Tag Archive for: Midlands Golfer
SGA Tour – Tour Championship 2018
Sociable Golf Association (SGA)
Season Finale ends with a Bang!
Once again, we planned our season ending Tour Championship event on recommendation from our friends at MG. Heading over the Warwickshire border for a two-day weekend, with overnighter, to Whitefields Golf Club.
With our very own Race To Whitefields season long points system, the two day event provides the opportunity for members to decide on either a drunken evening or early to bed in preparation for the chance to secure our third and final major of the season.
Following a fantastic trip to Cleobury Mortimer last year, the boys were up for the challenge and with the sun shining and a very warm welcome from all the staff at Whitefields, we were excited at the prospect of another close finish, little did we know!
Phil Wing (above R) stood on the first tee in defence of his title, knowing that lack of golf during this season due to work and family commitments, could prove to be his downfall. Other notables included in form Andrew Allsopp, Ben Abbotts and Jayson Fitzpatrick. With our lowest handicapper, Karl Harris (2) not attending, Boom Boom’s book provided no clear favourite with odds spread evenly across the field.
With first day groups drawn, competitors aim to secure a second day final grouping, thus having the advantage of viewing the leader-boards throughout the final day’s play. Ben Abbotts secured first place with 37 points, with Boom Boom Tunstall 36 and Phil Wing 34. All three headed to the bar knowing the Sunday would see the last tee time.
For any of our society friends considering Whitefields, we would recommend a visit. The facilities, course and staff were excellent and all at great value for money.
The Sunday morning provided another beautiful day and enjoying a great breakfast we all headed of the first tee. Nerves were apparent with the leaders gagging to get going, but knowing they had to wait for their tee time. Would Boom Boom live up to his nickname and hit driver off every tee or play a more considered game! A wide drive on the first was the answer both Ben & Phil expected who secured gross par’s to set the day up nicely.
During the day the leader-board ebbed and flowed with Ben & Boom battling it out. Phil lost the pace and Trevor Anderson muscled his way into the top 3. Heading to the 17th tee and a complete surprise to the leaders, Paul Wilson had shot the lights out and was leading the championship. Paul had come from behind at Cleobury to lose out by a single point!. Unsettling Boom Boom, his drive hooked out of bounds, twice!! With Ben & Phil closing the gap.
Stood on the 18th tee and a short 324 yard par 4, Boom Boom needed a 3 pointer to land his first Tour Championship and took out his wayward driver to the dismay of Ben & Phil, who had already hit hybrids to perfect positions. Yes, you’ve guessed it…. a wayward drive to the right (this time!) and Boom Boom was lucky to have swing amongst the trees. In true style, he cleared the trouble before him and was once again back in play. A 12-foot putt for the win lipped and the rest is history. Paul (Pic R), known as the Silent Assassin went one better than 2017 and took the title on count-back! Boom Boom’s driver was last seen on EBAY…
Season events
In addition to the planned and quite often an organisers nightmare, we run several season long events including our Order Of Merit, the coveted Match Play Championship and other events as follows:
The Order Of Merit is a 10 event rolling ranking event that captures the previous season’s Tour Championship and the full season ahead. The calculation although complicated is simple in terms of understanding, play your best at every event ensuring your average score is as high as possible. Throwing an event or even a club, will see you penalised in the long run in and in some cases, could lead losing the number 1 spot by a single putt or chip in! And yes its happened.
The Matchplay Championship is a knockout event with the draw made at the first event of the season. The final pairing are provided with caddies and a special day out.
Betterball Championship and Skins League are additional events that utilise the monthly events scoring to calculate the league tables or knockout rounds. Members’ just rock up and the committee do the rest and if the lads ever read the website, they should know if they’ve took home a trophy at the season end.
There are obviously many, many fond and enjoyable memories from the last 22 years and in most cases we have improved our personal handicaps. We continue to raise money for great causes; our fund-raising exceeds £5,000 including a memorable six a side football competition a few years back.
We continue to organise and enjoy Society life and many friendships have been built through our membership. We look forward to the next twenty years.
SGA Tour – Sociable Golf Association – Established 1997
Website: www.sgatournews.com
Email: sgatournews@hotmail.co.uk
Contact: Phil Wing 07486 900843 (Work – 07917 098299)
Founder Members – Phil Wing & Alan Smith
PTF Golf Society – Derby
Production Test Facility Golf Society
Our society was founded in 1991 by employees from the Production Test Facility (PTF) at Rolls-Royce Aero Engines in Derby.
2018 Mid-Season Review
2018’s busy calendar of events and Darren ‘Dash’ Ashmole’s year on the Captain’s throne was planned to start as ever at Morley Hayes over the Christmas break. However, torrential rain and frozen greens forced an abandonment of the event after just a few holes and saw an early return to the nineteenth hole. The weather relented slightly by mid-January for the re-arranged fixture with ‘Long’ Tom Donnachie just pipping Paul ‘PK’ Hind to the ‘Winter Warmer’ Trophy after back 9 count-back both finishing on 35 points.
The unseasonal weather took a further turn for the worst over the Easter weekend as 3 inches of snow in the Peak District forced the postponement of our first full day out of the season at the picturesque Buxton & High Peak. The re-scheduled event in late-April was played in miserable conditions and saw point scoring prove difficult with Joe Cullen winning the Spring Salver on his Society debut with 32 points.
A short trip to Chilwell Manor quickly followed in early May as at last we saw some sunshine to proudly show off our new and improved Society Golf Shirts supplied by Midlands Golf Superstore (thanks to Ian Nicholson) and also sporting the Midlands Golfer magazine logo.
Sec Nathan rocking the new MG logoed shirt
Blustery conditions and tight, tree-lined fairways saw another low point scoring day but a solid performance from Todd Foster winning the Presidents Cup on 34 points
The PTF Invitational event took place at Ormonde Fields in early June with the Divisional prize pots shared evenly between members and guests alike but it was the ever consistent Rob Langley who triumphed overall with 37 points to win the Invitational Trophy for a second successive season.
The heatwave had well and truly kicked in by early July for our latest event along the A50 in Staffordshire at the impressive Newcastle-under-Lyme. Greens in great condition considering the ‘Mediterranean’ temperatures and scorched fairways with the ball travelling huge distances saw the highest scoring of the season with the ‘Alvaston Maori’ aka Ian Hickton storming to victory with 40 points to lift the Summer Vase.
PTF – In Scarborough
The upcoming ‘Weekend Away’ in early August was the highlight of everyone’s season and saw 24 of us travel up to stay in Scarborough for a third time where we played the ‘Friday Fiver’ at Filey, the main ‘Tourist Trophy’ event at South Cliff and Sunday’s closing event at Whitby.
The in-form Ian Hickton currently stands at the top of our ‘Order of Merit’ with 124 points however with the best four scores counting towards the Aggregate Trophy it’s still all to play for with the final ‘Order of Merit event taking place with our visit to nearby Burton-on-Trent in early September.
A close of season reoprt will be added very soon.
Please visit our website at the address below where you can find 2018’s full results and all Society news in PK’s newsletter’s which are a very entertaining read from the society jester. http://www.spanglefish.com/ptfgolfsociety/index.asp
For all enquiries please contact the PTF Golf Society Secretary: nathan.richards@rolls-royce.com
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Hugh Adams wins Reid Trophy
England’s Hugh Adams held his nerve to win the Reid Trophy on the fourth hole of a sudden death play-off at Reading Golf Club.
The 13-year-old from Hagley Golf Club in Worcestershire defeated Spain’s Angel Ayora with a par and said: “It just felt great. I was just excited to lift up the trophy.
“I didn’t come here expecting to win, I’m only 13 and I’ve still got another year so I was just trying to play well.”
However, when he got within four shots of the lead after two rounds he was determined to go for it – and secured his place in the play-off with his three-under 67. It gave him a level par total and a tie with Ayora who closed with 66.
“I tried to get off to a quick start,” he said. “I didn’t really know anything until about the 14th or 15th, but when I birdied the 16th I knew I had a chance.
“Everything just started to go my way, I had a couple of nice bounces, took advantage of my luck and holed some nice putts.”
Adams actually had a 10-footer on the 18th to win outright, but it slid past the hole and he was into the play-off.
He’d been involved in sudden death once before and although he lost that time – on the eighth hole – the experience helped him.
“I was quite relaxed, quite calm, but definitely determined,” he said.
The first three play-off holes were halved in par, but on the fourth Ayora’s drive went behind a tree and his next just slipped out of bounds.
Adams, who plays for his county, has been in good form this season, with high finishes at both the Midlands U16 championship and the Douglas Johns Trophy. “It’s been going well,” he said.
Four other boys were in the top ten: Stuart Reis (Welwyn Garden City), Manato Nakatini (Hendon), Harley Smith (The Rayleigh Club) and Luke Perkins (Frilford Heath).
Click here for full scores
DOGS – mid season report
Dallington Old Boys Golf Society or “DOGS” as we call ourselves were founded in November 2016 and are based around the Northamptonshire region.
Our 2018 year started off at Chesfield Downs in Hertfordshire on a wet Sunday morning in January, fresh with two new members in Tom Robinson and James Hardwick, the commencement of a match play league which would run simultaneously with our main stableford league, and lots of smaller improvements to the DOGS experience.
Chesfield is an interesting course and well worth a visit. It played well in the wet and boasts a great variety of holes from long and tight 400 yard par 4s, teaser dogs legs, and some interesting par 3s.
February saw our return to Brampton Heath in Northants (below), a firm favourite among the DOGS community, not least for its more forgiving fairways and nicely manicured greens. Brampton will likely remain a winter fixture on the DOGS calendar given its miraculous drying qualities. The sand-based land the course is built on means the course remains open when many others aren’t, and plays extremely well in the wet conditions to boot.
We were due to play Whittlebury in March, but the snow got the better of us and we’re now rescheduled for August 12th. This was the setting for the first DOGS event back in November 2016, won by Mark Jessett, who has since dropped to single figures (8).
April saw us travel to Staverton in Daventry, which has become another favourite course for some of the DOGS crew. The undulating West Northants countryside provides a stunning backdrop for a testing course with some long holes, and well protected greens.
We visited Collingtree in May after the worst of the weather and while the air was less full of rain, the ground was still sodden and therefore the rough had been left very long as the ground staff had been unable to get the heavy cutters out on it. This provided an altogether different challenge on an already tough course, and yielded only the second DOGS event win with sub-36 points. The first being at The Brabazon at the Belfry complex.
June saw the mid-season Whitefields GC weekender at Draycote near Rugby, a course we’ve frequented for the past 6 years all told, starting before DOGS’s formation with a few of the guys from Northampton University just getting away for the weekend. It’s now developed into a jam-packed weekend of Stableford, a Foursomes round and the culmination of the weekend and genuine highlight, the Texas Scramble. The staff at Whitefields have always been brilliant, from the hotel to the pro shop, and the dinner bed, breakfast and 4 rounds of golf with buggies deal they do fits the bill nicely!
Kelv’s selfie at 1st tee St Ives
July saw us travel to the very modern and impressive St Ives (Hunts) GC in Cambridgeshire. The clubhouse is in immaculate condition opening just 8 years ago, and the excellent practice facilities coupled with the testing inland links style course showed exactly why it has one of the fastest growing reputations of quality in the East of England.
Expanding the DOGS brand, we now have a range of merchandise available, from polo-shirts to pitch repairers, towels to bag tags, as well as a fleet of DOGS branded golf balls. We’ll give a big shout out to anyone who happens to find one and notify us at @DOGSGolfSociety on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
DOGS merchandise
After Whittlebury in August we travel to Farthingstone, Silverstone, The Warwickshire (Kings Course) for the finale of the DOGS stableford and match play leagues, and Kingsthorpe for the end of season special event which will carry a team element. Kingsthorpe will be followed by the end of season awards presentations and drinks in town where we’ll be able to recoup some of the fines money ‘Finesmaster’ Phil Martin has been busy collecting each month for misdemeanours in the clubhouse and on the course. Who knew dirty shoes could be so costly!? I sometimes think it might be cheaper to buy a new pair each month.
The future looks bright for DOGS, now with a membership of 31, up from 22 at the start of the calendar year. We are now consistently averaging 20 per event, with more interest being shown in the society. Front runners for the halfway point include Glen Smith (13), Mr consistent Dan Dalmonego (28) and Stuart ‘Jarv’ Wiseman (18 and in the form of his life), all in strong positions in the stableford league going into the last 6 months. Smith, Adam Balme and Dan Cockerton occupying the top 3 places in the match play league, with all to play for given the F1 points allocation, weighted toward the end of the season.
Keep an eye out for us on the course, and look out for our DOGS balls.
SkyCaddie SX500 – the ultimate GPS
SkyCaddie’s revolutionary new range-topping SX500 GPS handheld is the most powerful, most accurate, most features-packed and most visually stunning hand-held distance measuring device that golf has ever seen.
Rocketing into the UK with SkyCaddie PinPoint® technology to give accurate distances to today’s pin positions, Dynamic HoleVueTM which continuously re-orients the entire highly-detailed hole map from your exact position, and golf’s most brilliant display featuring a huge and pin-sharp 5” full HD touch screen, the SkyCaddie SX500 gives comprehensively the best view in golf.
Unmatched power is guaranteed with an ultra-fast multi-core processor which ensures instant hole data right when you need it, and there’s superb battery life from the hi-capacity rechargeable Li-Polymer battery, which gives over 36 holes use.
With a ruggedised, highly water-resistant design which makes SX500 extremely grippy even in the worst weather, nothing else comes close as you ‘cut the cord’ and use the SX500’s in-built Wi-Fi to download the latest exclusive SkyCaddie course updates on demand, without the need to connect to a computer.
Available in the UK from late August 2018 at RRP £379.95 including a year’s pre-paid Birdie membership covering over 99% of golf courses in Great Britain & Ireland, SX500 is pre-loaded with more than 35,000 ground-verified, error-corrected SkyCaddie golf course maps.
No other distance measuring device in golf gives you this much information, produced by SkyCaddie mappers creating and updating every course map on foot using professional surveying equipment.
Unequivocally-unmatched accuracy is guaranteed as only SkyCaddie maps golf courses in this way, and only SkyCaddie SX500 owners get to see the complete hole, in full detail, from their angle of attack on every shot.
Stand by to witness new behaviour patterns on the golf course when SX500’s SkyCaddie PinPoint® custom-pin settings are combined with IntelliGreen® Pro technology, giving distances to today’s pins and the ultimate green information.
Laser users will rely on friends with an SX500 to get instant distances to the pin from blind spots and from behind trees, to find out where bunkers are positioned around uphill greens, to get yardages to strategic lay-up points, and to assess the threat of hazards and fairway run-outs which are impossible to see with line-of-sight.
And powerful IntelliGreen® Pro technology gives SX500 users far more information about a distant green than laser users can ever discover. With IntelliGreen® Pro, distances to major tiers and contours on the green, false fronts and greenside mounds are all instantly visible to SX500 owners planning their approach shot, back down the fairway.
SX500 users always know exactly what’s ahead, even when they have no view of the fairway or green themselves, as the device’s display dynamically rotates to show full IntelliGreen® Pro information from their own angle of attack, and its multiple Dynamic RangeVue® yardage arcs overlay fairway landing areas and greens to show at-a-glance yardages across the full width of the hole.
Another new SX500 feature, Dynamic HoleVueTM with Integrated Targets, boosts the device’s in-play usability still further. As up to 40 geo-referenced targets per hole have been pre-created by experienced SkyCaddie course mappers, SX500 owners can see an overview of the entire hole or they can double-tap or pinch to zoom in for a closer view of every bunker, every water hazard, every carry and layup point – with accurate distances to each, according to where they are standing.
So in the time that it takes a laser user to discover a single yardage, SkyCaddie SX500 users will know the distance to every single major hole feature between themselves and the flag, and can hit their approach shot with complete confidence in their ground-mapped SkyCaddie data.
Even more help, and even more personalised information, comes in the form of the SkyCaddie SX500’s unique Dynamic RangeVue® with Club Ranges feature, which is so powerful that it is restricted to use only in practice rounds and casual golf.
This feature makes strategic play easier than ever. Simply enter your personal club-by-club hitting distances into your SkyGolf 360TM account in the cloud, then synchronise your device. Your SX500 will then show in-play club selection suggestions tailored to your game, the next time you are on the golf course.
Other SX500 features simply improve the user experience still further.
There’s a Super Large Number Mode if your eyesight is poor, or if you simply want the fastest-possible distances to the front, middle and back of the green.
And Intelligent Automation provides an almost touchless experience from the car park to the 19th hole, with Auto-Course, Auto-Hole Advance, Auto-Zoom, Auto-Distance, Auto Green Depth and Rotating Auto-View to display your scorecard in landscape view.
Sadly, SkyCaddie SX500 cannot yet offer Auto-Shot; you still have to hit the ball yourself.
SX500 also has a Digital Scorecard feature, which provides scoring options for Stroke and Stableford with handicapping and tracks total putts and fairways hit.
And the SX500 features keep coming. Shot Distance Measurement helps you track how far you have just hit the ball, and helps you to learn your club distances; Target List View gives you a quick list of all the targets ahead of you on the hole; and Tee Box Selection, Gender Selection, Dual Green Support, Yards or Metres option, Stat Tracking and a North Indicator are also available.
The SkyCaddie SX500 even has a 13-megapixel camera, enabling you to take photos during your round of golf which are then uploaded to your SkyGolf 360TM online user account.
Since 1998, SkyCaddie has been dedicated to helping golfers to improve their game, to enjoy golf more and to play faster by offering them the sport’s most reliable, most accurate, most comprehensive and most easily-accessible distance information.
Launched in the company’s 20th Anniversary year, the SX500 will deliver inspiration and enjoyment to all golfers who use its vivid, powerful and accurate technology: it is the culmination of everything which SkyCaddie represents to golfers, and to this greatest of all sports.
See www.skycaddie.co.uk for all information.
Tim settles in at Bransford
Bransford GC inWorcester has a new PGA Head Professional, and at 23 years of age he is one of the youngest in the country to hold such a position.
Tim Shephard – who has been at the club for the past four years as assistant professional, has taken over the running of the club’s pro’ shop from Richard Jenkins, who left the course earlier this summer.
Shephard has been playing golf for 13 years and has been in the professional ranks for the past three.
He first began his golfing career in his late teens at Evesham, his home town club.
“It was great working there, learning the ins-and-outs of how a pro shop runs, and after that I had an opportunity to start my PGA career at Bransford back in September 2015,” said Shephard.
“I am thrilled to be the club’s new Head PGA professional. It has given me a fuller insight into how other departments work and how various parts of the business, such as our neighbouring Bank House Hotel, communicate. These are all vital skills I am now learning.
“What is really great is that I enjoy working at this family-friendly golf club which has great facilities and staff.
Shephard, who was educated at Bengeworth First School, Simon de Montford Middle School and Prince Henry High, was also a student at Hartpury Agricultural College in Gloucestershire where he gained a diploma in golf.
During his time at Bransford he has been busy building a strong reputation in teaching the sport he loves, while also working on developing the junior side of the golf club.
He says: “There were no juniors when I started here – now have 20 and half of them are members”.
He has also been cementing a great relationship with members and has played in a number of Pro-Am competitions with club members of the club.
He also has fresh ideas for the pro shop which has already been revamped and restyled. There’s also new stock coming in and has other plans yet to be implemented, including Ping custom fitting.
He says his aims in the near future are:
- To continue to help develop the skills of a very strong golf membership and teaching facility for members and the public at Bransford golf club.
- To increase membership both male and female, but especially targeting juniors.
- And to maintain what he feels is already an incredible relationship with the members.
Meanwhile, the club’s assistant professional, Ollie Walker, is planning to head off to the United States next month on a golf scholarship.
He is planning to be based in Arizona at the Estrella Mountain College, having been offered a place in the their golf team which consists of players from around the world.
Walker, who is aged 20, says: “This will include studying hard for a degree like any other university student, but I will be playing every day for the golf team in competitions throughout America. This will be for three to four years, and hopefully for the last two years i can obtain a full scholarship so I don’t have to pay anything – hopefully transferring to a bigger university for my last two senior years.”
But first of all he has to raise funds to achieve his goal of getting to the States and the first year of the course is fairly expensive compared to the latter years.
The target is to raise £10,000 pounds!
Walker says: “If all goes according to plan and I do well in the first year, the latter years’ costs will drop dramatically. A lot will depend on my golf ability and gaining as higher a scholarship as possible.”
He says the money raised will be put towards the cost of books and the course itself, his living expenses for accommodation and food, and some of the travel to and from events.
Fundraising has been underway for a few weeks and numerous club members have already signed up to sponsor him, but he says that if there is anyone in the area who would also like to support him, such as a local business, he would be delighted to hear from them.
He said: “It is my dream to go to America and by giving any amount you wish, however small, will help me achieve this goal.”
A popular figure in the pro shop and around the course, Walker is the Worcestershire Men’s County Amateur Champion and the county’s best under-21 player, and is driven by the ambition of carving out a successful future in the sport.
Ollie Walker
He says he remembers his early struggles when he first tried his hand at golf, attempting to break 100 when he was a junior but now he plays off a 0.3 handicap – achieved in five years of hard work and practise.
He has also figured prominently in a number of club competitions over the past year or so and has also been competing in numerous opens and pro-ams, along with six England golf events.
One of his successes last year was beating a field of 143 to win the Stewart Smith Open Challenge (Scratch) when he managed a score of -2 through 18 holes and a play-off. In the three man play-off he won with a birdie on the first hole.
It’s an impressive record for only two years of competitive golf and now he hopes what he can learn in America will help further his playing career.
Anyone wishing to assist Walker’s America plan can make contact with him at Bransford Golf Club’s pro shop on 01886 833621.
Rugby Golf Club hits the mark
Rugby Golf Club in Warwickshire has won a national award from England Golf, in recognition of its drive to grow the game
The club, which is actively recruiting new members and widening its community links, has just received the GolfMark Award for the second time. This is an official seal of approval for clubs which successfully work to develop the game.
Rugby is a private members’ club with an 18 hole golf course in Clifton Road and an established partnership with Leam Valley Golf Centre. It has recently attracted 26 new members – in various categories – by holding an open day for the local community.
The event was so successful that another open day will be held in September and it will become an annual event.
Club Secretary Andrew Leech, who led the club’s push to GolfMark, commented: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award. It not only recognises our aim to provide challenging golf for golfers of all abilities, but to be an asset within the Rugby community.
“We are doing all we can to encourage juniors and adults to take up or return to golf. This award will help RGC, drawing on all its 127 years of history, to continue to offer a warm, friendly, safe and secure environment for golf, retaining our traditions whilst modernising and adapting our offer to members, visitors and societies.
“We will use this platform, in partnership with Leam Valley Golf Centre, to take golf into schools and the wider community and will do our best to attract under-represented groups into golf.”
The award was presented to club Captain Karl Walker by Hayley Noel, England Golf’s Club Support Officer for Warwickshire (pictured).
Hayley said “I’m delighted that Rugby Golf Club has achieved GolfMark and that its efforts to grow the game can be nationally recognised.”
The GolfMark award was developed by England Golf and also integrates Sport England’s Clubmark award – a national standard for quality sports clubs recognised across the country.
Successful clubs develop the game by:
- Attracting new members and encouraging existing members to play more
- Using practical business planning to develop the club
- Offering coaching and playing opportunities for all golfers
- Ensuring safeguarding policies are in place
GolfMark brings a number of benefits to clubs including raising awareness, access to funding, business and marketing support and training opportunities for staff and volunteers. To find out more visit www.golfmark.org
Be on course with the WTX+
GOLFBUDDY ADDS TO MOST ADVANCED GPS WATCH WITH THE WTX+
GolfBuddy, the world-leading developer of distance measuring devices made exclusively for golfers, is upgrading its most advanced GPS watch with the introduction of the WTX+.
The WTX+ takes the market leading functionality of the WTX and adds in technical and aesthetic features that elevate it further. The primary technical development for the WTX+ is the improved antenna strength which speeds up the time for it to find a course or, heaven forbid you stray off your own fairway, the time to work out distances to the hole from your angle of attack. This improved functionality builds on market leading features such as touchscreen, full hole view with golfer’s position, distances to front, centre, back and hazards, shot distance measurement and pin position selection. WTX+ also offers smart phone compatibility with on course updates available for download automatically via Bluetooth and fitness watch features such as odometer and GPS tracking.
The second area for upgrade is the new look of the WTX+. The watch has a stylish new strap and a new metallic finish for the bezel which improves the aesthetic and makes it a very wearable everyday watch when not in golf mode. The new look combines superbly with the extra skins that can be selected for the watch face and with an extended battery life, the WTX+ is perfect for everyday use.
With GolfBuddy’s renowned accuracy, some of the most advanced features on the market, great pricing and U.K. dedicated customer support WTX+ is set to build on the success of the WTX and give GolfBuddy a great finish to the season
SRP: £219.99
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Raven flies to new heights
The second playing of The Raven Scratch Open was held at The Herefordshire Golf Club on Saturday 11th August. A strong field comprising of 47 competitors from all over the Midlands and South Wales battled out for the honour of being crowned champion on what proved to be a testing day.
The course set up from Jeremy Browne and his team was fair but challenging, with perfect putting surfaces combined with a few tricky pin placements making for unusually high scoring.
In the first grouping of the day, local member Michael Bayliss carded a solid 74 gross, making the most of the freshly cut greens to post a marker for the rest of the field. Throughout the day, many of the later starters threatened to better that score but the blustery winds made for a tough finish and one by one they fell away leaving Bayliss, a 6 handicapper, to secure the biggest win of his career to date. The win secured him a cut crystal trophy, the £250 first prize and the bragging rights amongst his peers for the next 12 months.
Michael Bayliss
Afterwards Bayliss praised the condition of the course, adding that it was great to see such a well supported event in only its second year, especially with 25 competitors visiting from other clubs. Speaking about his round he added that he thought he might be a couple of shots short, even for the net prize, when he finished, so he was shocked and delighted when it proved to be good enough for the main prize.
