charity Cancer Connections after a major fundraising drive at the club.

On top of the fundraising effort by members at Whitburn, The Barbour Foundation contributed £2,000 - boosting the total raised to £6,100.45.

year later than planned, the Northumberland Ladies County Golf Association hosted the final event of its centenary celebrations - a lunch for 180 guests at the Grand Hotel, Gosforth Park.

One of the county’s mostdecorated players - Jenny Lucas (nee Jenny Lee Smith) - spoke at the event, which brought together golfers from the association’s 39 clubs including past county champions and five members of the 1973 winning county team.

The captains from each of the association’s founding clubs - Alnmouth, Benton Park (now Arcot Hall), Gosforth, Hexham, Tynemouth and Whitley Bay - were presented with commemorative plates at the lunch, which closed a year of centenary celebrations across the county which has included county events at each of the founding clubs and special competitions at each member club.

Wynyard Golf Club

The 1973 winning county team (l-r) Audrey Pattison, Jenny Lucas, Margaret Pickard, Elaine Elliott and Tina Buck

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10 NORTHERN GOLFER

TEEINGOFF

Newcastle golfer helps Europe win hickory Ryder Cup

N

ewcastle United’s Neil Gascoigne helped team Europe beat the United States in The Hickory Grail - a biennial match played with traditional equipment - at St Andrews.

Neil, who holds a handicap of plus-one, represented the European team for the first time and won all three of his matches to help Europe to a 15-13 victory.

On the opening day he teamed up with Steve Oswald to win a foursomes match on the New Course before teaming up with Sweden’s Ingvar Ritzén for day two’s fourball match on the Old Course.

In the singles round, played on the Jubilee Course, Neil overcame American Scott McAllister 2&1 as Europe completed a narrow victory.

Neil, a two-time winner of the Scottish Hickory Championship,

Seaton celebrates 150-year connection Neil Gascoigne with the European Hickory Grail team said: “The week at St Andrews was incredible. I’ve switched between modern equipment and hickories for the last five years and have loved every minute of the challenge, but being part of this event for the first time, and playing it at the Home of Golf, was very special.

“The highlight has to be playing the Old Course. We had a great fourball including a US Hickory Open winner and I shot level par in tough conditions as both teams

shot under par betterball rounds.

The whole week was a lot of fun and I had some great support from Newcastle United - I can’t thank Jen Anderson and John Simmons enough for coming up for the second day. I’ve got two years to build up points ahead of the next Hickory Grail in the US. It would be another level again if I can make it to the 2023 event at Belvedere in Michigan.”

For more information visit www.thehickorygrail.com

Seaton Carew Golf Club has renamed its clubhouse bar area The Bunting Lounge to celebrate the Bunting family’s near-150-year association with the club.

Derek Bunting and Seaton Carew president Mick Chalk unveiled a plaque to commemorate the renaming.

Derek, 89, who now lives close to Formby Golf Club, also teed off on the links where his brother Edward - who died in November 2020 - was a widely respected figure.

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TEEINGOFF

O’Hara goes low in back-to-back wins

P

aul O’Hara picked up a pair of wins, including this year’s Portugal Pro Am, while James Wilson collected the first winner’s cheque of his career as the North East & North West PGA circuit entered the autumn.

North Lanarkshire-based Paul - who won this season’s PGA Professional Championship and PGA Play Offs on the national circuit - topped the leaderboard in the Seaton Carew Pro Am with a seven under-par round of 67 before continuing his fine form in Portugal - winning the four-day pro am by 11 shots with a 25 under-par score.

Rockliffe-based James Maw finished in second place while Stephen Gray finished third in Portugal.

Meanwhile, James Wilson playing in his first NE/NW PGA competition as a professional - led the field in the first Dunstanburgh Winter Pairs event with 41 stableford points, finishing one point ahead of Morpeth’s David Clark.

Chris McDonnell Kevin Batty, Paul O’Hara and and Steve Harrison Steve Harrison Meanwhile, Chris McDonnell, Mark Ridley and Ken Ferrie also added victories to their respective accomplishments this season.

Chris led the field over two days at Archerfield with a 10 under-par total earning him top individual honours while also leading his

CHESTER-LE-STREET GOLF CLUB

James Wilson

team to victory. Mark and Ken, this year’s Match Play Championship winner and runner-up respectively, tied for top spot in the Prudhoe/ Breast Cancer Research Pro Am with two under-par rounds of 67 to finish one-shot clear of David Clark, Tim Dykes and Nicky Maddison. In

Mark Ridley

tough conditions at Alnmouth Golf Club, Ken topped the leaderboard on his own with a three under-par round of 68 - one shot clear of David Clark and John Harrison in a tie for second place.

For the latest from the NE/NW PGA visit www.nenwpga.co.uk

W H Y N OT JOIN US TO DAY ?

NEW MEMBERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME SO THERE REALLY IS NO BETTER TIME TO JOIN A GOLF CLUB WE HAVE MEMBERSHIPS FOR ALL INCLUDING: FULL MEMBERSHIP - £750 MIDWEEK MEMBERSHIP - £645 AGED 22-29 MEMBERSHIPS GET IN CONTACT AND (QUOTE 1908) TO DISCUSS THE BEST MEMBERSHIP OPTION FOR YOU Contact: Secretary 0191 388 3218 Email: secretary@clsgolfclub.co.uk PGA Professional 0191 388 2333 Chester le Street Golf Club, Lumley Park, County Durham, DH3 4NS

12 NORTHERN GOLFER

TEEINGOFF

Double success for Bishop Auckland

B

ishop Auckland Golf Club’s Rabbits and Inter teams topped their respective North East Rabbits Golf Association Finals Days at Ramside Hall to add a pair of trophies to the club’s cabinet.

In the Inter Finals Day, Bishop’s team posted a score of 233 points (best seven stableford scores from a team of eight) to beat Blackwell Grange by four points.

Meanwhile the Rabbits team, playing in the same format, recorded 241 points - beating second place South Moor by seven points.

Each Finals Day also brought together the leading points scorer from each club to compete for their respective individual championship.

The Inter title went to Catterick’s David Wright with 40 points as Hunley’s Paul Baldwin finished second. Bishop Auckland’s James Tray took home the individual title on Rabbits Finals Day with a score of 40 points as Drax’s Garryck Slaywe

Bishop Auckland’s Inter team finished second with 37 points.

With events hosted by clubs throughout the season, more than 1,000 players competed in the

Bishop Auckland’s Rabbits team Rabbits (14.5 to 28 handicaps) and Inter (7.0 to 14.4 handicaps) leagues this season, representing 34 Rabbits clubs and 24 Inter clubs.

For more information, including how to join the Rabbits and Inter leagues, visit nerga.herokuapp.com

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NORTHERN GOLFER 13

Golfing Offers 2021/22 Golf Lessons All ages welcome with PGA Professionals Michael Nesbit and George Cowan Telephone 0191 2860594

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Jamie Rutherford

Jamie Rutherford wins EuroPro finale at Slaley

J

amie Rutherford won the 2021 Matchroom Tour Championship at Slaley Hall to secure top spot in the season-long order of merit following a dramatic final day of the season.

Jamie went into the day two shots off the lead and ninth in the order of merit, and knew it would take a gutsy performance to seal a top-five finish and a place on next season’s Challenge Tour.

The Knebworth golfer went out in 35 before making four straight birdies from 10-13 to move to nine under-par and one shot clear of Jack McDonald and Calum Fyfe. He made a huge par save on 17 from a horrible lie before a bogey on 18 left him with

a wait with Jack eyeing a win or a place in a playoff.

At the final hole of the season, Jack’s approach came up short leaving him needing to chip in for the win or make a par for a playoff.

He would ultimately make bogey to hand the win to Jamie.

