GOLFERYorkshire The best in club and county Twitter: @yorkshiregolfer August 2022 YOURYOURPICKUPFREECOPYPICKUPFREECOPY Download online edition www.yorkshiregolfer.netat Send your news & photos news@yorkshire-golfer.comto Heggie’s 493 hole everyone’sCalverleychallengeshowableWhitworth’s20thclubtitleHallowesteamupinstyleAllthenewsfromclubandcounty! PACKAGES AVAILABLE FOR 27/36 HOLES- Mon-Thurs, plus Sunday afternoon Telephone: 01904 700797 (Option 5) or Email: secretary@pikehillsgolfclub.co.uk For online Green Fee Booking visit our website: www.pikehillsgolfclub.co.uk Pike Hills Golf Club, Tadcaster Road, Askham Bryan, York, North Yorkshire, YO23 3UW VISITING SOCIETIES ALWAYS WELCOME Package 1: Coffee/Tea & Bacon Roll,18 Holes,Lunch per£36person normalprice£45 Package 2: Coffee/Tea & Bacon Roll Sandwich,18 Holes per£32person normalprice£38.50 Package 3: 18 holes of golf per£28person normalprice£35 Special Rate for GolferYorkshirereaders.Tobookquote‘YG2022’ WONDERBOYFixbystarDylanShawRadfordisEngland Counties Boys’ ANDNOW...ChampionJuniorHenryOpenScottishBoys’EnglandANDNOW...ChampionJuniorHenryOpenScottishChampionBoys’ChampionCooperMastersCountiesChampionBoys’ChampionCooperMasters
a visitor to Worksop Golf Club, you can look forward to an excellent round, followed by some of our renowned catering The newly refurbished clubhouse is warm and friendly with everything required for members and visitors to enjoy a golfing break. We offer discounts for group bookings, meal packages and multi-round visits As a visitor to Worksop Golf Club, you can look forward to an excellent round, followed by some of our renowned catering The newly refurbished clubhouse is warm and friendly with everything required for members and visitors to enjoy a golfing break. We offer discounts for group bookings, meal packages and multi-round visits
2 August 2022 MARATHONMAN Moortown pro Martin Heggie played 28 courses and 493 holes in seven days.Find out why...p4 SO CLOSE LindrickAmateurofmadeGeorgeHallowes’AshthefinaltheEnglishat p5 COUNTYTEAMS Hallowes overturned a 6-shot deficit to win the YUGC Teams Championship at Hallamshire.Meanwhile Sheffield are closing on the YIDU title METCHALLENGEp6 ChallengewonTraceySelby’sCoopertheYLCGABowl p7 READYANDABLE Calverley GC and the Disabled Golf Association teamed up for a ground-breaking intitiative p8/9 WAITWORTHTHE After a 12year championshiphisWhitworthhiatus,Andylanded20thclub p10 HAPPY 75th All 23 clubs of the Halifax,Huddersfield &District Union gathered to celebrate a landmark anniversary p20 SWINGMAESTRO Getting your swing sequence right is vital in improving your game,says our expert Tony Howarth p22 IN THIS ISSUE ... or read online at www.yorkshiregolfer.net ADVERTISING: Sandra Kirton 07771 PUBLISHER:sandra@yorkshire-golfer.com885757DannyLockwood EDITORIAL Tel:news@yorkshire-golfer.com&SUBMISSIONS:ENQUIRIES01904236100 @yorkshiregolfer DOCTOR’STREATMENT Focus on some of the courses that have benefitted from the design genius of Alister MacKenzie 16-19 Please contact us for more details – tel 01909 477 731 or emailthepro@worksopgolfclub.com www.worksopgolfclub.com Windmill Lane, Worksop, S80 2SQ
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Sam Bairstow and Josh Berry played important parts in England’s final day Home International heroics as the combined men’s and women’s team scraped an 11-10 win over hosts Ireland to take the inaugural R&ATrophy. With seven women and nine men, the teams played seven foursomes games and 14 singles. With both teams having beaten Scotland and Wales, but Ireland having the better match points tally, England were up against it in the final afternoon at Ballyliffin.Bairstow and partner Arron Edwards Hill had taken the top foursomes match 3&2 against Mark Power and Liam Galway. But the Irish hit back to lead the match 4-3 at lunch, Berry and his partner Harley Smith being amongst the losers. It left England needing eight of the 14 singles points. Bairstow and Power fought tooth and nail, the Irishman pulling back an early deficit and leading down the last. Bairstow won the final hole for a crucial half, in a tie where six of the singles went down the 18th. Berry won his singles, beating the experienced Hugh Foley 2&1, as England just scraped over the Besidesline.lifting the R&A combined trophy, it meant England’s men under coach Graham Walker also won the Raymond Trophy. The women lost after their match with Ireland finished 4.5-4.5, the hosts prevailing on a matchpoint countback. In day one action against Wales, England got off to a 5-2 foursomes start with Bairstow and Edwards Hill 5&4 winners and Berry and Smith convincing 7&6 victors. Both brought home singles points too, Bairstow 1hole over Tomi Bowen and Berry 4&3 over Sean David, as England finished the day 14-7 winners.Facing Scotland on day two, Bairstow and Edwards Hill again brought home the first point, 6&4 over Calum Scott and Rory Franssen. Berry/Smith went down 4&3 to Gregor Graham and Andrew Davidson but England still led 5-2 at lunch.The Scots put up a tougher fight in the afternoon, including taking three wins and a half out of the last five matches out. Bairstow had halved his opener against the Scots’top-ranked Calum Scott, while Berry notched his second singles point against Gregor Graham by 2holes as England wrapped the win up 12-9. Wales beat Scotland to condemn them to last place.
England’s combined men/women and boys/girls prevail in novel new format
3August 2022
By Danny Lockwood As the saying goes, ‘there’s no rest for the wicked’. And there’s no rest for the very good either, as Huddersfield’s Dylan Shaw Radford has been finding out this summer. In July the 17-year-old added the prestigious Carris Trophy – one of the biggest prizes in junior golf, the English Boys’Open Amateur Championship – to the Scottish Boys’Open he lifted in April, plus the Henry Cooper Junior Masters title in June. They in turn joined the Yorkshire Boys title and the England County Boys Championship from last year in what must be a very cluttered Shaw Radford home trophyYorkshirecabinet.
In terms of winning the Carris, he said: “I concentrated on getting in play off the tee, so I took a lot of 3-irons off the tee. I managed to do that quiteHewell.”waspaired with one of Scotland’s top juniors Niall Shiels Donegan in the final round, having shot a 70, 65 and 71 to rise to the top of the leaderboard, one shot behind his partner Donegan. An eagle at the 5th and birdie on the 9th saw Dylan turn two in front. When Donegan bogeyed 16, a birdie-par finish saw the Fixby star close out a threestroke win with a 67 for a brilliant -15 total. This week’s Boys’Amateur Championship (August 8-12) sees qualifying at Panmure and Monifieth before the 64player matchplay rounds over Carnoustie’s famous links. Off the course, Dylan is still undecided about his future as he studies his Alevels online. “I am having a little bit more interest from the US, but I’m still the same as I was –50-50 as to whether I go or not. It definitely will depend on what sorts of offers I get,” he said.It’sdifficult to imagine one of the most successful British junior golfers of recent years won’t be in high demand. third major junior title of the year for the Huddersfield golfer
Golfer caught up with Dylan as he prepared for The Amateur Championship staged at Lindrick and Worksop. It was clear there would be no time to rest on his CarrisFollowinglaurels. The Amateur (see p5) where he qualified in the top 64 but went out in the last 32, it was bags packed again and the trip north to represent England in the Home Internationals at Downfield in Scotland (see below). From there the Shaw Radfords would be staying in Scotland for the Boys’ Amateur Championship the followingReflectingweek.on the Carris win at the Silloth on Solway links in Cumbria, Dylan said: “Obviously it’s nice, but in the events I have coming up, the standards are very good too.” Supporting him at Silloth were his grandparents and grandad John was present on the final day to watch the drama“It’sunfold.nice– he supports me a lot and helps out so it was nice to get it done when he was here,” added the champion. “He enjoyed being in the picturesDylantoo!”was also part of the England team that won the Nations Cup at the championship. He teamed up with Doncaster’s Josh Berry and Tyler Weaver to claim that prize ahead of Italy. On what’s going particularly well at the moment, he said: “I think I’m making fewer mistakes generally. There have been a few less shots that have cost me. And then if I take those out on course, my game getsIsbetter.”itamental or a skills thing? “Alittle bit of both. It’s about believing in my practice and developing my game.”
HOMEINTERNATIONALS
Shaw Radford’s sizzling summer
CARRISTROPHY A
THAT’SMYBOY: Grandad John shares Dylan’s moment of glory, lifting the Carris Trophy LOCKEDANDLOADED: Irons off the tee worked a treat England won an historic first junior InternationalsHomewhich saw the boys’ and girls’ teams combined for the first time at Downfield GC in Scotland, featuring seven girls and nine boys in foursomes and singles. There were mixed results for England’s two Yorkshire representatives Dylan Shaw Radford and BenOpeningBrown.against Ireland on day one and with winds gusting at 30mph, England were 4-3 up after the foursomes. Shaw Radford and Brown lost 2&1 to Jack Murphy and Sean Keeling, and Murphy was DSR’s nemesis in the opening singles with a 2&1 win, while Brown halved with Keeling. On day two, Brown and Shaw Radford halved with Wales’ Caolan Burford and Tom Bastow as England led the foursomes 5-2. Brown was rested as DSR led the singles rout with a 4&3 win over Burford and England took the match 16-5. Ireland bounced back from their opening loss to beat Scotland 12-9. The results left England with a 9pt advantage over Ireland going into the last day’s match against Scotland. The Yorkshire pair again went down in the first foursomes out, losing 1-up to Niall ShielsDonegan and Dan Bullen, but it was a red and white parade after that with England taking a commanding 6-1 lead into lunch.Inthe singles, England just got stronger as they day progressed. First out, Shaw Radford went down 2&1 to Shiels Donegan, but after that there were only two wins and two halves for the home team, as England romped to a 17-4 win and wrapped up the title.
Waterton Park’s Tai Naylor shot a 76 at Wakefield to win the WH Fenton Trophy for the best gross score in the Leeds & District Union’s junior individual stroke play championships.Hewon by three shots from Archie (Horsforth),Rowntree who was two clear of third-placed Zara Ali (Cookridge Hall). The impressiveumphhandicaphadJudebytallyTrophyHeadingleyforbestnettwasclaimedSandMoor’sGordon,whoa67offa36totri-byaneightshots from Alexandra Taylor (Normanton), who edged Milo Mitchell (Wike Ridge) into third on countback.Each year the Judy Raynor Cup is awarded to the competitor aged under 15 years on January 1 who returns the lowest nett score and Gordon made it a double, with Lulu Woodrow (Wike Ridge) second on 74.Tai Naylor is pictured receiving his trophy from Leeds Union President Colin Duckels plus (inset) Jude Gordon.