There was a four way tie for second place on +7 with Graham McMonagle from Southerndown GC taking second spot and Tom Mansell from The Herefordshire Golf Club in third, both on card countback.
In conjunction with the Gross prize, a net competition was also played. First prize went to local member Rob Waring with a net 70, winning by one from Burghill Valley’s John McQuillan with a 71.
Competition organiser Jonathan Devereux commented that he was delighted with the number of entries, especially from club members and also those who traveled from further afield to support the event. The target is to gain Shropshire & Herefordshire Union of Golf Clubs accreditation for The Raven in order to add more gravitas to both Golf locally and also to the county set up.
Golf Stars drive to a World Record
It wasn’t just the temperatures that were soaring this week as some of the longest drivers in the country sent their balls flying down the runway at RAF Honington. American Golf challenged some of the Long Drive stars who’ll be appearing at its 2018 U.K. Long Drive Final this August to set various Long Drive World Records and in doing so help celebrate the anniversaries of On Course Foundation and the RAF.
First up on the temporary tee positioned at the end of the 900 yard main runway at RAF Honington was On Course Foundation beneficiary and Gecko Tour player, Mike Browne. Despite never taking part in Long Drive before, Mike, who is a single leg amputee, belted a staggering 564.65 yard drive using Callaway Epic Driver to record the longest ever golf drive by a single leg amputee.
Mike Browne, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
What is most remarkable about Mike’s World Record is that before his leg was amputated in 2013 he had never hit a golf ball. He commented, “I have never done anything like this before so I can’t believe how well I struck the ball! I was at my lowest ebb when I came across the sport for the first time with On Course Foundation. Since then it has taken me to some incredible places and enabled me to do some amazing things, but setting a World Record, whether it’s official or not, has to be one of the highlights.”
Mike Browne, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
Using her Callaway Rogue Driver, current American Golf U.K. Long Drive Champion Ilona Stubley hit a remarkable 460.94 yard drive to set a new (unofficial) Long Drive World Record for women. Since winning the American Golf U.K. Long Drive Championship last year Ilona has been training for the sport and her consistent performance today bears testament to that.
Ilona Stubley, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
She commented, “I’ve worked really hard this winter to make sure that I am in great shape to defend my title at Chester Racecourse in August, so when American Golf invited me to try and set a Long Drive World Record in the meantime I was obviously delighted to take part. It’s been a fantastic day and it was great to see everyone else perform, including the golf team from the RAF.”
Ilona Stubley, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
Ilona Stubley, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
The biggest hitter of the day was Long Drive European Tour Champion and American Golf staff member Matt Nicolle. He smashed his Callaway ball 657.44 yards, which is shorter than some of the unofficial records out there, but is the longest drive on a flat surface using conforming golf equipment and will be submitted to Guinness for their consideration alongside the other two records.
Matt Nicole, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
All the records were documented and verified by independent adjudicators including members of the RAF, who kindly donated their time and their runway as part of their own 100th Anniversary celebrations. Matt Bacon, Head of Events at American Golf, thanked them for their assistance, “It’s been a pleasure to be here with the RAF and OCF today. We can’t thank them enough for arranging the loan of their runway and for helping us collect all the evidence we need to submit the records to Guinness. I can’t think of more reliable witnesses, so we’re confident the applications are in safe hands!”
Photograph Credit: Mark Newcombe/visionsingolf.com
Hole in 1 for 4yr old Prodigy
Golfing prodigy Abhay Kapoor stunned onlookers by recording a hole in one during a golf lesson at 3 Hammers Golf Complex in Wolverhampton this weekend.
Abhay, who attends Mayfield prep school in Walsall recorded the feat on the 14th with a 7 iron, emulating his golfing hero and fellow 3 Hammers alumni Aaron Rai who had holed out for an Ace only the day before at the European Tour’s BMW International.
Abhay’s dad Shiv couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, especially after seeing Aaron hole out the day before, “Me and Abhay’s coach at 3 Hammers, Kyle Cooper, were speaking about Aaron Rai’s Hole in One at the BMW just before Abhay’s lesson. For him to then go and emulate his hero and do the same in that very lesson is incredible. I’m so proud of him.”
Abhay Kapoor Hole in One 3Hammers
Abhay took up golf a year ago aged 3 and has proven to be a natural. He’s received coaching at 3 Hammers Golf Academy from Kyle but has also been greatly inspired by Aaron Rai, as Shiv continues, “Abhay’s met Aaron Rai a few times and was recently at a Q&A with him at 3 Hammers. Aaron spoke about focus and discipline and Abhay’s worked even harder on his game ever since. Straight after he got his hole in one he turned to me and said ‘Daddy, see! I work hard for you!’ I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!”
Abhay’s Hole in One comes straight off the back of his first ever tournament win the week before. He secured top spot in the regional qualifier for the ‘Wee Wonders’ Golf Tour the previous week playing against 5 and 6 year olds, and while a tournament victory at the age of 4 might seem unlikely Kyle thinks that it will be the first of many for Abhay, “Seeing Abhay follow in his hero’s footsteps comes as no great surprise. Winning his regional at the Wee Wonders and getting a Hole in One in the same week are fantastic achievements, but Abhay’s love of being on the golf course shines through as much as his ability. It’s exciting to see him achieving great things so early, but even more exciting to see the enjoyment and confidence he’s getting from the game.”
Next on Abhay’s radar is the Regional Final of the Wee Wonders on 25th July where he will take on the best 5 and 6 year olds in the area. With his first Hole in One in the bag and brimming with confidence, the last word goes to Abhay on his achievements, “I’m really happy I got a hole in one like Aaron and I’m going to work hard to get better at golf!”
Heathland win for Yarham & Palfrey
There was a sensational finish to the 2018 Heathland Classic where the last few holes were decisive in determining who was going to be crowned the eventual winners.
The 3 day pairs event held at the areas three premier courses opened this year at Lindrick. With the greens running fast with a gusting wind the leading score of 44 pts from Dean Whitehouse & John Richardson (Sandhill GC/Hickleton GC) was enough to give them a narrow one point first leg lead from Howley Hall GC’s Martin Smith & Glen Arnison and Mark Duffin & Bernie Clark (Burghley Park GC/Sleaford GC).
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The next day was at Notts where the wind had strengthened significantly and points were not going to be surrendered easily by the course which is due to stage the final Open Qualification stage shortly. An admirable 42 pts from Gainsborough GC’s Jeremy Hague & Jonathan Stokes were the winners on the day with James Hartle & Sam Knight (Ladbroke Park GC/Sutton Coldfield GC) and the Smith Arnison partnership again in the prizes with 41 pts.
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Going in to the final day Smith and Arnison held the overall lead, a healthy 4 points ahead of Whitehouse & Richardson, with a host of teams a further 5 points adrift. Both the favourites went out together in reverse leaderboard order in what threatened to be a title deciding shootout unless the chasing pack could produce something exceptional.
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A glorious day greeted the players at Sherwood Forest where conditions were almost perfect. The 4th hole gave all the players an early chance of winning £5,000 for a Hole in One but after a few early shouts sadly there were no takers for the suitcase full of cash.
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Back with the main prize it was outsiders Mark Yarham & Andrew Palfrey who set the pace with an incredible 47 points in a round that contained 11 net birdies and no dropped shots to put them on 124 pts overall and into first place.
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As the later starters completed their rounds the nervous wait continued as a number of contenders failed to challenge their total. Hague & Stokes were left to regret a couple of bogies on the front nine but recovered brilliantly to post 46 points. Overall they were behind Yarham & Palfrey only on countback with one score left to be recorded.
But the overnight leaders and favourites Smith & Arnison struggled on Sherwood’s demanding back nine managing only 17 points to come up with 38 pts, agonisingly one short of the leaders with a total score of 123 pts.
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So in what was a very tense and thrilling climax to the 54 hole event, the 2018 Heathland Classic Trophy went to the members from Burghley Park GC & Knole GC, Mark Yarham (5 handicap) and pal Andrew Palfrey (8 handicap) with rounds of 40, 37 and 47 to give them a winning total of 124 to take home various goodies including a Ping Tour bag and over £500 worth of vouchers each.
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Tournament Director Luke Allen said “the courses were in first class conditions, the greens were all very fast and true and the windy weather made things a real challenge. The standard of play was exceptional, some great scores and the atmosphere at the awards ceremony was just fantastic. The final day 47 points certainly was a surprise but in this format a big number is always possible and teams are always in there with a chance. The spirit from the competitors has been really positive all week and I’m sure everyone enjoyed the challenge. Congratulations to the winners and hopefully the rest will try again next year.
Entries open in November http://heathlandgolfclassic.
Juniors enter 5th year with Ping
The American Golf Junior Championship in association with PING has announced its rosta of Championship qualifying events for 2018, and with PING once again on board as tournament sponsor, the event is set to be one of the highlights of the year’s junior calendar.
Sam McIntyre
John Clark, Managing Director of PING Europe, said, “Over the years we’ve been involved with the American Golf Junior Championship, we’ve seen some fantastic golf played by hugely talented golfers but, more importantly, we’ve seen sportsmanship and camaraderie from some inspiring young people. We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with American Golf and being part of this fantastic event yet again, and we’re looking forward to welcoming all the qualifiers to Gainsborough Golf Club for the finals.”
Ollie McEvoy
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Madeleine-Smith
2017 saw impressive golf played in the Scratch, Boys and Girls Handicap and Future Stars (under and over 8) categories with Aaron Mohun (featured image) from Chester coming out on top in the overall Championship. With the 2018 qualifying competitions set to begin at Roganstown G.C. near Dublin on 11th of July, players from all over the U.K. & Ireland will be lining up to qualify for the opportunity to take on Aaron when he returns to PING’s H.Q. at Gainsborough Golf Club to try and retain his title.
Matt Bacon, Head of Events at American Golf concluded, “Some of the best junior golfers in the U.K. & Ireland have played in the Championship over the past few years so I’m excited to see how the event develops for 2018. PING have been fantastic supporters of our drive to get more Juniors of all abilities out hitting balls so I’m delighted to have them on board again for our celebration of the best of junior golf.”
Nathan Newton
The American Golf Junior Championship will be shown on Sky Sports in October. The event is free to enter and players with and without handicaps can take part in different categories. For more information on entries please visit:
www.americangolf.co.uk/free-tournaments/free-tournaments.html
Quailfying Events
Ireland – Roganstown G&CC – Wednesday 11th July
South England – The Shire London – Monday 30th July
Midlands – Gaudet Luce GC – Tuesday 31st July
North England – High Legh Park GC – Wednesday 1st August
Wales – Glamorganshire GC – Thursday 2nd August
Scotland – Leven Links – Wednesday 8th August
The Nicklaus celebrates 30 years
30 Years of The Nicklaus: St Mellion celebrates anniversary by rolling back fourball price
This summer, St Mellion’s Nicklaus Signature Course celebrates 30 years of memorable, spectacular and challenging golf by rolling back its prices to 1988, the year in which it opened.
For a strictly limited time it’s just £149 for a fourball with golf buggies to play ‘The Nicklaus’ at the 36-hole St Mellion International Resort, but the deal disappears soon – so get some friends together and hurry along down to Cornwall.
You don’t pay less if you turn up in 1988-style polyester check Farah trousers and a pale yellow Golden Bear polo shirt, but you’d be snapped, posted and hailed as a hero by the resort’s social media team if you did.
St Mellion’s most famous attraction was designed with both Tour golf and members’ golf in mind by Jack Nicklaus before he won his last Major at The Masters in 1986. And because Nicklaus designed it to be playable by all skill levels, it’s perfectly possible for beginners and higher-handicappers to play the course too. At just 5,500 yards from the forward tees The Nicklaus plays less like Golden Bear, and more like Teddy Bear – although it is no less spectacular because of that.
Martin Bond, Hermon Bond and Jack Nicklaus discuss construction of the Nicklaus Signature Course. Photo: Martin and Hermon Bond.
“St Mellion holds a special place in my heart” said Jack Nicklaus, speaking in 2013. “It was my first design opportunity in the UK and among all of the golf courses I have designed I would rank it very high as a test of golf, as a design, and looking at the beauty of each individual hole.
“St Mellion is a strong test of golf, and it gives me a great deal of pride.”
Best-remembered for hosting the Benson & Hedges International Open for six consecutive years in the early 90s, and in tribute to its status as a 12-time venue for Tour events and other significant golf tournaments, St Mellion will shortly host a series of events to entice both first-timers and long-time fans to play the course in full European Tour setup.
In August St Mellion’s members will experience one of golf’s finest sensations – playing the Nicklaus course largely from the middle of the fairway – as they play Texas Scramble with the golf course set up as if for a Tour event, including authentic Benson & Hedges pin positions.
Prior to that there’s a 30th Anniversary Pro-Am on The Nicklaus on June 19th, again in full Tour setup, followed by this year’s Davida’s Day event for the CLIC Sargent charity on July 24th, where six golfers will attempt the “Benson & Hedges in a day” challenge – 72 holes on The Nicklaus from the 7,010 yard Par 72 Championship Blue Tees to European Tour pin positions.
Anecdotes which highlight The Nicklaus course’s legendary toughness in full Tour mode abound on the European Tour, with pros frequently shooting in the 80s and worse.
“I’m not saying it’s tight, but I walked down the 12th hole sideways” quipped Zimbabwean Tour pro Tony Johnstone, runner-up to Peter Senior in the B&H in 1992. One year a visiting Australian Tour golfer ran out of golf balls during his round, forcing him to retire from the event, and David Feherty famously once hit his tee shot on the 16th from on top of a burger which he’d bought at a nearby concession stand.
And in 1992, on his way to a third-round 86, Jesper Parnevik played the 18th in under a minute, running all the way and finishing by bombing fully-clothed into the lake beside the final green to the delight of the crowd.
“We’re the only European Tour venue for almost 150 miles, and for thirty years golfers have been making a pilgrimage to take on The Nicklaus Signature Course” said the resort’s Golf Manager, David Moon. “Many of golf’s greatest players have tried to tame it, but few have succeeded from the back tees. Our pedigree is enhanced by having some of golf’s true greats such as Ballesteros, Langer and Olazabal on our honours board as former winners.
“On the 10th of July 1988 we held an exhibition match to open The Nicklaus course. Jack Nicklaus himself partnered Tom Watson against Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle, and the Brits won. It rained that day, like it has a few times since, but there’s always sunshine in the clubhouse at St Mellion. Golf should be fun, and we want your memories of St Mellion to be amazing no matter how you played, so our welcome is truly warm and genuine.
Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo pose by the commemorative stone commissioned by the Bond Brothers, to mark the USAvGB match played on 10th July 1988 at the official inauguration of the Nicklaus Signature Course at St Mellion – the first Nicklaus design in Great Britain. Nick and Sandy won. Photo: Martin and Hermon Bond.
“Luckily, Jack Nicklaus designed his course to be playable for all levels, and we have some generous forward tees – so why not come along this summer, and test your skills against The Nicklaus for yourself?”
With its reputation growing yearly as one of the UK’s undisputed inland golf classics, The Nicklaus Signature Course sits at the heart of St Mellion International Resort near Plymouth.
Recently-ranked in the #2 slot among 4-Star golf resorts in the UK, and at 15th overall as regards golf resorts in Great Britain & Ireland, St Mellion’s two immaculate 18-hole European Tour golf courses, the Nicklaus Signature Course and The Kernow Course, have earnt it the #2 ranking in England as regards resort golf.
A regular winner of awards and accolades from both golfing and mainstream media, St Mellion International Resort is the flagship venue of Crown Golf, Britain’s largest owner and operator of golf clubs. In 2009 the resort opened a new 80-room AA 4-star hotel which has become the centrepiece of this highly-acclaimed, multiple award-winning destination for both leisure and business in the south west of England.
For a deeper insight into how two Cornish farmers, Martin and Hermon Bond, built an internationally-celebrated golf resort, a new book by Michael Taylor and Paddy Flavin, ‘St Mellion – The Bond Legacy’ is now available on Amazon.
See www.st-mellion.co.uk for all information, and to book your next visit.
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Sky Sports put C&B in the spotlight
It was a case of lights, cameras, action on Sunday at Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club as Sky Sports came to film head PGA Pro Angus Hoare and two of his talented charges.
Brothers Brandon Sarfo, aged 16, and Hayden, eight, are long-standing pupils of Angus and have both been capturing the golfing headlines.
Older brother Brandon, who plays off three, is part of the England Midland Training Squad U18s squad while Hayden has qualified for the World Junior Golf Championships in San Diego in July.
Haydn has a 22 handicap and has been wowing coaches and members alike with his smooth swing and golfing skills.
Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Edwards and cameraman spent three hours at the club where they filmed the juniors in action while also speaking to dad Claude and Angus.
“I’ve been working with Brandon for four years and Hayden for two years,” said Angus.
“Hayden qualifying for the World Junior Golf Championships has attracted a lot of media attention. He already plays off 22 which is really pretty impressive for an eight year old and I think he could go all the way.
“I love coaching both the boys. With Hayden, we work a lot on the fundamentals. He swings it lovely but if the fundamentals breakdown that is when the bad shots come so we work a lot on the grip, posture and alignment.”
Churchill & Blakedown is making great strides in growing its juniors section with 30 on its books.
Angus, who is a PGA Advanced Professional, and fellow PGA pro Phil Lathwood are both passionate about encouraging more juniors into golf and welcomed the chance to showcase the club.
Angus Hoare – Sky Sports
“We host a lot of coaching programmes at Churchill & Blakedown and also do a lot of out reach work in schools and also adults centres for those with learning disabilities,” added Angus.
“Golf is a great game for kids, both for the health and well-being of being outside but also for teaching them about life-skills. The more we can get playing the better.”
Any parents interested in getting their children into golf can call Angus and Phil on 01562 700454 to find out more.
Thumbs up for Alsager’s new holes
South Cheshire Golf Club Unveils New Back Nine Holes
Continuous investment and innovative planning at Alsager Golf and Country Club has resulted in the unveiling of the new back nine holes on the course. The changes have been funded solely from the voluntary 200 Club Lottery and the majority of the work carried out by the Club’s own Greenstaff throughout the year.
At a time when many golf clubs are not investing in their course, Alsager Golf and Country Club has taken the opposite approach. In addition to the £500k which the club spent a few years ago on improvements to the course drainage, last year the decision was taken by the membership to redesign some of the holes on the back nine and enhance the course for all golfers.
The old 13th par 3, known to many as ‘cardiac hill’, has been replaced with a new par 4, 13th hole which promises to be one of the signature holes on the course.
New 13th tee
Not only has the 13th changed, but also the 14th and 15th has also benefited from the redesign. The current 15th has become the 14th and so golfers are still able to enjoy the spectacular views over six counties, which can be seen on a clear day.
A new short par 3 has been added, this is the new 15th and the members actually designed the green and the approach, so this has really been a project that has the Club behind it. Then as previously played you will will move seamlessly over to the 16th and play the remaining three holes as before.
The 200 Club Lottery was first proposed by Vice Captain Frank Wallace two years ago and this has been used to to fund the £15/20k project. The club has also been fortunate to call on members with professional skills such as architect Dave Volkes, Director of Hulme Upright for their help. The Club’s own Greenstaff, headed by Mike Goodfellow, have carried out the work, with some additional help from contractors for the heavy machinery work. During this time Alsager’s members and visitors have continued to play the existing course, with minimal disruption.
The new holes are important for both membership retention and to attract new members and although some of the stroke indexes have been changed for two of the new holes, the course yardage is reduced slightly. New buggy paths are installed and any trees lost have been replanted as the environment is important to the club.
MG’s editors Phil and Mandy were invited to a special occasion at the club on April 27th when the new back nine, funded by the club and worked on by the greenstaff with plenty of member support was officially opened.
Alsager’s issue was always their final six, from the old 13th hole onwards you get some marvellous views from the top of up to six other counties on a clear day. But such was the configuration, the stretch from 13 to 15 left you with not one but two quite punishing climbs to contend with, a slightly off-putting prospect.
Something was needed and funded solely by club lottery takings, work started in the winter to make the changes required.
What they’ve achieved is incredibly impressive and has done the trick perfectly. The old long uphill par three 13th has now been changed to a much shorter and level 15th, completely taking out one of the climbs. The 14th becomes a new par four 13th, with spectacular views from the tee. The old 15th now becomes the new 14th, with a new path constructed to make it an easier walk to the 15th tee.
There’s still a little bit of work to be done at the back of the new 15th green, but the new loop is now fully open for business, easier walking, yet still maintaining that scenic splendour. They’ve done a wonderful job and MG were made to feel extremely welcome by the club, whose members make as much effort in a friendly welcome as they do when pulling together for a job such as this.
On Friday June 15th societies are invited to play in a special organiser’s day – organiser plus three playing partners for just £15 each including a meal, with discounts off society days as prizes.
For the month of May Alsager celebrates the opening of the new holes by offering £10 visitor green fees for Mon-Fri which also includes 20% off bar drinks.
Motocaddys trolley trade-in
MOTOCADDY LAUNCHES TROLLEY TRADE-IN PROMOTION
-Golfers get £50 towards new model and old trolley recycled for free-
Motocaddy, the world’s leading trolley company, is giving golfers the chance to upgrade their old electric trolley for a brand new one over the next few months and get a £50 cashback bonus – plus have their old trolley recycled for free.
For the first time ever, golfers who buy a Motocaddy powered trolley with a Lithium battery between now and the end of June, can claim a £50 cashback when they trade in their old electric trolley – irrespective of brand, model, age or condition (working or not).
As part of the brand’s biggest ever promotion, Motocaddy has partnered with package delivery giant UPS and a specialist recycling company, to ensure that the old trolleys are responsibly recycled, rather than damage the environment by going to landfill or find its way back into the market as a refurbished trolley.
“More than 70% of UK golfers already use an electric trolley and this promotion provides them with a great opportunity to upgrade,” said Motocaddy Sales Director, Neil Parker. “Not only will they save £50, but they can also relax in the knowledge that their old trolley will be recycled in an environmentally friendly way.”
Following the purchase of a new Motocaddy Lithium trolley, golfers simply register the warranty on the brand’s website and submit their trade-in claim. Once the claim has been verified, a free shipping label is emailed to them, so the old trolley can be dropped off at one of more than 3,000 UPS Access Points across mainland Britain.
When the old trolley has been received, Motocaddy will then transfer the £50 cashback directly into the golfer’s bank account.
”This is the first time we’ve run a trolley trade-in promotion and we’re sure this offer will tempt many golfers,” said Sales Director Neil Parker. “There has never been a better choice of powered trolleys within our range including GPS, Compact, Remote and Downhill Control – there really is a trolley for every golfer,” he added.
The 10-week promotion is available to golfers living on mainland Britain and excludes Northern Ireland, the Scottish Isles, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The promotion runs until Saturday 30th June 2018.
For more information on the Motocaddy Trolley Trade-in promotion and to view the full terms and conditions, please visit www.motocaddy.com/trade-in
Archie’s coast to coast challenge
Derbyshire based junior golfer Archie Qualtrough is preparing for a daunting fundraising challenge to become the first person to hit a golf ball from coast to coast.
The 11-year-old, who plays off a 16 handicap, is aiming to raise much-needed cash and awareness for four charities in memory of two High Peak sporting youngsters.
Archie, who last year raised over £2,500 for the same causes by playing 100 holes during one soaking High Peak day (below), has planned a five-day, 83-mile route using 15 golf courses from Maryport GC on the west coast of England to Tynemouth GC on the east coast.
The cross-country challenge is to start on Monday, May 28, and primary school pupil Archie expects it will take five days to complete.
Archie, who is a member of the Derbyshire Under 14 squad and plays his golf at Woodhall Spa, came up with the idea at the end of last year and worked out the path along the approximate route of Hadrian’s Wall.
He told Midlands Golfer magazine: “It’s going to be very tough but I’m confident I can complete the challenge – I’ve been busy building my fitness level and I’m in the gym or out on the course every day.
“I was amazed by the support I received last year and knew I had to do something similar again to raise money and awareness for the four charities that mean a lot to me and the people around me.”
Archive is hoping to raise £6,000 in memory of Ben Strollery and Charlie Craig that is donated through his JustGiving page to YoungMinds, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), Finlay Cooper Foundation and The Golf Foundation.
Mum Anna says Archie is looking for the support of golf companies to help him achieve his aim.
“Each of the first four days will be dedicated to each of the charities and Archie is hoping to use social media to highlight their work and how they benefit and support young people,” she added.
“Any help in spreading the messages to a wider audience would help enormously.”
Archie will be sending a daily diary of his challenge to Midlands Golfer for readers to follow his route across the country.
Main image – Archie with his Woodhall Spa coach Neil Harvey
Baker v The Ambassadors
We’re testing Peter Baker’s professional knowledge this summer for a collection of noble causes. Its Majors time and a repeat for something we did this time last year which is all good fun but wasn’t an overwhelming success. Seeing as how it’s all for charity as well, we must do better this year.
Peter is pitting his wits against our MG ambassadors, our valued team of guys who help us deliver the magazine each month. All they have to do is each place a couple of bets on each major, MG goes down the bookies and places them – plus as it’s Ryder Cup year, we’re doing a predict the score from Paris too.
£25 will be wagered on each event, and whoever comes out on top with the highest collective winnings by October will scoop the full pot and donate it to their chosen charity.
- Predictions were made on the week of March 19th-23rd
Peter Baker’s picks & reasons
Masters – TO WIN Justin Thomas EACH WAY BET Jordan Spieth
“Thomas is a man on form and a long straight hitter too, which is a big thing at Augusta. I just can’t ignore Jordan either, such a great record here.”
US Open WIN Phil Mickleson EACH WAY Dustin Johnson
“Purely for sentimental reasons and also as he’s a winner again at last, Phil is surely destined to win one US Open? Shinnecock is pretty linksy too which should help him further.”
Open Championship WIN Jon Rahm EACH WAY Justin Rose
“Back to the Europeans on the toughest of Open venues. After his Irish Open win last year Rahm knows how to play links. And Justin Rose, I fancy him for an Open soon.”