Dan Brown (Romanby Golf Club) sealed his card in fourth place in the order of merit after a dramatic final hole - where he laid up before making a clutch par putt to take a tie for second place at Slaley and claim a spot in the top five in the order of merit.

Meanwhile, John Parry took fifth place on the order of merit to secure the final Challenge Tour spot.

Northumberland Boys win northern league title The Northumberland Boys team ended their season with victory over Yorkshire to win the 2021 Northern Counties Boys’ League title.

Having topped the northern division of the boys’ league with four victories in their home and away matches with Durham and Cumbria, Northumberland faced southern winners Yorkshire at The Northumberland Golf Club.

Trailing by four points following the morning foursomes session, the 10-strong Northumberland team produced 14 NORTHERN GOLFER

a strong afternoon singles performance to win the match 8-7 and add the league title to their Northern Qualifying win at Ilkley earlier this season. The team also won the County Finals at Coxmoor this season - a first for the county’s boys team.

TEEINGOFF

Alistair’s journey continues

C

lose House member Alistair Collin has made it past the halfway stage in his Top 100 Heart Challenge as he aims to raise money for the British Heart Foundation by playing each of Golf Monthly’s Top 100 golf courses in the UK & Ireland.

Delayed by Covid, Alistair has played 59 courses since starting the challenge at his home club in January 2020. He had adapted to challenges along the way - the biggest change being a switch from staying with friends and family or in B&Bs to travelling in a motorhome due to lockdowns.

He said: “It’s been an invigorating journey so far and while there have been some challenges, including the physical demands, I’m very much enjoying it. I still wake up looking forward to each of the rounds. The motorhome - AKA the command centre - has been an interesting development and is proving great

fun as well as being very practical.

“Visits to The Open venues Muirfield, Birkdale, Royal St George’s - stand out so far. So many of the courses are truly spectacular and they really deserve to be ranked among the very best.”

Alistair will be taking a break until February, when he will hit the road again, including his longawaited trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland - which are home to 22 courses on the list.

“I’ve missed the deadline of my 60th birthday in November, but I’m hoping to have the 100 wrapped up in the summer of 2022,” he added.

“My body is feeling the travel and the days are so short that it’s a good time to take a break. I’m excited to get across to Ireland in March and April, though my record of only playing eight holes under my umbrella so far might go when I’m over there.”

To date Alistair has raised more than £19,800 for the charity.

Alistair Collin at St Andrews The courses in the Top 100 include 50 English layouts, 24 courses in Scotland, 22 in Ireland and four in Wales. In playing all of the courses, Alistair will hit the

ball more than 375 miles and walk more than 550 miles. To support the challenge, visit www. justgiving.com/fundraising/ alistaircollintop100challenge

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TEEINGOFF

Wearsider set to represent England

W

earside Golf Club’s Aidan Douglas will represent England in 2022. The 26-yearold will be pulling on a golf shirt - rather than a football one as he had once hoped - for his country as he makes a fast-track debut in the World Golf Deaf Championships in Hawaii A talented footballer, Aidan played for Sunderland and Durham County, and was attracting the attention of England selectors and professional clubs including Blackburn. However, when he was 18, he contracted bacterial meningitis and was rushed into hospital in December 2013 - a month later he would be offered a place at Blackburn.

Despite recovering, it became clear Aidan would not be able to continue his football career after

losing his hearing and requiring a cochlear implant, which helps him hear electronically.

“I’m 100% deaf when it’s switched off,” said Aidan, “but with it on, I can lip read and put the sounds and words together to be able to converse quite well. As it’s a surgically implanted electronic device inside my head, I was advised to avoid contact sports, so my football career was at an end.”

Aidan then decided to take up golf seriously having played a little with his dad, Roy. While he found he could strike the ball well, his balance was badly affected by his illness.

“I’d lose balance after every shot, but I learned that as long as I’m striking the ball well and the ball goes where I want it to, my balance can take me wherever and I’ll try to manage that as best as I can,” he added.

Amy Burton

Amy joins regional squad

Aidan Douglas Aidan holds a handicap of 4.7 and played in an England Deaf Golf event last season - finishing runner-up at Hollins Hall and attracting the attention of selectors.

“I guess you could say it’s a bit of a dream come true. I would have loved to have played football for England, but I’m looking forward to wearing an England shirt as a golfer.”

Amy Burton, a member of Durham’s junior squad and a student at Dyke House Academy, has been selected for the North Region U18s training programme.

Amy, 12, was crowned Durham’s most improved player of the year this season and is one of only seven girls from Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland to secure a place after a full day of assessment. She will receive 18 full days of coaching at Matfen Hall with professional JJ Vallely and Bryan Ross.

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NORTHERN GOLFER 17

TEEINGOFF

Cherishing history at Tyneside

T

yneside Golf Club has completed work to preserve its historic clubhouse and opened a new bridge commemorating member Mark Ryder.

The extensive work to preserve the wooden clubhouse, built in 1911, has been managed by Patrick Ward Limited with painting completed by Dunningham Decorators.

Peter Smith, general manager at Tyneside, said: “Our clubhouse is one of the few remaining wooden pavilion-type golf clubhouses in the country and preserving it is incredibly important. The club’s mission statement is to cherish our history and embrace change, and the preservation of this 110-year-old building does just that.

“The work secures the clubhouse’s future for many years to come, while the new colour scheme looks fantastic.

“We are now looking to enhance the interior of the clubhouse while

continuing our programme of work on the golf course, and we look forward to continuing to build on what we can offer our members.”

Meanwhile, the club has also officially opened the Mark Ryder Memorial Bridge. The bridge commemorates Mark, a member at the club who died in 1991 aged just 20 following a battle with cancer. A talented golfer, Mark is remembered fondly by many

members at Tyneside, as is the event setup in his memory - The Mark Ryder Cup - which saw the club’s juniors compete against juniors from Castlerock Golf Club in Northern Ireland biennially from 1993-2019.

The bridge was officially opened

by Mark’s father George - a honorary member of the club - along with members of his family.

George said: “It’s fantastic to see the bridge in place - an honour few

people get at their home golf club - and to have my family here to see it officially opened. The Mark Ryder Cup fostered many longstanding friendships between Tyneside and Castlerock juniors over the 26 years it was played for. The Castlerock Crystal continues to be played for annually at Tyneside and will continue to recall Mark’s memory along with the fabulous bridge which will serve as a lasting tribute to him.”

THE LATEST GOLF NEWS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Every Friday morning, we round up the latest golf news from across the region in Northern Golfer Weekly, plus bring you updates from the magazine and the chance to win fantastic prizes in our competitions.

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TOURLIFE

Chris Paisley

My 2021 season DP World Tour player Chris Paisley reflects on his season and looks ahead to 2022

T

he 2021 European Tour season has come to an end and my most prominent emotion is relief.

I started the season really well with a T7 finish in Abu Dhabi - a Rolex Series event which brought with it a lot of points. I followed that up with another T7 in Qatar and all was looking rosy. My long game wasn’t great - but my putting, short game and short iron play were world-class.

Since then, to be blunt, my game has been awful. I’ve been poor off the tee and the rest of my game has dipped. In hindsight, my efforts to improve the long game meant I didn’t spend enough time on the rest. Annoyingly, my long game seemed to get worse even though I was working so hard on it. I fell into some old habits that got particularly out of control.

My putting remained solid, but the quality of the rest of my game just didn’t allow me to compete. I did have another top-10 at the Hero Open in Scotland later in the season, but other than that it was mainly missed cuts.

I finally made a weekend in

Madrid - however there was an additional cut after the third round which I did not make. Even when I made a cut, I still missed one!

I did manage to keep my card for next season but given my goal has been to get into the top 50 in the world, I was a million miles from that.