Moortown pro Heggie raises nearly £20,000 with marathon 28-course effort
493 holes played in seven days
Moortown and then suddenly I thought, ‘well, we did it 10 years ago when we did one hole at each of the Leeds & District Union golf courses. I know South Leeds has closed, I wonder how many there are now?’
From left – Heggie’s brother Richard, Mark James, Martin Heggie and his son George Tai’s the Leeds champ
By Chris Stratford Like most club professionals, Moortown’s Martin Heggie plays a lot less golf than most members might imagine. About 40 rounds a year, by his reckoning. So to decide to take on just over 27 rounds, or 493 holes to be precise, in seven days seemed a tad optimistic even though – at 57 – he keeps himself fit with the aid of hot yoga. But add in that he was going to travel to and play at all 28 courses in the Leeds & District Union in that week and the challenge assumes even greaterHowever,proportions.Heggie did it and so far has almost doubled his intended target of £10,000 by raising in excess of £18,000 in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. The last seven holes were played at his home club in the company of former Ryder Cup player and captain Mark James, who had seen what Heggie was tackling and texted him, offering his services as a ball spotter or caddie for the final stages. “I thought, ‘we can probably get a bit more out of the past Ryder Cup captain and senior major winner than caddying’, so I asked him to play and he was more than happy to,” said Heggie, who astonishingly completed his feat without a single blister to his feet although he did suffer golfer’s elbow.He had been inspired to do something to raise funds for the MNDA after seeing Kevin Sinfield’s fundraising efforts in support of his stricken former Leeds Rhinos teammate Rob Burrow extend to running 101 miles in 24 hours.“The493 holes I played came about because of me doing a bit of research and thinking, ‘what did Rob do in his career?’and he played 493 times for Leeds,” explained Heggie. “The seven was the number shirt he wore. I got the calculator out and thought, ‘Hmm, 28 rounds’. “I was going to do it all here at Home to Yorkshire’s oldest trophy at the historic Westwood Come play the thecoursehostofhistoricChallengeCup 55s £20, Visitor Price: £20 Book at beverleygolfclub.co.uk
“I got the Leeds & District website up and counted down, saw there were 28 clubs and thought, ‘perhaps we can do Moortownthat’.”member and last year’s Leeds Union President, Geoff Mortimer, worked out a schedule for the challenge, based on what courses were near each other, and then Heggie’s wife Jo took on the task of contacting each club to make arrangements. “She’s been phenomenal,” he said, “ringing all the golf clubs and the pros. Everyone’s got something big going on at this time of the year, so to try to fit in around the club’s big events the key was the early morning rounds.“Ithink the alarm calls got a little bit later as we got closer to home, but 3.00, 3.15 the alarm was going off. “I was getting to bed about half nine, ten and I slept very well. I always do sleep well, but not for very“Everywherelong. has been really accommodating, the members at all the clubs have just been fantastic, not just with their monetary support, but with their actual support, people turning up to cheer you on along the way and every club where you’ve been people calling you through. “When people are trying to play a medal you feel a bit bad going through, but they’ve all been really great.”Heggie’s son George caddied for the last seven holes, his eldest daughter Jessica carried for the first round at Woolley Park, and George’s twin sister, Kate, a film producer, originally intended to caddy at Wakefield, but instead oversaw filming of the occasion. “I’ve always tried to do something,” said Heggie. “I’m in a very privileged position of being a pro at a great club with great members, I have a lovely wife with three great kids and I think sometimes you’ve got to look and try to give something back.”He has certainly done that and if anyone would like to move him towards doubling his initial ambition by reaching £20,000, go to his Just Giving page, which can be found at fundraising/martin-heggie2.https://www.justgiving.com/
September 9, 2022 Member Price:
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GolfBeverley&EastRidingClub Autumn Men’s Senior Open – over
4 August 2022 ROBBURROWTRIBUTE
Ash fightback just not enough in final
5August 2022 ENGLISHAMATEUR Lindrick hosts with Worksop
Hallowes golfer George Ash enjoyed a stellar week at the English Amateur Championship, battling all the way to the 35th hole of the final at Lindrick GolfAshClub.qualified in the middle of the 64-man knockout field after rounds at Lindrick and co-host Worksop Golf Club.
11th Union title for Bradley Hall
Astunning parkland course in the heart of North Yorkshire Perfect venue for visiting parties & societies Superb SpectacularSuperbpartiesPerfectSpectaculargreensviewsvenueforvisiting&societiesgreensviews 2022 OPENS ENTER VIA WEBSITE WWW.RIPONCITYGOLFCLUB.COMAT Sunday 11 Sept:September Team Open Team of 4 – £80 per team Wednesday 5 October:Ladies Texas Scramble Team of 4 – £40 per team
Eventual champion Joe Sullivan of Royal Ashdown Forest found himself one down on the opening hole of the final, but once he birdied the 6th to level matters he was never behind again. The two were tied until the morning turn, but when Ash bogeyed the 10th he went behind for good. Jones found himself 3-up after the morning round, a margin he still maintained as the pair started the last nine of the afternoon. Battling Ash had had his girlfriend and Lindrick member Mia Eales-Smith on the bag all week until she headed to North Berwick for Women’s Open final qualifying. His clubmate Sam Bairstow stepped in to do the honours for the final, the England international returning the favour after Ash caddied for him at the last two Open Championships.TheHallowes man went briefly 4-down on the 28th hole, but then reeled off three consecutive wins of his own with a par and two birdies to be just one hole back with four remaining.Thelarge following from his home club had their hopes raised briefly, but Jones bounced back with a birdie on the following par 5 against Ash’s bogey and when he conceded a tap-in birdie on the 35th, it closed the match out at 3&1.Ash reached the final courtesy of a 1-up win over Charlie Foster of North Hants in the semi. Prior to that he saw off Tyler Weaver (Bury St Edmunds) 2&1, Sam Easterbrook (Olton) 5&4, and Wath’s George Mason 1-up. Yorkshire golfers Freddie Parlby (Hallowes), Dylan Shaw Radford (Huddersfield) and Charlie (Rotherham)Daughtreyallqualified from strokeplay and made it to the last 32 before bowing out.
Sam Bridges led Halifax Bradley Hall to victory in the Halifax-Huddersfield Union’s scratch team championship at Woodsome Hall with a bestof-the-day two-round performance as they claimed the Founders Trophy for the 11lth time.He added a superb threeunder-par 67 in heavy rain and gusting winds to his firstround 73 and was ably supported by Chris Lander (72, 75) and Josh Bailes (78, 73) for a 438 aggregate that left runners-up Crosland Heath trailing by six shots. Bridges began his afternoon with a birdie at the first and, after another followed at six, he made it bogey free to the turn thanks to an excellent up-and-down from a greenside bunker at the tough 520-yard par-5Heninth.dropped his only shot of the second round at the 13th, but made immediate amends with a birdie at the next and also trimmed a shot to par at 16 for a 36-hole aggregate of 140 that made him the first holder of the new trophy awarded for the category by senior team manager FrankJoshGreaves.McAspurn had carded 67 in the first round and his 78 after lunch saw him point Crosland Heath towards second place with George Hanson shooting 75, 74 and Toby Garrett 74, Huddersfield76. were third through Richard Broadley (69, 73), Greaves (80, 76) and Tom Green (78, 80). With no individual allowed to take more than one prize, Broadley got the award for best second-round score, McAspurn taking the honours in roundSaddleworthone. won the trophy for best nett team score of 459 (Ben Pullen 70, 84, Lee Rowbotham 70, 77 and Adam Rowbotham 78, 80). Union PresidentGlynn Mellor is pictured with Halifax Bradley Hall’sChris Lander, Sam Bridges and Josh Bailes.
Title holders East Riding bounced back from their loss to Sheffield to defeat previously unbeaten Leeds 19-17 in a thrilling match at Headingley that was only decided on the final green of the last match to finish. Bradford had 11 players put points on the board as they got off the mark for the season at Easingwold, their 21-15 victory pushing winless hosts York to the bottom of the table.
European Championshipsteam MENSpain emerged as European Amateur Champions at sun-baked Royal St George’s, defeating Sweden in the championshipEnglandmatch.putup a brave semi-final fight against the Swedes in their semi-final, with Yorkshiremen Barclay Brown and Sam Bairstow winning their afternoon singles games after the hosts found themselves 2-0 down. The teams had halved the morning foursomes. In the decider, Adam Wallin saw off Arron Edwards-Hill at the 17th to progress. England took on Denmark in the bronze medal match but were behind from the off and never recovered.
Abbeydale’s Tim Brind, unbeaten in eight matches going into round 5 of the YIDU Championships Yorkshire pair Sam Bairstow and Barclay Brown were part of the GB&I team that beat the Continent of Europe to win the St Andrews Trophy. Playing in Slovakia the week after both Bairstow and Brown made the cut in the 150th Open Championship, GB&I opened up an 8-4 first day lead. In the hot day-2 conditions, more tight matches again went the way of GB&I with Bairstow and Irishman Matthew McClean claiming the most notable. The duo triumphed on the last for a one-hole success against Pietro Bovari from Italy and Portugal’s Daniel Da Costa Rodrigues. With GB&I now six points ahead, the Continent of Europe did dig deep to reply in the singles.Sweden’s David Lundgren saw off Bairstow by two holes, Da Costa Rodrigues also defeated Brown by the same margin and Bovari beat McClean 3&2. There was also a halved opening match between Frenchman Martin Couvra and John Gough from England. GB&I held on for a 14.5-10.5 victory led by 3.5 points each for Bairstow, Brown, Irishman Mark Power and England’s Arron Edwards-Hill.