US PGA WIN Rory Mcllroy EACH WAY Rickie Fowler
“I’m gambling that by August Rory might be back on form at last! *Plus Rickie’s another one who has come so close so many times, a major win must happen soon.”
*Peter recorded this conversation before the recent Bay Hill Invitational won by Rory Mcllroy!*
Ryder Cup Score – Europe 16-12 USA – Chosen Charity – Compton Hospice – Wolverhampton
THE AMBASSADORS
Chris Bates – Coventry & Warwickshire Ambassador – Known by us affectionately as ‘The Odds God’ Chris, a Coventry GC member proved that to be correct in 2017 at the very last minute as his E/W bet at the USPGA, Justin Thomas romped to victory with a final round charge. Chris scooped the full winnings, donating £220 to the Alzheimer’s Society and is ready to go again this year.
Masters TO WIN Bubba Watson EACH WAY Tyrell Hatton
US Open WIN Rory Mcllroy EACH WAY Jon Rahm
Open Championship WIN Justin Rose EACH WAY Jordan Spieth
US PGA WIN Rickie Fowler EACH WAY Justin Rose
Ryder Cup Score Europe 14.5 v 13.5 USA – Chosen Charity – Alzheimer’s Society
Neil White/Mark Johnson – Worcs Ambassadors – Neil and Mark, both members of BUNGS share a delivery route for us, so they share this too. They are hoping for a better showing this year than they managed in 2017.
Masters TO WIN Dustin Johnson EACH WAY Tiger Woods
US Open WIN Justin Rose EACH WAY Tiger Woods
Open Championship WIN Tommy Fleetwood EACH WAY Tiger Woods
US PGA WIN Justin Thomas EACH WAY Tiger Woods
Ryder Cup Score Europe 15-13 USA – Chosen Charity – Breast Cancer Support (BUNGS captain’s charity for 2018)
Paul Spooner – Black Country and N Birmingham ambassador – Paul, who is a Walsall GC member and WAGS society member has taken the place of the editor for this year, because the editor wasn’t very good either! Good luck Paul, (he’s the one on the left!)
Masters TO WIN Dustin Johnson EACH WAY Tiger Woods
US Open WIN Tiger Woods EACH WAY Hideki Matsuyama
Open Championship WIN Rory Mcllroy EACH WAY Matt Fitzpatrick
US PGA WIN Jordan Spieth EACH WAY Justin Thomas
Ryder Cup Score – Europe 15.5 v USA 12.5 – Chosen Charity – Cancer Research
Tony Rogers – MG’s Nottinghamshire ambassador – Another new contestant, Tony is the organiser of the Willowbrook GS and is a member at The Nottinghamshire.
Masters TO WIN Justin Rose EACH WAY BET Phil Mickleson
US Open WIN Jason Day EACH WAY Hideki Matsuyama
Open Championship WIN Sergio Garcia EACH WAY Tommy Fleetwood
US PGA WIN Justin Thomas EACH WAY Jordan Speith
Ryder Cup Score Europe 14.5 USA 13.5 – Chosen Charity – Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
We’ll update the current winnings as each major passes – hope they are significant ones – good luck all
By the riverside – Barlaston GC
1st tee shot view
Situated close to The Potteries just an hour from the centre of Birmingham, Barlaston is very a attractive riverside location designed by Peter Alliss in 1977. The club is a hard working and sociable venue with a great tradition, past and present of bringing up quality junior players.
After a fairly gentle beginning the River Trent provides a challenge as well as an attractive border running alongside holes three to five, an area which has seen many course improvements in recent times to guarantee quality all-weather playability.
‘Old Swampy’ (above) is a formidable seventh, a long par four with it’s 90 degree dog leg, undulations and a tiny looking punchbowl green protected by its pond and swamp surrounds. A terrifying looking approach in store and many will play it as a par five, but overhitting an approach isn’t a bad ploy as the banking you can see on the right of the image carries on all around the back of green and may bounce your ball back in the right direction.
The ninth (main image) shows Barlaston off at it’s very finest, a superb tee shot view over the lake on this short par five, the temptation is just how much of it you are prepared to take on for the reward of a shorter second shot.
The back nine follows a more traditional parkland path, tree lined on gently undulating land with more than a few twists and turns. The long par three 13th is the toughest test as the water returns, one demanding tee shot to avoid the drink, and the out of bounds on the right.
There are enough testing holes here to follow the adage not to be fooled by the modest yardage on the card, to play to your handicap at Barlaston will require some good course management skills. Enjoy too a wide variety of wildlife and the many different tree species guarantee a beautiful and varied look for each passing season.
Off course facilities include a full range of good quality and reasonably priced meals and snacks in the club’s large clubhouse lounge.
Societies are frequently attracted to the charms of Barlaston by competitive pricing and a tailor made approach to group days. Weekend society bookings are now also available by prior arrangement
Contact: Jim Pickerill (manager) or Darren Martin (professional) on 01782 372867
Email: info@barlastongolfclub.co.uk
http://www.barlastongolfclub.co.uk/
Lea Mar-vellous – A special day
Mandy Ambert – What can I say about Lea Marston Golf Club and Hotel that I didn’t say last year?
56 players came on Friday 23rd March to play in our second MG mixed event with players from Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Pontypridd. The remit of maintaining a good mix of people from the Midlands is working and with not a raindrop in sight off we went after a cheeky Bucks Fizz and Danish pastries.
The am-am shot gun start proved successful once again and with Senior Pro (Sgt Major) Darren Lewis giving us a briefing prior to the game, we played the competition.
Considering the recent weather endured by all, both nine hole courses, Academy and Marston Lakes were in great condition. The greens were soft and super receptive as well, especially on the short course, “where golfers of average ability managed to achieve prodigious amounts of backspin – which was nice.” Phil – MG
Some very close holes in one on the Academy par 3 course but the shot of the day goes to Jenny Cordon from Leek Golf Club as she hit her immersed ball from a pond onto the green on Marston Lakes. That one was caught by budding photographer Ann Tweddle from Uttoxeter GC. All adds to the fun.
Afterwards, to the bar for some refreshments and then to the evening event of drinks reception followed by a four course meal. Most of the teams stayed over for the night and were slightly more subdued the next day nursing the odd bad head, they party well.
Lea Marston’s hospitality from the seamless organisation through to the accommodation left us all feeling well indulged and spoilt. The feedback from the players has been very complimentary.
Our winners were Team Pontypridd, winning an overnight stay at the Crowne Plaza 5 Towns Resort in Colchester with our own Phil the editor and Paul Povey from Brewin Dolphin wealth management who sponsor our society section making up the fourball. Steve and Karen Parfitt from South Wales had previously played with Jean- Louis and I at the Gourmet Classic event run by Club Choice Ireland last September, and it was great that they could join us.
Phil – ” A great day and night and I normally have to apologise to my team mates that Mandy puts me with for the handicap of playing with me! But we did great as a team and it was nice to win one for a change, even nicer though to make some great new friends, which is what these events of ours are all about.”
The runners up were team Robin Hood GC (below) – Lorraine and Chaz Baldwin, Ed and Sandra Kerby winning a stay and golf at the Lea Marston Hotel.
3rd place went to team Forest of Arden – lady captain Debbie Poynton and her husband Tim and David Wright with Christine Mitchell winning a fourball at Druids Heath Golf Club.
4th place went to team LLG (Ladies Love Golf) Michelle and Chris Walker, Jane and Tony Aston winning two boxes of balls. Yes there was clearly something in their wine on the table!
On the day we also ran a raffle for Prostate Cancer Research, and Jean- Louis and I are proud to say we raised £200. Thank you SurprizeShopGolf for the raffle prizes.
Again thank you for the generosity, Crown Plaza Hotels, Lea Marston, Darren Lewis PGA Senior pro and his staff and Druids Heath GC.
Team Trentham
Next year as part of our pledge to reward and support the clubs and resorts who support MG year on year, we hope to move the event to Ullesthorpe Court Hotel in Leicestershire.
With so many ladies present I managed to sign a few up for MGALS, numbers now for our ladies society are in excess of 60 and counting. Our next MGALS event is on July 8th at the Forest of Arden.
Please contact me of you are interested in any of the events ladyeditor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk
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Flexible approach pays off for C&B
Golf is changing and memberships are changing too as clubs move to meet the needs of the modern golfer.
Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club, a traditional private members’ club founded in 1926, has embraced a new flexible membership category to increase choice for golfers.
And, nearing the first anniversary since C&B launched its Flex-Up membership, it’s fair to say it has been a huge success.
With nearly 70 members signed up across its three packages, Flex-Up is going from strength to strength and has complemented the traditional full membership categories.
Flex-Up membership was the idea of the club’s PGA professionals Angus Hoare and Phil Lathwood.
Churchill and Blakedown Golf Club
Aimed at attracting new members and generating revenue during the club’s quieter times, it has given a range of golfers the opportunity to become involved at this picturesque course in north Worcestershire.
Flex-Up has proved ideal both for beginners just getting into the game who perhaps don’t want to commit to full membership fees yet or more established golfers who love golf but simply don’t have the time to justify full membership at this point in their lives.
Among those to fall into the starter category is Julie Yardley who has been playing for a year and also has regular coaching with Phil.
Phil Lathwood and Julie Yardley.
Julie became the 50th Flex-Up member and the membership has ignited a love affair with golf.
“As someone who works I have limited time so can only play once or twice a week at most so Flex-Up is ideal,” she said. “I started to play last year because my husband plays and once I had a go I fell in love with golf. I’ve been made to feel very welcome at Churchill and Blakedown and my game has come on massively with Phil’s help so I’m really enjoying the Flex-Up experience.”
Flex-Up is points-based with three packages – 60, 120 or 210 points.
While not carrying the benefits of full membership it is sufficient to meet the needs of many who still hanker after the golf club environment and they can also play in Stablefords and medals.
The club’s long-term aim is to encourage Flex-Up members to move up to full membership which several have already done but in the meantime it has proved invaluable in getting more golfers into C&B which can only be of benefit to all concerned.
If you are interested in Flex-Up or just getting into golf call Angus or Phil in the pro shop on 01562 700454 and find out more.
Alternatively see https://churchillblakedowngolfclub.co.uk/membership/flex-up-membership/
Main Image: Golfers on the 3rd
Sky Sports put C&B in the spotlight
It was a case of lights, cameras, action at Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club as Sky Sports came to film head PGA pro Angus Hoare and two of his talented charges in the summer.
Brothers Brandon Sarfo, aged 16, and Hayden, eight, are long-standing pupils of Angus and have both been capturing the golfing headlines.
Older brother Brandon, who plays off three, is part of the England Midland Training Squad U18s squad while Hayden qualified and recently shone in the World Junior Golf Championships in San Diego in July.
Haydn has a 22 handicap and has been wowing coaches and members alike with his smooth swing and golfing skills.
Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Edwards and cameraman spent three hours at the club where they filmed the juniors in action while also speaking to dad Claude and Angus.
“I’ve been working with Brandon for four years and Hayden for two years,” said Angus.
“Hayden qualifying for the World Junior Golf Championships attracted a lot of media attention. He already plays off 22 which is really pretty impressive for an eight year old and I think he could go all the way.
Hayden Sarfo
“I love coaching both the boys. With Hayden we work a lot on the fundamentals. He swings it lovely but if the fundamentals breakdown that is when the bad shots come so we work a lot on grip, posture and alignment.”
Churchill & Blakedown is making great strides in growing its juniors section with 30 on its books.
Angus, who is a PGA Advanced Professional, and fellow PGA pro Phil Lathwood are both passionate about encouraging more juniors into golf and welcomed the chance to showcase the club.
Angus Hoare – Sky Sports
“We host a lot of coaching programmes at Churchill & Blakedown and also do a lot of out reach work in schools and also adults centres for those with learning disabilities,” added Angus.
“Golf is a great game for kids, both for the health and well-being of being outside but also for teaching them about life-skills. The more we can get playing the better.”
Any parents interested in getting their children into golf can call Angus and Phil on 01562 70045 4to find out more.
Zoom Aqua: Perfect fit in all weathers
ZOOM AQUA CONTROL GLOVE – THE PERFECT FIT WHATEVER THE WEATHER
With unique ‘One Size Fits All’ technology, enhanced durability and all weather performance the ZOOM Aqua Control is the glove that fits perfectly
Innovative golf glove brand ZOOM is bringing its latest development to the market this spring – ZOOM Aqua Control. Built on the brand’s unique FLEXX-FIT technology, the Aqua Control utilises an ingenious mix of flex zones to fit the contours of a golfer’s hand, feeling like a second skin whatever the player’s usual size.
Zoom Aqua Controll black charcoal red_preview
Developed with Austrian Tour player Marcus Brier, ZOOM technology gives fantastic shot feedback due to its ‘second skin’ characteristics. Now for 2018, with the introduction of the AQUA Control, ZOOM has a glove that fits every golfer and every golfing occasion.
Zoom Aqua Controll black charcoal lime_preview
The Aqua Control combines breathable Lycra material with premium kangaroo leather to provide a glove that is twice as durable, fits all sizes, and delivers incredible grip in dry conditions that is matched by its performance in the wet. This innovative blend of technology also benefits from ZOOM Shape-Fit which maintains the perfect shape of the glove, staying wrinkle free round after round and providing a perfectly secure connection to the club.
Zoom Aqua Controll black charcoal fuchsia_preview
In addition to the most modern technology, ZOOM gloves feature several colour combinations that make them stand out from the crowd. With all weather performance, lasting durability, multiple colour combinations and one size that fits all, ZOOM AQUA Control really is the best fit for every golfer.
Zoom Aqua Controll black white red preview
RRP’s: AQUA Control – £19.99, GRIP – £14.99, WEATHER – £11.99, TOUR (Cabretta) – £19.99
Colours: White-black-red, Charcoal-fuchsia, Black-charcoal-lime, Black-red
Media Enquiries: David Wheatley, Medi8
E: david@medi8ltd.co.uk M: +44 (0) 7740 684568
The CUBE is the 1st ‘Smart’ trolley
Motocaddy Puts GPS into New push trolley
– CUBE CONNECT is the first ‘Smart’ push model in the world –
Motocaddy, the world’s top-selling golf trolley brand, is introducing its proven CONNECT GPS technology into its latest manual model to create the ultimate feature-packed push trolley.
Based on the popular CUBE model launched in summer 2017, the new CUBE CONNECT push trolley is the first of its kind in the world and follows the successful launch last year of Motocaddy’s S5 CONNECT Smart Cart electric trolley and free GPS partner app, which has been downloaded by more than 45,000 golfers.
Through a Smart Display screen positioned conveniently above its soft-touch handle, the CUBE CONNECT provides the same distance data and optional smartphone alerts as the powered trolley version on the S5 CONNECT and S5 CONNECT DHC models.
When synced to the Motocaddy GPS app via a Bluetooth connection on any compatible smartphone, it can be pre-set to receive notifications alerting golfers to a missed call, text, email or range of app alerts, including WhatsApp and Facebook. The smartphone can remain connected, even when securely placed in a golf bag.
In another ground-breaking move in the push trolley sector, the digital display also acts as a conventional GPS device – providing front, middle and back distances to the green (in yards or metres) for more than 40,000 courses worldwide, plus shot measurements, clock and round timer – all of which can be controlled directly from the trolley handle.
Powered by a Motocaddy long-life battery, the high-tech CONNECT Smart Display screen can be tilted up and down for multi-angle visibility in any light on the easy-push, height adjustable ergonomic handle.
“Since its launch last year, the CUBE has been our top-selling push trolley, so to combine it with our proven CONNECT technology and expand our GPS range is something we think golfers will be really excited about,” said Managing Director, Tony Webb.
“We pride ourselves on producing innovative products for golfers worldwide. The CUBE CONNECT is another revolutionary model featuring ‘Smart’ technology, that we’re confident will be a huge hit with golfers looking for an ultra-modern, gadget-packed push trolley,” he added.
Along with its innovative ‘Smart’ technology, the compact-folding CUBE CONNECT boasts a number of performance-enhancing features, including the incredibly simple two-step assembly system that allows it to quickly fold over 45% smaller than traditional push trolleys to fit into the smallest of car boots.
It also incorporates a foot-operated parking brake; quick-release friction free oversized wheels; a folding lock; adjustable bag supports and the brand’s innovative EASILOCK™ bag-to-trolley connection system found on all Motocaddy trolleys, removing the need for a lower bag strap.
In addition, the CUBE CONNECT features a number of handy storage options, including an under-handle net; integrated accessory compartment; and holes for carrying tees and balls.
Motocaddy now has its biggest-ever push trolley range, that also includes the easy to manoeuvre P360 featuring a 360° rotating front wheel allowing the trolley to access even the tightest of spaces; the top-selling compact-folding CUBE; the fast-folding and lightweight P1, that can be folded up or down in one simple step; and the ever-popular S1 Lite incorporating the exclusive QUIKFOLD mechanism.
The CUBE CONNECT will be available in a Graphite frame with Blue trim from March at a Recommended Retail Price of £219.99.
For more information on all Motocaddy trolleys, bags, batteries and accessories, please visit www.motocaddy.com.
BIG MAX FLATTENS THE COMPETITION
With its fourth generation of Fold Flat technology, BIG MAX stays ahead of the imitators with the remarkable BLADE IP
They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, so innovators like BIG MAX have to keep moving to stay ahead of the game. With its 4th generation of Fold Flat technology, BIG MAX has done just that, literally flattening the competition with the new BLADE IP.
The IP, stands for Intellectual Property, a cheeky reminder for the chasing pack, but the BLADE IP is such a stand out product that it will be a hard act to follow. At a folded size of 88 x 62 cm and an incredible depth of just 12.5 cm the BLADE IP is hands down, the most easily stored and transported push cart on the market. In its folded state it fits in virtually any car boot with a full golf bag placed on top. If space is truly an issue then the IP will slide neatly on a parcel shelf or behind the front seats with its carry case (sold separately) keeping everything clean.
While the BLADE IP matches the flattest of BIG MAX’s carts, the real step forward for the IP is the folding mechanism. Once the height adjustable handle is folded down, simply fold the frame flat and lift the BLADE IP to see the back wheels automatically flip under the body. With a push of the front wheel the whole cart folds to just 12.5 cm deep and is ready to be packed away.
Aside from its unique folding and storage qualities, the BLADE IP stands out for its robust, stable construction and ease of use on the fairways. Adjustable bag brackets accommodate even the largest Tour bag and the double foot brake keeps the BLADE IP in place even on the hilliest courses. Integrated drink holder, storage compartment in the handle, ball, tee and double scorecard holder keep all your necessities close to hand and multiple Quick Lok and Quick Fix bases are ready to take any BIG MAX accessory such as umbrella holder, GPS holder, or sand bottle holder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQvrWUO0O_0
BIG MAX is so confident of the quality of the BLADE IP that it comes with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. So while this is a premium push cart, 5 years of guaranteed, high quality, convenient usage make it a great value buy.
Simple to use, impressive to see and giving unprecedented ease of storage, the BLADE IP really stands out from the crowd. If you’re considering a premium push cart then don’t even give the imitators a second glance. The BLADE IP is the only show in town, keeping ahead of the game and flattening anything else on the market.
Available in Black, Black/Lime, White, White/Lime, Phantom/Red in stores from March 2018
RRP: £299.99
F: facebook.com/bigmaxgolf
T: @BIGMAXGOLF
Insta: @BIGMAX.GOLF
Media Enquiries: david@medi8ltd.co.uk +44 (0)7740 684568
About BIG MAX
BIG MAX has been Europe’s #1 push cart brand for over 15 years following the unprecedented success of the world’s first 3 wheel push cart the Ti1000. Available in virtually every country that plays golf, BIG MAX is a name that has become associated with quality and innovation. It’s most recent advancement, Fold Flat technology, has seen BIG MAX pioneer push carts that fold down completely flat, in some cases to less than 5” deep. BIG MAX has furthered its reputation for innovation with its AQUA and DRI LITE technology that in the last quarter of 2017 matched BIG MAX push carts by becoming #1 golf bag and travel cover brand in Germany, a traditional marker for # 1 in continental Europe.
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Major award for Anders
Golf coach Anders Mankert, who changes lives through the sport, was honoured last night with England Golf’s Lifetime Service Award, sponsored by Bridgestone.
Mankert, from Cosby Golf Club, Leicestershire, was recognised at the England Golf Awards at the Royal Lancaster London, which highlighted all that’s great about golf in England.
Mankert was celebrated for the difference he has made to blind and visually impaired golfers and to young players making their way in the game.
Guests at the glittering, black tie event – including influential figures from across the sport, volunteers, coaches, clubs and counties – applauded Mankert for his remarkable volunteer contributions which span more than two decades.
He was nominated by blind students who put him forward for “being a unique inspiration and primarily for introducing us to the sport which has changed our life!” The judges agreed, commenting: “Anders has literally given time, expertise and selfless dedication over 20 years, helping to extend the game’s inclusivity.”
Mankert said of his award: “It’s not why I do it, but it’s a lovely, lovely thing to be recognised for your efforts and to know that people actually care. It’s quite humbling and it’s the most amazing thing that has happened in my career.”
His story begins back in the mid-1990s when he saw a group of blind and visually impaired players making weekly visits to a golf range. He realised he could help them, tentatively offered his services and has been working with them, and others, ever since, without charging a penny. “We have just carried on for the next 20 years!” he said.
Mankert, an Advanced Fellow of the PGA and an honorary life member of the England and Wales Blind Golf Association, does far more than teach the technical skills. When one of his students was unable to find an all-important guide to accompany him on the course, he persuaded a local newspaper to feature the blind golfer – with the result that 17 people volunteered to help.
When other students, often unable to work, cannot afford golf club subscriptions he contacts local clubs to ask if they will waive their fees. Some willingly open their doors, but it can also be a tough task – Mankert wrote to 15 clubs on behalf of one player and didn’t receive a single reply.
But the setbacks are far outweighed by the achievements. The player who was very depressed after losing his sight overnight and is now British No 1, has competed in world championships and counts Mankert as a personal friend. The visually impaired girl who is now able to play weekly golf with her dad. The young offender who almost blinded his victim with a shot from an air rifle and was ordered by a judge to act as a blind person’s carer for a week. “It was genius,” said Mankert, who described how the surly, unhelpful young man transformed into a phenomenal carer.
There’s also satisfaction achieved by player after player. “It strikes me that golf must be the hardest possible game for a blind person to take up,” said Mankert. “But I think they feel that if they can play golf and see some progress they can pretty much have a go at anything and you can see their confidence growing.”
There’s also satisfaction for Mankert. “I get masses out of this. I have really enjoyed it, it’s very rewarding to see how something small on my part, giving up a little bit of time, has had such a tremendous impact. It’s unbelievable.”
Mankert also runs a scholarship programme offering young golfers the opportunity to work like a tour pro for a year. They receive unlimited coaching and mentoring from Mankert together with support from specialists such as a physiotherapist and a dietician.
He’s just awarded his sixth scholarship, selecting the winner from 387 applicants from across the country. One of his former protégées, Ryan Evans, is now a European Tour player, and another is a PGA professional, while all have improved their golf and grown personally and in confidence.
“When I was young lots of people helped me and so it’s quite important to give a bit back, it just feels the right thing to do,” said Mankert.
Main feature image: Anders Mankert (left) receives his award from Stuart Attfield on behalf of event sponsors Bridgestone.
New Rushcliffe challenge for Marc
The Rushcliffe Golf Club has recently appointed a new Club Manager. Marc Valentine, 27 years old from Loughborough, has been tasked with building on the fantastic work that has taken place at The Rushcliffe Golf Club over the last few years.
Alongside a fantastic course, The Rushcliffe Golf Club has a brilliant set of staff members with passionate Greenstaff and Golf Pro who work tirelessly for the good of the Club.
Marc Valentine
Having previously worked in a business development role for a leading University, Marc brings with him a skill set focused on business engagement, social media marketing and events management. In his previous role he was responsible for engaging with some of the largest organisations in the world and directly contributed to the organisation and running of the UK’s largest university careers fair, an event which catered for over 240 organisations and 7,000 students.
Marc is passionate about developing the The Rushcliffe Golf Club brand and embracing technology in order to do so. His aim is to secure the long-term future success of the Club by continuing to develop the fantastic golfing product and facilities available.
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DOGS (Dallington Old Boys)
Dallington Old Boys Golf Society or “DOGS” as we call ourselves were founded in November 2016 and are based around the Northamptonshire region.
We started as a core group of friends in and around our 30s who were finding it ever harder to stay in touch on a regular basis amongst the daily grind and family commitments. DOGS was born. With a founding membership of 21 we’ve already grown by over a third in just over a year which is a fantastic achievement from everyone involved.
We’re proudly run by a committee of Kelvin “Dad” Longrigg – who looks after the core running of the society as Captain and Secretary, Glen “DD” Smith – Vice Captain and Treasurer who helps ensure event days run like clockwork, Stuart “Jarv” Wiseman – the brains behind our league tables and handicap adjustments. Alex “Sharky” Parkinson manages our social media channels “tweeting, following, and YouTubing” his heart out hoping that one day we’ll get a complimentary invite to Augusta J. Then we have Mr. Phil “Fines Master esq” Martin who, with sniper like precision polices the society rules with the proceeds helping to fund our social events. We’re also very proud to donate a portion of our fines to charity each year and for 2018 we’ve selected Cancer Research as the beneficiary.
We are a band of builders, sales folk, recruiters, architects, designers, electricians, not to mention a few members of the #Hashtagutd celebrity YouTube football team – all of us bound by our common interest in golf.
And it would be remiss to not give a special mention to our northern/southern @madebygav with a backswing that would beguile the most experienced contortionist – naturally he’s known as “The Whirlwind”. We think he’s one of the longest hitters on tour, it’s just that we’re never really sure which way it’s going off the tee!
Playing courses in and around the Northamptonshire/Midlands area our curtain closer was hosted by the Belfry on the Brabazon course capping a hugely successful first season. Some notably enjoyable courses have been Collingtree Park, Staverton Park and Whittlebury Park, each providing their own quirks and challenges.
