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Nov-Dec 2019
125 YEARS AND COUNTING White Rose union’s landmark year honoured by special plate presentation by R&A
YUGC has so much to celebrate THE Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs celebrated a litany of successes in this its 125th anniversary year at its annual dinner at York Racecourse. Among the team victories lauded at the event, which was supported by Investec Wealth & Investment, were those by its Northern Counties League side – which triumphed for a record fifth successive time, under the leadership of captain Darryl Berry – and its seniors, who claimed the England men's county crown. Individual achievements included Rotherham's Ben Schmidt becoming the youngest winner of the Brabazon Trophy, at 16, and Hallamshire's Alex Fitzpatrick representing Great Britain & Ireland against the USA in the Walker Cup. Special guests at the dinner – attended by 360 guests with representatives of 45 clubs – were Jenny Clink, President of
England Golf, Clive Edginton, captain of the R&A, and former European Tour player and Sky Sports presenter Nick Dougherty. YUGC President Kevin Tucker, of Saltburn, in recounting Yorkshire's succession of conquests, presented an amusing account of captain John Grimbleby's seniors side in the England county championship at Effingham, in Surrey. “I'd never been to a seniors county final before and looked forward to seeing how they compared to a boys or men's county final,” he said, adding after a slight pause: “I can honestly say it's nothing like either. “The chat the day before the tournament started didn't revolve around the usual subjects like who hits it off which tee in the foursomes, the best side to miss the green, or which par-5 to lay-up on and which to go for. It was more about which
Pictures: Cameron Thomson
Yorkshire captain Darryl Berry receives the Daily Telegraph Men’s Northern Counties League trophy from Northern Counties President Clyde Camp. Inset, the plate presented to YUGC by the R&A surgeons did the best hip and knee replacement. Edginton thanked the YUGC “on the behalf of the R&A, for everything the Yorkshire Union has done and continues to do to support the game of golf” and presented a salver to commemorate the union’s 125th anniversary.
He continued: “It would be completely wrong to pretend that everything in the golfing garden is rosy. Yorkshire has not been immune from the reduction in golf club membership numbers in this country. There are various factors in play... they represent a significant challenge for the R&A, for
England Golf, and for the Yorkshire Union. “The R&A has embarked on initiatives which we hope will reverse the trend. Indeed, everything we do at St Andrew's – from revisions to the rules, the world handicap system, the promotion of ninehole golf, the support of family
golf, and the encouragement of more women working and playing in golf, is designed to ensure that golf is thriving 50 years from now.” On the issue of women in golf, Clink drew laughter when she said: “I've travelled pretty well the length and breadth of the country this year, attending tournaments and receiving a warm welcome after the shock – sometimes even the horror – that a woman could be president of England.” Former Lancashire team member Dougherty, who drew back the curtain on life as a tournament player, said of county golf: “It was a big part of my journey. I remember when I played for my county – especially when I was half the age of all the others – that I thought maybe I could do this, maybe this could be the future for me. “My dad had already picked this for me, but that was when I started to believe and playing county golf was a massive, massive bump in my confidence for me. That led to playing for my country, playing for Great Britain & Ireland at the Walker Cup. “People remember things you do as a professional golfer, but one of the most iconic moments in my career, the thing I remember so clearly, was being part of that team.”