Photo: Luke Turner, Freddie Parlby, George Ash, Hallowes Captain Geoff Thorpe, with YUGC President Terry Collins
BOYS/GIRLSGermanyretained their European Junior Boys title on home turf at GC St Leon-Rot. England had defeated Netherlands and Sweden on their way to a showdown with the reigning champs. Doncaster’s Josh Berry took a morning foursomes point alongside Harley Smith, to keep England in it at 1-1 going into the afternoon singles. The German team was too strong however and Berry couldn’t repeat his success as the English boys went down England’s4.5-2.5.girlshad to contend with heavy winds as the European championships travelled to Oddur Golf Club in Iceland. They lost in the semi-finals and suffered a second defeat as Germany claimed the bronze medal. Sheffield took the fourth of what they hope will be seven successful steps towards ending their comparatively long Yorkshire Inter-District Union title famine by beating HalifaxHuddersfield 23-13 at Dewsbury District.Going into round five in early August they were the only union with a perfect record to date, but Leeds and defending champions East Riding kept them within sight with victories of their own. Leeds were 20-16 victors against Harrogate at Bedale Golf Club and the latter won 26-10 against bottom club York at Beverley & East Riding. Sheffield’s dismissive dismantling of the 2019 champions, who only handed over their crown to East Riding last season by virtue of their inferior game points tally, emphasised that it will take something extraordinary to deny a union that won seven championships in eight seasons from 2011. All three of their remaining fixtures are at home with the last, against Leeds at Sickleholme on September 4, likely to offer them their sternest test. Sheffield were in front 8-4 at lunch against Halifax-Huddersfield and quickly claimed maximum points from the top three singles to quell home hopes of a comeback. Abbeydale’s Tim Brind stretched his unbeaten record to six wins and two halves while five visitors won in the morning and afternoon as the hosts took comfort from 17-year-old Jack Hampshaw (Crosland Heath) and Niall Murphy (Willow Valley) doing likewise on debut for Thirskthem.&Northallerton’s Rich Fawcett became the first player to get the better of Martin Simpson this season after seven successive wins for the Selby man, but the latter still tasted team victory as second-placed Leeds won at Bedale. Garforth’s Josh Bassitt has yet to be defeated in six contests for Leeds.Title holders East Riding had more than half their team finish the day with the full four points against York at Beverley & East Riding, where 11 out of 12 home men contributed and Hull’s George Clark remained unbeaten so far. East Riding’s President, John Illingworth, had to patrol the 7th fairway, persuading picnickers encouraged by the 28 degree temperatures, and footballers not discouraged by the heat, to move along.Bradford’s captain Andy Busfield (South Bradford) continues to lead from the front with seven wins from eight and perfect performances in his four singles. His clubmate Oliver Tasker now has an unblemished record from his three appearances for Bradford after winning twice against Teesside, James Darcy and Eddie Hodgson (Bingley St Ives) doing likewise.Bradford were heading next to Doncaster on August 7 to face Sheffield when Leeds were to host Halifax-Huddersfield at Horsforth. Teesside did likewise for the champions at Eaglescliffe and York entertained Harrogate around Pike Hills.Sheffield had been the only side left with a perfect record after the third round of matches following a comprehensive 26-10 defeat of Harrogate at Wortley. It saw them leapfrog erstwhile leaders Halifax-Huddersfield, who went down 21-15 to then bottom club Teesside at Blackwell Grange.
GB&I top ‘Continent’
WOMENEngland won the 2022 European Ladies’ Team Championship title at Conwy Golf Club in Wales, beating Italy in a tense final. Tied at 1-1heading into the afternoon singles, Amelia Williamson clinched the first point with a 3&2 win over CarolinaAlessiaMelgrati.Nobilio defeated Caley McGinty on the 17th to tie matters at 2-2, but Huddersfield’s Charlotte Heath was able to take England within just one point of victory with a convincing 4&3 win over Emilie Alba Paltrinieri. With Alesandra Fanali winning her next match, it came down to the match between Lottie Woad and Benedetta Moresco. A lost ball on the 17th hole for the Italian proved crucial, and allowed Woad to secure a second-consecutive European title for England.
All hail Hallowes heroes
The Hallowes Golf Club trio of Luke Turner, Freddie Parlby and George Ash brought home the Yorkshire County Teams Championship after producing a stunning second-round fightback at RotherhamHallamshire.ledthe way after the morning round, three shots clear of Hornsea with the Hallowes trio a further three shots back alongside Abbeydale.Butitall came good in the afternoon as a day’s best gross score of 224 took them six shots clear of eventual runners-up Hornsea, one ahead of Rotherham with a fast-finishing Garforth a further two back. The club title was just the latest in a series of stunning performances by members of the buzzing Dronsfield club. While England star Sam Bairstow was finishing as runner-up in The Championship,Amateurhisyoung clubmate George Ash would go on to earn a place in the final of the English Amateur at Lindrick (see report, p5).Club Captain for 2022, Geoff Thorpe, was bursting with pride and praise for his golfers. “They were behind in the morning and the conditions were tough, firm and windy,” he said, “but the lads dug deep and got the job done.”Indeed, after the three all took part in the English Amateur stroke play qualifying at Lindrick and Worksop, they returned that evening to cheer on their Hallowes clubmates in a team match. “That’s the team ethic they have, that’s just what they are like,” Geoff said. “We are extremely fortunate to have such a great bunch of lads at the club. What with Sam’s example and now George doing so well – it’s a massive win for the club. “I mean, it’s not every year one of your players makes the cut at The Open,” he said, referencing Bairstow’s feats at St Andrews. It really is a golden age at Hallowes, where the club boasts no less than 10 players with plus handicaps, led by Bairstow currently on +6.2. Ash (+3.6), Parlby (+3.2) and Turner who has ‘gone up’to +1.8 are the cream of a rare crop indeed. “But you see them on the practice ground day in and day out,” said Captain Thorpe. “They work as hard as professionals.” The clubs filling out the remaining 12 spots in Division One for the 2023 campaign are Hallamshire, Middlesbrough, Wakefied, Halifax Bradley Hall, Abbeydale, Huddersfield, Cleckheaton and Northcliffe.
YIDU Title ‘famine’ could be nearing its end for South Yorkshiremen Sheffield show their steel
6 August 2022 YUGCTEAMCHAMPIONSHIP 12-shot swing does the job
Selby’s Tracey Cooper lifted the oldest of Yorkshire Ladies County Golf Association’s trophies after prevailing in the Challenge Bowl following three days of stroke and match play at Bingley St Ives.She edged Otley’s Patricia Harrison 2&1 in an absorbing final after the pair had come through 18 holes of qualifying plus three match play rounds. It enabled Cooper to assuage the disappointment from four years ago of getting so close to laying hands on the silverware, which was bought with subscriptions from members on the association’s foundation in 1900.Playing over what is now her home course, having previously been a member at Low Laithes and Howley Hall, she finished as runner-up on that occasion at Selby to Lynn Wood from Oakdale. Three years on and she immediately trailed when Harrison struck the first blow of the title decider on the 1st. Cooper’s response was swift as she won at four and five and she then went two up afterHarrisoneight. set aside another missed short putt for a win at 10 to claim the 11th after Cooper’s tee shot found trouble down the right.But the see-sawing continued with a booming drive down the 12th and an approach to 12ft restoring the two-hole cushion. Harrison cut her disadvatage thanks to an excellent third to 4ft at 14, but Cooper reclaimed it at 15. When Cooper hit her second directly behind a tree at 16, Harrison capitalised and they went down the penultimate hole with just one hole in it. After seeing Harrison’s second shot fall away down a steep banking to the right of the green, Cooper played to within 25 yards of the putting surface and then chipped to a few inches for a title-deciding par.Tina Ives (Huddersfield) and Jane Henderson (Oakdale) were the beaten semi-finalists during an event that saw Ilkley’s Judith Booth awarded the Victory Bowl for the best net score in qualifying of 71. Ilkley’s Sue Atkins, Kath Chivers and Booth won the Hamilton Trophy and silver medals for the lowest net team score of 232 while the Helen Drake Salver and gold medals for the lowest gross team score of 273 went to Oakdale’s Karen Leake, Patsy Rochester and Penny Baxter. The Everard Trophy for the tri-am competition was awarded to Oakdale’s Anne Jones, Joyce Slater and Christine Downing with 82 Thirty-sixpoints.points carded by Sandra Barnes and Marie Lethaby, from Hallowes, won them the Ilkley Trophy on countback in the greensomes event.
Smith’s home comfort
Champion Tracy Cooper Jamie Smith made use of home advantage to win the Halifax-Huddersfield Union’s stroke play championship with rounds of 69, 66 at Halifax in sweltering heat. He bested clubmate Mark Birkett (71, 69) by five shots to claim the PS Cockroft Trophy for the second time, having first won it in 2016. Hanging Heaton’s Scot Minto was two shots further back in third place with two rounds of 71. Smith displayed a photo of the trophy on his Twitter account, commenting: “Great day yesterday @HalifaxGolfClub 66-69 for the W 6 years since I last won it hopefully go on to win the matchplay now.
Second time a treat as Tracey lifts Challenge Bowl
#aintNoHobby.”Theunionput the extremely low entry for one of their most prestigious events down to “other attractions and commitments”, the latter no doubt including the final round of the 150th Open championship at St Andrews. The winner of the Jubilee Trophy for the best 36-hole gross total by a junior went to Habib Khan, of Willow Valley, with 77, 74 = 151. With no player allowed to receive more than one prize, the award for best gross in round one went to Tom Williams (Lightcliffe) with a 70 with best gross round two to Mike Lawrie (Crosland Heath) with a 71.
7August 2022
YORKSHIRE SENIORSteam player Ian Clarke of Lindrick won the Northern Counties Seniors Championship at Ponteland by four strokes. A pair of two-under par 70s meant Clarke could celebrate his 62nd birthday in style. He was two strokes behind opening day leader Ian McEntee (South Moor) and things didn’t look good when he dropped shots on his opening two holes. However he then produced four birdies and 12 pars for a second round of 70 to take the title, four shots clear of FellowMcEntee.Lindrick member Kevin Parkes finished in 5th place with scores of 73 and 74 followed by Alan Wright (Ganstead Park ) with 73-76 and Richard Holt (Woodsome Hall) with 78-74.
goeswhereteersassistedPigmentosa,fromblindhasguideaccompaniedrangedrivesthunderingdownthe–andHelen,bydogRoss,beenregisteredsince2001.ShesuffersRetinitisbutbyvolun-whoseeherballandguideher around the course, she’s loving the game. “I was always into every kind of sport, until my eyesight stopped me competing” said Helen. “Then when we got into lockdown and things, I thought I’d try golf.”
