Charity Day
Every year, Astbury Golf Club organises and hosts a Charity Day in aid of the Captains chosen charity of the year. In a year most would choose to forget, much of the club’s fundraising efforts have had to be abandoned or postponed until 2021.
Into the breach stepped club member Gary Clark who proposed, created and delivered a Special Charity Open competition in aid of the East Cheshire branch of the NHS.
Following all the rules laid down by the Government and as advised to clubs by England Golf, Astbury Golf club managed to attract entries from 42 teams to enter the competition. The 168 players all contributed to a wonderful fun day that raised over £2000.
Lockdown
Following the lockdown period, golf was one of the first recreational activities opened up to members’ play. For many, it has been a merciful release enabling the players to get stimulating exercise and recreation in the lovely surroundings of the golf course while remaining safe and secure.
As a result, golf is enjoying a renaissance as floods of people realise how enjoyable and beneficial the game is to their health. Indeed Astbury is in line with the national trend, attracting over 40 new members in just 3 months.
President, Gary Adams said,
“At this rate anyone thinking of playing or restarting the game had better get their membership applications in before we have to close our membership”.
The popularity of the event was shown by the entries received from golfers from across the North West. In addition to Astbury’s own members, Wolstanton Golf Club had 9 teams entered as well as 16 teams from other clubs including Hart Common(last year’s second-placed team)
- Congleton
- Wychwood Park
- Greenway Hall
- Prestbury
- Hazel Grove
- Leek Westwood
- Henley Park
- Llanymynach
- Bolton Old Links
- Burslem
- Caldy
- Onneley
- Malkins
- John O’Gaunt
- Tytherington.
With a full field, Prizes for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd placed teams as well as a fun novelty prize on every hole which all players had a chance of winning.
Despite the blustery weather the atmosphere at the club was very upbeat and it was great to see everyone having a good time in support of such a worthy cause.
Club Captain, Richard Webb said
“Along with the rest of the people of the UK, we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our NHS and other key workers and this is just a small token of our gratitude.
I’m delighted the club has been able to organise the event and special thanks go to Gary Clark for taking the lead in setting up the event.
A number of club members have made the staging of the event possible including Paul Collier who generated all the IT to enable us to handle the entries, collect the fees, print the scorecards, set up the electronic scoreboard and publish the results”.
As mentioned already there was a fun novelty prize to be won by ladies and gentlemen on virtually every hole which included variants of traditional fun tests like nearest the pin, longest drive, and also had quirky hole competitions like being in a particular bunker or land a ball in the NHS hearts.
Organiser, Gary Clark said
“We could have raised a lot more but I wanted to create a charity event where no money was collected on the day, maybe a first but for obvious Covid19 reasons.
Everyone were winners and all was made possible by the great team of dedicated people we have at the club like our green staff that presented our club as a real picture and helping on the day allowing us to establish the framework for a superb event.
A special thank you
To all our supporters for supplying the great prizes:
- Franklin Financial Managemen
- Manor P.C,
- Astbury Care Home,
- Stone bright
- Swithenbank Property Consultants
- Tesco’s of Congleton.
Also the generous contributions by our members and staff including Eric Porter, Karen Bray, Nigel and Gill Hodges, Hilary Dawson, the Chairman and Captains of the club and many local golf clubs:
- Sandiway
- Tytherington
- Wilmslow
- Northenden
- Upton by Chester
- Romiley
- Warrington
- Poulton.
Obviously the biggest thank you goes to all visitors and members that entered the Open competition thus supporting a great charity, the East Cheshire NHS trust”.
Finally Gary said
“We are lucky to have a great club that not only raised a lot for the charity but raised a lot of smiles, we should all be very proud of that”.
The main competition prize winners:
- 1st Astbury Team “The Last of the Summer Wine” Paul Bestwick, Darrell Morris, David Fisher and Richard Stanley with an outstanding score of 89 Stableford points
- 2nd. Wolstanton/Alsager Golf Club team of Paul Brougham, Ian Charlesworth, Jon Yates and Mick Harris (88 points –back nine of 46 points))
- 3rd. Wychwood Park Team of Ian Snape, Peter Brown, Keith Cunliffe and Dave Snape (88 points –back nine of 44points)