I’m currently taking some time away from golf to get my head straight and make a plan for the winter. I’ll be back in action in Abu Dhabi in January.

It took a little while before I even wanted to look at my clubs. This is a dream job, but it is so tough when things are not going well. It has felt like work for a while now. When you’re hitting it poorly, not only is the round itself a grind, but you end up grinding more off the course and worrying about things. That all takes its toll and I ended the season mentally drained. Everyone goes through spells like this and I know I’ll come through it stronger. After a few weeks with my family, I already feel great about my upcoming winter and season ahead.

2022 is going to be the start of an exciting era for the European Tour, now the DP World Tour. There seemed to be some confusion about the name change, which is simply that, a name change. The tour wasn’t bought out. DP World invested

a tremendous amount of money to buy the naming rights, among other things.

This was crucial for the long-term health of our tour given the difficulties related to Covid and potential competition from emerging tours. The minimum prize fund for an event is now $2 million, up from $1 million. This is great news and something which has needed to happen for a while.

The disparity between our biggest and smallest events was far too great. That gap is now slightly less which will help the strength of field in the smaller events.

We still won’t get many of the superstars playing in them, but the fields will be stronger. From a player’s perspective, it’s great news. More money to play for, more events, and stronger fields.

Unfortunately, the new era started off in a sobering manor. Travel bans and weather reduced the Joburg Open to just 36 holes and removed the other two events in South Africa from the schedule.

This showed how fragile golf is in the current climate. I wasn’t in South Africa and I am so happy I wasn’t after hearing some of the problems the players, caddies and staff had getting home.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas and New Year. I’ll be back better and stronger after a few months of family time and hard graft.

© Getty Images NORTHERN GOLFER 21

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TOURTIPS

Chris Simmons

Mind games DP World Tour caddy Chris Simmons on how the best players in the world stay focused on the task in front of them

T

here’s no such thing as a good caddie mould in my experience.

What we do is all about our relationships with our players and every one of those partnerships is different. The best caddies know what to say and when to say it, and when to say nothing at all. Some players need a little reset after a poor shot, some need a little confidence booster, and others could be tempted to take a swing at you if you say the wrong thing at the wrong time.

Knowing your player and what makes them tick is the key.

Two good examples from my own career have come while we’ve been in contention on Sundays.

When Brandon Stone got his first tour win at the BMW SA Open in 2016, he had a rollercoaster final round. He led comfortably after a few holes and then hit a spell of bogeys which saw him trailing by two with seven holes to play. On the 12th tee, I said to him: ‘let’s settle this down

and start hitting fairways and greens’.

That little reset and getting him back to focusing on the moment was enough. He hit it close and made birdie on 12, did the same on 13, and ended up winning the tournament by two.

When I was working for Julian Suri, he held the lead on the 72nd hole of the French Open at Le Golf National. He hit his approach into the water then pulled his fourth shot into the bunker and knew he had blown his chance to win. I let him walk ahead and get the frustration out of his system as that was best for him. As I caught up to him, I said: ‘You’ve had your sulk. Once we step off this bridge, let’s get up and down’. He did, finished in second place and took home more than €450,000.

It has become a cliché over the years and so many people say it without fully understanding how to do it, but playing one shot at a time is so important for every level of golfer.

The best players in the world

understand that they can get annoyed about missing a green with a wedge, but they also know the next shot counts exactly the same as the previous one. They understand how important it is to not multiply their mistakes by allowing a bad shot to become a bad hole.

This is also important when things are going well. How often do lowhandicappers make a run of a few birdies and then take a step backwards? The best players in the world are so focused on each shot that they don’t take their foot off the gas. They hit every shot in isolation and simply add them up at the end.

Amateur golfers could learn a lot from this approach. Tour players don’t focus on where they are in relation to par during their rounds, they only think about the shot in front of them. Apply that mindset to your own game and you’ll soon relax and begin focusing more on the process of hitting good shots than the outcome of the round.

NORTHERN GOLFER 23

24 NORTHERN GOLFER

MATCHPLAYPAIRS

Hat-trick heroes Brancepeth Castle’s Vaughan Raine and Shaun Elliott win the 20th edition of the Northern Golfer Match Play Pairs tournament

A

fter six rounds of matches, Brancepeth Castle’s Vaughan Raine and Shaun Elliott added their names to the Northern Golfer Match Play Pairs trophy in the event’s 20th year.

The pair’s victory completed a hattrick of wins for Brancepeth teams in the event following Ashley Coveney and Andrew Howard’s win in 2020, and James Melville and Jimmy Guy’s victory in 2019.

Vaughan, a four handicapper, said: “It’s a great feeling to come through the season and get our names on the trophy.

“We’re proud to have added our names after the lads from Brancepeth.

It’s a tough event, we’ve had some close matches and I’m over the moon to have won it.”

Shaun, who plays off a handicap of 14, added: “It’s good to have got through a close final on a tough course against Lee and Mark. I’m delighted we got the job done.”

Friends since school, the 39-year-olds came through a series of close matches to reach the final stages.

Shaun added: “All of our games have been played to a really high standard and we’ve had to stick in to make it all the way through. We came through two extra holes at City of Newcastle, and we needed to be 14 under-par at Bedlington to win a close game there. We’ve played some cracking courses and the lads we’ve played in each round have been great company.

“We visit new courses every year in this event and have found some real gems which we would have never got to without the Match Play Pairs.”

“Playing the semi-final and final at Close House has been a big highlight,” added Vaughan. “The Colt Course is fantastic - it’s challenging but it’s a tremendous place to play.

“We’ve got some more groups from Brancepeth signing up next year, so we’ll see how our lads get on next season.”

Played over Close House’s Colt Course, the 2021 final brought together the Brancepeth duo and Newbiggin-based brothers Lee and Mark Warren.

Mark said: “The final was close, we’re obviously disappointed to have lost out, but it was a great game and Vaughan and Shaun played the best golf when they needed to. Overall, we’ve had a lot of fun competing in the event this season.”

“Our putters weren’t quite as hot as they have been,” added Lee. “But we’ve enjoyed the event all the way through and played against some great guys.

We’ve played well throughout and really made our good shots count - especially winning the semi-final with our best golf right at the end. I’ve enjoyed playing competitive matches and we’re looking forward to having another go next year.”

Following Shaun’s nett birdie at the first hole, the Brancepeth team lost their early lead and trailed 2dn through five holes as Lee made a nett birdie at the par three fourth hole with a superb up and

NORTHERN GOLFER 25

MATCHPLAYPAIRS down, then parred the fifth hole with Vaughan and Shaun finding trouble from the tee.

Shaun responded at the sixth hole, making a nett birdie, before the match returned to all square at the eighth with Vaughan’s excellent birdie. The pairs made the turn all square before Shaun saved par for a half at the par five 10th hole, and Vaughan and Mark shared the 11th hole with solid pars.

The key passage of the match began at the tough par three 12th. With Mark on the green in regulation, Shaun produced a fine chip shot to make a nett birdie, which Mark was unable to match. At the 13th, Shaun again produced the best golf in the foursome, making par to take the Durham pair 2up.

With his partner out of the hole, it was Vaughan’s time to shine at the par three 14th hole. With both Mark and Lee considerably closer, Vaughan made a clutch up and down from well short of the green to save par before Mark and Lee failed to make pars from their positions.

Three down with four holes to play, Lee and Mark rallied at the tough 15th hole, both making pars while Vaughan and Shaun struggled to close out the match.

Their second opportunity wouldn’t be wasted as Shaun again made use of his shot at the 16th hole, making a solid par and forcing Mark or Lee to hole challenging putts, which they narrowly failed to do, handing the trophy to the Brancepeth pair with a 3&2 victory.

On the final, Shaun said: “Vaughan’s up and down at the 14th was the big moment of the game.