By Danny Lockwood Calverley Golf Club was home to a ground-breaking initiative in July, when the club staged an open day for would-be golfers with a wide range of disabilities.Clubprofessional Jeff Whittam was ably assisted by the driving force behind the initiative, member, committeeman and coach – but also a disabled golfer himself – DanWithAtkins.officials from the Yorkshire Union of Golf Clubs on hand to lend support – and a few tips – the day was staged in conjunction with the Disabled Golf Association. England Golf representative Helen Searle and Chris Wren from the Bradford & District Union attended too. Was it a success? To answer that, you only had to witness the fist-pumping and beaming smiles of youngsters who struggled to swing a club within a foot of the ball, but an hour later were whacking them down the range. Calverley already had a link with the DGA, as pro Whittam had coached the disabled grandson of DGAstalwart Neil Patrick’s partner. He had also mentored his assistant Dan Atkins through his own Level 1 coaching qualifications. Dan is also Titleist TPI certified, which looks at body movements and limitations. “We wanted to showcase what is available to people who might not have considered golf could be for them,” said Dan, who has been golfing for some 17 years, and who asked for help in becoming a coach when Jeff Whittam joined as head pro in 2016. Dan does a lot of the work with the club’s juniors and points out that the section has had youngsters with a variety of “Golfdisabilities.isforeverybody,” he said. “There are so many different levels of golf, you don’t have to hit the ball 300 yards to enjoy it. Anybody, in any walk of life, can take up golf, and I think with golf, all it takes is one good swing or one good shot or connection with the ball, and you’re hooked. A‘Disability’is not an ‘Inability’, there should be no boundaries on what can be achieved because of your limitations.”Headded: “I think there’s a stigma that golf can be elitist, that it isn’t for everyone. But it isn’t and we want to spread that message. These days, sport should have a place for everyone. “Calverley is very accessible for people with physical disabilities and our driving range and putting green are right outside the clubhouse. We want to spread the word that golf can be very inclusive and would like Calverley to be something of a hub. After the success of today it would be good to run sessions regularly, perhaps even monthly. I must say, it brought a tear to my eye, seeing the joy on the faces of Felix, Ryan and Danny. We’ve planted a seed, we now need to make sure it grows.”Showing just how golfingachievablesuccess can be for people with different types of handicaps was Calverley member Helen Davies. She impressed one and all by launching some
Amaximum 54-handicapper to begin with, Helen is now down to 43 – and already has her name on the club honours board!Coach Whittam had both youngsters and their parents or guardians joining in. The group started off on the range, being shown the basics of stance, grip and swingDantempo.Atkins, YUGC secretary Jonathan Plaxton and members of the Disabled Golf Association like Northern organiser and trustee John Riordan, Neil Patrick, and double amputee Dave Kirkham, all joined in lending both tips and encouragement. Also on hand was YUGC 2022 President Terry Collins, a member at the hostWithinclub. an hour Jeff had his group focussing on getting to a stylish finish –with variable success! – but as air shots were gradually replaced by initially scuffs, then airborne golf balls, the enthusiasm and smiles were palpable. Ashort-game practice area had been prepared and once again the group were coached, encouraged – and teased by coach Whittam – into short game target practice. Finally it was onto the putting green outside the clubhouse to look at the basics of what their tutor stressed was the most important club in the golf bag. At the end of the afternoon’s sessions, the attendees all departed with a goodie bag – and comments of “when can we come again mum…?” were music to Dan Atkins and Jeff Whittam’s ears. Golf club managers, professionals and members who want to find out more about disabled golf, are invited to contact Dan Atkins on 07834 229487, or email dan@danatkinsgolf.com
Felix gets a fist bump from Jeff Whittam after a good shot, while (below) coach Dan Atkins gives some guidance on the short game area
8 August 2022 SPORTFORALL Club puts on a show with Disabled Golf Association
Atseeleft, Calverley member Helen Davies has been registered blind for more than 20 years, and is helped onto the practice tee
Coach Whittam had his group of players holding their ‘pose’ at the end of their swing ... this effort bought a smile to his face and those of YUGC secretary Jonathan Plaxton and Dan Atkins We’ve all had one of those “yesss!” moments (above) when a pure strike sails off into the distance, as coach Whittam is overjoyed to
Calverley leads the way in disabled golf
From amputees and deaf or blind members, people with congenital conditions such as cerebral palsy, Down’s Syndrome and fibromyalgia, to sufferers of MS, arthritis, Parkinson’s or stroke survivors, the DGAopens its arms to all. Indeed it is getting more young people interested who have autism, ADHD or tourettes. “The social aspect is a key thing for us,” John added. “We here to allow a group of people to play a game of golf with like-minded people.”
DGA
Making the regular competition days as affordable as possible is an ongoing challenge, but in that respect a number of clubs have become regular supporters – clubs like Rudding Park, Thorne, Darrington, Waterton Park and Rother Valley. Alot of the DGAgolfers require buggies too which, as John pointed out, can be as expensive as the round itself. “As a charity we’re run entirely by volunteers, so raising money to keep going is always a challenge.”
9August 2022
The Disabled Golf Association was founded in 2010 in the south of England by a handful of golfers. Today it has around 800-900 affiliated golfers with a hard core of about 140 who play in tournaments all over the country –26 in the north and another 26 in the south this year. An Order of Merit system is used to drill down the team for the Ryder Cup-style clash between north and south, and indeed for international competition. This month (August 1416) teams from England, Wales, Scotland and the USA, will compete for the Phoenix Cup at the Marriott Forest of Ardern resort.John Riordan from Dewsbury is the charity’s treasurer and trustee, plus event organiser for the north of England. “An important thing to stress is that the DGAis a pan-disability organisation. You do not need to be registered disabled to join us. We are there for people with a wide range of impairments which affect their ability to play golf.”
Dan attriesgroup’sonelooksAtkinsonasofthemumsherhandputting
The group, whose Patron is former Ryder Cup captain Mark James, has attracted support from the Golf Carts Europe company in sponsoring the 2022 Order of Merit. “Finance is always a challenge,” added treasurer Riordan. “If any prospective golf club captains wanted to nominate us as their annual charity, I can assure them it would be greatly appreciated!” opens its arms to all
Pals pile up the cash on Macmillan’s Longest Day
By Chris Stratford Leeds Union veteran team player Daz Walton secured a one-shot win at Pontefract & District to achieve the impressive feat of winning club championships in four different decades. Walton turned back the clocks 30 years to his first such success, at South Leeds, by carding 74, 73 to edge firstround leader Ryan Armitage, who added a 76 to his 72. And Walton put gloss on the outcome by claiming the Leeds Union’s senior individual championship a few days later with a one-under-par 69 at Garforth. Fifty-two-year-old Walton put his most recent club championship victory down to his ability to cope well with difficult conditions as he prevailed in heavy firstround winds that strengthened further on day two at Pontefract. “I had it at two under on the front nine in round two, but I’m a weak iron player and I got found out with my seven-, eightand nine-irons,” he said. “But I’m really good with my rescues and woods, so it helps on the front nine at Ponte because the par-5s require woods and a couple of the par-3s are rescues. “I’ve got a good short game, not so bad from 60 yards in, but I’ve said for years that if someone said, ‘right, a million pounds for hitting that pitching wedge on the green or hit a driver down Briggate’, I’d hit the driver down Briggate for the million quid!”
by vice captain Stuart Griffin, Paul Sykes, Paul Firth, Gene Gerrard and Malcolm Turner, who caddied for them. Nolan was the driving force behind the day and once he had expressed his intentions to take up the challenge others quickly followedScratchsuit.golfer Birkett, who three years ago helped Halifax-Huddersfield Union claim the Yorkshire InterDistrict Union League title, defied fatigue and showed true, sustained class to shoot one under par for the day with remarkably consistent rounds of 69, 71, 69 and 70 against a par of 70. Jamie Moorhouse won the players’ stableford competition with 44 points. Pictured are, front, Ryan Murphy, Josh Nolan and Mark Birkett with their pals.
Evergreen Walton gives dazzling display at Ponte
The victory made up for six years ago when, on day one, he won the Tigers Trophy, played off handicap, and led the field overall for the club championship by eight shots, but work commitments meant he could not tee it up in round two. Leading by two with three to play in this year’s championship second round, he had “a bit of a wobble” when he double bogeyed 16 after being blocked out for his second shot by overhanging branches. “I tried to turn an eight-iron and I flipped it and hit the tree,” he explained. Playing in the penultimate group, his class and experience combined to enable him to settle and par the last two holes and post a target that Armitage seemed set to match only to bogey the last after holing from off the green at 17 for a par. Walton spent some 30 years at South Leeds and is in his second spell at Pontefract, periods punctuated by two spells at Aself-employedWakefield. courier, he often belies his years by turning out for Pontefract’s scratch team on a Monday despite having driven 200-300 miles during the day. “I often think, ‘at your age, why on earth are you doing this?’” he laughed before revealing that he was due to play in the Leeds seniors – which he won –had a round arranged for the day after that, plus two games for Leeds in the Yorkshire Inter-District Union League and two club scratch matches, all within six days.He set up his seniors triumph at Garforth with an outward two-under 33 thanks to three birdies in six holes from the Waltonsecond.came back in one-over 36, but still had four shots in hand on runner-up Gordon Owen (Waterton Park) as he lifted the S.D. Bowyer Trophy. In the nett stableford competition, Bob Martin (Headingley) retained both the A.V. Wright Salver and the Veterans Trophy (best score for those aged 70 or over) with a fine score of 40 points. Richard Fisher (Garforth) placed second on 39 points on countback from Walton.
Three Halifax Golf Club members, backed by several clubmates, helped raise almost £2,300 for Macmillan Cancer Support by playing four rounds of golf in one day. Josh Nolan, Mark Birkett and Ryan Murphy were given assistance along the way by fellow golfers who played one, two or three rounds and swelled the coffers by each paying a £10 entry fee. All the players involved also arrived at the course with a bottle of wine each, which were raffled later that evening in the clubhouse when Nolan, Birkett and Murphy received a welcome fit for heroes. Ste Cook and David Garvey made £700 through the raffle and the players were helped during their marathon golfing session
Akey requisite for entering competitions is having an England Golf handicap. “It’s a matter of fact that having a disability means that the majority of our golfers are on benefits,” John said. “Alot of our golfers are club members, but many have signed up for the more affordable iGolf initiative.”
RICHARD WHEATLEY(Bradford) defended his Bradford Open title at Bingley St Ives with a 140 total after shooting two 70s, his opening salvo including a hole-in-one on the par-3 18th. He ultimately finished five ahead of Eddie Hodgson (Bingley St Ives), Rob Malloy (Northcliffe) and Ben Cheetham (Cleckheaton). Malloy won the Jim Wade Trophy for the lowest score combined in the Open and amateur championships with a total of 290. By Chris Stratford Halifax Bradley Hall’s Andy Whitworth has ended a 12-year wait to win his club’s championship for an astonishing 20th time – and the 61-year-old added gloss to the accomplishment a few rounds later by claiming his 20thNothole-in-one.contentwith these achievements, Whitworth – who has also had 12 runner-up finishes in total in the Scratch Cup at Bradley Hall and 13 consecutive triumphs – bagged the second albatross of his golfing career. Whitworth, a scratch golfer at 16 and who still plays off that mark, reaching a low of plus 2.3 in his pomp, burnished his already legendary status at club and union level by carding 70, 75 in the Scratch Cup to win by three shots from Andy Appleyard. He felt the 20th win might be beyond him, particularly after 2018 when a second-round countback denied him. However, the former Yorkshire county player, beaten only four times in singles in 35 appearances for the White Rose, reached his goal on Father’s Day and immediately his thoughts turned to his dad, Jim. “My dad passed away in 2016. He used to take me everywhere, he used to drive miles and miles for my golf. I don’t know if the Scratch Cup has ever fallen on Father’s Day before. But” – he reflected with a glance skywards – “I just wondered. You never know, do Whitworthyou?”has been HalifaxHuddersfield Union match play champion 11 times, a record with the next best being four, as well as twice union stroke play champion, twice seniors stroke play champion and four times scratch inter-club foursomes champion, one of the latter in tandem with Neil Wilson, son of World Cupwinning footballer Ray Wilson. Alevel-par 70 gave him the first-round lead in this year’s Scratch Cup and he says that fatigue and self-inflicted pressure combined to help add five shots to his score in the afternoon. “I’ve been wanting that 20th win for so long, for 12 years, and as time goes on you don’t think it’s ever going to come,” he said. “So I just said to myself, ‘go out and play as best you can. Take each shot as it comes and see how it goes. If you win, great, if you don’t, que será, será’.” His competitors included the likes of former HalifaxHuddersfield union stroke play champion Sam Bridges and Chris Lander, a back-to-back winner of the union match play title in 2015-2016, but Whitworth – who is into his 50th year as a member at Bradley Hall – managed to fend them all off. “When I came off the 18th green there was a lad stood on the patio and I asked, ‘What have I got to do?’and he said, ‘What have you done?’I told him 75 and he said, ‘Yeah, that will do’.” Playing partner Mick Appleyard reported Whitworth became uncharacteristically animated, indulging in a few celebratory fist pumps. “I’ve wanted it for so long and it was just a release,” said the man who, in 1995, was made an honorary life member of Bradley Hall in recognition of his achievements, which at that stage included a ‘mere’10 club championship victories. “I didn’t think it would happen, it gets harder with time. The young lads hit it miles, they hit it so far. Sam Bridges can shoot anything round here. There’s loads of them; Chris Lander, Josh Bailes, Andy Appleyard, Joe Lowson. Deep down I thought I was going to be stuck on 19.” His 20th ace, and his first in competition, came at the club’s 117-yard second hole and he continued his milestone run with the second albatross of his career, at the 480-yard 16th.