In terms of competitions, we run season long stableford and match play leagues. Interestingly, since our inaugural event we are still yet to see a double winner!! The stableford league is the bread and butter of accolades with the overall winner presented with the Stephen Fairbrother Order of Merit trophy (below) – in memory of our good friend “Fairy” who sadly passed away in 2008 at the age of 24, way way before his time. He keeps the weather good for us! Ironically, the first Order of Merit was won by none other than “Dad” himself having been taken right to the wire at the last event by Vice Captain DD. 2018 promises to be an equally competitive affair as the race to being crowned 2018 OoM Champion hots up again with the promise of the winner’s name etched into DOGS folklore.
In addition to the season long leagues we also run individual event prizes; the usual NP/LDs plus various special prizes such as “Par 5 Hero (best cumulative par 5 scores)” and “Connect 4 (best 4 holes in a row)” amongst others with current front runners lit up on the special prize leaderboard.
New for 2018 will also see us running some golf “skills schools” such as freestyling, chipping challenges etc. which we’ll be posting on our social media channels for a bit of fun.
So what does the future hold for DOGS? We’re still a young society and are always looking for ways to improve. We regularly run surveys seeking feedback on how we are run, the courses we play, hospitality etc. We also like to share this feedback with our hosts. Aside from continuing to invest in our main objective of promoting friendships through the enjoyment of the game we’d like to increase our membershipand grow our DOGS brand to become synonymous with being one of the most attractive golf societies in and around the Northampton area.
If you are interested in becoming a DOG – please get in touch via email at dogsgolfers@gmail.com or via one of our social media channels @dogsgolfsociety. Similarly, if you’re a golfing venue and would be interested in hosting us as a society please get in touch
Duca Del Cosma NEW shoe range
DUCA DEL COSMA RELEASES EXCITING NEW SHOE RANGE
-Premium Italian brand offers lifestyle designs for on & off course wear-
The Italian fashion brand Duca del Cosma that pioneered ultra-lightweight spikeless golf shoes more than a decade ago, is releasing an eye-catching new range of premium golf shoes for Spring 2018 that can be worn both on and off the course.
Bold, classy, elegant and sporty – the brand philosophy is represented in a distinctive collection for men and women that takes its inspiration from award-winning Italian design combined with amazing attention to detail.
The latest range features stylish options incorporating new designs and colourways, plus state-of-the-art shoe technology.
Leading styles for men include the Camelot (White/Lemon), Kuba (White/Red/Green) and the La Spezia (White/Orange); while the women’s collection also boasts top-of-the-line shoes, including the Palm Springs (White/Taupe), Porto Ercole (White/Sand) as well as the Olbia (Gold).
The high class build quality is matched with advanced technology that includes a waterproof microfibre system acting like a breathable protective ‘sock’ within the shoe. The waterproof membrane keeps the foot dry during play and is supported by a soft PU insert sole to provide extra comfort for the duration of the round.
The brand’s innovative SKYFLEX technology outsole is built around an ergonomic design that provides grip during the downswing for a stable strike, while special channels allow the shoe to bend and flex perfectly to the natural roll-off motion of the foot.
“Golfers who try them comment that our shoes are extremely comfortable from the very first time they wear them,” said Tony Eccleston, General Manager for Duca del Cosma in the UK & Ireland. “We pride ourselves on being the brand that pioneered the spikeless golf shoe and we continue to move forward with new shoe technologies, as well as an exceptional range of colours and design styles,” he added.
The lightweight shoes are available in a variety of fashionable colour combinations and to see the full range visit the website: www.ducadelcosma.com
BIG MAX Launch Next Generation
BIG MAX LAUNCHES NEXT GENERATION BAG RANGE
Ultra-Lightweight, spacious and even with a unique new category, BIG MAX 2018 waterproof golf bags make life on the fairways just that little bit better.
The award-winning Golf bag range from BIG MAX is expanding for 2018 with new additions that build on the success of the company’s AQUA technology as well as a unique innovation that creates a new category of golf bag.
The technology underpinning the AQUA range is the brand’s new Drop-Stop system that guarantees the bags are 100% waterproof. Using waterproof fabric with an unprecedented waterproof rating of over 10.000mm*, along with sealed seams and specially designed Japanese waterproof zips, the AQUA range delivers an unrivalled level of protection from the elements. Add in the removable see-through hood with zipper access from either side and the new AQUA bags take water protection to complete new levels.
The AQUA Hybrid is a category-defining golf bag that delivers the best of both Cart and Stand bag technology. While most stand bags adequately sit on a trolley, they are prone to twisting and shifting as the base mechanism isn’t designed to sit flat. Cart bags fare even worse out of their comfort zone making for a clumsy and cumbersome carry. The Hybrid gives the best of both worlds.
The unique flat base and leg lock system are perfect for securing to a trolley or buggy, sitting as perfectly square as the most robust cart bag. With 7 spacious waterproof pockets, 14-way divider and a host of neat features, the Hybrid has all the function of the best cart bags. But take the hybrid out on its own and it transforms to a stylish lightweight stand bag. The footless stand mechanism works exactly like any other stand bag while the air channel straps allow for breathability and comfort. At just 2.3kg the Hybrid is a breeze to carry, delivering the best of both worlds, however you choose to get it round the course.
The AQUA Sport 2 is the second generation of the brand’s most successful cart bag. With a 14 way, 9.5-inch organiser top and full-length dividers, the Sport 2 will accommodate and organise a full set with ease. 7 spacious pockets, oversize putter well for large putter grips and an unloaded weight of just 2.4 kg cement the Sport 2’s credentials as a leader in the field of practicality. As with the hybrid, the Sport 2 has a clear rain hood with dual zips for easy access from either side that complete the waterproofing of the bag. A host of neat features such as oversize cooler pocket and easy carry handles combine with neat accessory storage options finish off the practical features on this stylish new addition to the BIG MAX AQUA line.
The AQUA Tour 2 is the ultimate bag for the golfer that has all the gear and wants to keep it 100% dry. The Tour 2 has an enormous capacity for storage combined with a quite unbelievable weight of just 2.7kg. 9 spacious pockets, glove and towel holder, umbrella holder and oversize putter well for large putter grips provide ample storage options. For ease of club movement, the Tour 2 has a 10 inch, 14 way top leading down to individual dividers. If you’re looking for a lightweight option to carry all the gear you could ever need on the course, the Tour 2 delivers on every level and keeps everything dry while it does!
With more designs to come later in the season BIG MAX is set to have the most complete range of golf bags on the market. Recently established as the #1 waterproof golf bag brand in Europe and #1 for any type of golf bag in Germany, the latest combinations of style, substance and practicality from BIG MAX are set to cement the brand’s position at the top of the tree.
*Hydrostatic testing of waterproof fabric gives a mm per 24 hours rating. This refers to the amount of rainfall a fabric can withstand in a single day. Thus, a 10,000mm waterproof rating means the garment can withstand 10,000mm of rainfall in a single day without letting moisture in.
Aqua Hybrid – £229.99 available in Black/Red, Silver/Black/Red, Lime/Black/Silver, Red/Black/Silver, Petrol/Black/Orange, White/Black/Orange
Aqua Sport 2 – £239.99 available in Black/Silver, Charcoal/Black/Red, Silver/Black/Cobalt, Yellow/Black/Silver, Red/Black/Silver, Navy/Black/Silver, Petrol/Orange/Black, White/Black/Orange, Charcoal/Fuchsia
Aqua Tour 2 – £269.99 available in Black/Silver, Charcoal/Orange/Black, Red/Silver/Black, Petrol/Orange/Black, Lime/Silver/Black, Silver/Lime/Black
For more information on the BIG MAX Aqua range visit www.bigmaxgolf.com or follow socially:
facebook.com/bigmaxgolf
Twitter: @BIGMAXGOLF
Insta@ @BIGMAX.GOLF
Media Enquiries: david@medi8ltd.co.uk +44 (0)7740 684568
About BIG MAX
BIG MAX has been Europe’s #1 push cart brand for over 15 years following the unprecedented success of the world’s first 3 wheel push cart the Ti1000. Available in virtually every country that plays golf, BIG MAX is a name that has become associated with quality and innovation. It’s most recent advancement, Fold Flat technology, has seen BIG MAX pioneer push carts that fold down completely flat, in some cases to less than 5” deep. BIG MAX has furthered its reputation for innovation with its AQUA and DRI LITE technology that in the last quarter of 2017 matched BIG MAX push carts by becoming #1 golf bag and travel cover brand in Germany, a traditional marker for # 1 in continental Europe.
Willowbrook GS
Willowbrook Golf Society
The Society was formed in 2002 by a group of golfers who met casually on a Sunday evening, to ‘chew the weekend fat’ in The Willowbrook Club, a private members social club in Gedling, Nottingham.
The first 3 meetings were informal affairs with 30 or so golfers having days out at Greetham Valley and Morley Hayes Golf Clubs. The WGS was formally made a Society in 2003 and plays midweek – most of us are self-employed or retired – 7 or 8 times a year, starting in late March and running through to early November. We normally play within an hour to hour and a quarters drive away from our headquarters, but have within that radius courses like The Notts Golf Club, Worksop, Coxmoor and Lindrick to chose from, all of which we have played. Membership has reduced over the years, but we have a core of 20 members and usually take around 16 guests to each meeting
We are a mixed ability group, mostly club members from east and north Notts, with handicaps ranging from 5 to 28. Our meetings consist of team events, with an Order of Merit Trophy being awarded at the end of the season on the basis of the average of best five individual Stableford scores attained during the season.
Sec Tony Rogers (r) with the WGS fourball at MG’s Society Classic, Marriott Forest of Arden 2016
Over the years we have raised many thousands of pounds for charities including The Lincs/Notts Air Ambulance, Nottingham Hospice, Panthers Disabled Sports, The Children’s Kidney Ward at The Nottingham City Hospital and in 2015 the society helped our secretary and two other cancer sufferers to raise almost £4,700 for The Teenage Cancer Trust by doing 54-holes in a day – 18 each at Mapperley GC, Ruddington Grange GC and The Nottinghamshire G & CC.
Our first meeting this year will be at Newark at the end of March, and future venues this year include Ullesthorpe Court, Scraptoft, Rufford Park and our only 27-hole day of the year at Belton Park, Grantham.
There is one thing missing from our list of achievements – in 15 years of trying, no one has had ‘A Hole in One’!!!!
Contact details:
Secretary – Tony Rogers – golf@tonyrogers.plus.com
Facebook: Willowbrook Golf Society – Twitter @WillowbrookGS
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Friends Golf Society
Friends Golf Society
As written by Peter Christoforou, a Friend
We celebrated our 10th Anniversary in 2015, not bad going for a society that was formed in 2005 by sixteen friends and relatives, hence the name. Since our inception the society has grown and now boasts a membership of over 40 golfers.
Myself and my close friend Steve Efstathiou run the society, me being the treasurer and Steve the secretary booking the courses with Steve’s son Socratis the handicaps secretary.
Our members are dotted all round the West Midlands, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester so we arrange the courses to fit in with everyone.
We meet once a month on a Wednesday and play seven competitions between March and October with points awarded for the top ten finishes which go towards an Order of Merit table. Prizes and a small trophy are also presented to the top three finishes in each event.
Each event has its own named trophy, the first one we play for is the George Angelides, in memory of one of our founder members. We also have The Founders Cup named after the three founder officers myself ,Steve Efstathiou and my brother Chris Christoforou.
The Order of Merit winner becomes society captain and leads the society the following season in a challenge match against another Midlands society under a Ryder Cup format in May.
Last season we were fortunate to have a sponsor in Double A kebabs, most of our members are in the catering trade and through their suppliers we receive some very welcome financial support.
Over the years we have played on some great courses the most recent one being Northamptonshire County, our other local favourites include Little Aston, Walmley, The Nottinghamshire and Enville. We also treated ourselves this year for the 10th anniversary with a trip to Woburn which was a fantastic occasion and a closely fought event too with double OOM points on offer.
The highlight of the season is the trip abroad, four days in the Algarve with three rounds of golf on some of Europe’s finest courses such as the Old Course in Vilamoura which is everyone’s favourite. The below image shows a group of Friends, off course last year during our trip to The Emporda Forest Golf Club, near Girona, a fabulous break.
Later on in September we always play for the Links Trophy on one of Britains best seaside courses. The Links Trophy and the Founders Cup played over three rounds are classed as majors and carry extra merit points.
We all look forward to meeting up every month to enjoy each others company, its a great day out but very competitive. Those Order of Merit points are well contested because the top twelve play in the Ryder Cup and it’s an event that everyone wants to play in.
We hope the society will continue for many years to come with the younger members taking control after the founder officers retire, so if any golfers who like their golf competitive and having fun on a great day out are keen, come and join the Friends Golf Society.
Take a look at our website www.friendsgolfsociety.co.uk
Our contact numbers are Peter 07967039078 or Steve 07872903230
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Robin Hood GS
The Robin Hood Golf Society – Swannington (Leics)
Robin Hood’s origins started back in the autumn of 2011. Originally formed by Mike Barnett, Andy Hawtin & Kevin Orvis as a means of getting some exercise & thrashing away the pains of the working week. Since those early day the society has grown steadily, with the odd regular leaving or quitting the game, but new blood has kept on coming.
The society now has 32 members all of who play at least two society events per season. The season consists of 10 society events running from February until November. These events enable members to accrue points towards the end of year presentations. A minimum of 7 of the 10 events count towards the player of the season, where the highest average score decides the eventual winner of the Claret Jug.
The monthly events carry prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places. These prizes range from Polo shirts, Gloves, Balls, Umbrellas & eventually to beer. There is also a prize for last place which is a “turkey hat” of which the unlucky participant has to wear on the 1st tee at the next event. There are also prizes for nearest the pin, longest drive & nearest the pin in two.
Although many of us are club members, the majority are “fair weather” golfers, which in some ways reflects our age span which ranges from 25 – 78 years.
We try to accommodate at least 5 – 6 new golfing venues per season during the so called “better weather” months. In the winter months we mainly stay local, because you never know if the event will be called off at short notice.
During the month of June, we play for the Brian Orvis Memorial Trophy. This trophy was donated by Kevin Orvis in remembrance of his late father, who scored a hole in one at Chevin Golf Club. CGC presented the trophy to Brian for his achievement.
The month of December brings around our “winter warmer” in which we play an 18 hole par 3 course & again a trophy has been produced.
As a society we also try to have two long weekend’s away “stay & play” outings, which normally take place in May & September.
Each society event concludes in our hostelry of residence The Robin Hood, Swannington. Traditional Sunday lunch is provided by our hosts Kevin & Carol, after which the prize giving takes place & a gallon of beer is donated by the landlord.
As a society we have run & participated in charity fund raising events over the past three years for British Heart Foundation, Rainbows & Acorns. The donations have either been individual, as a team or part of organised media, all of which have been run from The Robin Hood.
The social aspect of the society balances the competitiveness of the winning demon within & for those who dedicate their Sunday society day to winning, comes the harsh reality of the handicapper.
RHGS Committee:
- Mike (Rhino) Barnett Chair & Events
- Ian (Villa) Boyes Treasurer
- Paul (Wils) Wilson Handicaps
- Dave (Sticky) Stevenson Captain
www.robinhoodgolfsociety.com or tel: 01530 831137
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
St Thomas Association GS
ERDINGTON STAGS
The Golf Society was formed in February 2000 by golf playing members of St Thomas’ Association in Erdington. The society now boasts over 50 members and we play a range of courses all over the Midlands. Occasionally we trek further afield. We tend to play twice a month and we have a Presidents day and a Captains day – both days usually involve a coach trip which are usually very entertaining in themselves.At least once a year we have a society weekend away which normally consists of a two night stay with three rounds of golf. This year we travelled even further afield than usual to the wonderful courses at La Manga in Spain – it was so successful that we will be booking it again for next year. For this particular trip we even had a STAG return from Australia just to specifically play with us (and to see his family I suppose) – Jim Daly – our Captain’s brother.
Our members handicaps range from scratch to 28 so we have a wide range of players who all encourage each other – as well as berate for the occasional air shot or miss-hit – we still await the society’s first ever hole-in-one!!!
We hold a monthly meeting on the first Friday of every month at the club where we discuss all sorts of matters that have arisen over the past month. This is a great opportunity for us to celebrate the past months victories, any controversial issues and, of course, to socialise with a great bunch of people.
Once a year we hold a charity dance where we raise money for local charities. Past charities have included Acorns, The Norman Laud Association, Help for Heroes, The QE Hospital, The John Taylor Hospice and The Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Since our formation we have raised over £22,500 for local charities.
Our members comprise of people from all walks of life and usually have some outrageous stories to tell. Our current captain is David Logue with his Vice Captain Chris McGrath. Our President is the much respected John Costello and our society secretary is Brendan Reilly. Brendan organises all of our trips and courses that we play at – he’s renowned for rounding the fee for our rounds up!!!
We would love to see some new faces around the society and you can contact us through our website www.
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to The Wall, and in the magazine’s new society section (#No Gimmes), please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
MAGS Staffordshire
The MAGS Society hail from the edge of The Potteries in Staffs and have a membership of over 60 golfers, gathered over the years since their inception back in 2006. Back then it was The Mainwaring Arms as the home base but they are now run from The Sheet Anchor pub just a little further down the road in Baldwins Gate. Phil Lally, one of the founders organises the venues and prizes and Hon Sec Ian Cairns takes care of the organisation of each event.
Every last Thursday in the month, apart from December the MAGS meet for a society day, playing their golf at courses in Staffs, Derbys, Shropshire and Cheshire. The events are limited to a maximum of 36 players and even in the winter months entry is nearly always full. Membership is open to all and handicaps range from six to 28. They’re a pretty competitive bunch and the events are divided into two divisions so that the chances of being in the prizes increases. The total prize fund for each event is 13 individual prizes with an additional kitty for ‘twos’.
MAGS GS – At MG’s Society Classic – Marriott Forest of Arden 2016
They hold year- long competitions to find the Golfer of the Year and a Knock Out Cup. Also included in the monthly schedule are four major comps which include ‘The Welsh Cup’ an annual event played on a course in North Wales. It’s a region the guys are very familiar with as each year 12 golfers take part in the ‘Links and Drinks’ event, three seaside courses and two nights away and there’s also a popular Llandudno weekend that even more members enjoy each year.
The Golfer of the Year is organised to be part of each monthly society day and is based on the best five stableford scores over the year. The Knock Out starts in the Jan/Feb events with the top 32 scoring players going through to the next round and the same format exists in March/April leaving 16 remaining, then it gets whittled down further through the year until the final between the top two which is held at Brocton Hall in the Autumn.
For 2018 as it’s a Ryder Cup year, there will be a special MAGS event around September time based on Ryder style formats.
For more information about the Society go to http://magsgolf.wix.com/mags-golf-society
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
UAB Golf Society
Urban Art Golf Society
The UABGS was formed in 2011 when a collection of patrons from the Jewellery Quarters’ Urban Art Bars (The Red Lion and The Lord Clifden) decided that their golf needed a new sense of purpose, and, some healthy competition.
The drinking society with a golfing problem quickly gathered a steady membership and now ventures out six times a year to clubs all over the Midlands.
Not being attached to a particular golf club, society members and their frequent visitors travel the breadth of the Midlands in search of golfing fulfillment. Recent years have enjoyed trips to Sapey GC, Druids Heath GC, Aston Wood GC and Shrewsbury GC, just to name a few favourites.
A mystery golf course is usually on the card for the final game of the season, which is always followed by the end of season awards ceremony, complete with trophies for the winners and tales of woe from those less fortunate.
Members compete in league and cup competitions, whilst visitors are also invited to take part in longest drive, nearest the pin, the all-important “points sweep”, and, more recently, the group “yellow ball” competition.
The Society emphasis has always been on fun and laughter, with visitors frequently returning as and when they can. Most recently, UABGS returned to Sapey GC for a spectacular day in which the field of 17 attendees were separated by a mere 8 points! A testament to the handicap committee or the modest quality of the golf on show… you decide.
Whilst the Society’s heartbeat is The Red Lion in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter, the members themselves are spread from Telford to Warwick. Anyone wishing to join us should contact Chairman Tonks (uabgolfscoiety@yahoo.co.uk) or you could always visit one of the pubs and ask for information.
You can also follow UABGS on twitter @uab_golf and facebook.com/UABGOLF
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to The Wall, and/or in the magazine as well in our new society section #NoGimmes, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Leekbrook Travellers GS
Leekbrook Travellers
Midlands Golfer’s own Leekbrook Travellers are a very new golf society, initiated during a drunken pre-Xmas evening at the Travellers Rest pub, just outside Leek in Staffs. We are made up of residents of the local estate and also an equal amount of Leek (Birchall) and Westwood GC members who are just looking for a few extra golfing days out and to try a few new courses in the area that they haven’t come across before.
LTGS are a super sociable group with our aim to run fun and entertaining days out and we genuinely encourage members of all ages and abilities to join us. We currently have 48 members already of which six are ladies.
It’s early days for us all at LTGS, we’re a little bit of a rabble for now, but we’ve made a great start and the rate of new members joining in has been amazing and really exciting. The editor of MG, Phil Nicholas is also the LTGS organiser and encourages the society to take part in magazine based playing events, which they do so to mixed success. This fourball below for instance took 3rd place out of 21 in the MG Society Classic at Marriott Forest of Arden in 2016. Soon we’ll be taking on some of the other MG affiliated groups in Ryder Cup style match ups.
We run events on the last Friday of each month, 12 months of the year. If you live in the Leek/Staffordshire Moorlands area and are interested in fun golfing days out, come and join us, we’d love to hear from you.
Facebook – Leekbrook Travellers Golf Society
Call Phil – 07530 752688
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to The Wall, both in the magazine (#NoGimmes) and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Caribbean Golf Society
The Caribbean Golf Society was formed in Birmingham during the winter months of 2007 when sensible people would usually be at home warming the fire. The idea to form arose out of seeing so many African-Caribbean golfers playing regularly in the region.
The inaugural event took place at the Lickey Hills Golf Club in Birmingham on Good Friday 2007. Fourteen golfers took part in our first event, which turned out to be a very sunny day for the time of the year. We have since held many events across the Midlands with our membership growing from those first fourteen golfers to well over 40 in 2015. We welcome all golfers, you do not have to be of Caribbean origin to become a member.
Our Mission:
- Provide a networking outlet for people in the region
- Utilize golf for personal growth and career advancement
- Provide educational and mentoring programs to improve golfing skills and personable skills to the youth in the region
- Increase the knowledge, self-confidence and enjoyment of the game of golf
The CGS are long standing friends and supporters of Midlands Golfer, the first society we ever covered back in 2010. Long regarded as being one of the best organised and most competitive groups in the region, their typical season takes them all over the Midlands and sometimes further beyond. They also find time to raise vital funds for local charities as well as joining us for our own fund raisers and competitions.
Naturally there’s an Order of Merit title at stake, won in 2017 in great style by Ian Higgins who won three of the season’s main events on his way to the overall title.
There are three England based Caribbean Golf Societies and every year our Birmingham based group take on the other two, based in Bristol and London for the annual ‘three-way’ match, an two-day event that always sees a high level of competitiveness but also a good deal of fun and socialising too.
Find out more about the CGS by visiting the website at www.caribbeangolfsociety.co.uk
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to The Wall, and/or in the magazine in our new society section #NoGimmes, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Dowty Golf Society
DOWTY WOLVERHAMPTON
A couple of years ago due to dwindling numbers the continuation of the very long running Dowty Wolverhampton Golf Society was in doubt. An influx of new members though in 2016 has seen them reach their 57th year in 2018 still prospering. The highlight of the 2017 season was the first ever “weekender”, where 11 of the society’s members travelled to Grantham to play and stay at the excellent Belton Woods complex.
Indeed the weekend proved to be such a success that plans are already in place for 2018’s fixture & there is also talk of a trip abroad, Last season also saw us visit Church Stretton, Ombersley, The Shropshire & Bewdley Pines amongst others. As ever the Society is always looking to welcome new members & although based in Wolverhampton we travel all over The Midlands looking for a good golfing challenge. Most of our fixtures take place on a Friday afternoon (between 1pm and 2pm) so if you are interested in joining us please feel free to contact stuart.davis17@blueyonder.co.uk for more information.
Website: http://www.dowtywolverhamptongolfsociety.co.uk/
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
The Branston Dobbers
THE BRANSTON DOBBERS
Branston Dobbers were formed in early 2014 by a collective looking for a good time while playing the beautiful game of golf. The group was formed by a group of five friends known as the ‘originals’ who like to play and have side bets,banter and a beer after a hard day on the course. This quickly spiralled into the newest up and coming society to hit the Branston Golf & Country Club in many years.
The Dobbers currently have 30 active members from all walks of life including five female members, of which 20 or so play weekly at our regular Saturday 8.30-9am tee times.
The first ‘Major’ of the Dobbers season was the ‘Dead Duck Trophy’ played in May (to commemorate the life of a young duck tragically killed on the course by a rogue ‘snap hook’) which was won by none other than 2014/2015 Captain Stuart Haywood.
As our popularity grew, a second ‘Major’ was pencilled in for the summer to co-incide with Ryder Cup weekend against another society from Branston known as ‘The Squids’ .This attracted a very large crowd to the patio area for the climax which was an 11/11 tie after 2 days of singles and doubles matches. All money raised went to the 2014 Branston Captain’s Charity, Canine Partners.
Apparently – THE best looking society in The Midlands – The Branston Dobbers
The first winter event was played between The Dobbers & the ‘Chicken Club’ (Burton GC society). This event was played at Burton on a brisk Sunday morning with the Dobbers running out winners and taking the trophy home.
Up to date in 2018, the Dobber’s travels have continued, a trip to La Manga in October 2016 was a memorable players and partners occasion. Plus we’ve recently teamed up with another group, The Wolves Supporters GS for a very enjoyable match up at Penn GC.
The Dobbers are looking for other local societies to join up with for friendly matches, get in touch by e-mailing them at branstondobbers@gmail.com
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Wolves Golf Society
A fan of both Wolves and Golf, we welcome new members to come join us once a month on Saturdays or Sundays.