I was out of it and the lads were in good spots, so Vaughan winning that hole from short of the green was superb.”

Vaughan added: “Shaun’s par at the 10th was huge as well. I was out of the hole and he played a great shot out of the trees followed by a good two-putt for par to keep the momentum going. The moments where one of us has hit a great shot when our partner has been out of it have really made the difference.”

Winners Vaughan and Shaun received a £600 prize along with adding their names to the Match Play Pairs trophy. As runners-up, Lee and Mark received £100 vouchers.

Vaughan and Shaun reached the final by leading throughout their 26 NORTHERN GOLFER

2021 runners-up Mark and Lee Warren

semi-final match on the Filly Course at Close House with Durham City’s Brian Crampton and Andy Williams. Their 1up lead at the turn increased to two at the 14th hole as Shaun made a nett eagle on the long par four. From there, the Brancepeth pair held their nerve before Vaughan closed out a 3&1 victory at 17.

Lee and Mark booked their place in the final with victory over Woodham’s Doug Cairns and Mel Surtees on the Filly Course. In a close match, Lee and Mark were 1dn with three holes to play before Lee won the 16th with a nett birdie. He then hit a superb approach at 17 to setup a birdie two, which Doug followed with a two of his own. The Newbiggin pair closed out the match by winning the 18th as Doug and Mel couldn’t match Mark’s closing par.

Close House managing director Jonathan Lupton said: “Congratulations to

Vaughan and Shaun on winning this year’s Match Play Pairs. We’re incredibly proud to have hosted the final stages of another successful year of the event. It’s always a pleasure to showcase our courses at Close House, and to hear positive feedback from the players.”

A huge thank you to all the players who have been part of this year’s tournament, which saw six rounds of matches completed between May and October.

Northern Golfer’s thanks also go to all the clubs which have given courtesy to visiting players. A special thank you also goes to the management, greenstaff and golf services teams at Close House.

For full results and more information visit www.northerngolfer.co.uk/ match-play-pairs-2021 Match Play Pairs will return in 2022 and further details will be published in our next edition.

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YEARREVIEW

Northern golf in 2021: A year in review

May - Matty Lamb (© The R&A)

Dean Bailey looks back at the biggest stories of the year, from international success to record-breaking wins

T

he 2021 golf season began under the dark cloud of Covid and many questioned how much golf we would get in 2021 coming out of England’s longest lockdown to-date. However, when the region’s golf courses reopened on March 29, our golfers wasted no time in getting the ball rolling again. From international success on the world’s biggest tours to amateur titles, team wins and success stories for players of all ages, our corner of England punched well above its weight in 2021. Here are our biggest stories of the 2021 season, we can’t wait to see what our region’s golfers achieve in 2022…

June - The Northumberland Boys team

May - John Kennedy

April Golfers got their first chance to get to grips with the World Handicap System, which had been launched in November 2020, and got to experience for the first time the new average-based system, the volatility in building your record to 20 scores, and the massive change it would make to club golfers. Meanwhile, the Northumberland Ladies County Golf Association got its delayed centenary celebrations underway.

28 NORTHERN GOLFER

June Marcus Armitage (© Getty Images)

June - Andrew Minnikin

May - Maggie Whitehead

May

June - David Clark

May - Rebecca Ferguson

Matty Lamb starred for GB&I in the Walker Cup at Seminole winning three of his four matches - before turning professional.

Maggie Whitehead shocked the sporting world - and appeared on sports news channels including Sky Sports News - by coming within three holes of winning a professional event at the age of 14 when she made her debut in the Rose Ladies Series at The Berkshire. Elsewhere, Faye Wheatley won the North Regional Schools Girls Championship; John Kennedy won the Durham County Matchplay Championship at Heworth - 25 years after winning the event for the first time; James Maw won the NE/NW PGA Championship at Dunstanburgh Castle; Rebecca Ferguson lifted the Northumberland Ladies County Championship trophy at Bamburgh Castle; Alex Dixon won the season opening North & South Trophy at The Northumberland; and the 20th Northern Golfer Match Play Pairs tournament got underway.

June May - James Maw (right) with NE/NW PGA captain Stewart Pilgrim

June - Shannon O’Dwyer

June - Nicola Wood (centre)

An emotional Marcus Armitage claimed his maiden European Tour title at the Porsche European Open, Northumberland’s boys won the Northern Counties Boys’ Qualifying Championship (AKA The Little Six) at Ilkley Golf Club, and Durham captain Chris Pascall accepted the nomination to become the next president of England Golf. Durham’s Shannon O’Dwyer, Cumbria’s Nicola Wood and Northumberland’s Andrew Minnikin lifted their respective county championship trophies; David Clark won his fourth Northumberland & Durham Open title at Close House; and James Wilson won the Northumberland 72-hole Strokeplay Championship at Newbiggin. Yorkshire won County Match Week at Alnmouth and the Northern Counties Junior Jamboree took place at Wynyard.

NORTHERN GOLFER 29

YEARREVIEW

July - Rosie Belsham with the England Women’s team

July - Maggie Whitehead (© Leaderboard Photography) September - Andrew Minnikin (© Leaderboard Photography)

July Maggie Whitehead built on her success in the Rose Ladies Series by winning the biggest event of her career to-date the English Girls U16 Open Championship at Morecambe - by nine shots. Phil Ridden survived a nail-biting finish to win the Logan Trophy and bring the English Mid-Amateur Championship trophy back to Northumberland, and Rosie Belsham helped England win the European Ladies’ Team Championship. Mark Ridley competed in the Senior Open Championship at Sunningdale, and Adam Charlton produced a gritty performance to win the Durham County Strokeplay Championship at Durham City.

August Callum Tarren earned his PGA Tour card for the 2022 season, just days after a flying visit to the UK for the birth of his daughter. The Northumberland team won the Boys’ County Finals for the first time, while Ramside’s juniors won the English Junior Champion Club title - both candidates for the team performance of the year. Northumberland’s Rosie Belsham, Maggie Whitehead and Rachel Gourley helped England enjoy triple success in the Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa, while Northumberland’s men won the Northern Counties Men’s Qualifying Championship – AKA The Big Six – at Manchester Golf Club for the third time in four tournament years. Morgan Blythe won the Faldo Series England North Championship at Dunstanburgh as Faye Wheatley also qualified for the event’s Grand Final.

30 NORTHERN GOLFER

September - Mark Ridley

August - Callum Tarren September - Faye Wheatley

July - Phil Ridden (© Leaderboard Photography)

August - The Northumberland Boys team (© Leaderboard Photography) October - Vaughan Raine and Shaun Elliott

August - The Ramside junior team

August - England’s Home Internationals teams

August - Northumberland’s Big Six team

September Andrew Minnikin won the Men’s County Champion of Champions title at Woodhall Spa. Durham’s girls’ champion Faye Wheatley and the county’s ladies’ champion Shannon O’Dwyer picked up second place finishes in their respective County Champion of Champions events, and City of Newcastle’s men’s team won the Dixon Cup. Mark Ridley won the North East & North West PGA Tour Championship at Brancepeth Castle and the circuit’s Matchplay Championship at Slaley Hall.

October/November

September - City of Newcastle’s men’s team October - Andrew Wilson with the 2021 Challenge Tour graduates (© Getty Images)

Faye Wheatley won the 25th Faldo Series Grand Final at Brocket Hall and Rachel Gourley won the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship. James Wilson signed off his amateur career with victory alongside Jeff Pitt in the Inter County Foursomes before securing a card for the 2022 EuroPro Tour season. The Northumberland Boys ended their season with victory over Yorkshire to secure the Northern Counties league title as Maggie Whitehead completed a remarkable season as the leading English girl in the European Golf Rankings having finished inside the top-10 in every national event in 2021. Brancepeth Castle’s Vaughan Raine and Shaun Elliott signed off their season by winning the 20th edition of the Northern Golfer Match Play Pairs tournament.

