shortest but friendliest courses around

watching over their shoulder for better players snapping at their heels.”

Luke is passionate about seeing youngsters get involved in the sport.

He said: “We love seeing children getting involved and try to make our sessions engaging, relaxed and fun.

“It’s not unusual to see some Happy Gilmore shots going on at the end of a session.

“We have players aged five and many older golfers too, including a 94-year old gentleman who plays with us regularly. Older players might find that it becomes too tiring to go around a full course, so we can accommodate those coming towards the end of their love affair with the game.

“We hope that some of our youngsters will go on and join other clubs if they outgrow us, but we often see players who play at other clubs but still come along to use our driving range or improve their short games out on the course.”

Sean Whelan, secretary of the Dorset County Golf Union, has supported Wessex Golf throughout the long accreditation process and welcomed the news that the club’s application had been accepted.

Sean said: “We are delighted that Wessex Golf has gained this accreditation. I know they were perhaps looking to become the shortest rated course in Europe, which hasn’t happened, but they are certainly the shortest of our 34 affiliated clubs in Dorset!

“We are always happy to support clubs who want to be affiliated to Dorset and to England Golf.

“Getting people involved in the sport is a core part of what we do, and courses like

Wessex are ideal for getting young and inexperienced golfers involved. 9-hole courses are great for building skills and as a pathway to bigger 18-hole courses, and I’ve noticed that lots of people will remain loyal to the clubs where their golfing journey begins. I think that Luke and Fern have created a fantastic atmosphere at Wessex. They’re a real community-based club who always give everybody a warm welcome. Some clubs can be a little daunting for beginners and they are doing really well to get people involved which is great to see.

“Golf has been able to buck the trend as it was one of the first sports to return after the pandemic, but people had to be members, so we saw a massive spike in golf club membership. We may see that the numbers come under some pressure now as people become worried about the economy, and it’s vital that clubs look after their members well. Finding the right marriage between the individual and what the club offer is so important, and clubs like Wessex have a real role to play.”

Ladies brave weather to take on three competitions

Lyme Regis Golf Club

By Marina Cave

Lyme Regis Ladies Golf members competed in three non-qualifying competitions in January, with 18 holes open at the club throughout much of January, despite some bitterly cold weather conditions. The competitions were each played in different formats and much enjoyed by those taking part.

A modified Texas Scramble was played on January 5 and resulted in a close finish. The winning team of Jean Jolley, Marina Cave and Jane Broom scoring a steady 38 Stableford points, just edging out the second placed team by a single point.

The following weeks Stableford was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

On January 19, players were restricted to four golf clubs and a putter.

This proved a test for our ladies with Jackie Ireland winning with 33 points, with Jane Broom close behind on 32 points.

The first and second placed teams were a clear nine and seven points ahead of the rest of the field in the Shambles competition played on January 26. Marie Long, Jane Broom and Kathy Briggs came out on top with 68 points with the team of Carol Watson, Ros Clemmans and Judith Williams in second place.

Congratulations to Jane Broom who has played in the top two teams in all three of these competitions.