The society is now into its second year and we would welcome anyone to join FREE of charge, all they have to do is pay to play on the day of the society meeting.we will advertise meetings on our Twitter and Facebook, and if anyone wants to email they can.
We meet on a monthly basis at various Golf Clubs around the Midlands and we are hoping to play other golf societies around the country also.
Wolves Golf Society
Shane Robinson and Adam Sedgwick both run the society and they are welcoming new members weekly.
We hope to build a foundation for like-minded golf lovers to also show that we as Wolverhampton wanderers supporters don’t just meet up for football matches, we also can meet up for other sports too.
We’re over the moon to run this society for wolves fans, we do welcome fans from other clubs as we already have WEST BROMWICH and ASTON VILLA supporters playing.
We’ve been invited to travel to Portugal on the 19th October 2018 to play against premier league teams SPORTING LISBON and SETBUL societies.
We hope to play more societies around the UK and Europe in the future.
To anyone wanting to join we want them to know that you will have total piece of mind when joining our society that you’ll ha e a relaxing and enjoyable day/weekend with great like-minded people.
For more info, our contact details are:
TWITTER: wolves_society
FACEBOOK: wolves supporters golf society
EMAIL: wolvesgolfsociety@gmail.com
PLASTICS INDUSTRY GOLF SOCIETY (PIGS)
As long ago as 1931 a group of businessmen working in the newly formed plastics industry met on regular occasions for a game of golf, friendly banter and a chance to catch up on common interests. So popular were these occasions that it was decided to form a golfing society which accommodated their love of the game and also provided the opportunity to network within the industry.
Little Aston, Record 1
Little Aston, Record
The P.I.G.S. was formed initially in 1933 by Cyril Last (Founder) and proved so popular it quickly went national with the Midlands section being set up in1934 by Sydney Goode (BIP), E.Wilding-Cole and Jim Butler all of whom presented competition trophies to the society. These same trophies are still competed for today and feature each season in our fixture programme.
Monsanto Team Winners
The P.I.G.S. are well known throughout the Midlands and have played courses such as Little Aston, Moseley, Blackwell, Moor Hall, Edgbaston, Beaudesert, Enville, South Staffs, Keddleston Park to name just a few. A major highlight of each season is our National Event which takes place in September, traditionally Woodhall Spa. On this occasion, all sections compete both individually and as a team for many original trophies.
Midlands Winner at Woodhall
Our season of events begins in April through to October featuring courses which vary each year and, with the exception of our Christmas Cracker in December are generally played in the afternoon followed by Dinner, awards and prizes. I extend a big thank you to the sponsors of each these events. We also encourage our members to bring along visitors and are actively seeking newcomers to join the society. These days we do not insist on potential members being associated with the plastics industry. Please do visit our website www.thepigs.co.uk and get a feel for what we are about.
President Captain
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Len Strong. Midlands & National Secretary PIGS
PIGS new president
Warwickshire Teachers’ GS
The Warwickshire Teachers’ Golf Society have 6 competitions per year, all played at various different courses around Warwickshire (and the surrounding counties occasionally!). We are always looking to recruit new members and guests – anyone that works or has worked in an educational establishment (not just teachers and not just Warwickshire!).
Our focus is on fun and friendly competitions – all abilities and ages are welcome. Anybody interested in coming along for a game or becoming a member should contact wtgsociety@gmail.com or visit twitter.com/wtgsociety Our next fixtures are at Oakridge on October 27th & Kilworth Springs on January 4th.
The Society was formed in 1974 by a group of teachers in North Warwickshire met to form a nomadic golfing society. Numbers were small and all members either belonged to Nuneaton GC or Atherstone GC.
As well as the 6 in-house competitions per year, since 1975 the society has played an annual match against Nuneaton GC. Records since 1989 show Nuneaton to be leading the way with 15 wins to WTGS’ 6. 6 matches have also been drawn.
In 1998 the North Warwickshire Teachers’ Golf Society changed it’s name to the current Warwickshire Teachers’ Golf Society as by this time a number of members had joined from the south of the county.
In 2005 the secretary of the society, Adrian Richards, died just prior to his retirement. He was also a member of Nuneaton GC. The annual match against Nuneaton is now played for the Adrian Richards Trophy
2017 society roles:
Captain – Callum Peake
Vice captain – Adam Newell
Treasurer – Dave Wilkins
Secretaries – Dave Wilkins & Keith Rawlins
2015 captain Wilf Feely provides plenty of entertainment. He has turned up at the wrong course, and on the wrong date, and his jokes during his speeches in his captaincy year were not for the faint-hearted! The most successful players over the past decade are Dennis James and Keith Rawlins, too many trophies to remember and constant calls for handicap cuts!
WAC Golf Society
WAC Golf Society (Worcester)
By Beefy and Lamby (co-organisers)
We just love playing golf and enjoy the laughter on the fairways. The WAC Golf Society play out of Bransford Golf Club based on the outskirts of Worcester, a great Par 72 lake jewelled course in superb condition. We were formed in 2013 by Dave Broad and Dave Lamb (aka Beefy and Lamby, below) with the intention to take fellow club golfers to play some of the best courses around the Midlands and beyond. We wanted to support charities and over the past few years we have raised £1000s for Cancer charities in the UK.
Our society members have grown from a handful to over 35 players currently, we have played some of the best courses around including The Belfry, The Forest of Arden, The Astbury, The Vale at Evesham and have enjoyed weekend away trips to St Pier Golf Club and the Vale of Glamorgan. We have also played at Celtic Manor, Gleneagles and St Andrews Old Course.
We run an annual trip to Okehampton, Devon where we play 90 holes of Golf over four very competitive and fun days, plenty of prizes on offer including an Order of Merit and numbers grow each year for this event.
Our main aim is for club golfers to experience other courses, as well as having like-minded and friendly banter that group golf can achieve. We aim to keep costs down to around £20-30 for our local Midlands rounds and enjoy playing local courses every year such as Cleobury Mortimer and Burghill Valley who treat us very well and provide some superb deals.
We have a Twitter (@WACgolfsociety) and a Facebook page and have recently started our very own YouTube channel.
2018 is shaping up to be a great season for WAC events, please visit our web site at www.wacgolfsociety.com to find out how you can join us on some great days out.
Contact Details:
Dave Broad – Email: d-broad@sky.com Tel: 07846 233190
Dave Lamb – Email: davelamb@mail.com Tel: 07429 192646
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Tag Archive for: Midlands Golfer
Ladies Golf
Welcome to our Ladies Golf section. Midlands Golfer magazine supports golf clubs and businesses in the region and in doing so we are forging ever stronger links with the ladies sections, the female PGA professionals and the many lady golfing academies that are promisingly increasing in size all of the time.
I represent you and your activities, for instance, have you started a new ladies academy or are you running a charity event? Has your club done well in a regional or national ladies competition? And how about ladies’ course records and even holes-in-ones? I’d like to hear about all of your achievements and I’m always happy to come and visit.
Our own Midlands Golfer Amateur Ladies Society are known as the MGALS. To date we have 70 ladies on our books and are on the way to becoming the biggest ladies golf society in the UK.
We’ve also developed them into mixed pairs events as well to get the hubbys involved and the majority of the competitions now offer an overnight stay too.
MGALS 2024 – After successfully hosting regular two day events in recent times, we’re now planning a further 36 hole play and stay adventures in 2024 across the Midlands.
Details of where and when soon, visit the events page for venue news, formats and how to enter them. A guarantee, they are not to be missed.
MIDLANDS LADIES GOLF NEWS
Please contact me if you have any ladies golfing news of interest that we can publish right here, and in the magazine itself.
Contact Mandy – ladyeditor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FB_IMG_1727614330141.jpg 1080 1080 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2024-09-29 12:32:512024-09-29 14:33:00MGALS Spring 2025- Heaven in Herefordshire
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I represent you and your activities, for instance, have you started a new ladies academy or are you running a charity event? Has your club done well in a regional or national ladies competition? And how about ladies’ course records and even holes-in-ones? I’d like to hear about all of your achievements and I’m always happy to come and visit.
Our own Midlands Golfer Amateur Ladies Society are known as the MGALS. To date we have 70 ladies on our books and are on the way to becoming the biggest ladies golf society in the UK.
We’ve also developed them into mixed pairs events as well to get the hubbys involved and the majority of the competitions now offer an overnight stay too.
MGALS 2024 – After successfully hosting regular two day events in recent times, we’re now planning a further 36 hole play and stay adventures in 2024 across the Midlands.
Details of where and when soon, visit the events page for venue news, formats and how to enter them. A guarantee, they are not to be missed.
MIDLANDS LADIES GOLF NEWS
Please contact me if you have any ladies golfing news of interest that we can publish right here, and in the magazine itself.
Contact Mandy – ladyeditor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk
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THE LATEST GOLFING NEWS FROM AROUND THE REGION
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SGA Tour – Tour Championship 2018
Sociable Golf Association (SGA)
Season Finale ends with a Bang!
Once again, we planned our season ending Tour Championship event on recommendation from our friends at MG. Heading over the Warwickshire border for a two-day weekend, with overnighter, to Whitefields Golf Club.
With our very own Race To Whitefields season long points system, the two day event provides the opportunity for members to decide on either a drunken evening or early to bed in preparation for the chance to secure our third and final major of the season.
Following a fantastic trip to Cleobury Mortimer last year, the boys were up for the challenge and with the sun shining and a very warm welcome from all the staff at Whitefields, we were excited at the prospect of another close finish, little did we know!
Phil Wing (above R) stood on the first tee in defence of his title, knowing that lack of golf during this season due to work and family commitments, could prove to be his downfall. Other notables included in form Andrew Allsopp, Ben Abbotts and Jayson Fitzpatrick. With our lowest handicapper, Karl Harris (2) not attending, Boom Boom’s book provided no clear favourite with odds spread evenly across the field.
With first day groups drawn, competitors aim to secure a second day final grouping, thus having the advantage of viewing the leader-boards throughout the final day’s play. Ben Abbotts secured first place with 37 points, with Boom Boom Tunstall 36 and Phil Wing 34. All three headed to the bar knowing the Sunday would see the last tee time.
For any of our society friends considering Whitefields, we would recommend a visit. The facilities, course and staff were excellent and all at great value for money.
The Sunday morning provided another beautiful day and enjoying a great breakfast we all headed of the first tee. Nerves were apparent with the leaders gagging to get going, but knowing they had to wait for their tee time. Would Boom Boom live up to his nickname and hit driver off every tee or play a more considered game! A wide drive on the first was the answer both Ben & Phil expected who secured gross par’s to set the day up nicely.
During the day the leader-board ebbed and flowed with Ben & Boom battling it out. Phil lost the pace and Trevor Anderson muscled his way into the top 3. Heading to the 17th tee and a complete surprise to the leaders, Paul Wilson had shot the lights out and was leading the championship. Paul had come from behind at Cleobury to lose out by a single point!. Unsettling Boom Boom, his drive hooked out of bounds, twice!! With Ben & Phil closing the gap.
Stood on the 18th tee and a short 324 yard par 4, Boom Boom needed a 3 pointer to land his first Tour Championship and took out his wayward driver to the dismay of Ben & Phil, who had already hit hybrids to perfect positions. Yes, you’ve guessed it…. a wayward drive to the right (this time!) and Boom Boom was lucky to have swing amongst the trees. In true style, he cleared the trouble before him and was once again back in play. A 12-foot putt for the win lipped and the rest is history. Paul (Pic R), known as the Silent Assassin went one better than 2017 and took the title on count-back! Boom Boom’s driver was last seen on EBAY…
Season events
In addition to the planned and quite often an organisers nightmare, we run several season long events including our Order Of Merit, the coveted Match Play Championship and other events as follows:
The Order Of Merit is a 10 event rolling ranking event that captures the previous season’s Tour Championship and the full season ahead. The calculation although complicated is simple in terms of understanding, play your best at every event ensuring your average score is as high as possible. Throwing an event or even a club, will see you penalised in the long run in and in some cases, could lead losing the number 1 spot by a single putt or chip in! And yes its happened.
The Matchplay Championship is a knockout event with the draw made at the first event of the season. The final pairing are provided with caddies and a special day out.
Betterball Championship and Skins League are additional events that utilise the monthly events scoring to calculate the league tables or knockout rounds. Members’ just rock up and the committee do the rest and if the lads ever read the website, they should know if they’ve took home a trophy at the season end.
There are obviously many, many fond and enjoyable memories from the last 22 years and in most cases we have improved our personal handicaps. We continue to raise money for great causes; our fund-raising exceeds £5,000 including a memorable six a side football competition a few years back.
We continue to organise and enjoy Society life and many friendships have been built through our membership. We look forward to the next twenty years.
SGA Tour – Sociable Golf Association – Established 1997
Website: www.sgatournews.com
Email: sgatournews@hotmail.co.uk
Contact: Phil Wing 07486 900843 (Work – 07917 098299)
Founder Members – Phil Wing & Alan Smith
PTF Golf Society – Derby
Production Test Facility Golf Society
Our society was founded in 1991 by employees from the Production Test Facility (PTF) at Rolls-Royce Aero Engines in Derby.
2018 Mid-Season Review
2018’s busy calendar of events and Darren ‘Dash’ Ashmole’s year on the Captain’s throne was planned to start as ever at Morley Hayes over the Christmas break. However, torrential rain and frozen greens forced an abandonment of the event after just a few holes and saw an early return to the nineteenth hole. The weather relented slightly by mid-January for the re-arranged fixture with ‘Long’ Tom Donnachie just pipping Paul ‘PK’ Hind to the ‘Winter Warmer’ Trophy after back 9 count-back both finishing on 35 points.
The unseasonal weather took a further turn for the worst over the Easter weekend as 3 inches of snow in the Peak District forced the postponement of our first full day out of the season at the picturesque Buxton & High Peak. The re-scheduled event in late-April was played in miserable conditions and saw point scoring prove difficult with Joe Cullen winning the Spring Salver on his Society debut with 32 points.
A short trip to Chilwell Manor quickly followed in early May as at last we saw some sunshine to proudly show off our new and improved Society Golf Shirts supplied by Midlands Golf Superstore (thanks to Ian Nicholson) and also sporting the Midlands Golfer magazine logo.
Sec Nathan rocking the new MG logoed shirt
Blustery conditions and tight, tree-lined fairways saw another low point scoring day but a solid performance from Todd Foster winning the Presidents Cup on 34 points
The PTF Invitational event took place at Ormonde Fields in early June with the Divisional prize pots shared evenly between members and guests alike but it was the ever consistent Rob Langley who triumphed overall with 37 points to win the Invitational Trophy for a second successive season.
The heatwave had well and truly kicked in by early July for our latest event along the A50 in Staffordshire at the impressive Newcastle-under-Lyme. Greens in great condition considering the ‘Mediterranean’ temperatures and scorched fairways with the ball travelling huge distances saw the highest scoring of the season with the ‘Alvaston Maori’ aka Ian Hickton storming to victory with 40 points to lift the Summer Vase.
PTF – In Scarborough
The upcoming ‘Weekend Away’ in early August was the highlight of everyone’s season and saw 24 of us travel up to stay in Scarborough for a third time where we played the ‘Friday Fiver’ at Filey, the main ‘Tourist Trophy’ event at South Cliff and Sunday’s closing event at Whitby.
The in-form Ian Hickton currently stands at the top of our ‘Order of Merit’ with 124 points however with the best four scores counting towards the Aggregate Trophy it’s still all to play for with the final ‘Order of Merit event taking place with our visit to nearby Burton-on-Trent in early September.
A close of season reoprt will be added very soon.
Please visit our website at the address below where you can find 2018’s full results and all Society news in PK’s newsletter’s which are a very entertaining read from the society jester. http://www.spanglefish.com/ptfgolfsociety/index.asp
For all enquiries please contact the PTF Golf Society Secretary: nathan.richards@rolls-royce.com
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Hugh Adams wins Reid Trophy
England’s Hugh Adams held his nerve to win the Reid Trophy on the fourth hole of a sudden death play-off at Reading Golf Club.
The 13-year-old from Hagley Golf Club in Worcestershire defeated Spain’s Angel Ayora with a par and said: “It just felt great. I was just excited to lift up the trophy.
“I didn’t come here expecting to win, I’m only 13 and I’ve still got another year so I was just trying to play well.”
However, when he got within four shots of the lead after two rounds he was determined to go for it – and secured his place in the play-off with his three-under 67. It gave him a level par total and a tie with Ayora who closed with 66.
“I tried to get off to a quick start,” he said. “I didn’t really know anything until about the 14th or 15th, but when I birdied the 16th I knew I had a chance.
“Everything just started to go my way, I had a couple of nice bounces, took advantage of my luck and holed some nice putts.”
Adams actually had a 10-footer on the 18th to win outright, but it slid past the hole and he was into the play-off.
He’d been involved in sudden death once before and although he lost that time – on the eighth hole – the experience helped him.
“I was quite relaxed, quite calm, but definitely determined,” he said.
The first three play-off holes were halved in par, but on the fourth Ayora’s drive went behind a tree and his next just slipped out of bounds.
Adams, who plays for his county, has been in good form this season, with high finishes at both the Midlands U16 championship and the Douglas Johns Trophy. “It’s been going well,” he said.
Four other boys were in the top ten: Stuart Reis (Welwyn Garden City), Manato Nakatini (Hendon), Harley Smith (The Rayleigh Club) and Luke Perkins (Frilford Heath).
Click here for full scores
DOGS – mid season report
Dallington Old Boys Golf Society or “DOGS” as we call ourselves were founded in November 2016 and are based around the Northamptonshire region.
Our 2018 year started off at Chesfield Downs in Hertfordshire on a wet Sunday morning in January, fresh with two new members in Tom Robinson and James Hardwick, the commencement of a match play league which would run simultaneously with our main stableford league, and lots of smaller improvements to the DOGS experience.
Chesfield is an interesting course and well worth a visit. It played well in the wet and boasts a great variety of holes from long and tight 400 yard par 4s, teaser dogs legs, and some interesting par 3s.
February saw our return to Brampton Heath in Northants (below), a firm favourite among the DOGS community, not least for its more forgiving fairways and nicely manicured greens. Brampton will likely remain a winter fixture on the DOGS calendar given its miraculous drying qualities. The sand-based land the course is built on means the course remains open when many others aren’t, and plays extremely well in the wet conditions to boot.
We were due to play Whittlebury in March, but the snow got the better of us and we’re now rescheduled for August 12th. This was the setting for the first DOGS event back in November 2016, won by Mark Jessett, who has since dropped to single figures (8).
April saw us travel to Staverton in Daventry, which has become another favourite course for some of the DOGS crew. The undulating West Northants countryside provides a stunning backdrop for a testing course with some long holes, and well protected greens.
We visited Collingtree in May after the worst of the weather and while the air was less full of rain, the ground was still sodden and therefore the rough had been left very long as the ground staff had been unable to get the heavy cutters out on it. This provided an altogether different challenge on an already tough course, and yielded only the second DOGS event win with sub-36 points. The first being at The Brabazon at the Belfry complex.
June saw the mid-season Whitefields GC weekender at Draycote near Rugby, a course we’ve frequented for the past 6 years all told, starting before DOGS’s formation with a few of the guys from Northampton University just getting away for the weekend. It’s now developed into a jam-packed weekend of Stableford, a Foursomes round and the culmination of the weekend and genuine highlight, the Texas Scramble. The staff at Whitefields have always been brilliant, from the hotel to the pro shop, and the dinner bed, breakfast and 4 rounds of golf with buggies deal they do fits the bill nicely!
Kelv’s selfie at 1st tee St Ives
July saw us travel to the very modern and impressive St Ives (Hunts) GC in Cambridgeshire. The clubhouse is in immaculate condition opening just 8 years ago, and the excellent practice facilities coupled with the testing inland links style course showed exactly why it has one of the fastest growing reputations of quality in the East of England.
Expanding the DOGS brand, we now have a range of merchandise available, from polo-shirts to pitch repairers, towels to bag tags, as well as a fleet of DOGS branded golf balls. We’ll give a big shout out to anyone who happens to find one and notify us at @DOGSGolfSociety on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
DOGS merchandise
After Whittlebury in August we travel to Farthingstone, Silverstone, The Warwickshire (Kings Course) for the finale of the DOGS stableford and match play leagues, and Kingsthorpe for the end of season special event which will carry a team element. Kingsthorpe will be followed by the end of season awards presentations and drinks in town where we’ll be able to recoup some of the fines money ‘Finesmaster’ Phil Martin has been busy collecting each month for misdemeanours in the clubhouse and on the course. Who knew dirty shoes could be so costly!? I sometimes think it might be cheaper to buy a new pair each month.
The future looks bright for DOGS, now with a membership of 31, up from 22 at the start of the calendar year. We are now consistently averaging 20 per event, with more interest being shown in the society. Front runners for the halfway point include Glen Smith (13), Mr consistent Dan Dalmonego (28) and Stuart ‘Jarv’ Wiseman (18 and in the form of his life), all in strong positions in the stableford league going into the last 6 months. Smith, Adam Balme and Dan Cockerton occupying the top 3 places in the match play league, with all to play for given the F1 points allocation, weighted toward the end of the season.
Keep an eye out for us on the course, and look out for our DOGS balls.
SkyCaddie SX500 – the ultimate GPS
SkyCaddie’s revolutionary new range-topping SX500 GPS handheld is the most powerful, most accurate, most features-packed and most visually stunning hand-held distance measuring device that golf has ever seen.
Rocketing into the UK with SkyCaddie PinPoint® technology to give accurate distances to today’s pin positions, Dynamic HoleVueTM which continuously re-orients the entire highly-detailed hole map from your exact position, and golf’s most brilliant display featuring a huge and pin-sharp 5” full HD touch screen, the SkyCaddie SX500 gives comprehensively the best view in golf.
Unmatched power is guaranteed with an ultra-fast multi-core processor which ensures instant hole data right when you need it, and there’s superb battery life from the hi-capacity rechargeable Li-Polymer battery, which gives over 36 holes use.
With a ruggedised, highly water-resistant design which makes SX500 extremely grippy even in the worst weather, nothing else comes close as you ‘cut the cord’ and use the SX500’s in-built Wi-Fi to download the latest exclusive SkyCaddie course updates on demand, without the need to connect to a computer.
Available in the UK from late August 2018 at RRP £379.95 including a year’s pre-paid Birdie membership covering over 99% of golf courses in Great Britain & Ireland, SX500 is pre-loaded with more than 35,000 ground-verified, error-corrected SkyCaddie golf course maps.
No other distance measuring device in golf gives you this much information, produced by SkyCaddie mappers creating and updating every course map on foot using professional surveying equipment.
Unequivocally-unmatched accuracy is guaranteed as only SkyCaddie maps golf courses in this way, and only SkyCaddie SX500 owners get to see the complete hole, in full detail, from their angle of attack on every shot.
Stand by to witness new behaviour patterns on the golf course when SX500’s SkyCaddie PinPoint® custom-pin settings are combined with IntelliGreen® Pro technology, giving distances to today’s pins and the ultimate green information.
Laser users will rely on friends with an SX500 to get instant distances to the pin from blind spots and from behind trees, to find out where bunkers are positioned around uphill greens, to get yardages to strategic lay-up points, and to assess the threat of hazards and fairway run-outs which are impossible to see with line-of-sight.
And powerful IntelliGreen® Pro technology gives SX500 users far more information about a distant green than laser users can ever discover. With IntelliGreen® Pro, distances to major tiers and contours on the green, false fronts and greenside mounds are all instantly visible to SX500 owners planning their approach shot, back down the fairway.
SX500 users always know exactly what’s ahead, even when they have no view of the fairway or green themselves, as the device’s display dynamically rotates to show full IntelliGreen® Pro information from their own angle of attack, and its multiple Dynamic RangeVue® yardage arcs overlay fairway landing areas and greens to show at-a-glance yardages across the full width of the hole.
Another new SX500 feature, Dynamic HoleVueTM with Integrated Targets, boosts the device’s in-play usability still further. As up to 40 geo-referenced targets per hole have been pre-created by experienced SkyCaddie course mappers, SX500 owners can see an overview of the entire hole or they can double-tap or pinch to zoom in for a closer view of every bunker, every water hazard, every carry and layup point – with accurate distances to each, according to where they are standing.
So in the time that it takes a laser user to discover a single yardage, SkyCaddie SX500 users will know the distance to every single major hole feature between themselves and the flag, and can hit their approach shot with complete confidence in their ground-mapped SkyCaddie data.
Even more help, and even more personalised information, comes in the form of the SkyCaddie SX500’s unique Dynamic RangeVue® with Club Ranges feature, which is so powerful that it is restricted to use only in practice rounds and casual golf.
This feature makes strategic play easier than ever. Simply enter your personal club-by-club hitting distances into your SkyGolf 360TM account in the cloud, then synchronise your device. Your SX500 will then show in-play club selection suggestions tailored to your game, the next time you are on the golf course.
Other SX500 features simply improve the user experience still further.
There’s a Super Large Number Mode if your eyesight is poor, or if you simply want the fastest-possible distances to the front, middle and back of the green.
And Intelligent Automation provides an almost touchless experience from the car park to the 19th hole, with Auto-Course, Auto-Hole Advance, Auto-Zoom, Auto-Distance, Auto Green Depth and Rotating Auto-View to display your scorecard in landscape view.
Sadly, SkyCaddie SX500 cannot yet offer Auto-Shot; you still have to hit the ball yourself.
SX500 also has a Digital Scorecard feature, which provides scoring options for Stroke and Stableford with handicapping and tracks total putts and fairways hit.
And the SX500 features keep coming. Shot Distance Measurement helps you track how far you have just hit the ball, and helps you to learn your club distances; Target List View gives you a quick list of all the targets ahead of you on the hole; and Tee Box Selection, Gender Selection, Dual Green Support, Yards or Metres option, Stat Tracking and a North Indicator are also available.
The SkyCaddie SX500 even has a 13-megapixel camera, enabling you to take photos during your round of golf which are then uploaded to your SkyGolf 360TM online user account.
Since 1998, SkyCaddie has been dedicated to helping golfers to improve their game, to enjoy golf more and to play faster by offering them the sport’s most reliable, most accurate, most comprehensive and most easily-accessible distance information.