Hillas on top WHITBYGOLFCLUB NEW 2022 COURSE LAYOUT, INCLUDING TWO NEW HOLES Joinplayor T: 01947 600660 www.whitbygolfclub.co.uk E: manager@whitbygolfclub.co.uk Whitby Golf Club, Sandsend Road, Whitby YO21 3SR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR ALL OUR LATEST NEWS, EVENTS AND OFFERS (1stSEASONFEESMaytoSept30) General Visitor - £32 Junior Under 18 £15 Twilight (after 2pm) - £13 Super Twilight (5pm) - £20 SPECIALOFFERS Monday - £20 Tues-Sun 3-ball - £90 Tues-Sun 4-ball - £104 County Card - £10
...and relax – Andy Whitworth
Northcliffe’s Rob Hillas, pictured with Bradford Union President Simon Tabel, had to see off clubmate Zac Gartland to claim the Bradford amateur stroke play championship for the third time as they both made good use of course knowledge on their home track. Hillas shot 70, 72 for a level-par two-round total of 142 that was two shots too good for Gartland, who carded 73, 71. Hillas produced a handful of birdies in his first round and another four in his second, which also included a double bogey. Gartland had only three birdies but also claimed an eagle at the 294-yard third. His closing 71 saw him take the runner-up spot on countback from South Bradford’s Oliver Tasker (71,73) and Willow Valley’s Terry Brushwood (70,74).
The waiting was worth it...
10 August 2022 RECORDBREAKER 20th club title at last for wizard Whitworth
The Yorkshire Boys u-16s saw off the Northern Federation by a whopping 15-3 margin at Knaresborough Golf Club in June.
Boys dominate North qualifer
11August 2022
Yorkshire Men were unbeaten heading into their home clash with Lancashire at Huddersfield on Saturday August 13 – but only just, after a scare in Newcastle. In their latest match, Yorkshire’s men were in command from the off as they recorded a 13-5 win over Durham, the pattern being set with a 5-1 lead established in the morning foursomes. The Wath and Hallowes pair of George Mason and George Ash were 5&3 winners first out before Ben Brown and Jack Maxey went down 2up to Tom Harbord and Will Marshall.Itwas one-way traffic after that however, with wins for Charlie Daughtrey (pictured) and Tom Osborne (3&1), Callum Macfie and Lucas Martin (5&4), Dan Thomas and Oliver Smith (3&2) and last pair out HayHollingworthLewisandMichaeledginghome1-up.
In the afternoon Mason and Ash got off to winning starts before something of a hiccup, with Brown, Maxey and Daughtrey all losing in consecutive singles matches. Order was soon restored however, with the team winning six of the last seven matches, only Dan Thomas going down 1-up, for a final 13-5Earlier,scoreline.ittook a major singles comeback by the Yorkshiremen at the City of Newcastle track, to pull off a 9-9 tie with their Northumberland hosts. Amorning foursomes meltdown saw just three halved matches for Ben Brown/Dylan Shaw Radford, Dan Thomas/Max Berrisford and Adam Hollingworth,Walker/Lewisasthe hosts led 4.5-1.5.Itwas nip and tuck in the afternoon, but after Brown went down and Steve Uzzell grabbed a half, a string of points for Cameron Wallace (Cleveland), Shaw Radford, Tom Osborne (Lindrick) and Daughtrey dragged Yorkshire back into the match. The results ebbed and flowed before Hollingworth edged a 1-up win in the last match out to drag the score back to 9-9. That result was on the back of a narrow 10-8 season opener against Cheshire in Wallasey.Themen close away at Cumbria in early September. All results are on the website at www.yugc.co.uk County men remain unbeaten ... but only just Northern scare but Durham despatched
YUGC
SENIORS Yorkshire’s Seniors go into their final match at Cheshire with all to play for, despite losing to Lancashire in their Roses match at Hesketh Golf Club. After a convincing start to the season with a 12.5-5.5 win over Northumberland at Forest Park, an 11.5-6.5 defeat of Durham at Blackwell Grange followed. The defeat at Hesketh left Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cheshire all with two wins. After the Tykes edged out Cumbria 10-8 at Cleveland, it left everything to play for. Cheshire will be the visitors to Selby GC – host to the Yorkshire Seniors Championship this year – on Monday August 15. Lancashire face Northumberland.
Yorkshire Boys dominated the England Golf Northern Qualifier at Kendal at the end of June. With five scores from six to count, Dylan Shaw Radford and skipper Jake Wallis led the way in the morning with 65s, followed by Josh Berry with a 67, Ben Brown 71 and Jack Whaley 72. George Hanson with a pair of 74s didn’t count, but the result was never in doubt as Brown and Berry low scored with 67s, closely followed by Whaley’s 68 and 70s for Shaw Radford and Wallis. The team total of 682, -8 to par gross, left them 24 strokes in front of Northumberland, with Lancashire another 16 back. In Northern Counties League action, Lancashire were a tough proposition for the unbeaten Yorkshire Boys when the Tykes travelled to Bolton Golf Club on Monday August 1st. With some of their senior players all on England duty, Benjy Saia got a debut. Things were going swimmingly in the morning, when the visitors took the first five matches, with eye-catching 5&4 wins for George Hanson and Jack Northgraves, plus a 6&5 win for Habib Khan (Willow Valley) and Fixby’s LouieTaiWalsh.Naylor and Benjy Saia had led, but despite going down 2&1 it was a 5-1 lead going into the afternoon. Yorkshire Day looked like being gatecrashed by the Red Rose men after lunch however, as Jack Whaley’s opening win was rapidly followed by Lancashire racking up 5.5pts of the next six. Walsh stopped the rot with a 5&3 win, but with three matches out on the course the match stood in the balance, Yorkshire leading 8.5-6.5 but down in two matches and all square in the other. When Tai Naylor lost narrowly, there was just a point in it. Luke Thornton got back on terms at 16 and halved 17, before pulling off a win at the last to make the score 9.5–7.5 and an overall win. Benjy was 1-down playing the last but managed a four to secure a half. Manager Phil Woodcock remarked: “The team certainly know how to make their manager suffer!”
The Roses clash with Lancashire at Crosland Heath during July’s brief heatwave was reduced to singles-only, because of the temperatures. With the first nine matches in at 4.5pts each the White Rose lads finished strongest with Hal Theakston (Middlebrough, 4&2), Harry Phillips (Bradford, 2-up) and Ewan MacKenzie (Cottingham Parks 4&3) all winning to close out a 7.5-4.5 win. They play Cheshire at Eaton Golf Club on Monday August 15.
UNDER 16
The Skipton clubhouse, overlooking the 18th green Conference facilities...Nestled in an idyllic corner of the stunning Yorkshire Dales is Skipton Golf Club. Yorkshire Golfer Publisher DANNY LOCKWOOD paid a visit...
Continued across page The country life...
12 August 2022
Life is good at Skipton Golf Club, one of the White Rose county’s most picturesque courses and settings, sitting in the lower reaches of the Yorkshire Dales, close by the historic market town. Post-pandemic, members and guests alike are finally indulging themselves fully in the remodelled course which was opened in August 2018 featuring three new holes and giving Skipton a whole new dynamic. Acclaimed golf architect David Jones was recruited to help with the planning and design when the golf club reached a financial agreement with the Environment Agency to release land enabling the construction of a flood alleviation scheme.
What Jones thankfully wasn’t required to do was radically alter Skipton’s very own ‘Amen Corner’ the three holes from 14 to 16 which get the very best out of Eller Beck as it winds its way south through Wharfedale. First time golfers will soon understand the potentially cardwrecking challenges this wonderful stretch of golf holes provides. In the re-formatted layout, the former par-3 1st hole is now a practice area and the course proper begins on what was the par-5 2nd. The 6th is a new hole, a tough par-3, while the new 10th and 11th offer a rather different challenge to the tree-lined body of the established holes, heading out and back into the stunning Dales landscape to the north of the club. But it isn’t just on the course where things are on an upward trend at a very much modern organisation, albeit with deep-rooted historicalThelinks.club began life as Craven Golf Club way back in 1893, down on the banks of the river Aire in Gargrave, when the 29 members included one Lord, two Sirs, five Reverends and a Colonel – plus three ladies, who paid the same subs as the men, then as now! Although it relocated to its current site just three years later, it wasn’t until 1977 and the advent of the nearby A65 bypass that Skipton was able to step up from a 12-hole to an 18-hole layout. Since then, the direction of travel has been strictly one way – onwards and upwards.Themodern new clubhouse, recently fully refurbished, was project managed in 1991/92 by club stalwart Brian Rasche, a member for 60 years who passed away in 2016 aged 92. Brian was a staunch supporter of junior golfers and in March this year the Brian Rasche Junior Academy was opened, a significant £55,000 project adjacent to long-serving head professional Peter Robinson’s shop. It was made possible in large part thanks to a donation from Brian’s son David, himself a member as a boy as long ago as 1958. Golf Manager Karen Chapman, herself a Skipton member many years ago and a previous club manager who left in 2008 and returned in May 2021, explained that the academy is free to all of our junior members. “Junior golfing was something Brian was very keen on, so our head professional Peter Robinson and his assistant Ben Mallinson spend a lot of time working with the youngsters on their games. The facility has been an excellent new addition to what we can offer both members and visitors here at AndSkipton.”that’snot all. Another 2021 addition is the Kestrel View luxury apartment, located in former accommodation above the clubhouse, a sixberth haven with stunning views over the Dales landscape. The open-plan, contemporary accommodation has already proven popular not just with golfers, but with visitors and walkers wanting to enjoy the stunning Dales landscape and the historic nearby market town. The apartment features flat-screen tvs in each of the three bedrooms, two bathrooms and includes a reserved table overlooking the 18th green. Not to rest on their laurels, the Skipton board are keen to keep their members happy. “We have a healthy membership of over 500,” said Karen. “We have a lot of ‘intermediate’members, aged between 19 and 35. Our junior section is improving and with the Get Into Golf scheme we run AC1 and AC2 lessons, with quite a few young people coming through that. I’ve also noticed more couples joining, and this summer we’re running the Girls Golf Rocks once again. “We’ve recently done a ‘Players First’survey, where we ask members for feedback about their views on the game and how we’re doing.” Skipton has also had its licensing conditions changed in order to maximise its appeal to members of the public wanting to take advantage of the facilities offered by the Kestrel
6 – 178yds, par 3 Amedium par 3 – just avoid anything right unless it’s the bunker front right, because anything wider is stone dead. Hidden from the tee is a small, sunken bunker front left of an undulating green.
