WHAT’S THE RULING?

In stroke play, Michael grounds his club in a penalty area when addressing his ball. What is the ruling?

A. There is no penalty

B. Michael gets one penalty stroke

C. Michael gets the general penalty

See back page for the answer

The Jcb Championship Returns

The Legends Tour will be returning to Staffordshire as the JCB Championship takes place between 3-5th August 2023.

Last year’s tournament was a great success, with the JCB Golf & Country Club’s stunning course receiving high praise from players and spectators. Designed by renowned golf course architect, Robin Hiseman, it’s known for its challenging layout and what is becoming one of the most famous Par 3’s in the country. Some of the names who are already confirmed are: Darren Clarke, Jim Furyk, John Daly, Colin Montgomerie, Retief Goosen, Ernie Else and last years winner, Alex Čejka. There are more names set to be announced over the coming months.

Čejka secured the inaugural JCB Championship with a winning score of 11-under par, posting rounds of 69, 66 and 70 to secure the title by two shots. With former Ryder Cup winner Paul McGinley finishing second.

County Secretary, Gareth Shaw said: “It’s great that the Legends Tour will be returning to Staffordshire. Some of the best players to have played the game compete week in and week out on the Legends tour and to welcome them to JCB Golf & Country Club for the second successive year is fantastic. It’s a great event and was a resounding success last year. It’s a fantastic day out for all the family and it’s the perfect introduction to live golf if you’ve never been to an event before.”

Early Purchase tickets start at just £15.00 for adults, £5.00 for youth tickets (13-17) and children under 12 can go for FREE.

Junior golfers from Ingestre Park Golf Club have been doing their bit to help the environment by planting trees on the golf course. The initiative is part of Ingestre Park’s redevelopment project.

The junior golfers were joined by club members and parents in planting the trees across the new sections of the course. They were guided by MJ Abbott LTD and the planting team.

The planting of the trees were added to the Queens Canopy Map, a project launched by the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy in partnership with the Woodland Trust.

Ben Smith, PGA Professional at Ingestre Park said: “We are delighted to have had the trees our juniors planted added to Queen’s Green Canopy map.

We are creating a golf course for the future, and it is great to get our juniors involved in the project.”

County Secretary, Gareth Shaw commented: “It’s great to see Ingestre engaging their junior golfers in this project. In years to come the kids will be able to say, “I planted that tree” and that’ll be their legacy on the course.

Not everyone gets the chance to make their mark on a golf course so it’s really great to see. We always encourage our clubs to engage the junior sections as they are the future of golf clubs all across England, not just in Staffordshire.

The juniors will also know where to avoid the trees on the new section of the course!”

Jcb Golf And Country Club To Host Champion Of Champions Event

The Staffordshire Union of Golf Clubs is proud to announce that we will be hosting a brand new event at JCB Golf & Country Club. The event, which will crown the Staffordshire Champion of Champions in the juniors, seniors, and men’s categories, will bring together the best club golfers from across the County and find our ultimate Champion.

The event will see the men’s, junior and senior club champions from each SUGC club competing in an 18-hole strokeplay event. The competition promises to be a tough one, as the players will be facing off against some of the most skilled golfers in the County.

We are delighted that we are able to give the winners the chance to take part in the event at JCB Golf & Country Club, which was recently ranked 40th in the Golf World Top 100 courses list. The course is sure to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for the players, with its undulating fairways and strategically placed hazards.

President Andrew Dathan said: “We are thrilled to be hosting this year’s Staffordshire Champion of Champions event at JCB. This event is open to club champions from across the County, which will bring out some fantastic competition for individual and club honours. JCB will be a fantastic venue for these Champions to test themselves against the best golfers in Staffordshire.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for players to meet other golfers from across the County. We hope that the event will inspire more people to enter their club competitions for their chance to secure a tee time at JCB. The event will be a celebration of the best golf in the County and is sure to be a memorable occasion for all involved.”

The Champion of Champions event will be taking place in September 2023.