Launched in the company’s 20th Anniversary year, the SX500 will deliver inspiration and enjoyment to all golfers who use its vivid, powerful and accurate technology: it is the culmination of everything which SkyCaddie represents to golfers, and to this greatest of all sports.
See www.skycaddie.co.uk for all information.
Tim settles in at Bransford
Bransford GC inWorcester has a new PGA Head Professional, and at 23 years of age he is one of the youngest in the country to hold such a position.
Tim Shephard – who has been at the club for the past four years as assistant professional, has taken over the running of the club’s pro’ shop from Richard Jenkins, who left the course earlier this summer.
Shephard has been playing golf for 13 years and has been in the professional ranks for the past three.
He first began his golfing career in his late teens at Evesham, his home town club.
“It was great working there, learning the ins-and-outs of how a pro shop runs, and after that I had an opportunity to start my PGA career at Bransford back in September 2015,” said Shephard.
“I am thrilled to be the club’s new Head PGA professional. It has given me a fuller insight into how other departments work and how various parts of the business, such as our neighbouring Bank House Hotel, communicate. These are all vital skills I am now learning.
“What is really great is that I enjoy working at this family-friendly golf club which has great facilities and staff.
Shephard, who was educated at Bengeworth First School, Simon de Montford Middle School and Prince Henry High, was also a student at Hartpury Agricultural College in Gloucestershire where he gained a diploma in golf.
During his time at Bransford he has been busy building a strong reputation in teaching the sport he loves, while also working on developing the junior side of the golf club.
He says: “There were no juniors when I started here – now have 20 and half of them are members”.
He has also been cementing a great relationship with members and has played in a number of Pro-Am competitions with club members of the club.
He also has fresh ideas for the pro shop which has already been revamped and restyled. There’s also new stock coming in and has other plans yet to be implemented, including Ping custom fitting.
He says his aims in the near future are:
- To continue to help develop the skills of a very strong golf membership and teaching facility for members and the public at Bransford golf club.
- To increase membership both male and female, but especially targeting juniors.
- And to maintain what he feels is already an incredible relationship with the members.
Meanwhile, the club’s assistant professional, Ollie Walker, is planning to head off to the United States next month on a golf scholarship.
He is planning to be based in Arizona at the Estrella Mountain College, having been offered a place in the their golf team which consists of players from around the world.
Walker, who is aged 20, says: “This will include studying hard for a degree like any other university student, but I will be playing every day for the golf team in competitions throughout America. This will be for three to four years, and hopefully for the last two years i can obtain a full scholarship so I don’t have to pay anything – hopefully transferring to a bigger university for my last two senior years.”
But first of all he has to raise funds to achieve his goal of getting to the States and the first year of the course is fairly expensive compared to the latter years.
The target is to raise £10,000 pounds!
Walker says: “If all goes according to plan and I do well in the first year, the latter years’ costs will drop dramatically. A lot will depend on my golf ability and gaining as higher a scholarship as possible.”
He says the money raised will be put towards the cost of books and the course itself, his living expenses for accommodation and food, and some of the travel to and from events.
Fundraising has been underway for a few weeks and numerous club members have already signed up to sponsor him, but he says that if there is anyone in the area who would also like to support him, such as a local business, he would be delighted to hear from them.
He said: “It is my dream to go to America and by giving any amount you wish, however small, will help me achieve this goal.”
A popular figure in the pro shop and around the course, Walker is the Worcestershire Men’s County Amateur Champion and the county’s best under-21 player, and is driven by the ambition of carving out a successful future in the sport.
Ollie Walker
He says he remembers his early struggles when he first tried his hand at golf, attempting to break 100 when he was a junior but now he plays off a 0.3 handicap – achieved in five years of hard work and practise.
He has also figured prominently in a number of club competitions over the past year or so and has also been competing in numerous opens and pro-ams, along with six England golf events.
One of his successes last year was beating a field of 143 to win the Stewart Smith Open Challenge (Scratch) when he managed a score of -2 through 18 holes and a play-off. In the three man play-off he won with a birdie on the first hole.
It’s an impressive record for only two years of competitive golf and now he hopes what he can learn in America will help further his playing career.
Anyone wishing to assist Walker’s America plan can make contact with him at Bransford Golf Club’s pro shop on 01886 833621.
Rugby Golf Club hits the mark
Rugby Golf Club in Warwickshire has won a national award from England Golf, in recognition of its drive to grow the game
The club, which is actively recruiting new members and widening its community links, has just received the GolfMark Award for the second time. This is an official seal of approval for clubs which successfully work to develop the game.
Rugby is a private members’ club with an 18 hole golf course in Clifton Road and an established partnership with Leam Valley Golf Centre. It has recently attracted 26 new members – in various categories – by holding an open day for the local community.
The event was so successful that another open day will be held in September and it will become an annual event.
Club Secretary Andrew Leech, who led the club’s push to GolfMark, commented: “We are delighted to receive this prestigious award. It not only recognises our aim to provide challenging golf for golfers of all abilities, but to be an asset within the Rugby community.
“We are doing all we can to encourage juniors and adults to take up or return to golf. This award will help RGC, drawing on all its 127 years of history, to continue to offer a warm, friendly, safe and secure environment for golf, retaining our traditions whilst modernising and adapting our offer to members, visitors and societies.
“We will use this platform, in partnership with Leam Valley Golf Centre, to take golf into schools and the wider community and will do our best to attract under-represented groups into golf.”
The award was presented to club Captain Karl Walker by Hayley Noel, England Golf’s Club Support Officer for Warwickshire (pictured).
Hayley said “I’m delighted that Rugby Golf Club has achieved GolfMark and that its efforts to grow the game can be nationally recognised.”
The GolfMark award was developed by England Golf and also integrates Sport England’s Clubmark award – a national standard for quality sports clubs recognised across the country.
Successful clubs develop the game by:
- Attracting new members and encouraging existing members to play more
- Using practical business planning to develop the club
- Offering coaching and playing opportunities for all golfers
- Ensuring safeguarding policies are in place
GolfMark brings a number of benefits to clubs including raising awareness, access to funding, business and marketing support and training opportunities for staff and volunteers. To find out more visit www.golfmark.org
Be on course with the WTX+
GOLFBUDDY ADDS TO MOST ADVANCED GPS WATCH WITH THE WTX+
GolfBuddy, the world-leading developer of distance measuring devices made exclusively for golfers, is upgrading its most advanced GPS watch with the introduction of the WTX+.
The WTX+ takes the market leading functionality of the WTX and adds in technical and aesthetic features that elevate it further. The primary technical development for the WTX+ is the improved antenna strength which speeds up the time for it to find a course or, heaven forbid you stray off your own fairway, the time to work out distances to the hole from your angle of attack. This improved functionality builds on market leading features such as touchscreen, full hole view with golfer’s position, distances to front, centre, back and hazards, shot distance measurement and pin position selection. WTX+ also offers smart phone compatibility with on course updates available for download automatically via Bluetooth and fitness watch features such as odometer and GPS tracking.
The second area for upgrade is the new look of the WTX+. The watch has a stylish new strap and a new metallic finish for the bezel which improves the aesthetic and makes it a very wearable everyday watch when not in golf mode. The new look combines superbly with the extra skins that can be selected for the watch face and with an extended battery life, the WTX+ is perfect for everyday use.
With GolfBuddy’s renowned accuracy, some of the most advanced features on the market, great pricing and U.K. dedicated customer support WTX+ is set to build on the success of the WTX and give GolfBuddy a great finish to the season
SRP: £219.99
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Raven flies to new heights
The second playing of The Raven Scratch Open was held at The Herefordshire Golf Club on Saturday 11th August. A strong field comprising of 47 competitors from all over the Midlands and South Wales battled out for the honour of being crowned champion on what proved to be a testing day.
The course set up from Jeremy Browne and his team was fair but challenging, with perfect putting surfaces combined with a few tricky pin placements making for unusually high scoring.
In the first grouping of the day, local member Michael Bayliss carded a solid 74 gross, making the most of the freshly cut greens to post a marker for the rest of the field. Throughout the day, many of the later starters threatened to better that score but the blustery winds made for a tough finish and one by one they fell away leaving Bayliss, a 6 handicapper, to secure the biggest win of his career to date. The win secured him a cut crystal trophy, the £250 first prize and the bragging rights amongst his peers for the next 12 months.
Michael Bayliss
Afterwards Bayliss praised the condition of the course, adding that it was great to see such a well supported event in only its second year, especially with 25 competitors visiting from other clubs. Speaking about his round he added that he thought he might be a couple of shots short, even for the net prize, when he finished, so he was shocked and delighted when it proved to be good enough for the main prize.
There was a four way tie for second place on +7 with Graham McMonagle from Southerndown GC taking second spot and Tom Mansell from The Herefordshire Golf Club in third, both on card countback.
In conjunction with the Gross prize, a net competition was also played. First prize went to local member Rob Waring with a net 70, winning by one from Burghill Valley’s John McQuillan with a 71.
Competition organiser Jonathan Devereux commented that he was delighted with the number of entries, especially from club members and also those who traveled from further afield to support the event. The target is to gain Shropshire & Herefordshire Union of Golf Clubs accreditation for The Raven in order to add more gravitas to both Golf locally and also to the county set up.
Golf Stars drive to a World Record
It wasn’t just the temperatures that were soaring this week as some of the longest drivers in the country sent their balls flying down the runway at RAF Honington. American Golf challenged some of the Long Drive stars who’ll be appearing at its 2018 U.K. Long Drive Final this August to set various Long Drive World Records and in doing so help celebrate the anniversaries of On Course Foundation and the RAF.
First up on the temporary tee positioned at the end of the 900 yard main runway at RAF Honington was On Course Foundation beneficiary and Gecko Tour player, Mike Browne. Despite never taking part in Long Drive before, Mike, who is a single leg amputee, belted a staggering 564.65 yard drive using Callaway Epic Driver to record the longest ever golf drive by a single leg amputee.
Mike Browne, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
What is most remarkable about Mike’s World Record is that before his leg was amputated in 2013 he had never hit a golf ball. He commented, “I have never done anything like this before so I can’t believe how well I struck the ball! I was at my lowest ebb when I came across the sport for the first time with On Course Foundation. Since then it has taken me to some incredible places and enabled me to do some amazing things, but setting a World Record, whether it’s official or not, has to be one of the highlights.”
Mike Browne, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
Using her Callaway Rogue Driver, current American Golf U.K. Long Drive Champion Ilona Stubley hit a remarkable 460.94 yard drive to set a new (unofficial) Long Drive World Record for women. Since winning the American Golf U.K. Long Drive Championship last year Ilona has been training for the sport and her consistent performance today bears testament to that.
Ilona Stubley, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
She commented, “I’ve worked really hard this winter to make sure that I am in great shape to defend my title at Chester Racecourse in August, so when American Golf invited me to try and set a Long Drive World Record in the meantime I was obviously delighted to take part. It’s been a fantastic day and it was great to see everyone else perform, including the golf team from the RAF.”
Ilona Stubley, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
Ilona Stubley, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
The biggest hitter of the day was Long Drive European Tour Champion and American Golf staff member Matt Nicolle. He smashed his Callaway ball 657.44 yards, which is shorter than some of the unofficial records out there, but is the longest drive on a flat surface using conforming golf equipment and will be submitted to Guinness for their consideration alongside the other two records.
Matt Nicole, Long Drive world record attempt
RAF Honington, Suffolk, UK
All the records were documented and verified by independent adjudicators including members of the RAF, who kindly donated their time and their runway as part of their own 100th Anniversary celebrations. Matt Bacon, Head of Events at American Golf, thanked them for their assistance, “It’s been a pleasure to be here with the RAF and OCF today. We can’t thank them enough for arranging the loan of their runway and for helping us collect all the evidence we need to submit the records to Guinness. I can’t think of more reliable witnesses, so we’re confident the applications are in safe hands!”
Photograph Credit: Mark Newcombe/visionsingolf.com
Hole in 1 for 4yr old Prodigy
Golfing prodigy Abhay Kapoor stunned onlookers by recording a hole in one during a golf lesson at 3 Hammers Golf Complex in Wolverhampton this weekend.
Abhay, who attends Mayfield prep school in Walsall recorded the feat on the 14th with a 7 iron, emulating his golfing hero and fellow 3 Hammers alumni Aaron Rai who had holed out for an Ace only the day before at the European Tour’s BMW International.
Abhay’s dad Shiv couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing, especially after seeing Aaron hole out the day before, “Me and Abhay’s coach at 3 Hammers, Kyle Cooper, were speaking about Aaron Rai’s Hole in One at the BMW just before Abhay’s lesson. For him to then go and emulate his hero and do the same in that very lesson is incredible. I’m so proud of him.”
Abhay Kapoor Hole in One 3Hammers
Abhay took up golf a year ago aged 3 and has proven to be a natural. He’s received coaching at 3 Hammers Golf Academy from Kyle but has also been greatly inspired by Aaron Rai, as Shiv continues, “Abhay’s met Aaron Rai a few times and was recently at a Q&A with him at 3 Hammers. Aaron spoke about focus and discipline and Abhay’s worked even harder on his game ever since. Straight after he got his hole in one he turned to me and said ‘Daddy, see! I work hard for you!’ I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!”
Abhay’s Hole in One comes straight off the back of his first ever tournament win the week before. He secured top spot in the regional qualifier for the ‘Wee Wonders’ Golf Tour the previous week playing against 5 and 6 year olds, and while a tournament victory at the age of 4 might seem unlikely Kyle thinks that it will be the first of many for Abhay, “Seeing Abhay follow in his hero’s footsteps comes as no great surprise. Winning his regional at the Wee Wonders and getting a Hole in One in the same week are fantastic achievements, but Abhay’s love of being on the golf course shines through as much as his ability. It’s exciting to see him achieving great things so early, but even more exciting to see the enjoyment and confidence he’s getting from the game.”
Next on Abhay’s radar is the Regional Final of the Wee Wonders on 25th July where he will take on the best 5 and 6 year olds in the area. With his first Hole in One in the bag and brimming with confidence, the last word goes to Abhay on his achievements, “I’m really happy I got a hole in one like Aaron and I’m going to work hard to get better at golf!”
Heathland win for Yarham & Palfrey
There was a sensational finish to the 2018 Heathland Classic where the last few holes were decisive in determining who was going to be crowned the eventual winners.
The 3 day pairs event held at the areas three premier courses opened this year at Lindrick. With the greens running fast with a gusting wind the leading score of 44 pts from Dean Whitehouse & John Richardson (Sandhill GC/Hickleton GC) was enough to give them a narrow one point first leg lead from Howley Hall GC’s Martin Smith & Glen Arnison and Mark Duffin & Bernie Clark (Burghley Park GC/Sleaford GC).
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The next day was at Notts where the wind had strengthened significantly and points were not going to be surrendered easily by the course which is due to stage the final Open Qualification stage shortly. An admirable 42 pts from Gainsborough GC’s Jeremy Hague & Jonathan Stokes were the winners on the day with James Hartle & Sam Knight (Ladbroke Park GC/Sutton Coldfield GC) and the Smith Arnison partnership again in the prizes with 41 pts.
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Going in to the final day Smith and Arnison held the overall lead, a healthy 4 points ahead of Whitehouse & Richardson, with a host of teams a further 5 points adrift. Both the favourites went out together in reverse leaderboard order in what threatened to be a title deciding shootout unless the chasing pack could produce something exceptional.
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A glorious day greeted the players at Sherwood Forest where conditions were almost perfect. The 4th hole gave all the players an early chance of winning £5,000 for a Hole in One but after a few early shouts sadly there were no takers for the suitcase full of cash.
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Back with the main prize it was outsiders Mark Yarham & Andrew Palfrey who set the pace with an incredible 47 points in a round that contained 11 net birdies and no dropped shots to put them on 124 pts overall and into first place.
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As the later starters completed their rounds the nervous wait continued as a number of contenders failed to challenge their total. Hague & Stokes were left to regret a couple of bogies on the front nine but recovered brilliantly to post 46 points. Overall they were behind Yarham & Palfrey only on countback with one score left to be recorded.
But the overnight leaders and favourites Smith & Arnison struggled on Sherwood’s demanding back nine managing only 17 points to come up with 38 pts, agonisingly one short of the leaders with a total score of 123 pts.
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So in what was a very tense and thrilling climax to the 54 hole event, the 2018 Heathland Classic Trophy went to the members from Burghley Park GC & Knole GC, Mark Yarham (5 handicap) and pal Andrew Palfrey (8 handicap) with rounds of 40, 37 and 47 to give them a winning total of 124 to take home various goodies including a Ping Tour bag and over £500 worth of vouchers each.
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Tournament Director Luke Allen said “the courses were in first class conditions, the greens were all very fast and true and the windy weather made things a real challenge. The standard of play was exceptional, some great scores and the atmosphere at the awards ceremony was just fantastic. The final day 47 points certainly was a surprise but in this format a big number is always possible and teams are always in there with a chance. The spirit from the competitors has been really positive all week and I’m sure everyone enjoyed the challenge. Congratulations to the winners and hopefully the rest will try again next year.
Entries open in November http://heathlandgolfclassic.
Juniors enter 5th year with Ping
The American Golf Junior Championship in association with PING has announced its rosta of Championship qualifying events for 2018, and with PING once again on board as tournament sponsor, the event is set to be one of the highlights of the year’s junior calendar.
Sam McIntyre
John Clark, Managing Director of PING Europe, said, “Over the years we’ve been involved with the American Golf Junior Championship, we’ve seen some fantastic golf played by hugely talented golfers but, more importantly, we’ve seen sportsmanship and camaraderie from some inspiring young people. We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with American Golf and being part of this fantastic event yet again, and we’re looking forward to welcoming all the qualifiers to Gainsborough Golf Club for the finals.”
Ollie McEvoy
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Madeleine-Smith
2017 saw impressive golf played in the Scratch, Boys and Girls Handicap and Future Stars (under and over 8) categories with Aaron Mohun (featured image) from Chester coming out on top in the overall Championship. With the 2018 qualifying competitions set to begin at Roganstown G.C. near Dublin on 11th of July, players from all over the U.K. & Ireland will be lining up to qualify for the opportunity to take on Aaron when he returns to PING’s H.Q. at Gainsborough Golf Club to try and retain his title.
Matt Bacon, Head of Events at American Golf concluded, “Some of the best junior golfers in the U.K. & Ireland have played in the Championship over the past few years so I’m excited to see how the event develops for 2018. PING have been fantastic supporters of our drive to get more Juniors of all abilities out hitting balls so I’m delighted to have them on board again for our celebration of the best of junior golf.”
Nathan Newton
The American Golf Junior Championship will be shown on Sky Sports in October. The event is free to enter and players with and without handicaps can take part in different categories. For more information on entries please visit:
www.americangolf.co.uk/free-tournaments/free-tournaments.html
Quailfying Events
Ireland – Roganstown G&CC – Wednesday 11th July
South England – The Shire London – Monday 30th July
Midlands – Gaudet Luce GC – Tuesday 31st July
North England – High Legh Park GC – Wednesday 1st August
Wales – Glamorganshire GC – Thursday 2nd August
Scotland – Leven Links – Wednesday 8th August
The Nicklaus celebrates 30 years
30 Years of The Nicklaus: St Mellion celebrates anniversary by rolling back fourball price
This summer, St Mellion’s Nicklaus Signature Course celebrates 30 years of memorable, spectacular and challenging golf by rolling back its prices to 1988, the year in which it opened.
For a strictly limited time it’s just £149 for a fourball with golf buggies to play ‘The Nicklaus’ at the 36-hole St Mellion International Resort, but the deal disappears soon – so get some friends together and hurry along down to Cornwall.
You don’t pay less if you turn up in 1988-style polyester check Farah trousers and a pale yellow Golden Bear polo shirt, but you’d be snapped, posted and hailed as a hero by the resort’s social media team if you did.
St Mellion’s most famous attraction was designed with both Tour golf and members’ golf in mind by Jack Nicklaus before he won his last Major at The Masters in 1986. And because Nicklaus designed it to be playable by all skill levels, it’s perfectly possible for beginners and higher-handicappers to play the course too. At just 5,500 yards from the forward tees The Nicklaus plays less like Golden Bear, and more like Teddy Bear – although it is no less spectacular because of that.
Martin Bond, Hermon Bond and Jack Nicklaus discuss construction of the Nicklaus Signature Course. Photo: Martin and Hermon Bond.
“St Mellion holds a special place in my heart” said Jack Nicklaus, speaking in 2013. “It was my first design opportunity in the UK and among all of the golf courses I have designed I would rank it very high as a test of golf, as a design, and looking at the beauty of each individual hole.
“St Mellion is a strong test of golf, and it gives me a great deal of pride.”
Best-remembered for hosting the Benson & Hedges International Open for six consecutive years in the early 90s, and in tribute to its status as a 12-time venue for Tour events and other significant golf tournaments, St Mellion will shortly host a series of events to entice both first-timers and long-time fans to play the course in full European Tour setup.
In August St Mellion’s members will experience one of golf’s finest sensations – playing the Nicklaus course largely from the middle of the fairway – as they play Texas Scramble with the golf course set up as if for a Tour event, including authentic Benson & Hedges pin positions.
Prior to that there’s a 30th Anniversary Pro-Am on The Nicklaus on June 19th, again in full Tour setup, followed by this year’s Davida’s Day event for the CLIC Sargent charity on July 24th, where six golfers will attempt the “Benson & Hedges in a day” challenge – 72 holes on The Nicklaus from the 7,010 yard Par 72 Championship Blue Tees to European Tour pin positions.
Anecdotes which highlight The Nicklaus course’s legendary toughness in full Tour mode abound on the European Tour, with pros frequently shooting in the 80s and worse.
“I’m not saying it’s tight, but I walked down the 12th hole sideways” quipped Zimbabwean Tour pro Tony Johnstone, runner-up to Peter Senior in the B&H in 1992. One year a visiting Australian Tour golfer ran out of golf balls during his round, forcing him to retire from the event, and David Feherty famously once hit his tee shot on the 16th from on top of a burger which he’d bought at a nearby concession stand.
And in 1992, on his way to a third-round 86, Jesper Parnevik played the 18th in under a minute, running all the way and finishing by bombing fully-clothed into the lake beside the final green to the delight of the crowd.
“We’re the only European Tour venue for almost 150 miles, and for thirty years golfers have been making a pilgrimage to take on The Nicklaus Signature Course” said the resort’s Golf Manager, David Moon. “Many of golf’s greatest players have tried to tame it, but few have succeeded from the back tees. Our pedigree is enhanced by having some of golf’s true greats such as Ballesteros, Langer and Olazabal on our honours board as former winners.
“On the 10th of July 1988 we held an exhibition match to open The Nicklaus course. Jack Nicklaus himself partnered Tom Watson against Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle, and the Brits won. It rained that day, like it has a few times since, but there’s always sunshine in the clubhouse at St Mellion. Golf should be fun, and we want your memories of St Mellion to be amazing no matter how you played, so our welcome is truly warm and genuine.
Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo pose by the commemorative stone commissioned by the Bond Brothers, to mark the USAvGB match played on 10th July 1988 at the official inauguration of the Nicklaus Signature Course at St Mellion – the first Nicklaus design in Great Britain. Nick and Sandy won. Photo: Martin and Hermon Bond.
“Luckily, Jack Nicklaus designed his course to be playable for all levels, and we have some generous forward tees – so why not come along this summer, and test your skills against The Nicklaus for yourself?”
With its reputation growing yearly as one of the UK’s undisputed inland golf classics, The Nicklaus Signature Course sits at the heart of St Mellion International Resort near Plymouth.
Recently-ranked in the #2 slot among 4-Star golf resorts in the UK, and at 15th overall as regards golf resorts in Great Britain & Ireland, St Mellion’s two immaculate 18-hole European Tour golf courses, the Nicklaus Signature Course and The Kernow Course, have earnt it the #2 ranking in England as regards resort golf.
A regular winner of awards and accolades from both golfing and mainstream media, St Mellion International Resort is the flagship venue of Crown Golf, Britain’s largest owner and operator of golf clubs. In 2009 the resort opened a new 80-room AA 4-star hotel which has become the centrepiece of this highly-acclaimed, multiple award-winning destination for both leisure and business in the south west of England.
For a deeper insight into how two Cornish farmers, Martin and Hermon Bond, built an internationally-celebrated golf resort, a new book by Michael Taylor and Paddy Flavin, ‘St Mellion – The Bond Legacy’ is now available on Amazon.
See www.st-mellion.co.uk for all information, and to book your next visit.
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Sky Sports put C&B in the spotlight
It was a case of lights, cameras, action on Sunday at Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club as Sky Sports came to film head PGA Pro Angus Hoare and two of his talented charges.
Brothers Brandon Sarfo, aged 16, and Hayden, eight, are long-standing pupils of Angus and have both been capturing the golfing headlines.
Older brother Brandon, who plays off three, is part of the England Midland Training Squad U18s squad while Hayden has qualified for the World Junior Golf Championships in San Diego in July.
Haydn has a 22 handicap and has been wowing coaches and members alike with his smooth swing and golfing skills.
Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Edwards and cameraman spent three hours at the club where they filmed the juniors in action while also speaking to dad Claude and Angus.
“I’ve been working with Brandon for four years and Hayden for two years,” said Angus.
“Hayden qualifying for the World Junior Golf Championships has attracted a lot of media attention. He already plays off 22 which is really pretty impressive for an eight year old and I think he could go all the way.
“I love coaching both the boys. With Hayden, we work a lot on the fundamentals. He swings it lovely but if the fundamentals breakdown that is when the bad shots come so we work a lot on the grip, posture and alignment.”
Churchill & Blakedown is making great strides in growing its juniors section with 30 on its books.
Angus, who is a PGA Advanced Professional, and fellow PGA pro Phil Lathwood are both passionate about encouraging more juniors into golf and welcomed the chance to showcase the club.
Angus Hoare – Sky Sports
“We host a lot of coaching programmes at Churchill & Blakedown and also do a lot of out reach work in schools and also adults centres for those with learning disabilities,” added Angus.