13 – 358yds, par 4 Another elevated tee, straight and all downhill. Just try to keep out of the avenue of trees, especially on the right beyond which a drainage ditch lurks. Bunker-free green but beware of the runoffs right and back. Nothing for long.
14 – 358yds, par 4 Only index 7, but a potential card killer (as are the next two holes!) with the wooded Eller Beck all the way down the left. Right side ponds shouldn’t feature. Your approach is into a small green with a distinct front right to back left slope, with bunkers for good measure.
13August 2022 SKIPTON GOLFCLUB SHORTLEELANE, SKIPTONBD23 3LF TEL: 01756 www.skiptongolfclub.co.uk795657
LADIES AUTUMN OPEN Friday October 7,team stableford,£80 per team
3 – 340yds, par 4 Back up to another elevated tee, you’re facing a dogleg left with a bunker on the elbow. The large flat green has sand front left and right for protection. Big hitters could take the corner on, but it is risk and reward.
10 – 362yds, par 4 You can open your shoulders on the new 10th but favour the left side to avoid a right-hand fairway bunker. The green complex could do Augusta justice! It has a narrow entrance guarded by two front bunkers, but the left-side banking is there to help. Go long however and wave your ball goodbye as it runs away into the Yorkshire Dales!
12 – 132yds, par 3 Ashort, downhill par 3, with three bunkers the main protection.
16 – 185yds, par 3 Along and picturesque par 3, again from a raised tee. Even from the yellow tees it’s a 170 yard carry to a large, welcoming green – but with the beck sitting waiting for anything not longer than 160 yards. Alarge, mid-left bunker also awaits.
18 – 256yds, par 4 Avery short par 4, but it is all uphill, getting steeper the closer you get to the green. The captain’s charity bunker sits front right of a kidney-shaped green which has a plateau to the rear centre. Everything else falls away to either side. The 16th,protected by Eller Beck ...and fully equipped six-berth accommodation
5 – 407yds, par 4 Another elevated tee shot for this sharp dogleg right. Big hitters might try the 260 yard carry over a dense wood, but the smart play is to the corner leaving a long iron or fairway wood downhill into a green sloping right to left.
8 – 487yds, par 5 Index 18, straight and all downhill, although the fairway slopes from the right. Just try not to run into the trees.
17 – 394yds, par 4 Stroke index 1 at almost 400 yards, a sweeping left to right dogleg sitting above the 14th fairway. Favour the left half of the fairway before a long second into a big, elevated green which has run offs and a lower tier back right.
MIXED AUTUMN OPEN Sunday Sept 4,team stableford (2 gents,2 ladies) £80 per team SENIORS AUTUMN OPEN Thursday Sept 15,over 55s,4BBB stableford,£40 per pair MEN’S AUTUMN OPEN Sunday Sept 25,4BBB stableford,£40 per pair
ited catering on Mondays.” Well, the busy chefs do need some down time! She added: “Business from visiting parties is doing really well. I am getting more groups that want to play 9-holes with a meal before playing another 18. Repeat business is really healthy also – I suppose it’s quite a compliment that once golfers play Skipton they want to come back and play again!” Anyone who has played the challenging course and enjoyed Skipton’s warm welcome will understand that entirely. Trouble lurks on the 14th SKIPTON GC OPEN COMPETITIONS
4 – 391yds, par 4 Reversing back on the 3rd hole, a dogleg right and most golfers will face a second which is to a raised MacKenzie green cut into the hillside, possibly 15 or 20 yards above you. Take plenty of club or the ball might be rolling back to meet you.
YELLOWTEESSKIPTONGC 1 – 463yds, par 5 The new 1st isn’t a long par 5 from an elevated tee, but it’s uphill all the way, with OB left and trees blocking out anything right. Your approach is into a green just over the brow which runs away from you.
2 – 385yds, par 4 Stroke index 2 and all downhill – OB left, trees right – until about 50 yards short, when a swale with a hazard sits between you and your shot into a stunning little MacKenzie green.
9 – 353yds, par 4 Slight dogleg left with a fairway sloping from the left. Agood drive wants to be left of centre which would leave an approach into a slightly uphill MacKenzie green. Beware the sunken pot bunker front right of a mounded green with run offs all around.
11 – 412yds, par 4 Parallel with the 10th back towards the main body of the course, a wide-open drive with a sculpted left-hand fairway bunker. You’re going into a large, angled green with sand front right, but barely a flat putt to be found once aboard.
15 – 334yds, par 4 Not long but very tight off the tee. The beck and a pond lurk left, so stay right of centre before hitting back over Eller Beck which sits below a large, flattish green.
For more details and to book,visit www.skiptongolfclub.co.uk
7 – 331yds, par 4 Ashorter par 4, with the fairway sloping slightly from left to right and slightly uphill. The green has a false front, with run-offs both sides. Just be on the money with your approach!
café and bar, plus a function room that can accommodate 100 guests and even a newly refurbished conference room that can hold 32 delegates. As with many golf clubs, the covid lockdowns brought an influx of people new to the game. “We gained quite a few new members and have managed to retain most of them, so we coped quite well,” explained every“VisitorsKaren.arewelcomeday,althoughonlyin the afternoon on Saturday once club competitions have finished, while we only have lim-
15August 2022
Bingley St Ives
thrives in one of the county’s premier golf locations. The golf course aside, Bingley St Ives sports one of the most memorable and iconic 19th holes in the game –Billy’s Bar. Long-time member Billy Foster has created a veritable golf museum from his times as caddie to Lee Westwood, Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke and Sergio Garcia among others. But it was his victory on the bag of Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick at this summer’s US Open that put the crown on the career of a true Yorkshire great – something Bingley St Ives members and their guests will be able to revel in for years to come.
CLUB
16 August 2022
The short but eminently tricky 9th at Dewsbury District MacKenzie was not a surgeon but a ‘camofleur’. Amember at Ilkey and Leeds golf clubs, it was his design of Alwoodley in 1907, approved by none other than the great Harry Colt, that brought him to golfing prominence. He charted the Old Course at St Andrews and by 1915 was a member of the AsR&A.his reputation grew he worked prodigiously on designs and improvements around the world, his acknowledged masterpieces including Royal Melbourne, Cypress Point and Augusta National. It is here in his native Yorkshire however where MacKenzie’s influences are most witnessed and enjoyed as his legacy continues to challenge and excite golfing aficionados alike.
Crosland Heath Crosland Heath Golf Club was formed in 1914. The new land consisted of disused quarries and redundant farmland and needed the unique imagination of Dr Alister MacKenzie to realise the possibilities of this wide stretch of land. Being one of the highest courses in the country, Crosland Heath Golf Club enjoys extensive panoramic views across the old industrial town of Huddersfield stretching out well into the old East Riding.Tothe north, south, and west the views are equally spectacular, adding to the treat that is playing this testing heathlandAperfectcourse.example of an Alister MacKenzie design, the course is relatively unchanged from its original design of 100 yearsTheago.heathland course is free draining with firm fairways and stunning ‘tower’par 3s based around old quarries. The par-5 and par-3 holes all run in opposing directions as do the opening four holes, meaning the golfer plays to all points of the compass. This interesting layout changes with the climatic conditions making club selection and course management major considerations for everyone who takes on the challenge, member or guest alike.
By the time the founders of Bingley St Ives were ready to begin work on their new golf course, the stellar reputation of Dr Alister MacKenzie was already well established around the golfing world.Indeed, as his input was being sought for the project which saw a 9-hole course created in 1931 and expanded to 18-holes in 1934, another notable ‘job’was also keeping Dr MacKenzie busy – the Augusta National course in Georgia, ofchallengesvided,veryhouse.beforewoodlanduniquewhichunusualarelarlytouchTodayUSA.theMacKenzieisstillevidentparticu-inthetieredgreensthatafeatureofStIves’ssingle-looplayout,leadsgolfersthroughafootprintofparkland,andmoorlandreturningtotheclub-Renownedformakingthebestofwhatnaturepro-butalsoforcreatingfairtoawiderangetalents,hislegacytoday
Alister MacKenzie was born in August 1870 in Normanton of Scottish parents and like his father he would train as a doctor. It was his military service however that sparked his interest in landscapes, particularly with regard to natural camouflage as witnessed when he was a surgeon during the second Boer War. During WW1 service
The Doctor’s legacy lives on FEATURE On the trail of courses touched by the MacKenzie magic
Crosland Heath Golf Club welcomes visiting parties and offers a great range of golf packages to suit all your golfing requirements. Society & Corporate Days are available Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, throughout summer. We offer packages for 12-24 golfers starting at £45, please contact the office to discuss your memorable golf day here at ‘The Heath’ Dewsbury District The good Doctor was far from being the only great name in golf design to have left their mark on one of the most unique layouts among the many that YorkshireIndeed,boasts.Dewsbury District Golf Club long pre-dates Alister MacKenzie’s early forays into course design some dozen miles or so up the road in Leeds.Itwas 1891 in the thenthriving Calder valley town when a group of wealthy local mill owners met to plan and build a uniquely challenging golf course. The site they chose to occupy – and still do – sits high in the eastern foothills of the Pennines between Dewsbury and Huddersfield, and above the town of Mirfield. The views from the top of the course, adjacent to the picturesque village of Whitley, are panoramic indeed.With dramatic changes in elevation, the project was ripe with opportunities and the man chosen to exploit them was none other than the legendary Old Tom Morris, whose only instruction from the owners was thus: ‘We want the real thing!’Old Tom not only gave Dewsbury District its original 9-hole layout, but gave members golf lessons and even sold them clubs and balls as they undertook their new passion. It would be 15 years before another famous name in course design, Ted Ray, was employed to extend the course to its full 18-holes and following in his footsteps came the Doctor, with many of the greens cut into the natural sloping hillsides at typically angled positions, with some devilish slopes and run-offs to contend with. In more modern times Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas have also added their own unique signatures in helping to create today’s Dewsbury District Golf Club. Ilkley Golf Club
The first golf course built in the West Riding of Yorkshire – and third in the county – the original Ilkley members likely didn’t know at first they had a design genius amongst them. The original 9-hole layout atop Ilkley Moor was a task in itself, but in little time the vision had been created for a full-length course down in the valley besides the meandering Wharfe, with stunning moorland to both MacKenziesides.had been an Ilkley member in the late 1890s, and a decade later both he and Harry Colt worked on various parts of the course, a project which, for the Doctor at least, would run for many more years. In 1911 he returned to improve the 15th hole, was back again in 1924 when the club wanted to lengthen the course alongside James Braid and in 1926 – while busy with two of his masterpieces, Royal Melbourne and Cypress Point – he delivered a comprehensive plan for the whole layout. Ilkley would remain at the forefront of MacKenzie’s thoughts on course design. Indeed shortly before his death in 1934 he wrote a magazine article about water holes being there to tempt, not torture –citing St Andrews, Cypress Point … and Ilkley. Today Ilkley continues to impress anyone who treads its turf. In choosing to stage his Continued over the page Disused quarries, high in the shadow of the Pennines, formed a perfect backdrop for MacKenzie to create his magic at Crosland Heath
Tiered greens and false fronts were MacKenzie features that characterise his creations to this day, as anyone playing Bingley St Ives can attest
17August 2022 For further details and bookings, telephone 01484 653216. Pro Shop:01484 653877 email:golf@croslandheath.co.uk //www.croslandheath.co.uk // Felks Stile Road Crosland Hill Huddersfield HD4 7AF
availablewelcome,cateringvisitorspre/post-roundPre-bookablebuggiessubjecttoavailabilityCallProshoptobook01924492399ext1
18 August 2022
Garforth Golf Club No golf course truly stands still as the decades and generations pass, and Garforth Golf Club is no Howeverdifferent.theclub and course to the east of Leeds still holds true to the architecture and vision first put into place by Dr Alister MacKenzie when his services were called upon. Agroup of local enthusiasts came together in 1912 to establish the course and by that time Dr MacKenzie’s renown was spreading far andItwide.was the following year that he presented the club with the 18 holes that members and guests love so much today. Any and every course that Dr MacKenzie cast his eye upon began with the natural landscape Mother Nature had bequeathed upon it. In the case of Garforth’s gentle parkland setting, it was the twin streams that meander through the acreage that lent themselves to his vision.