In November, Andrew Wilson secured his card for the DP World Tour in 2022 with a remarkable finish - birdieing four of his last five holes - at the Challenge Tour Grand Final.

NORTHERN GOLFER 31

ROUNDWITH A ROUND WITH...

John Glendinning The Wisley chief executive and Stocksfield native on his golf, playing some of the world’s best courses, and his dream fourball partners

H

aving started his career in golf at Slaley Hall in 1998, John Glendinning has gone on to be part of hosting multiple European Tour events at Slaley and Close House, and shape the development of multi-million-pound golf resorts. Today he is chief executive of The Wisley in Surrey, which counts major champions and some of the game’s greatest players among its membership. A respected figure in golf club management in the UK and further afield, we caught up with John to learn more about the man who has risen from working part-time in a Northumberland clubhouse to running one the UK and Europe’s most exclusive golf clubs…

1 How much golf do you get to play?

I’m lucky to be able to play a couple of times per month, though it’s never as much as I’d like. I also get to join a couple of golf trips each year, which are always fantastic experiences. I love the outdoors and have a lot of outdoor hobbies, but golf is my go-to in the summer months.

2 How did you get into golf?

While I was in sixth form, my mum went to Stocksfield Golf Club for lessons and I tagged along. I had a lesson with Steve McKenna, he got me to join, and the rest is history. I went on to study geography and geology at St Andrews University and that cemented my love of golf.

3 Which is your favourite course in the North East?

My heart would take me straight back to the Hunting Course at Slaley Hall - I love the challenge it presents. The Colt Course at Close House is also very special to me as I was incredibly fortunate to be involved in the creation of it - those seven years were amazing.

4 And further afield?

In the UK, Hankley Common and Sunningdale are firm favourites and of course The Wisley, while Isle of Purbeck has the most stunning views.

32 NORTHERN GOLFER

5 What’s your best score?

Three under-par on the New Course at St Andrews - though I was five under-par through five.

6 Which is your favourite golfing memory?

Playing Cypress Point in California was an incredible experience. We had the course to ourselves and playing the final three holes is undoubtedly the best golfing experience of my life so far.

7 What about embarrassing moments on the course?

Not one of my own shots, thankfully, but I once saw a guy hit a tee shot through a clubhouse window at Stocksfield. Playing the shot after that was nerve-wracking.

8 Do you have any golfing superstitions?

No - I try to keep moving forward and not spend too long on the past, particularly on the golf course.

9 What are your strengths on the course?

I’ve got a good tempo, which helps keep the ball in play off the tee. It also tends to help with the putter - I hole my fair share when I’m on a roll.

10 And your weaknesses?

While I’m accurate, I’m not the longest off the tee, which can put pressure on the rest of my game on longer courses.

11 Which is your favourite club in the bag?

I’ve only owned three putters and my current one - a PING Vault - is definitely my favourite club in the bag.

12 Who is your best golfing friend?

It would have to be Tim Price, a former captain at Close House. We don’t see each other as much as we used to, but he always brings my best golf out of me.

13 If you hadn’t forged a career in golf, what would you have done?

If I hadn’t been able to build a career around my passion for golf, I would have loved a career in skiing or climbing - my other great passions.

14 Who is your favourite tour player?

I still follow and enjoy watching Lee Westwood having worked so closely with him at Close House. I also really enjoy watching Francesco Molinari - a member of The Wisley.

15 Which golf events do you enjoy most?

I attended The Masters in 2015 and have always loved seeing Augusta National on TV. I also enjoy attending the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth - it’s always great to see some of the best players in the world so close to home.

16 Who do you admire?

I’ve been lucky to work with some incredibly talented and inspiring people. Recently, I’ve worked with a number of armed forces personnel and members of the Battle Back programme, and I have a huge amount of admiration for anyone who has served in the armed forces. Their experiences are impossible to appreciate and their bravery is something we should all admire.

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

My friends Tim Price and Mike Chard, and Fred Sirieix - who could teach us about great wine as we all enjoy some.

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

If I could go back, I would have chosen to serve in the armed forces. It’s an important responsibility and teaches a great deal about life, teamwork and service. My 14-year-old daughter has chosen to join the cadets - I am very proud of her and wish I had done that at her age.

ROUNDWITH

l-r John Glendinning, Gary Vandeweghe and Mike Chard NORTHERN GOLFER 33

COURSEPROFILE

Top of the Bill Dean Bailey visits the rolling hills and tree-lined fairways of Billingham Golf Club

T

he greatest golf courses occupy great pieces of land with natural forms providing opportunities for visually stimulating and challenging golf holes.

At Billingham Golf Club, these forms create the opportunity to venture up and over slopes with fairways bordered by a diverse mix of trees, while water comes into play sparingly and enhances the challenge of just a few holes.

While the club was founded in 1967, the golf course - overseen by designer Frank Pennink officially opened for play in 1969. Today, many will be surprised to learn it is little more than 50 years old given the maturity of the trees and the strategic roles they play. Many more will be surprised by the pictures in the clubhouse showing the distinct lack of trees here in the first 20 years of the course’s existence. While trees form the primary defence, bunkering here is penal and positioned to provide challenges for better players and obvious routes around for the higher handicapper. The green complexes have a modern feel, using mounding and slopes to support the challenge presented by the bunkering.

While you may expect to be overshadowed by industry here, little is evident following the tee shot at the opening hole. A short par four of just 306 yards from the back tee, the fairway rises gently between avenues of trees before being pinched at

34 NORTHERN GOLFER

250 yards by two bunkers on the right and the out of bounds fence on the left. The raised green is guarded by two front bunkers.

After crossing Sandy Lane for the first time, the par five second plays uphill to a generous fairway again flanked by trees. Two fairway bunkers guard the left side, while a narrow stretch of water guards the approach to the green some 50 yards short of the putting surface. Lay well back to leave a flat lie for your approach shot to a green cut into a hill with a steep slope to the front and right sides, and a single bunker guarding the left side. The green features two distinct portions and is highest on the left side.

The short par four third hole plays uphill and a cautious shot from the tee reduces the risk of finding the trees and the single fairway bunker some 70 yards short of the green on the right. The entrance to the green is narrow between two front bunkers, while mounding and a slope off the back will punish those who fail to find the green with a wedge shot.

At 426 yards, the sweeping par four fourth hole is the first big test. The fairway is generous with a single bunker on the left side, while a large green invites a long iron approach - beware the crescentshaped bunker on the right side.

The downhill par three fifth hole plays shorter than its 200 yards. A single bunker, hidden from the tee, guards the left side. A difficult tee shot follows at

the short par four sixth, which is played over a hill to a very generous fairway before sweeping downhill to a wide green.

A right to left shape is required from the tee at the par four seventh as the fairway turns left and slopes from right to left. Out of bounds lurks on the left along with a pond. Those who find the fairway are left with a simple approach to a small, long green protected by a large, deep bunker wrapping around the left side and another smaller, though equally deep, bunker to the right.

The tee affords a great view of the green at the short par three eighth hole, where the front bunker protects the line to pins cut on the right side.

The 531-yard par five ninth hole returns to the clubhouse with a blind tee shot played uphill before you must lay up to leave a short third shot to a well protected and elevated green featuring three bunkers - one at the front right which guards against any approaches running up to the putting surface and two more on the left.

Long hitters can shorten the par five 10th by catching the downslope to leave a chance to reach the wide green in two - though beware the stream which crosses the fairway some 70 yards short.