“Golf is a great game for kids, both for the health and well-being of being outside but also for teaching them about life-skills. The more we can get playing the better.”
Any parents interested in getting their children into golf can call Angus and Phil on 01562 700454 to find out more.
Thumbs up for Alsager’s new holes
South Cheshire Golf Club Unveils New Back Nine Holes
Continuous investment and innovative planning at Alsager Golf and Country Club has resulted in the unveiling of the new back nine holes on the course. The changes have been funded solely from the voluntary 200 Club Lottery and the majority of the work carried out by the Club’s own Greenstaff throughout the year.
At a time when many golf clubs are not investing in their course, Alsager Golf and Country Club has taken the opposite approach. In addition to the £500k which the club spent a few years ago on improvements to the course drainage, last year the decision was taken by the membership to redesign some of the holes on the back nine and enhance the course for all golfers.
The old 13th par 3, known to many as ‘cardiac hill’, has been replaced with a new par 4, 13th hole which promises to be one of the signature holes on the course.
New 13th tee
Not only has the 13th changed, but also the 14th and 15th has also benefited from the redesign. The current 15th has become the 14th and so golfers are still able to enjoy the spectacular views over six counties, which can be seen on a clear day.
A new short par 3 has been added, this is the new 15th and the members actually designed the green and the approach, so this has really been a project that has the Club behind it. Then as previously played you will will move seamlessly over to the 16th and play the remaining three holes as before.
The 200 Club Lottery was first proposed by Vice Captain Frank Wallace two years ago and this has been used to to fund the £15/20k project. The club has also been fortunate to call on members with professional skills such as architect Dave Volkes, Director of Hulme Upright for their help. The Club’s own Greenstaff, headed by Mike Goodfellow, have carried out the work, with some additional help from contractors for the heavy machinery work. During this time Alsager’s members and visitors have continued to play the existing course, with minimal disruption.
The new holes are important for both membership retention and to attract new members and although some of the stroke indexes have been changed for two of the new holes, the course yardage is reduced slightly. New buggy paths are installed and any trees lost have been replanted as the environment is important to the club.
MG’s editors Phil and Mandy were invited to a special occasion at the club on April 27th when the new back nine, funded by the club and worked on by the greenstaff with plenty of member support was officially opened.
Alsager’s issue was always their final six, from the old 13th hole onwards you get some marvellous views from the top of up to six other counties on a clear day. But such was the configuration, the stretch from 13 to 15 left you with not one but two quite punishing climbs to contend with, a slightly off-putting prospect.
Something was needed and funded solely by club lottery takings, work started in the winter to make the changes required.
What they’ve achieved is incredibly impressive and has done the trick perfectly. The old long uphill par three 13th has now been changed to a much shorter and level 15th, completely taking out one of the climbs. The 14th becomes a new par four 13th, with spectacular views from the tee. The old 15th now becomes the new 14th, with a new path constructed to make it an easier walk to the 15th tee.
There’s still a little bit of work to be done at the back of the new 15th green, but the new loop is now fully open for business, easier walking, yet still maintaining that scenic splendour. They’ve done a wonderful job and MG were made to feel extremely welcome by the club, whose members make as much effort in a friendly welcome as they do when pulling together for a job such as this.
On Friday June 15th societies are invited to play in a special organiser’s day – organiser plus three playing partners for just £15 each including a meal, with discounts off society days as prizes.
For the month of May Alsager celebrates the opening of the new holes by offering £10 visitor green fees for Mon-Fri which also includes 20% off bar drinks.
Motocaddys trolley trade-in
MOTOCADDY LAUNCHES TROLLEY TRADE-IN PROMOTION
-Golfers get £50 towards new model and old trolley recycled for free-
Motocaddy, the world’s leading trolley company, is giving golfers the chance to upgrade their old electric trolley for a brand new one over the next few months and get a £50 cashback bonus – plus have their old trolley recycled for free.
For the first time ever, golfers who buy a Motocaddy powered trolley with a Lithium battery between now and the end of June, can claim a £50 cashback when they trade in their old electric trolley – irrespective of brand, model, age or condition (working or not).
As part of the brand’s biggest ever promotion, Motocaddy has partnered with package delivery giant UPS and a specialist recycling company, to ensure that the old trolleys are responsibly recycled, rather than damage the environment by going to landfill or find its way back into the market as a refurbished trolley.
“More than 70% of UK golfers already use an electric trolley and this promotion provides them with a great opportunity to upgrade,” said Motocaddy Sales Director, Neil Parker. “Not only will they save £50, but they can also relax in the knowledge that their old trolley will be recycled in an environmentally friendly way.”
Following the purchase of a new Motocaddy Lithium trolley, golfers simply register the warranty on the brand’s website and submit their trade-in claim. Once the claim has been verified, a free shipping label is emailed to them, so the old trolley can be dropped off at one of more than 3,000 UPS Access Points across mainland Britain.
When the old trolley has been received, Motocaddy will then transfer the £50 cashback directly into the golfer’s bank account.
”This is the first time we’ve run a trolley trade-in promotion and we’re sure this offer will tempt many golfers,” said Sales Director Neil Parker. “There has never been a better choice of powered trolleys within our range including GPS, Compact, Remote and Downhill Control – there really is a trolley for every golfer,” he added.
The 10-week promotion is available to golfers living on mainland Britain and excludes Northern Ireland, the Scottish Isles, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. The promotion runs until Saturday 30th June 2018.
For more information on the Motocaddy Trolley Trade-in promotion and to view the full terms and conditions, please visit www.motocaddy.com/trade-in
Archie’s coast to coast challenge
Derbyshire based junior golfer Archie Qualtrough is preparing for a daunting fundraising challenge to become the first person to hit a golf ball from coast to coast.
The 11-year-old, who plays off a 16 handicap, is aiming to raise much-needed cash and awareness for four charities in memory of two High Peak sporting youngsters.
Archie, who last year raised over £2,500 for the same causes by playing 100 holes during one soaking High Peak day (below), has planned a five-day, 83-mile route using 15 golf courses from Maryport GC on the west coast of England to Tynemouth GC on the east coast.
The cross-country challenge is to start on Monday, May 28, and primary school pupil Archie expects it will take five days to complete.
Archie, who is a member of the Derbyshire Under 14 squad and plays his golf at Woodhall Spa, came up with the idea at the end of last year and worked out the path along the approximate route of Hadrian’s Wall.
He told Midlands Golfer magazine: “It’s going to be very tough but I’m confident I can complete the challenge – I’ve been busy building my fitness level and I’m in the gym or out on the course every day.
“I was amazed by the support I received last year and knew I had to do something similar again to raise money and awareness for the four charities that mean a lot to me and the people around me.”
Archive is hoping to raise £6,000 in memory of Ben Strollery and Charlie Craig that is donated through his JustGiving page to YoungMinds, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), Finlay Cooper Foundation and The Golf Foundation.
Mum Anna says Archie is looking for the support of golf companies to help him achieve his aim.
“Each of the first four days will be dedicated to each of the charities and Archie is hoping to use social media to highlight their work and how they benefit and support young people,” she added.
“Any help in spreading the messages to a wider audience would help enormously.”
Archie will be sending a daily diary of his challenge to Midlands Golfer for readers to follow his route across the country.
Main image – Archie with his Woodhall Spa coach Neil Harvey
Baker v The Ambassadors
We’re testing Peter Baker’s professional knowledge this summer for a collection of noble causes. Its Majors time and a repeat for something we did this time last year which is all good fun but wasn’t an overwhelming success. Seeing as how it’s all for charity as well, we must do better this year.
Peter is pitting his wits against our MG ambassadors, our valued team of guys who help us deliver the magazine each month. All they have to do is each place a couple of bets on each major, MG goes down the bookies and places them – plus as it’s Ryder Cup year, we’re doing a predict the score from Paris too.
£25 will be wagered on each event, and whoever comes out on top with the highest collective winnings by October will scoop the full pot and donate it to their chosen charity.
- Predictions were made on the week of March 19th-23rd
Peter Baker’s picks & reasons
Masters – TO WIN Justin Thomas EACH WAY BET Jordan Spieth
“Thomas is a man on form and a long straight hitter too, which is a big thing at Augusta. I just can’t ignore Jordan either, such a great record here.”
US Open WIN Phil Mickleson EACH WAY Dustin Johnson
“Purely for sentimental reasons and also as he’s a winner again at last, Phil is surely destined to win one US Open? Shinnecock is pretty linksy too which should help him further.”
Open Championship WIN Jon Rahm EACH WAY Justin Rose
“Back to the Europeans on the toughest of Open venues. After his Irish Open win last year Rahm knows how to play links. And Justin Rose, I fancy him for an Open soon.”
US PGA WIN Rory Mcllroy EACH WAY Rickie Fowler
“I’m gambling that by August Rory might be back on form at last! *Plus Rickie’s another one who has come so close so many times, a major win must happen soon.”
*Peter recorded this conversation before the recent Bay Hill Invitational won by Rory Mcllroy!*
Ryder Cup Score – Europe 16-12 USA – Chosen Charity – Compton Hospice – Wolverhampton
THE AMBASSADORS
Chris Bates – Coventry & Warwickshire Ambassador – Known by us affectionately as ‘The Odds God’ Chris, a Coventry GC member proved that to be correct in 2017 at the very last minute as his E/W bet at the USPGA, Justin Thomas romped to victory with a final round charge. Chris scooped the full winnings, donating £220 to the Alzheimer’s Society and is ready to go again this year.
Masters TO WIN Bubba Watson EACH WAY Tyrell Hatton
US Open WIN Rory Mcllroy EACH WAY Jon Rahm
Open Championship WIN Justin Rose EACH WAY Jordan Spieth
US PGA WIN Rickie Fowler EACH WAY Justin Rose
Ryder Cup Score Europe 14.5 v 13.5 USA – Chosen Charity – Alzheimer’s Society
Neil White/Mark Johnson – Worcs Ambassadors – Neil and Mark, both members of BUNGS share a delivery route for us, so they share this too. They are hoping for a better showing this year than they managed in 2017.
Masters TO WIN Dustin Johnson EACH WAY Tiger Woods
US Open WIN Justin Rose EACH WAY Tiger Woods
Open Championship WIN Tommy Fleetwood EACH WAY Tiger Woods
US PGA WIN Justin Thomas EACH WAY Tiger Woods
Ryder Cup Score Europe 15-13 USA – Chosen Charity – Breast Cancer Support (BUNGS captain’s charity for 2018)
Paul Spooner – Black Country and N Birmingham ambassador – Paul, who is a Walsall GC member and WAGS society member has taken the place of the editor for this year, because the editor wasn’t very good either! Good luck Paul, (he’s the one on the left!)
Masters TO WIN Dustin Johnson EACH WAY Tiger Woods
US Open WIN Tiger Woods EACH WAY Hideki Matsuyama
Open Championship WIN Rory Mcllroy EACH WAY Matt Fitzpatrick
US PGA WIN Jordan Spieth EACH WAY Justin Thomas
Ryder Cup Score – Europe 15.5 v USA 12.5 – Chosen Charity – Cancer Research
Tony Rogers – MG’s Nottinghamshire ambassador – Another new contestant, Tony is the organiser of the Willowbrook GS and is a member at The Nottinghamshire.
Masters TO WIN Justin Rose EACH WAY BET Phil Mickleson
US Open WIN Jason Day EACH WAY Hideki Matsuyama
Open Championship WIN Sergio Garcia EACH WAY Tommy Fleetwood
US PGA WIN Justin Thomas EACH WAY Jordan Speith
Ryder Cup Score Europe 14.5 USA 13.5 – Chosen Charity – Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance
We’ll update the current winnings as each major passes – hope they are significant ones – good luck all
By the riverside – Barlaston GC
1st tee shot view
Situated close to The Potteries just an hour from the centre of Birmingham, Barlaston is very a attractive riverside location designed by Peter Alliss in 1977. The club is a hard working and sociable venue with a great tradition, past and present of bringing up quality junior players.
After a fairly gentle beginning the River Trent provides a challenge as well as an attractive border running alongside holes three to five, an area which has seen many course improvements in recent times to guarantee quality all-weather playability.
‘Old Swampy’ (above) is a formidable seventh, a long par four with it’s 90 degree dog leg, undulations and a tiny looking punchbowl green protected by its pond and swamp surrounds. A terrifying looking approach in store and many will play it as a par five, but overhitting an approach isn’t a bad ploy as the banking you can see on the right of the image carries on all around the back of green and may bounce your ball back in the right direction.
The ninth (main image) shows Barlaston off at it’s very finest, a superb tee shot view over the lake on this short par five, the temptation is just how much of it you are prepared to take on for the reward of a shorter second shot.
The back nine follows a more traditional parkland path, tree lined on gently undulating land with more than a few twists and turns. The long par three 13th is the toughest test as the water returns, one demanding tee shot to avoid the drink, and the out of bounds on the right.
There are enough testing holes here to follow the adage not to be fooled by the modest yardage on the card, to play to your handicap at Barlaston will require some good course management skills. Enjoy too a wide variety of wildlife and the many different tree species guarantee a beautiful and varied look for each passing season.
Off course facilities include a full range of good quality and reasonably priced meals and snacks in the club’s large clubhouse lounge.
Societies are frequently attracted to the charms of Barlaston by competitive pricing and a tailor made approach to group days. Weekend society bookings are now also available by prior arrangement
Contact: Jim Pickerill (manager) or Darren Martin (professional) on 01782 372867
Email: info@barlastongolfclub.co.uk
http://www.barlastongolfclub.co.uk/
Lea Mar-vellous – A special day
Mandy Ambert – What can I say about Lea Marston Golf Club and Hotel that I didn’t say last year?
56 players came on Friday 23rd March to play in our second MG mixed event with players from Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Pontypridd. The remit of maintaining a good mix of people from the Midlands is working and with not a raindrop in sight off we went after a cheeky Bucks Fizz and Danish pastries.
The am-am shot gun start proved successful once again and with Senior Pro (Sgt Major) Darren Lewis giving us a briefing prior to the game, we played the competition.
Considering the recent weather endured by all, both nine hole courses, Academy and Marston Lakes were in great condition. The greens were soft and super receptive as well, especially on the short course, “where golfers of average ability managed to achieve prodigious amounts of backspin – which was nice.” Phil – MG
Some very close holes in one on the Academy par 3 course but the shot of the day goes to Jenny Cordon from Leek Golf Club as she hit her immersed ball from a pond onto the green on Marston Lakes. That one was caught by budding photographer Ann Tweddle from Uttoxeter GC. All adds to the fun.
Afterwards, to the bar for some refreshments and then to the evening event of drinks reception followed by a four course meal. Most of the teams stayed over for the night and were slightly more subdued the next day nursing the odd bad head, they party well.
Lea Marston’s hospitality from the seamless organisation through to the accommodation left us all feeling well indulged and spoilt. The feedback from the players has been very complimentary.
Our winners were Team Pontypridd, winning an overnight stay at the Crowne Plaza 5 Towns Resort in Colchester with our own Phil the editor and Paul Povey from Brewin Dolphin wealth management who sponsor our society section making up the fourball. Steve and Karen Parfitt from South Wales had previously played with Jean- Louis and I at the Gourmet Classic event run by Club Choice Ireland last September, and it was great that they could join us.
Phil – ” A great day and night and I normally have to apologise to my team mates that Mandy puts me with for the handicap of playing with me! But we did great as a team and it was nice to win one for a change, even nicer though to make some great new friends, which is what these events of ours are all about.”
The runners up were team Robin Hood GC (below) – Lorraine and Chaz Baldwin, Ed and Sandra Kerby winning a stay and golf at the Lea Marston Hotel.
3rd place went to team Forest of Arden – lady captain Debbie Poynton and her husband Tim and David Wright with Christine Mitchell winning a fourball at Druids Heath Golf Club.
4th place went to team LLG (Ladies Love Golf) Michelle and Chris Walker, Jane and Tony Aston winning two boxes of balls. Yes there was clearly something in their wine on the table!
On the day we also ran a raffle for Prostate Cancer Research, and Jean- Louis and I are proud to say we raised £200. Thank you SurprizeShopGolf for the raffle prizes.
Again thank you for the generosity, Crown Plaza Hotels, Lea Marston, Darren Lewis PGA Senior pro and his staff and Druids Heath GC.
Team Trentham
Next year as part of our pledge to reward and support the clubs and resorts who support MG year on year, we hope to move the event to Ullesthorpe Court Hotel in Leicestershire.
With so many ladies present I managed to sign a few up for MGALS, numbers now for our ladies society are in excess of 60 and counting. Our next MGALS event is on July 8th at the Forest of Arden.
Please contact me of you are interested in any of the events ladyeditor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk
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Flexible approach pays off for C&B
Golf is changing and memberships are changing too as clubs move to meet the needs of the modern golfer.
Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club, a traditional private members’ club founded in 1926, has embraced a new flexible membership category to increase choice for golfers.
And, nearing the first anniversary since C&B launched its Flex-Up membership, it’s fair to say it has been a huge success.
With nearly 70 members signed up across its three packages, Flex-Up is going from strength to strength and has complemented the traditional full membership categories.
Flex-Up membership was the idea of the club’s PGA professionals Angus Hoare and Phil Lathwood.
Churchill and Blakedown Golf Club
Aimed at attracting new members and generating revenue during the club’s quieter times, it has given a range of golfers the opportunity to become involved at this picturesque course in north Worcestershire.
Flex-Up has proved ideal both for beginners just getting into the game who perhaps don’t want to commit to full membership fees yet or more established golfers who love golf but simply don’t have the time to justify full membership at this point in their lives.
Among those to fall into the starter category is Julie Yardley who has been playing for a year and also has regular coaching with Phil.
Phil Lathwood and Julie Yardley.
Julie became the 50th Flex-Up member and the membership has ignited a love affair with golf.
“As someone who works I have limited time so can only play once or twice a week at most so Flex-Up is ideal,” she said. “I started to play last year because my husband plays and once I had a go I fell in love with golf. I’ve been made to feel very welcome at Churchill and Blakedown and my game has come on massively with Phil’s help so I’m really enjoying the Flex-Up experience.”
Flex-Up is points-based with three packages – 60, 120 or 210 points.
While not carrying the benefits of full membership it is sufficient to meet the needs of many who still hanker after the golf club environment and they can also play in Stablefords and medals.
The club’s long-term aim is to encourage Flex-Up members to move up to full membership which several have already done but in the meantime it has proved invaluable in getting more golfers into C&B which can only be of benefit to all concerned.
If you are interested in Flex-Up or just getting into golf call Angus or Phil in the pro shop on 01562 700454 and find out more.
Alternatively see https://churchillblakedowngolfclub.co.uk/membership/flex-up-membership/
Main Image: Golfers on the 3rd
Sky Sports put C&B in the spotlight
It was a case of lights, cameras, action at Churchill & Blakedown Golf Club as Sky Sports came to film head PGA pro Angus Hoare and two of his talented charges in the summer.
Brothers Brandon Sarfo, aged 16, and Hayden, eight, are long-standing pupils of Angus and have both been capturing the golfing headlines.
Older brother Brandon, who plays off three, is part of the England Midland Training Squad U18s squad while Hayden qualified and recently shone in the World Junior Golf Championships in San Diego in July.
Haydn has a 22 handicap and has been wowing coaches and members alike with his smooth swing and golfing skills.
Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Edwards and cameraman spent three hours at the club where they filmed the juniors in action while also speaking to dad Claude and Angus.
“I’ve been working with Brandon for four years and Hayden for two years,” said Angus.
“Hayden qualifying for the World Junior Golf Championships attracted a lot of media attention. He already plays off 22 which is really pretty impressive for an eight year old and I think he could go all the way.
Hayden Sarfo
“I love coaching both the boys. With Hayden we work a lot on the fundamentals. He swings it lovely but if the fundamentals breakdown that is when the bad shots come so we work a lot on grip, posture and alignment.”
Churchill & Blakedown is making great strides in growing its juniors section with 30 on its books.
Angus, who is a PGA Advanced Professional, and fellow PGA pro Phil Lathwood are both passionate about encouraging more juniors into golf and welcomed the chance to showcase the club.
Angus Hoare – Sky Sports
“We host a lot of coaching programmes at Churchill & Blakedown and also do a lot of out reach work in schools and also adults centres for those with learning disabilities,” added Angus.
“Golf is a great game for kids, both for the health and well-being of being outside but also for teaching them about life-skills. The more we can get playing the better.”
Any parents interested in getting their children into golf can call Angus and Phil on 01562 70045 4to find out more.
Fore Fore Two
Pride of the Midlands
Coming soon – this autumn or spring 2019 – MG will be bringing the rivalry and tension
of football supporting on to the golf course as we’re opening up Stonebridge GC for an event probably never seen before.
We’re looking for fans of 18 Midlands based football clubs to get together a fourball to compete against their traditional football rivals from the region in a loosely based stableford competition with more than a few quirks. Eventually we’ll crown a champion club, plus other team and individual winners too. All 18 tees on the Blythe and Hampton courses will be bedecked in one team’s colours as every football club will have a ‘home’ tee. Plus we’ll introduce something directly involving each club’s traditional local rival as well to increase the rivalry factor even further. There will be many other quirks and mini competitions held on the day too – this will be far from a normal golfing competition.
The basic details are as follows:
Registration – Bridge Suite plus Bacon Rolls/Coffee/Tea on arrival at 9.30 am
Shotgun start Blythe/Hampton courses 11 am
Late afternoon two course dinner
Prize presentation
Cost – £33 per player
We are looking for golfers to represent the following football clubs:
WBA – Wolves – Aston Villa – Birmingham City – Notts Forest – Notts County – Derby County – Burton – Leicester City – Coventry City – Shrewsbury Town – Walsall – Kidderminster Harriers – Northampton Town – Mansfield – Chesterfield – Stoke City – Port Vale
If you are a fan of one of these clubs or a society with strong allegiances to one of the above, we want to hear from you.
Dress code – All players are encouraged to wear football club polo shirts and also bring scarves, hats, pennants, flags etc to decorate their home tees.
Main prize – a fourball trip to Ireland courtesy of Club Choice Ireland
Further details to come but we’re taking applications to play in this event now. Please fill in the expression of interest form below and we’ll get back to you with confirmation of entry in due course.
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Zoom Aqua: Perfect fit in all weathers
ZOOM AQUA CONTROL GLOVE – THE PERFECT FIT WHATEVER THE WEATHER
With unique ‘One Size Fits All’ technology, enhanced durability and all weather performance the ZOOM Aqua Control is the glove that fits perfectly
Innovative golf glove brand ZOOM is bringing its latest development to the market this spring – ZOOM Aqua Control. Built on the brand’s unique FLEXX-FIT technology, the Aqua Control utilises an ingenious mix of flex zones to fit the contours of a golfer’s hand, feeling like a second skin whatever the player’s usual size.
Zoom Aqua Controll black charcoal red_preview
Developed with Austrian Tour player Marcus Brier, ZOOM technology gives fantastic shot feedback due to its ‘second skin’ characteristics. Now for 2018, with the introduction of the AQUA Control, ZOOM has a glove that fits every golfer and every golfing occasion.
Zoom Aqua Controll black charcoal lime_preview
The Aqua Control combines breathable Lycra material with premium kangaroo leather to provide a glove that is twice as durable, fits all sizes, and delivers incredible grip in dry conditions that is matched by its performance in the wet. This innovative blend of technology also benefits from ZOOM Shape-Fit which maintains the perfect shape of the glove, staying wrinkle free round after round and providing a perfectly secure connection to the club.
Zoom Aqua Controll black charcoal fuchsia_preview
In addition to the most modern technology, ZOOM gloves feature several colour combinations that make them stand out from the crowd. With all weather performance, lasting durability, multiple colour combinations and one size that fits all, ZOOM AQUA Control really is the best fit for every golfer.
Zoom Aqua Controll black white red preview
RRP’s: AQUA Control – £19.99, GRIP – £14.99, WEATHER – £11.99, TOUR (Cabretta) – £19.99
Colours: White-black-red, Charcoal-fuchsia, Black-charcoal-lime, Black-red
Media Enquiries: David Wheatley, Medi8
E: david@medi8ltd.co.uk M: +44 (0) 7740 684568
The CUBE is the 1st ‘Smart’ trolley
Motocaddy Puts GPS into New push trolley
– CUBE CONNECT is the first ‘Smart’ push model in the world –
Motocaddy, the world’s top-selling golf trolley brand, is introducing its proven CONNECT GPS technology into its latest manual model to create the ultimate feature-packed push trolley.
Based on the popular CUBE model launched in summer 2017, the new CUBE CONNECT push trolley is the first of its kind in the world and follows the successful launch last year of Motocaddy’s S5 CONNECT Smart Cart electric trolley and free GPS partner app, which has been downloaded by more than 45,000 golfers.
Through a Smart Display screen positioned conveniently above its soft-touch handle, the CUBE CONNECT provides the same distance data and optional smartphone alerts as the powered trolley version on the S5 CONNECT and S5 CONNECT DHC models.
When synced to the Motocaddy GPS app via a Bluetooth connection on any compatible smartphone, it can be pre-set to receive notifications alerting golfers to a missed call, text, email or range of app alerts, including WhatsApp and Facebook. The smartphone can remain connected, even when securely placed in a golf bag.
In another ground-breaking move in the push trolley sector, the digital display also acts as a conventional GPS device – providing front, middle and back distances to the green (in yards or metres) for more than 40,000 courses worldwide, plus shot measurements, clock and round timer – all of which can be controlled directly from the trolley handle.
Powered by a Motocaddy long-life battery, the high-tech CONNECT Smart Display screen can be tilted up and down for multi-angle visibility in any light on the easy-push, height adjustable ergonomic handle.
“Since its launch last year, the CUBE has been our top-selling push trolley, so to combine it with our proven CONNECT technology and expand our GPS range is something we think golfers will be really excited about,” said Managing Director, Tony Webb.
“We pride ourselves on producing innovative products for golfers worldwide. The CUBE CONNECT is another revolutionary model featuring ‘Smart’ technology, that we’re confident will be a huge hit with golfers looking for an ultra-modern, gadget-packed push trolley,” he added.