“It’s a simple method whereby after some time has passed, I attempt to recall each of the 18 holes on the course. If I only have a recollection of a handful of holes then I won’t rate the layout very highly. “If however, I can recall all 18 holes, then I would be inclined to give the course top marks. At Cavendish I can not only recall all 18 holes on the course, I can clearly remember every shot I MacKenziehit.” had a backdrop of the Peak District to work with and he used the features including streams, drystone walls and an old railway escarpment superbly. This is a feature that many remember Cavendish for. Holes 10 and 11 in particular can be played as par 5s by the higher handicapper but the reward for a ‘heroic’ tee shot is birdie opportunities for the lower handicapper or bigger hitters.Again, MacKenzie ensured this was true at Cavendish. Even those greens that are well protected offer the option of a low running shot or a high shot in. But beware, MacKenzie loved a false front and was an expert in camouflage so a shot not quite long enough can have a long journey back towards the golfer!
Cavendish
was celebrated with an exhibition match involving Abe Mitchell and Tom Williamson, two of the greatest golfers of theirBothday.Garforth’s course and off-course facilities have benefitted from significant investment over recent years, with all the bunkers having been redesigned and rebuilt under the guidance of acclaimed modern course architects David and Bruce Weller. It means that now, as then, golfers teeing it up at Garforth can be assured of an authentic experience. Above – Augusta’s iconic 12th hole Left – take on the beck at Garforth and your approach is into a tiered green
From previous page inaugural Seniors event at the club in 2020, Masters champion Ian Woosnam remarked: “This is the first time I have been to Ilkley and it is truly a great course. Yorkshire is a fantastic place to play golf and I look forward to returning next year.”
The club is happy to leave the last words to Bill Robertson, founding editor of Today’s Golfer who sadly passed away in 2020.Robertson remarked: “Over many years playing golf on many different courses in many different countries, I have evolved my own grading system for golf courses.
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Cock Beck no longer runs red with the blood of the thousands of victims of the Battle of Towton on Palm Sunday 1461, but along with Carr Beck it still exacts a punishment on golfers not careful of its dangers.Thecompletion of MacKenzie’s modified course Societies and Golf after 1pm – £90 per 4-ball Green fees after 2pm – £20 per player
Tea/coffee,bacon sandwich £5 // Bar Voucher & 18-holes £30 SENIORS OPEN,4BBB THURSDAY 11TH AUGUST AUTUMNINVITATION,SATURDAY 17TH
Golf Club
Cavendish is home to the MacKenzie Society and the club which has entered folklore as being the inspiration behind Dr MacKenzie’s Augusta National masterpiece. The club has two loops and plays the original design four or five times per year. But there was an imbalance in the stroke indexes with the back-9 perceived to be far harder and so the course layout was changed to its current form. The club is considering reverting to the original design for the Centenary in 2025. With seven par-4s at close to or over 400yds, just one par-5 and five par-3s the course remains very much as MacKenzie designedAformerit.Head Professional at Royal Lytham described the 5th at Cavendish as “the longest 420 yards in golf” whilst many esteemed visitors have described the 18thas “one of the best finishing holes anywhere”.
19August 2022 We welcome all visitors Memberships available in certain categories
By Chris Stratford Halifax, Huddersfield & District Union of Golf Clubs staged the centrepiece of their 75th anniversary celebrations with a golf day at Huddersfield that involved representatives from all of their 23 clubs. Union President, Glynn Mellor, said it was believed it was “the first time that we’ve had all 23 clubs all together on one golf course on one day, so that’s a fantastic achievement”. Each club was invited to send three playing representatives, with players then paired randomly and Mellor added:“It was the wish of the executive that we tried to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the union by keeping the 23 clubs bang in the centre of everything we did.“We’ve been joined today by past presidents, distinguished players, sponsors and, of course, guests including the secretary of the Yorkshire Union, Jonathan Plaxton, the President of the Yorkshire Union, Terry Collins, and our friends from St Annes Old Links, who have a long association with the Halifax, Huddersfield & District Union. “We wished to try and maintain the original principle that was set in 1947, which, apart from promoting golf, was to try and promote friendship and fellowship between all of the clubs involved in the union and I hope we have gone some way today to achieving that. I think most of you have – and I hope nobody has fallen out. “I hope the next 75 years of this union see a continuation of the inter-club competitions that have taken place and grown over the 75 years. “More importantly, I hope we continue the long-term relationships and friendships that have developed between all the clubs, and that must be something that continues long past us all disappearing.” Collins told the presentation dinner: “Tiger Woods said, ‘Golf is a solitary game played among friends’. Nothing seems more appropriate than that very statement as we sit here today. As a union we are involved with individual clubs, playing among friends.”RayBrooke, HalifaxHuddersfield’s 1989 President, said: “Thank you everyone for making this union the excellent organisation that it is. For all who sit on the executive committee, representatives within each club, and the clubs themselves who host our matches and competitions to continue and support our events, we offer our thanks. Equally to our sponsors, who are a very vital source of support.”Mellor concluded with a plea to everyone to strengthen their efforts to build junior involvement at club and union levels. “I would like to make one point to all the 23 clubs here: to try to encourage the development of junior golf,” he said.“It’s an area where a lot of our clubs are struggling, to get juniors involved, struggling to get things moving. “But these youngsters are the future of this game and I
approach around an overhanging tree on the 18th and had a 10-foot birdie putt to force a play-off. When he Hansonwithishedlems.”would–eronToursaid:runner-upEuroProPoppletonthree-puttedinexplicablyitleftwithhisfirstwinandGillinthespot.Afterwards,Poppleton“IhadaChallengeinvite,butImightstaytheEuroProasI’mhigh-intheOrderofMeritnowifIcangooutandwinitsolveallmyprob-Fixby’sNickMarshfin-inatiefor9thon-6,CroslandHeath’sChristiedfor21ston-3.
Clubs unite for 75th Union anniversary
think if we all did just a little bit more and just put a little bit more effort in, we might be able to move things forward a bit better than we are doing at the moment. It’s just a plea from me to every club to get involved in that.” Crow Nest Park’s Shaun Higgins was teamed with Ray Owen, of Crosland Heath, and they won the better ball pairs stableford competition with an excellent tally of 44 points.
20 August 2022 Got a story or photo for us? email news@yorkshire-golfer.com @yorkshiregolferfollow us on to advertise call Sandra on 07771 885757
One point behind in second spot were Brad Tupman of host club Huddersfield and Geoff Rigby (Halifax), who bested Glenn Paxman (Woodsome Hall) and Aaron Rothwell (Ryburn) on countback.The day was backed by the union’s main sponsor, Stroma, a leading provider of environmental sustainability and compliance services to the construction industry.
Poppleton breaks EuroPro duck
Nick Poppleton is reconsidering his season ahead after winning his first title on the EuroPro Tour. The Wath man jumped to 10th on the EuroPro Order of Merit after a thrilling win at the QHotels Collection Championship over Slaley Hall’s Hunting course. Ben Jones took a twoshot advantage into the final round, but Poppleton halved that with birdie at the opening hole. Indeed he bagged three consecutive birdies to start his round in explosive fashion, but Jones responded with three successive birdies of hisAsown.the leading trio battled it out on the 7th green, loud applause could be heard from the green up ahead – the par-3 8th where Lindrick’s Bailey Gill recorded a hole in one to stay in rampdoubleever,selfJonesoutthebut10thleadbogeyedWhencontention.Poppletonthe9thJones’sreturnedtotwoshots.Poppletonbirdiedtheholetopullonebackeverythingchangedat14th,whereheholedfrom158yardsandbogeyedtofindhim-suddenlytwoback.Itwasfarfromoverhow-asPoppletonmadebogeyatthe16thtoupthedrama.Jonesmadeastunning
New course record
Top – delegates from the Union’s 23 clubs, and above, pairs winners Ray Owen and Shaun Higgins
After a delay of several weeks, Knaresborough golfer Matt Fowler was able to celebrate setting the amateur course record at his home club’s May Medal. Two handicapper Fowler shot a nett 67 with a card that included six birdies, nine pars and three bogeys. But first the club’s handicaps and competitions chairman Phil Curry had to check with England Golf if the record was valid. The course was largely the one last changed some years ago but post-covid several holes were re-routed, indexes altered and a number of holes saw new bunkers added. England Golf agreed that the 6,778 yard, par 72 championship course represented a genuine new test and Knaresborough Golf Club duly struck a special commemorative trophy, which men’s Captain George McVey presented to the new holder (pictured). Said Fowler: “I’m delighted and honoured that the Club have marked my round in this way. On the day, I knew I had the ball under control and was confident that I would put together a decent score, probably picking up a bogey or two. But you can never be certain of the final result until you’ve finished.” He’s no stranger to course records, having done the same thing at Harrogate Golf Club in 2009.
Nett champion was Phil Smith, of Bradley Park with 66, one ahead of Crow Nest Park’s Tony Ludlow-Green. Smith’s clubmate Andy Bemrose shot 67 for the best score in the 55-64 age group, one better than the host club’s Michael Kenny, with best nett score for over 65s.
