STAFFORDSHIRE MAKES ITS MARK ON TOP 200 LIST

Seven Staffordshire golf courses have made their mark on the Today’s Golfer Top 200 golf courses list, highlighting the quality of golf on offer in the County.

Topping the local leaderboard at number 40 on the list is JCB Golf and Country Club, a remarkable achievement after opening only 5 years ago in 2018. The golf course in Rocester has already made a mark in the game by playing host to a Legends Tour event and promises to be a feature on the coveted list for years to come. Our list of seven high flying courses are as follows. Are there any that you think should have been included – let us know on our social channels @staffsgolfclubs

WHAT’S THE RULING?

You’re playing golf on a rainy day and puddles are starting to form in bunkers all over the course due to the heavy downpour. Unfortunately one of your approach shots lands in a greenside bunker and lays to rest in a puddle. Do you…

A. Gain relief by moving your ball to the nearest point of relief inside the bunker but no closer to the hole

B. Play the ball as it lies

C. Move the ball out of the bunker and carry on playing

See back page for the answer

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PRO TIP - DAN DAVIS

You may have noticed that golf courses across Staffordshire have been battered by just about every single weather condition, and that your ball striking has become more inconsistent as you try and adapt to the change in ground conditions.

With the new golfing season getting ever closer we’ve got a great tip to share from Dan Davis, Head Professional at The Chase Golf & Country Club that will help you strike the ball more consistently and get your game in top shape for the summer. Practicing these simple changes will transform your ball striking and you’ll see your scores tumble.

If you

BACK TO BACK HOLE-IN-ONES

Golfers Jaswant Sidhu and Pete John of Wergs Golf club could hardly believe their luck when they both made back-to-back hole-in-ones! The astonishing feat not only occurred for the pair in the same round, but on the same hole in consecutive shots. To put this into context the odds of this happening are estimated at 17 million to one. The hole in question was the 145-yard par three fifth, which got their rounds in the Friday Senior Stableford off to an unbelievable start.

Sidhu fired his ace first, with John following it up moments later. Sidhu told the Express and Star:

“It was incredible, I teed off first. I knew I’d hit it well but when the ball went in, I couldn’t believe it. I remember joking I wanted to get to the green first to confirm it. “There were a few celebrations and once that had settled down, Pete hit his shot and it was like an action replay. None of us knew what to say. I think we were all in shock. It is a miracle, really.” John also spoke to the Express and Star: “To get one is special. You never really think about it and you certainly never expect it, not least when you’ve just watched someone else do it. To see two in as many shots really is amazing. I’d never heard of it happening before. I’ve been playing at the Wergs for more than 10 years. There are three par 3 holes on the course and the fifth is probably the toughest of those. You’ve got bunkers to the left and the right and accuracy is key. Friday was clearly our day. The next time I played a round, on Monday, I sent my tee shot straight into the bunker.”

If you’ve got any incredible stories of hole-in-ones happening at your club please get in touch as we would love to include them in our next issue.

RICHARD MANSELL - HERO CUP

Ex-Staffordshire County player Richard Mansell was rewarded for the success of his 2022 season with a spot in the inaugural Hero Cup. Captained by Ryder Cup stalwart Tommy Fleetwood, the Great Britain and Ireland Team including Mansell, took on Continental Europe in Abu Dhabi. It was a successful week for Mansell, who performed well throughout the week. His performance would have caught the eye of Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald who was keeping a close watch on proceedings with Ryder Cup taking place in Rome this September.

Mansell partnered Ewan Ferguson throughout the week and came up against some of Continental Europe’s brightest stars. Mansell and Ferguson had drawn their opening two matches in the fourballs and foursomes format, before Mansell was defeated in the singles.

The Burntwood-born golfer is the first Staffordshire player to play in a Professional representative team match play format since David Lynn played in the Seve Cup back in 2013. The Hero Cup was bought in to replace the Seve Cup, which was last played ten years ago.

Mansell took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the week: “Incredible week from start to finish with this great group of guys. Absolutely gutted to not get the result we wanted but that’s matchplay. Massive congrats to a very strong European team. Was very proud to start my 2023 season representing Team GB&I.” We wish Richard the best of luck for the rest of the season in his pursuit of his first win on Tour and a place on Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team in September.