The course’s primary defence - Billa’s Wrath begins with the formidable signature par four 11th (see fact file). The equally demanding 12th - played as a 440-yard par four from the whites and a 465-yard

COURSEPROFILE

FACT FILE CONTACT Billingham Golf Club, Sandy Lane Billingham, TS22 5NA tel 01642 533 816 www.billinghamgolfclub.com

par five from the yellows - follows. Tee shots with driver must be shaped left to right to find the fairway with out of bounds bordering the left side. From here, a long second shot must avoid two fairway bunkers and another trap to the right of the putting surface.

Turning the opposite direction to the 12th, the 409-yard par four 13th wraps around more trees and out of bounds with a bunker guarding the inside corner of the dogleg left. A generous fairway continues to turn and heads uphill to a green cut into the hill, which is well protected on its right side with runoffs and a deep bunker. A second bunker is cut above the green on the left.

Having survived Billa’s Wrath, the short par three 14th offers a little respite with a short shot played uphill to a green sloping back to front.

Another long par four from the white tees - and par five from the yellows - follows at 15.

Long hitters must steer clear of a narrow stream crossing the fairway 150 yards from the green. A semi-blind approach must avoid two approach bunkers and two more greenside bunkers cut halfway up the putting surface which make middle and back pins far more challenging.

The uphill par three 16th plays longer than its yardage and requires a solid shot to make it up the hill and avoid two front bunkers cut well below the green. The mounding around these bunkers is steep while the green slopes subtly from back to front.

Two short par fours lead back to the clubhouse. At 17, a long iron or fairway wood will find the downslope and run down to the bottom of the hill to leave a short pitch to a long, raised green featuring two deep bunkers.

At 18, a confident drive over the marker post will again leave a short approach as the hole turns gently to the right to a wide green overlooked by the clubhouse with two front bunkers narrowing its entrance.

GREEN FEES From £20 – see www.billinghamgolfclub.com for the full range of options, and contact the secretary for group bookings TOTAL DISTANCE White tees: 6,326 yards (par 71) Yellow tees: 6,117 yards (par 73) Red tees: 5,594 yards (par 74) FEATURES Clubhouse with excellent catering Extensive practice facilities including covered and grass driving ranges, short game area, and two putting greens Pro shop Tuition with two PGA professionals Buggy and trolley hire

The club continues to invest in facilities in the clubhouse, on the golf course, and the extensive practice facilities.

The next generation of players continue to be welcomed to the club through school coaching programmes, Get into Golf and Girls Golf Rocks - all of which have boosted membership

CADDY’S TIP Plot your way around if you have any doubt of finding the fairways - the trees are tall and quite dense which means most trips off line will lead to at least one dropped shot SIGNATURE HOLE The par four 11th is the the stuff of nightmares for players who shape the ball left to right. The narrow fairway at this 400-yard hole is flanked by tall trees and features water running up its left side. The hole then turns to the left, crossing the water and a large pond before rising to the green, which is guarded by a bunker on the right side. Driver is required to shorten the second shot and give a good view of the green - miss the fairway and big numbers are very much in play here

OUR VERDICT

A fine example of English parkland golf laid out on a fantastic piece of land, Billingham is tremendous fun to play, and is home to first-class facilities NORTHERN GOLFER 35

BRANCEPETH CASTLE GOLF CLUB

CLASSIC COURSE DESIGNED BY THE LEGENDARY HARRY COLT

OPEN COMPETITIONS From March through to October Brancepeth Castle offer fourteen open competitions giving everyone the opportunity to play this great course for as little as £11 per person, dependant on the event. Our events cover Ladies, men’s, juniors as well as seniors and feature four-ball stableford, Texas scramble and team of four competitions.

It could not be easier to book any of these event simply use the link below or visit the club’s web site Open Competitions - Brancepeth Castle Golf Club (brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk)

GOLF SOCIETIES Your chance now to book your golf society into Brancepeth Castle for 2022 at 2021 prices. Book before January 31st, 2022, and you will only pay the 2021 price making a significant saving given the general level of inflation. Prices start from only £20 per person!

To book for society in for 2022 contact our office manager on 0191 378 0075 or e mail enquiries@brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk

Telephone - 0191 3780075 Option 2 or email enquiries@brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk Competition & Golf bookings available online at www.brancepeth-castle-golf.co.uk THE CLUBHOUSE, BRANCEPETH, DH7 8EA

COLT&BRAID

The golden age Following our look at Dr Alister McKenzie’s work in our region, we delve into the work of two more of golf ’s golden age architects Harry Colt and James Braid Tyneside

DUNSTANBURGH CASTLE GOLF COURSE DESIGNED BY THE FAMOUS JAMES BRAID  ADJACENT TO SPECTACULAR EMBLETON BAY

WINTER GREEN FEE’S OCTOBER 1ST 2021  31ST MARCH 2022 WEEKDAY - £25PP - WEEKEND - £28PP WINTER WARMER - COFFEE AND A BACON ROLL, 18 HOLES OF GOLF FOLLOWED BY SOUP, SANDWICH AND CHIPS. £33PP WEEKDAY - £36PP WEEKEND

To book telephone 01665 576562 or email bookings@dunstanburgh.com www.dunstanburgh.com Dunstaburgh Golf Club, Embleton, Northumberland, NE66 3XQ NORTHERN GOLFER 37

COLT&BRAID

Brancepeth Castle

H

arry Colt and James Braid’s work during the late 19th and early 20th centuries remains celebrated across the world. The pair designed and contributed to hundreds of golf courses in their careers with Colt working internationally and Braid mainly working in the UK and Ireland.

Their work ranges from alterations to Open Championship venues to the creation of some of the world’s most important courses, with architects today still taking inspiration from much of their work.

Colt (1869-1951) was a prolific architect with credits for original designs, renovations and alterations spread across the UK, Canada, the US, France, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. He is credited with work on more than 150 courses including Open Championship venues Muirfield, Royal Liverpool, Royal Lytham & St Annes and Royal Portrush.

A Cambridge-educated lawyer, he was the first captain of Cambridge University Golf Club in 1889. In 1894, he laid out the New Course at Rye in East Sussex alongside Scottish pro Douglas Rolland - the pair appointed secretary and professional respectively the following year. He would go on serve as the first secretary at Sunningdale (1901-1913) and to partner with CH Alison and Dr Alister McKenzie on multiple projects until 1923, when McKenzie would venture out on his own. McKenzie would be replaced by Newcastle-born John Morrison and the firm renamed Colt, Alison & Morrison in 1928. The trio would go on to be credited with work on more than 300 golf courses.

While Colt’s work was prolific in 38 NORTHERN GOLFER

Hexham the UK, his arguably most celebrated work can be found in the US - where he worked with hotelier George Crump on the routing for Pine Valley, which opened in 1919 and is ranked number one in Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the World and Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest.

His courses are renowned for their positioning in the land rather than set upon it. His bunkering style leaned more towards natural shapes, avoiding symmetry where possible and preferring large collection areas with smaller bunkers set within them.

Greens were positioned on natural ridges, plateaus or in punchbowls.

Meanwhile, Braid (1870-1950) was a five-time Open Champion between 1901 and 1910, and a member of the Great Triumvirate alongside Harry Vardon and JH Taylor.

Born in Fife, he turned professional in 1896 and played professionally until 1912 when he scaled back his tournament play in favour of a fulltime club position at Walton Heath.

Braid is credited with work on as many as 400 golf courses - primarily in Great Britain and Ireland, including the 1926 remodelling of Carnoustie, the design of the King’s and Queen’s courses at Gleneagles, and alterations to Royal Troon.

Braid’s courses feature minimal artificial elements, instead preferring natural shapes with a wide variety of hole lengths and features. He also notes in Advanced Golf: “The shorter the hole the smaller should be the putting green, and the more closely should it be guarded,” a recurring feature in his original designs.