Photo: Steve receives his trophy from Union President John Illingworth By Chris Stratford Around of 70 at Elland earned Jim Fairhurst his second Halifax-Huddersfield Union seniors stroke play title – one for each of the times he had to be revived after arriving at hospital just a year earlier having fallen ill on the golf course. The Halifax Bradley Hall player has a perfect record in the competition, the pandemic and then his health issues denying him the chance to defend the championship he won in 2019. In between, the 59-year-old underwent a battle to save his life when cardiac problems - that saw him given an implantable cardioverter defibrillator - resurfaced after more than a decade of good health.
Former EuroPro Tour champion Steve Uzzell (Hornsea) has won his first East Riding amateur championship, but he needed a three-hole play-off to get the better of 19-year-old Jake Sowden, of Ganton. The pair had tied on oneunder-par 137 after 36 holes at Beverley & East Riding with Sowden clawing back Uzzell’s three-shot first-round lead with an afternoon score of oneunder 68 having gone level in the Uzzell,morning.whohad overcome a mid-round wobble to add a 71 to his excellent four-birdie opening 66, took a one-stroke advantage into the final play-off hole and sealed victory by holing a curling, downhill par putt from 5ft. Luke Thornton (Hessle) added a 74 to his morning 73 to win the Rob McCleish Trophy for the best gross score for an under-18 player while Neil Gordon (Beverley & ER) shot gross 74 and 71 to win the best nett prize with 137. Jamie Gill (Beverley & ER) had led the early starters with a four-over 73 and with a dozen players all bunched within three shots at the top it looked as though it was to be a close contest until Sowden came in with his 69 and Uzzell, in the last group of the morning, his 66. The wind then switched through 180 degrees, presenting a totally different challenge. Scores were generally lower with Mike Robson (Beverley & ER) shooting 70 and Rob Draper (Burstwick) a levelpar 69 to take third and fourth place overall. The play-off between Sowden and Uzzell, who once played on the European Tour as reward for having won the Russian amateur championship, was relayed live on a video feed by Steve Lynch.
Shibil stuns in 9-shot comeback ClubSamchampionShibil
21August 2022
“In 2008 I had a cardiac arrest, but the drugs and the device were working fine. Then last April, I was playing golf and had a funny feeling that something wasn’t right,” said Fairhurst, who won by four shots at Elland from Paul Booth, of Crosland Heath. “I had a heart beat of 178. My wife called the ambulance, they came, took me into Halifax A&E, and I was in the crash room and my device actually had to go off twice in the ward to save my life and, obviously, I wasn’t in a good position.
Match
Sam Shibil came from nine shots back to win Captain’s Weekend at Huddersfield with a birdie at the last hole earning him a sudden-death-play off, in which he defeated Jonny Heyes.Shibil, a 16-handicapper, had stood 27th after a first round that had seen James Beattie, playing off 19, claim a five-shot lead at the top with a nett 64 as more than 250 people took part in Phil Sellen’s three-day event. But while Beattie struggled in round two, negotiating both halves in 50 in strong winds and intermittent rain showers, Shibil set aside the setback of a quadruple bogey at the 188yard par-3 fourth to add a nett 68 to his opening 73. It ultimately saw him tie on one-under 141 with veteran Fixby member Heyes, who was left to rue a quadruple bogey at the notoriously difficult 421-yard par-4 12th in his opening nett 72, which he bettered with a 69 that included one birdie and nothing worse than a Shibilbogey.received a shot at the first extra hole, the 150-yard par-3 eighth, and, having won the toss, elected to go first and put his tee shot to within 10ft. Heyes found a bunker with his tee shot and took four, ending his hopes of claiming a title that had eluded both his grandfather and father before him over the decades. Tom Green took the prize for best 36-hole gross aggregate (74-73 = 147), Richard Broadley had the best firstround gross score (73) and Matthew Spink’s 75 earned him the second-round gross prize with no player receiving more than one prize. Nigel Bolam was best in Division One (74-70 = 144), James White in Division Two (74-69 = 143) and Jason Sykes in Division Three (73-69 = 142). Peter Newey was top senior (70-75 = 145), former PGACaptain, Parnell Reilly, best super senior (74-71 = 145), while the Fallon Prize went to Richard Day with 38pts and Daniel Henbest was top junior (79-76 = 155).
with captainHuddersfieldPhilSellen
Yorkshire Ladies won the War of the Roses with Lancashire on the final day of Northern Counties Match Week at Heswall, but lost their grip on the title by an agonising half a gameHostspoint.Cheshire wrested the crown by closing with a 5-0 clean sweep of Durham while defending champions Yorkshire were beating LancashireYorkshire,3-2.Cheshire and Lancashire finished with seven points from three wins, a draw and a loss, but Cheshire’s 17 game points edged out Yorkshire by a half and Lancashire by two. Counties Match Week has been condensed from five days to three with a new format of two foursomes and three singles. Lancashire took on Yorkshire on day three knowing a win would secure the title, but Huddersfield’s Hannah Holden and Nicola Slater (Woodsome Hall) bested the previously unbeaten pairing of Catherine Roberts and Lauren Oatley 3&1, while youngsters Abigail Taylor of Headingley and Middlesbrough’s Katie Stephens made it three foursomes wins out of four.Yorkshire championship runner-up Mia Eales-Smith, of Lindrick, carved out a twohole win in the top singles to ensure victory, but they knew Cheshire were on course to crush Durham and one more individual win was needed. Ganton’s Amy Staveley went down 4 & 3 while Lily Hirst (Woodsome Hall), one up with two to play, found water to lose the penultimate hole and opponent Ana Dawson also won the last.
for Ladies in
Uzzell
“I had another incident in the ward overnight when my blood pressure dropped very low, my heart stopped, the device kicked in again and got me back okay. Then they rushed me over to Leeds in an ambulance where they tried to shock me again twice, once with my own defib and once with an external defib.” Surgery followed, but within a month he was back playing and although he had a further scare while playing Elland –which he had joined in addition to Bradley Hall – a combination of drugs and technology got him back competing. With clubmates Andy Whitworth and David Whitaker he helped Bradley Hall lift the Geoffrey Horrocks-Taylor Trophy for the best three-man aggregate, Whitworth and Whitaker each carding 77.
takes ER titleHAL-HUDDSSENIORS
Fortune Northumberlandfavouredtwice on the 18th hole of matches on day one and ultimately led to a 3-2 loss for Yorkshire, who responded well to beat Cumbria 4-1 in the afternoon.
The White Rose ladies steamrollered Durham 5-0 at the start of day two and Hirst staged a great recovery from four down in her singles match with Cheshire to ensure a 2.5-2.5Traceytie.said: “I had the best time as captain of this inspiring Yorkshire first team. There were so many highlights: Aaliyah Hryniewiecka-Irwin making her first team debut and winning with foursomes partner Hannah Holden, Megan Wileman making a return after maternity, and I was humbled by Nicola Slater missing her graduation ceremony to “Thenplay.there was Lily Hirst coming back from four down to halve on the 18th against Cheshire, Mia Eales-Smith’s 9 and 7 win against Durham, seeing Katie Stephens and Abigail Taylor positively bouncing down the fairways brimming with confidence in their three out of four foursomes wins. Cherry Marley and Amy Staveley were released from GCSE exams and delivered two foursomes wins while Hannah Holden was a rock of the team.” close Northern Counties Week
So
Repeat win for Bradley Hall man A real heart-stopper!
22 August 2022
Book a 1-hour Flightscope and video analysis session with Tony Howarth for just £30. To book,contact Tony on 07588 355588 or email tonyhowarthpga@gmail.com. Visit www.tonyhowarthgolf.com for more information on the sessions offered Continue to rotate the hips towards the target which clears the way for the arms to swing through Complete(Positionfreely.4)thefollow-through with the body and shoulders facing the target. Stay in a balanced position and hold for a few seconds.(Position 5) Hips generate power The hips help generate power in your golfRotatingswing. them into the correct positions on the back and downswing will see you hitting the golf ball with improved strike and therefore distance, without the overpowering shoulder movement. All movements require practice so start by hitting half-shots with the emphasis on hip turn and following your sequence. This will help develop muscle memory. Once you are feeling comfortable with your sequence, move onto three-quarter and then full shots. The results will be come as you become more and more comfortable with the swing movements.
A Simple Sequence Check: Set up to the ball with your hips, shoulders, and feet all aligned square to the target. (Position 1) Start the backswing with the arms, hips, and shoulders turning into the When(Positionbackswing.2)atthetopofthe swing, begin the downswing with a transfer of the weight to the front Startfoot. rotating the leading hip towards the target with the arms dropping into a good position. (Position 3)
TONY HOWARTH, 2004 Sinclair Award Winner, Academy Director and Golf and Marketing Manager at Scarthingwell Golf Course, has over 25 years PGA experience and has taught all levels of golfers. This experience ranges from European Tour, Ladies European Tour and County players through to club golfers and complete beginners. Tony has appeared as guest speaker at many events including the Junior Golf Partnership seminar held at the Belfry, as Key Note Speaker at the inaugural Golf Careers Convention at the University of Northumbria, guest speaker at the UK Golf Show, the Turkish Golf Federation 1st Annual Coaching Conference and most recently at the GolfEurope Show in Augsburg, Germany. In his role as SNAG Master Trainer, Tony works with International Golf Development implementing first touch coaching and development programmes across the world including Europe, Africa and Asia. Tony’s simplistic style of coaching has been his road to success and he has become known as an expert not just on the golf swing but especially on the short game and putting.
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YORKSHIRE GOLFER READER OFFER
Without the correct swing sequence, many parts of your swing will not function correctly. Think of driving a car. Firstly, check it is not in gear, then start the engine, push down the clutch, put into first gear, press accelerator whilst lifting clutch….and so on! This sequence you do EVERYtime you get into the car ... miss a step and it doesn’t work. Your golf swing is the same.Getting the golf swing sequence correct is not that difficult and is a basic fundamental that will have you improving and enjoying your game more and more.Ittakes practice to make it perform without thinking – but think!You never now think how to change gear in the car.
TONYHOWARTH AcademyGolfScarthingwellDirector,Academy
ittoissequenceSwingcriticalgettingright... 54
August 2022 23
GolfScarthingwellCourse One of FriendliestYorkshire'sGolfingVenues WHATOUR CUSTOMERS HAVETOSAY... “I was excited about playing a course with a reputation for a friendly atmosphere. It did not disappoint – I was met with a very professional and cheerful welcome.” “York is blessed with some really good courses and you can put this one right up near the top!” “Thanks again for another great day’s golfing, yet again the course was in immaculate condition.” GREENOFFERFEE £25 Saturday-Sunday£30Monday-FridayPERPERSONPERPERSONTobooktelephonereception01937557878 Scarthingwell Lane, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 9PF T: 01937 557878 For details on our 202201937TONYHOWARTHOFFERSMEMBERSHIPcontact557878 www.scarthingwellgolfcourse.co.uktony.howarth@scarthingwellgolfcourse.co.uk@GolfPickScarthingwellGolfCourse