In our region, courses credited to Colt (either original designs, redesigns

or alterations) include Alnmouth (new layout around Foxton Hall), Alwoodley (with McKenzie), Brancepeth Castle (design), Cleveland (alterations with John Morrison), Ganton (alterations), The Northumberland (redesign, closely followed by Braid), Tyneside (redesign) and Whitburn (design led

by John Morrison).

Courses designed or influenced

by Braid meanwhile include Arcot Hall (design), Brampton (design), Dunstanburgh (redesign), Goswick (alterations), Hartlepool (alterations), Hexham (alterations), Middlesbrough (design), and Scarborough North Cliff (design). We have picked out just some of the courses from the above lists to highlight both Colt and Braid’s work in our region further…

Tyneside Golf Club A celebrated example of Harry Colt’s work, Tyneside was extensively remodelled by Colt in 1910 following the club’s move from the Mungo Park-designed layout at The Willows to its present location at Western Falls.

The location, high on the south side of the Tyne Valley, affords spectacular views and dramatic elevation changes which Colt weaved holes above, over and through to create challenging golf holes while making the most of the views with many high tee boxes and greens set against natural contours and close to ancient trees. Restored in recent years by widely respected Colt expert Frank Pont, Tyneside remains an important example of the architect’s work in England with its strategic bunkering and subtly sloping greens continuing to challenge and entertain. As Pont wrote: “Tyneside is truly a classic course, with all the

elements of a vintage early Colt design still present. The course has a very good and varied layout, virtually all the greens are still original, and much of the original greenside bunkering and detailing is still present. The course offers great views across the Tyne Valley, and has solid par three holes, as one would expect from a Colt course.”

Brancepeth Castle Golf Club Following the decision of Lord Boyne to establish a golf course on his deer park in 1924, Harry Colt and his firm (there is some debate on who collaborated with Colt on the work) was appointed to design the new course. Several ravines and streams criss-crossing the site offered challenge and spectacular settings for golf holes while ensuring the parkland course drained well. Each of Colt’s par threes here is a fine example of his design philosophy and creates a challenging set with four of the five crossing the ravines. Peter Alliss said that if he could choose 18 holes around which to create a course, the ninth at Brancepeth would be one of them. Having survived a remodelling plan in the 1960s, the course remains incredibly close to Colt’s original design with some subtle alterations in near-100 years - including the muchappreciated additions of bridges at the eighth and eighteenth holes, saving players the walk to the bottom of the ravines then back up again.

Hexham Golf Club Hexham Golf Club’s classic English parkland layout has been added to several times since the club moved to its present location in 1907 and employed six-time Open champion

SOCIETY BOOKINGS FOR 2022 WELCOME

Arcot Hall Harry Vardon to design the course.

James Braid visited in April 1921 and tightened several fairways, repositioned greens and lengthened at least one hole. Elements of Vardon and Braid’s work remain, though the course was further altered in the 1950s

by CK Cotton - who adjusted 11 holes and added seven new ones to create the course as it is now played. Laid out on spectacular ground for golf,

the ancient trees at Hexham guard a challenging parkland design which is noted for its dramatically contoured green complexes and stunning views of the Tyne Valley - which Vardon described in a letter to the club. He wrote: “I was very much struck with the beautiful nature of the turf and it can be made into as fine an inland course as you can find… as for scenery it can hardly be surpassed.”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS: TEL: 01434 603072 (opt 2) manager@hexhamgolf.co.uk | www.hexhamgolf.co.uk

EMAIL:

Hosts to the Northern Counties Seniors Championship 2016 Spital Park, Hexham, Northumberland. NE46 3RZ

2022

Open Competitions

1879

TYNESIDE

GOLF CLUB

Wednesday 16th March Sunday 24th April

Available to book...

Gents Open

Sunday 22nd May

Seniors Open

Tuesday 12th July

https://www.brsgolf.com /tyneside/opens_home.php https://www.golfempire.co.uk /golf-clubs/tyneside-golf-club.htm

For more information please contact:

Peter Smith - General Manager peter.smith@tynesidegolfclub.co.uk

0191 413 2742 2022_TGC_OPEN COMPS_198X136mm.indd 1

Sunday 31st July Friday 5th August Wednesday 17th August Tuesday 6th September Wednesday 12th October

Seniors Team Open Gents Team Open Ladies Team Open Junior Open

Seniors Open Autumn Team Open

£80.00 per team £40.00 per pair £40.00 per pair

4BBB Stableford

Mixed Open

Tuesday 7th June

From 1st December 2021

Team of 4 (Best 2 Stableford scores out of 4)

Gents Spring Team Open

4BBB Stableford

£40.00 per pair

4BBB Stableford Age 55+ Team of 4 (Best 2 Stableford scores out of 4) Age 55+

Team of 4 (Best 2 Stableford scores out of 4) Team of 4 (Best 2 Stableford scores out of 4) Single Strokeplay 4BBB Stableford Age 55+

Team of 4 Texas Scramble

£80.00 per team £80.00 per team £70.00 per team

£15.00 per junior £40.00 per pair £80.00 per team

‘Cherish our history, embrace change’ NORTHERN GOLFER 39 22/11/2021 12:59:14

COLT&BRAID

Dunstanburgh Castle Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Course Golf has been played in the shadow of Dunstanburgh Castle since at least 1900, when a nine-hole course occupied this stretch of coastline.

Purchased in 1919, the course was soon modified by James Braid before being extended in batches of three holes from 1929-1936. The course would remain much as Braid laid out until 1987, when it was extended to suit changes to equipment. Several of Braid’s original greens remain however, each fine examples of both dramatic and subtle contouring set against stunning dunescapes which continue to enthral and test golfers more than

Hartlepool 100 years after they were originally shaped. Continued improvement of the course has been sympathetic to Braid’s work, particularly the original greens, while repositioned and remodelled bunkering has ensured it remains relevant to the modern game while offering spectacular views of the North Sea and the ruined castle.

Arcot Hall Golf Club One of James Braid’s final designs, the course at Arcot Hall draws upon the architect’s extensive work and remains a fine example of his inland English golf courses. Having moved to Arcot Hall from Benton Park, the

club employed 77-year-old Braid to layout a new course, which was completed in 1947 - just three years before his death in 1950. Credited by some as the inventor of the dogleg, Braid turns holes both left and right at Arcot, making use of natural slopes and woodland to create interesting and challenging holes noted for their expansive green complexes and challenging greenside bunkering.

Hartlepool Golf Club The links of Hartlepool have been home to golf for more than 100 years.

In 1911, Willie Park Jr extended the layout to 18 holes before James

A Hidden Gem

Braid reworked several holes in the autumn of 1929 - building on his initial engagement for a bunkering plan with several other alterations. Braid concentrated on the central holes changing the ninth hole into a dogleg, pushing the 10th toward the dunes, lengthening the par three 11th and adjusting bunkering at the par three 12th. Several changes have followed his work including the renumbering of the holes following the construction of the clubhouse, and the creation of new first, 17th and 18th holes - though many elements of Braid’s bunkering and rerouting of the inner stretch of holes remains unaltered.

Designed by the famous James Braid

GOLF SOCIETIES AND VISITING PARTY BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR 2022 Packages can be tailored to suit your requirements - telephone to book or further details New Hi Tech Training / Swing Room available for social use!

Non members welcome! - telephone to book a time.

Limited Memberships available - ring for details FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT THE CLUB ON

0191 236 2794

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Arcot Hall Golf Club, Dudley, Cramlington, Northumberland, NE23 7QP WEBSITE: www.arcothall.co.uk | EMAIL: arcothall@yahoo.co.uk

40 NORTHERN GOLFER

HARTLEPOOL GOLF CLUB

WINTER PACKAGES MID WEEK ONLY FROM 1ST DECEMBER COFFEE BACON SANDWICH 18 HOLES OF GOLF AND A ONE COURSE MEAL £40 PER PERSON COFFEE BACON SANDWICH 18 HOLES OF GOLF SOUP AND ROLL £35 PER PERSON GOLF ONLY £30 PER PERSON MINIMUM BOOKING 4 PLAYERS

HARTLEPOOL GOLF CLUB, Hart Warren, Hartlepool, TS24 9QF 01429 274398 (option 2) hartlepoolgolf@btconnect.com

www.hartlepoolgolfclub.co.uk

GEORGE WASHINGTON GOLF CLUB

Keep your Golf red hot this Winter Visit our State of the Art Driving Range at GWGC Experience our : • 16 HEATED Floodlit Bays • 6 Power Tees • Indoor HEATED teaching Bay with our PGA Professional, Ryan Ingram, providing 1 to 1, group and academy coaching and FREE Custom Fitting service using Flightscope.

• Range Open 9am till 7pm every day • Discounted Loyalty Cards and Range tickets available in the Golf Shop 9am till 7pm

For more details contact the Golf Shop on 0191 417 8346 or e-mail gsd@georgewashington.co.uk

DRIVINGRANGES

Practice makes perfect Darker evenings offer lots of time to perfect your golf swing at the driving range and our region is home to some fantastic practice facilities to help keep your swing in shape, improve your game and learn from some of our best coaches. Try these…

Blackwell Grange Blackwell Grange’s driving range is the ideal place to hone your swing over the winter months. The 13-bay covered, floodlit driving range recently upgraded with new LED lighting and open til 7pm - is part of the club’s extensive practice facilities, which also include a short game practice area. You’ll also find a six-hole academy course and well-stocked pro shop with custom fitting equipment from the game’s top brands along with a state-of-the-art swing studio with TrackMan technology. Expert tuition is available with PGA professionals Peter Raine and Aaron Cox, and gift vouchers are available for the shop, driving range and lessons.

Blackwell Grange Golf Club, Snipe Lane, Darlington, DL2 2SA tel 01325 464458, www.blackwellgrangegolf.com

George Washington The Golf Academy at George Washington is a real all-rounder allowing you to work on all aspects of your game. The 16 heated bays in the floodlit driving range include six bays with power tees and a teaching suite. Inside you’ll find another teaching bay with FlightScope. There is also a practice putting green and short game area on offer to keep all aspects of your game sharp. PGA professional tuition is also available making full use of the superb facilities.

George Washington Golf Club, Stone Cellar Road, Washington NE37 1PH, tel 0191 402 9988, www.georgewashington.co.uk/golf

NORTHERN GOLFER 43

DRIVINGRANGES

Work smarter With PGA professional Doug Brolls

To really make the most of your time at the driving range, you need to focus on the quality of the shots you’re hitting rather than the quantity. Having a plan which combines technical practice using drills and real practice using targets and analysis of your shots, and sticking to it, makes your time much more worthwhile. Here’s my advice for getting the most out of your range time…

Proper Pace planning yourself Plan your session before you get to the driving range and stick to it.

Work on specific areas of the game you’ve identified as weaknesses or focus on drills to maximise your time practising

Don’t just bash balls – take the time to analyse what you’re doing. If you find this difficult, try placing your basket of balls out of reach and consciously move out of your stance to collect each one

Do the basics

Change it up

Ensure your alignment is correct on each shot - either using a club on the ground or an alignment stick – this is the biggest cause of ‘I can’t take my range game to the course’ syndrome

Take a break from practising a specific shot or movement (block practice) and try some variable practice - switching clubs and targets every second or third shot to better replicate the rhythm of a round of golf

Looking for somewhere to hone your swing over the winter months?

Then look no further than the facilities at Blackwell Grange Golf Club in Darlington.

• 13-bay covered driving range recently upgraded with new bright LED lighting • State-of-the-art swing studio �itted with Trackman® technology, giving virtual access to dozens of international Championship courses • Two PGA Professionals – Peter Raine and Aaron Cox – available for lessons for golfers of all ages and abilities • Well stocked shop with custom �itting for PING, Calloway and Taylor Made • Gift vouchers available for the shop, driving range and lessons

Contact : Pro’s Shop 01325 464458 (option 2) Email : peter@peterrainegolf.co.uk www.blackwellgrangegolf.com 44 NORTHERN GOLFER

COMPETITIONS

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 Friday January 28, 2022. Usual competition rules apply – available on request. Winners will be published in our next edition.

WIN GOLF FOR FOUR AT BRANCEPETH CASTLE GOLF CLUB Between Durham and Crook, Brancepeth remains one of the finest examples of Harry Colt’s design work in our region. Just 15 minutes drive west of Durham city, the course still bears all the trademarks of a classic Colt and is a stern, but fair, test.

For your chance to win answer the following question: How many times has Phil Mickelson won The Masters?

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: Which course will host the men’s US Open in 2022?

WIN GOLF FOR FOUR AT LINDEN HALL The impressive country house setting of Linden Hall is the perfect place for a day, or more, of golf. The golf course is laid out in mature woodland with great views across the Northumberland countryside and stretches to more than 6,800 yards.

For your chance to win answer the following question: Which course will host the AIG Women’s British Open in 2022?

Congratulations to the competition winners from our October/November edition: Wynyard - Carol Gurr of Cullercoats • Tyneside - Clive Petts of Stanley • Bellingham - Shaun Barron of Seghill NORTHERN GOLFER 45

from the

bunker

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!

Isabelle Forbes

Cookridge Hall junior captain Isabelle Forbes had a memorable finish to this year’s order of merit events at her home club.

Isabelle, 16, holed in-one at the 14th hole at Cookridge and chipped in twice to record 45 points off her 23 handicap. As a result, she reduced her handicap to 19.8. Isabelle has had a fabulous season individually and has excelled in her role as captain - involving nearly all the 64 Juniors at the club in competitions and activities. In 2019, she ensured that there were 48 girls in the Girls Golf Rocks Event at Cookridge.

Well done Isabelle.

l-r Peter Thompson, Glenn Blaney, Ian Hogg and David Griffiths Glenn Blaney and his playing partners thoroughly enjoyed their trip to Bedlingtonshire last month after winning one of our competitions.

Glenn wrote in to say: “The staff at Bedlington were very welcoming and friendly, and the course was in very good condition. Bedlington is a challenging but fair course, with some long par fours. We will definitely go back”. Thanks for taking the time to share the feedback Glenn.

46 NORTHERN GOLFER

Congratulations to South Shields Golf Club’s Nathaniel and Alexander Scott on winning the 2021 Durham County Golf Union Juniors Foursomes title.

Thanks to Arcot Hall’s Peter Clayton for sharing a pair of pictures from this year’s Newcastle & District Golf League presentation night.

The first shows Arcot captain Darren Thompson receiving the trophy for the most improved club this season, while the second shows Arcot’s player of the year - Josh Brooks. Congratulations to all this year’s winners, we look forward to following league golf in 2022.

SHAUN COWELL DISCOUNT GOLF STORES Hobson Golf Club & Driving Range, Burnopfield, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE16 6BZ Tel:01207 271605 (OPT 2) South Moor Golf Club, Craghead, Stanley, DH9 6AG Tel: 01207 283 525

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A BIG THANKYOU TO ALL OUR LOYAL CUSTOMERS THIS YEAR. HAVE A GREAT XMAS & BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW 2022 GOLFING SEASON THE BIG GOLF SHOE CLEARANCE NOW ON

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AS ALWAYS WE GUARANTEE TO BETTER ANY COMPETITIORS PART EXCHANGE DEAL ON IRONS/WOODS SEEN A PRICE OR DEAL, CALL IN AND SPEAK TO US YOU WON’T BE DISSAPOINTED

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