Along with its innovative ‘Smart’ technology, the compact-folding CUBE CONNECT boasts a number of performance-enhancing features, including the incredibly simple two-step assembly system that allows it to quickly fold over 45% smaller than traditional push trolleys to fit into the smallest of car boots.
It also incorporates a foot-operated parking brake; quick-release friction free oversized wheels; a folding lock; adjustable bag supports and the brand’s innovative EASILOCK™ bag-to-trolley connection system found on all Motocaddy trolleys, removing the need for a lower bag strap.
In addition, the CUBE CONNECT features a number of handy storage options, including an under-handle net; integrated accessory compartment; and holes for carrying tees and balls.
Motocaddy now has its biggest-ever push trolley range, that also includes the easy to manoeuvre P360 featuring a 360° rotating front wheel allowing the trolley to access even the tightest of spaces; the top-selling compact-folding CUBE; the fast-folding and lightweight P1, that can be folded up or down in one simple step; and the ever-popular S1 Lite incorporating the exclusive QUIKFOLD mechanism.
The CUBE CONNECT will be available in a Graphite frame with Blue trim from March at a Recommended Retail Price of £219.99.
For more information on all Motocaddy trolleys, bags, batteries and accessories, please visit www.motocaddy.com.
BIG MAX FLATTENS THE COMPETITION
With its fourth generation of Fold Flat technology, BIG MAX stays ahead of the imitators with the remarkable BLADE IP
They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, so innovators like BIG MAX have to keep moving to stay ahead of the game. With its 4th generation of Fold Flat technology, BIG MAX has done just that, literally flattening the competition with the new BLADE IP.
The IP, stands for Intellectual Property, a cheeky reminder for the chasing pack, but the BLADE IP is such a stand out product that it will be a hard act to follow. At a folded size of 88 x 62 cm and an incredible depth of just 12.5 cm the BLADE IP is hands down, the most easily stored and transported push cart on the market. In its folded state it fits in virtually any car boot with a full golf bag placed on top. If space is truly an issue then the IP will slide neatly on a parcel shelf or behind the front seats with its carry case (sold separately) keeping everything clean.
While the BLADE IP matches the flattest of BIG MAX’s carts, the real step forward for the IP is the folding mechanism. Once the height adjustable handle is folded down, simply fold the frame flat and lift the BLADE IP to see the back wheels automatically flip under the body. With a push of the front wheel the whole cart folds to just 12.5 cm deep and is ready to be packed away.
Aside from its unique folding and storage qualities, the BLADE IP stands out for its robust, stable construction and ease of use on the fairways. Adjustable bag brackets accommodate even the largest Tour bag and the double foot brake keeps the BLADE IP in place even on the hilliest courses. Integrated drink holder, storage compartment in the handle, ball, tee and double scorecard holder keep all your necessities close to hand and multiple Quick Lok and Quick Fix bases are ready to take any BIG MAX accessory such as umbrella holder, GPS holder, or sand bottle holder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQvrWUO0O_0
BIG MAX is so confident of the quality of the BLADE IP that it comes with a 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. So while this is a premium push cart, 5 years of guaranteed, high quality, convenient usage make it a great value buy.
Simple to use, impressive to see and giving unprecedented ease of storage, the BLADE IP really stands out from the crowd. If you’re considering a premium push cart then don’t even give the imitators a second glance. The BLADE IP is the only show in town, keeping ahead of the game and flattening anything else on the market.
Available in Black, Black/Lime, White, White/Lime, Phantom/Red in stores from March 2018
RRP: £299.99
F: facebook.com/bigmaxgolf
T: @BIGMAXGOLF
Insta: @BIGMAX.GOLF
Media Enquiries: david@medi8ltd.co.uk +44 (0)7740 684568
About BIG MAX
BIG MAX has been Europe’s #1 push cart brand for over 15 years following the unprecedented success of the world’s first 3 wheel push cart the Ti1000. Available in virtually every country that plays golf, BIG MAX is a name that has become associated with quality and innovation. It’s most recent advancement, Fold Flat technology, has seen BIG MAX pioneer push carts that fold down completely flat, in some cases to less than 5” deep. BIG MAX has furthered its reputation for innovation with its AQUA and DRI LITE technology that in the last quarter of 2017 matched BIG MAX push carts by becoming #1 golf bag and travel cover brand in Germany, a traditional marker for # 1 in continental Europe.
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Major award for Anders
Golf coach Anders Mankert, who changes lives through the sport, was honoured last night with England Golf’s Lifetime Service Award, sponsored by Bridgestone.
Mankert, from Cosby Golf Club, Leicestershire, was recognised at the England Golf Awards at the Royal Lancaster London, which highlighted all that’s great about golf in England.
Mankert was celebrated for the difference he has made to blind and visually impaired golfers and to young players making their way in the game.
Guests at the glittering, black tie event – including influential figures from across the sport, volunteers, coaches, clubs and counties – applauded Mankert for his remarkable volunteer contributions which span more than two decades.
He was nominated by blind students who put him forward for “being a unique inspiration and primarily for introducing us to the sport which has changed our life!” The judges agreed, commenting: “Anders has literally given time, expertise and selfless dedication over 20 years, helping to extend the game’s inclusivity.”
Mankert said of his award: “It’s not why I do it, but it’s a lovely, lovely thing to be recognised for your efforts and to know that people actually care. It’s quite humbling and it’s the most amazing thing that has happened in my career.”
His story begins back in the mid-1990s when he saw a group of blind and visually impaired players making weekly visits to a golf range. He realised he could help them, tentatively offered his services and has been working with them, and others, ever since, without charging a penny. “We have just carried on for the next 20 years!” he said.
Mankert, an Advanced Fellow of the PGA and an honorary life member of the England and Wales Blind Golf Association, does far more than teach the technical skills. When one of his students was unable to find an all-important guide to accompany him on the course, he persuaded a local newspaper to feature the blind golfer – with the result that 17 people volunteered to help.
When other students, often unable to work, cannot afford golf club subscriptions he contacts local clubs to ask if they will waive their fees. Some willingly open their doors, but it can also be a tough task – Mankert wrote to 15 clubs on behalf of one player and didn’t receive a single reply.
But the setbacks are far outweighed by the achievements. The player who was very depressed after losing his sight overnight and is now British No 1, has competed in world championships and counts Mankert as a personal friend. The visually impaired girl who is now able to play weekly golf with her dad. The young offender who almost blinded his victim with a shot from an air rifle and was ordered by a judge to act as a blind person’s carer for a week. “It was genius,” said Mankert, who described how the surly, unhelpful young man transformed into a phenomenal carer.
There’s also satisfaction achieved by player after player. “It strikes me that golf must be the hardest possible game for a blind person to take up,” said Mankert. “But I think they feel that if they can play golf and see some progress they can pretty much have a go at anything and you can see their confidence growing.”
There’s also satisfaction for Mankert. “I get masses out of this. I have really enjoyed it, it’s very rewarding to see how something small on my part, giving up a little bit of time, has had such a tremendous impact. It’s unbelievable.”
Mankert also runs a scholarship programme offering young golfers the opportunity to work like a tour pro for a year. They receive unlimited coaching and mentoring from Mankert together with support from specialists such as a physiotherapist and a dietician.
He’s just awarded his sixth scholarship, selecting the winner from 387 applicants from across the country. One of his former protégées, Ryan Evans, is now a European Tour player, and another is a PGA professional, while all have improved their golf and grown personally and in confidence.
“When I was young lots of people helped me and so it’s quite important to give a bit back, it just feels the right thing to do,” said Mankert.
Main feature image: Anders Mankert (left) receives his award from Stuart Attfield on behalf of event sponsors Bridgestone.
New Rushcliffe challenge for Marc
The Rushcliffe Golf Club has recently appointed a new Club Manager. Marc Valentine, 27 years old from Loughborough, has been tasked with building on the fantastic work that has taken place at The Rushcliffe Golf Club over the last few years.
Alongside a fantastic course, The Rushcliffe Golf Club has a brilliant set of staff members with passionate Greenstaff and Golf Pro who work tirelessly for the good of the Club.
Marc Valentine
Having previously worked in a business development role for a leading University, Marc brings with him a skill set focused on business engagement, social media marketing and events management. In his previous role he was responsible for engaging with some of the largest organisations in the world and directly contributed to the organisation and running of the UK’s largest university careers fair, an event which catered for over 240 organisations and 7,000 students.
Marc is passionate about developing the The Rushcliffe Golf Club brand and embracing technology in order to do so. His aim is to secure the long-term future success of the Club by continuing to develop the fantastic golfing product and facilities available.
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DOGS (Dallington Old Boys)
Dallington Old Boys Golf Society or “DOGS” as we call ourselves were founded in November 2016 and are based around the Northamptonshire region.
We started as a core group of friends in and around our 30s who were finding it ever harder to stay in touch on a regular basis amongst the daily grind and family commitments. DOGS was born. With a founding membership of 21 we’ve already grown by over a third in just over a year which is a fantastic achievement from everyone involved.
We’re proudly run by a committee of Kelvin “Dad” Longrigg – who looks after the core running of the society as Captain and Secretary, Glen “DD” Smith – Vice Captain and Treasurer who helps ensure event days run like clockwork, Stuart “Jarv” Wiseman – the brains behind our league tables and handicap adjustments. Alex “Sharky” Parkinson manages our social media channels “tweeting, following, and YouTubing” his heart out hoping that one day we’ll get a complimentary invite to Augusta J. Then we have Mr. Phil “Fines Master esq” Martin who, with sniper like precision polices the society rules with the proceeds helping to fund our social events. We’re also very proud to donate a portion of our fines to charity each year and for 2018 we’ve selected Cancer Research as the beneficiary.
We are a band of builders, sales folk, recruiters, architects, designers, electricians, not to mention a few members of the #Hashtagutd celebrity YouTube football team – all of us bound by our common interest in golf.
And it would be remiss to not give a special mention to our northern/southern @madebygav with a backswing that would beguile the most experienced contortionist – naturally he’s known as “The Whirlwind”. We think he’s one of the longest hitters on tour, it’s just that we’re never really sure which way it’s going off the tee!
Playing courses in and around the Northamptonshire/Midlands area our curtain closer was hosted by the Belfry on the Brabazon course capping a hugely successful first season. Some notably enjoyable courses have been Collingtree Park, Staverton Park and Whittlebury Park, each providing their own quirks and challenges.
In terms of competitions, we run season long stableford and match play leagues. Interestingly, since our inaugural event we are still yet to see a double winner!! The stableford league is the bread and butter of accolades with the overall winner presented with the Stephen Fairbrother Order of Merit trophy (below) – in memory of our good friend “Fairy” who sadly passed away in 2008 at the age of 24, way way before his time. He keeps the weather good for us! Ironically, the first Order of Merit was won by none other than “Dad” himself having been taken right to the wire at the last event by Vice Captain DD. 2018 promises to be an equally competitive affair as the race to being crowned 2018 OoM Champion hots up again with the promise of the winner’s name etched into DOGS folklore.
In addition to the season long leagues we also run individual event prizes; the usual NP/LDs plus various special prizes such as “Par 5 Hero (best cumulative par 5 scores)” and “Connect 4 (best 4 holes in a row)” amongst others with current front runners lit up on the special prize leaderboard.
New for 2018 will also see us running some golf “skills schools” such as freestyling, chipping challenges etc. which we’ll be posting on our social media channels for a bit of fun.
So what does the future hold for DOGS? We’re still a young society and are always looking for ways to improve. We regularly run surveys seeking feedback on how we are run, the courses we play, hospitality etc. We also like to share this feedback with our hosts. Aside from continuing to invest in our main objective of promoting friendships through the enjoyment of the game we’d like to increase our membershipand grow our DOGS brand to become synonymous with being one of the most attractive golf societies in and around the Northampton area.
If you are interested in becoming a DOG – please get in touch via email at dogsgolfers@gmail.com or via one of our social media channels @dogsgolfsociety. Similarly, if you’re a golfing venue and would be interested in hosting us as a society please get in touch
Duca Del Cosma NEW shoe range
DUCA DEL COSMA RELEASES EXCITING NEW SHOE RANGE
-Premium Italian brand offers lifestyle designs for on & off course wear-
The Italian fashion brand Duca del Cosma that pioneered ultra-lightweight spikeless golf shoes more than a decade ago, is releasing an eye-catching new range of premium golf shoes for Spring 2018 that can be worn both on and off the course.
Bold, classy, elegant and sporty – the brand philosophy is represented in a distinctive collection for men and women that takes its inspiration from award-winning Italian design combined with amazing attention to detail.
The latest range features stylish options incorporating new designs and colourways, plus state-of-the-art shoe technology.
Leading styles for men include the Camelot (White/Lemon), Kuba (White/Red/Green) and the La Spezia (White/Orange); while the women’s collection also boasts top-of-the-line shoes, including the Palm Springs (White/Taupe), Porto Ercole (White/Sand) as well as the Olbia (Gold).
The high class build quality is matched with advanced technology that includes a waterproof microfibre system acting like a breathable protective ‘sock’ within the shoe. The waterproof membrane keeps the foot dry during play and is supported by a soft PU insert sole to provide extra comfort for the duration of the round.
The brand’s innovative SKYFLEX technology outsole is built around an ergonomic design that provides grip during the downswing for a stable strike, while special channels allow the shoe to bend and flex perfectly to the natural roll-off motion of the foot.
“Golfers who try them comment that our shoes are extremely comfortable from the very first time they wear them,” said Tony Eccleston, General Manager for Duca del Cosma in the UK & Ireland. “We pride ourselves on being the brand that pioneered the spikeless golf shoe and we continue to move forward with new shoe technologies, as well as an exceptional range of colours and design styles,” he added.
The lightweight shoes are available in a variety of fashionable colour combinations and to see the full range visit the website: www.ducadelcosma.com
BIG MAX Launch Next Generation
BIG MAX LAUNCHES NEXT GENERATION BAG RANGE
Ultra-Lightweight, spacious and even with a unique new category, BIG MAX 2018 waterproof golf bags make life on the fairways just that little bit better.
The award-winning Golf bag range from BIG MAX is expanding for 2018 with new additions that build on the success of the company’s AQUA technology as well as a unique innovation that creates a new category of golf bag.
The technology underpinning the AQUA range is the brand’s new Drop-Stop system that guarantees the bags are 100% waterproof. Using waterproof fabric with an unprecedented waterproof rating of over 10.000mm*, along with sealed seams and specially designed Japanese waterproof zips, the AQUA range delivers an unrivalled level of protection from the elements. Add in the removable see-through hood with zipper access from either side and the new AQUA bags take water protection to complete new levels.
The AQUA Hybrid is a category-defining golf bag that delivers the best of both Cart and Stand bag technology. While most stand bags adequately sit on a trolley, they are prone to twisting and shifting as the base mechanism isn’t designed to sit flat. Cart bags fare even worse out of their comfort zone making for a clumsy and cumbersome carry. The Hybrid gives the best of both worlds.
The unique flat base and leg lock system are perfect for securing to a trolley or buggy, sitting as perfectly square as the most robust cart bag. With 7 spacious waterproof pockets, 14-way divider and a host of neat features, the Hybrid has all the function of the best cart bags. But take the hybrid out on its own and it transforms to a stylish lightweight stand bag. The footless stand mechanism works exactly like any other stand bag while the air channel straps allow for breathability and comfort. At just 2.3kg the Hybrid is a breeze to carry, delivering the best of both worlds, however you choose to get it round the course.
The AQUA Sport 2 is the second generation of the brand’s most successful cart bag. With a 14 way, 9.5-inch organiser top and full-length dividers, the Sport 2 will accommodate and organise a full set with ease. 7 spacious pockets, oversize putter well for large putter grips and an unloaded weight of just 2.4 kg cement the Sport 2’s credentials as a leader in the field of practicality. As with the hybrid, the Sport 2 has a clear rain hood with dual zips for easy access from either side that complete the waterproofing of the bag. A host of neat features such as oversize cooler pocket and easy carry handles combine with neat accessory storage options finish off the practical features on this stylish new addition to the BIG MAX AQUA line.
The AQUA Tour 2 is the ultimate bag for the golfer that has all the gear and wants to keep it 100% dry. The Tour 2 has an enormous capacity for storage combined with a quite unbelievable weight of just 2.7kg. 9 spacious pockets, glove and towel holder, umbrella holder and oversize putter well for large putter grips provide ample storage options. For ease of club movement, the Tour 2 has a 10 inch, 14 way top leading down to individual dividers. If you’re looking for a lightweight option to carry all the gear you could ever need on the course, the Tour 2 delivers on every level and keeps everything dry while it does!
With more designs to come later in the season BIG MAX is set to have the most complete range of golf bags on the market. Recently established as the #1 waterproof golf bag brand in Europe and #1 for any type of golf bag in Germany, the latest combinations of style, substance and practicality from BIG MAX are set to cement the brand’s position at the top of the tree.
*Hydrostatic testing of waterproof fabric gives a mm per 24 hours rating. This refers to the amount of rainfall a fabric can withstand in a single day. Thus, a 10,000mm waterproof rating means the garment can withstand 10,000mm of rainfall in a single day without letting moisture in.
Aqua Hybrid – £229.99 available in Black/Red, Silver/Black/Red, Lime/Black/Silver, Red/Black/Silver, Petrol/Black/Orange, White/Black/Orange
Aqua Sport 2 – £239.99 available in Black/Silver, Charcoal/Black/Red, Silver/Black/Cobalt, Yellow/Black/Silver, Red/Black/Silver, Navy/Black/Silver, Petrol/Orange/Black, White/Black/Orange, Charcoal/Fuchsia
Aqua Tour 2 – £269.99 available in Black/Silver, Charcoal/Orange/Black, Red/Silver/Black, Petrol/Orange/Black, Lime/Silver/Black, Silver/Lime/Black
For more information on the BIG MAX Aqua range visit www.bigmaxgolf.com or follow socially:
facebook.com/bigmaxgolf
Twitter: @BIGMAXGOLF
Insta@ @BIGMAX.GOLF
Media Enquiries: david@medi8ltd.co.uk +44 (0)7740 684568
About BIG MAX
BIG MAX has been Europe’s #1 push cart brand for over 15 years following the unprecedented success of the world’s first 3 wheel push cart the Ti1000. Available in virtually every country that plays golf, BIG MAX is a name that has become associated with quality and innovation. It’s most recent advancement, Fold Flat technology, has seen BIG MAX pioneer push carts that fold down completely flat, in some cases to less than 5” deep. BIG MAX has furthered its reputation for innovation with its AQUA and DRI LITE technology that in the last quarter of 2017 matched BIG MAX push carts by becoming #1 golf bag and travel cover brand in Germany, a traditional marker for # 1 in continental Europe.
Society
This section is dedicated to golfing societies – to showcase and support the many local golfing groups that are operating in the Midlands.
What you’re all about, what you get up to, where you play and who gets the successes, and sometimes the disasters too!
Group golfers play such an important role in the golfing economy and at MG we’ve worked over the years to form many valuable relationships with our local groups, who do tend to follow our recommendations over where to play.
There are no limits to our society section here online and every group who contacts us will get a few spots in the magazine too. Plus it costs nothing to give us your content at any time, so if you would like to see your society’s name in lights and join this growing band, please get in touch by emailing editor Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or simply find Midlands Golfer and message us on social media.
Become another brick in our society wall.
Society Wall
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Abbey-Panels-GS.jpg 901 1600 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2024-04-22 13:03:582024-04-22 13:03:582024…Abbey Panels, 35 years of society golf!
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/STAGS-Soc-ad-pic-1.jpg 1255 2048 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2024-04-21 00:33:242024-04-21 00:33:24A catch up – with The Erdington STAGS
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/IMG-20240208-WA0008.jpg 905 1600 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2024-02-10 18:40:122024-02-10 20:11:44Thank god it’s (The) Friday (Club)
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20230908_171703-scaled.jpg 1920 2560 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2023-12-02 12:22:262023-12-02 12:22:26Derby Days – Rolls-Royce (PTF) GS – 2023 season review
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/New-Leics-Golf-Society-pic-1.jpeg 1512 2016 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2023-11-21 20:20:402023-11-21 20:20:40The Leicestershire Golf Society
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PIGS-1.jpg 900 1600 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2023-11-15 13:23:032023-11-15 13:23:03PIGS enjoy their ‘Coronation Tour’ https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Abbey-Panels-GS.jpg 901 1600 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2023-07-08 16:11:222023-07-08 16:11:22“I wouldn’t mind a game of golf” ………..
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/salop.jpg 988 1341 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2023-06-23 23:41:012023-06-23 23:41:01Half a century of golfing for the Salopian GS
https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Mukkas.png 1600 1200 Midlands Golfer https://midlandsgolfer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/midgolfer-new.jpg Midlands Golfer2023-06-19 23:33:272023-06-19 23:35:12From leather balls to dimples – Penn Golf Mukkas GSWillowbrook GS
Willowbrook Golf Society
The Society was formed in 2002 by a group of golfers who met casually on a Sunday evening, to ‘chew the weekend fat’ in The Willowbrook Club, a private members social club in Gedling, Nottingham.
The first 3 meetings were informal affairs with 30 or so golfers having days out at Greetham Valley and Morley Hayes Golf Clubs. The WGS was formally made a Society in 2003 and plays midweek – most of us are self-employed or retired – 7 or 8 times a year, starting in late March and running through to early November. We normally play within an hour to hour and a quarters drive away from our headquarters, but have within that radius courses like The Notts Golf Club, Worksop, Coxmoor and Lindrick to chose from, all of which we have played. Membership has reduced over the years, but we have a core of 20 members and usually take around 16 guests to each meeting
We are a mixed ability group, mostly club members from east and north Notts, with handicaps ranging from 5 to 28. Our meetings consist of team events, with an Order of Merit Trophy being awarded at the end of the season on the basis of the average of best five individual Stableford scores attained during the season.
Sec Tony Rogers (r) with the WGS fourball at MG’s Society Classic, Marriott Forest of Arden 2016
Over the years we have raised many thousands of pounds for charities including The Lincs/Notts Air Ambulance, Nottingham Hospice, Panthers Disabled Sports, The Children’s Kidney Ward at The Nottingham City Hospital and in 2015 the society helped our secretary and two other cancer sufferers to raise almost £4,700 for The Teenage Cancer Trust by doing 54-holes in a day – 18 each at Mapperley GC, Ruddington Grange GC and The Nottinghamshire G & CC.
Our first meeting this year will be at Newark at the end of March, and future venues this year include Ullesthorpe Court, Scraptoft, Rufford Park and our only 27-hole day of the year at Belton Park, Grantham.
There is one thing missing from our list of achievements – in 15 years of trying, no one has had ‘A Hole in One’!!!!
Contact details:
Secretary – Tony Rogers – golf@tonyrogers.plus.com
Facebook: Willowbrook Golf Society – Twitter @WillowbrookGS
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Friends Golf Society
Friends Golf Society
As written by Peter Christoforou, a Friend
We celebrated our 10th Anniversary in 2015, not bad going for a society that was formed in 2005 by sixteen friends and relatives, hence the name. Since our inception the society has grown and now boasts a membership of over 40 golfers.
Myself and my close friend Steve Efstathiou run the society, me being the treasurer and Steve the secretary booking the courses with Steve’s son Socratis the handicaps secretary.
Our members are dotted all round the West Midlands, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester so we arrange the courses to fit in with everyone.
We meet once a month on a Wednesday and play seven competitions between March and October with points awarded for the top ten finishes which go towards an Order of Merit table. Prizes and a small trophy are also presented to the top three finishes in each event.
Each event has its own named trophy, the first one we play for is the George Angelides, in memory of one of our founder members. We also have The Founders Cup named after the three founder officers myself ,Steve Efstathiou and my brother Chris Christoforou.
The Order of Merit winner becomes society captain and leads the society the following season in a challenge match against another Midlands society under a Ryder Cup format in May.
Last season we were fortunate to have a sponsor in Double A kebabs, most of our members are in the catering trade and through their suppliers we receive some very welcome financial support.
Over the years we have played on some great courses the most recent one being Northamptonshire County, our other local favourites include Little Aston, Walmley, The Nottinghamshire and Enville. We also treated ourselves this year for the 10th anniversary with a trip to Woburn which was a fantastic occasion and a closely fought event too with double OOM points on offer.
The highlight of the season is the trip abroad, four days in the Algarve with three rounds of golf on some of Europe’s finest courses such as the Old Course in Vilamoura which is everyone’s favourite. The below image shows a group of Friends, off course last year during our trip to The Emporda Forest Golf Club, near Girona, a fabulous break.
Later on in September we always play for the Links Trophy on one of Britains best seaside courses. The Links Trophy and the Founders Cup played over three rounds are classed as majors and carry extra merit points.
We all look forward to meeting up every month to enjoy each others company, its a great day out but very competitive. Those Order of Merit points are well contested because the top twelve play in the Ryder Cup and it’s an event that everyone wants to play in.
We hope the society will continue for many years to come with the younger members taking control after the founder officers retire, so if any golfers who like their golf competitive and having fun on a great day out are keen, come and join the Friends Golf Society.
Take a look at our website www.friendsgolfsociety.co.uk
Our contact numbers are Peter 07967039078 or Steve 07872903230
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form
Robin Hood GS
The Robin Hood Golf Society – Swannington (Leics)
Robin Hood’s origins started back in the autumn of 2011. Originally formed by Mike Barnett, Andy Hawtin & Kevin Orvis as a means of getting some exercise & thrashing away the pains of the working week. Since those early day the society has grown steadily, with the odd regular leaving or quitting the game, but new blood has kept on coming.
The society now has 32 members all of who play at least two society events per season. The season consists of 10 society events running from February until November. These events enable members to accrue points towards the end of year presentations. A minimum of 7 of the 10 events count towards the player of the season, where the highest average score decides the eventual winner of the Claret Jug.
The monthly events carry prizes for 1st, 2nd & 3rd places. These prizes range from Polo shirts, Gloves, Balls, Umbrellas & eventually to beer. There is also a prize for last place which is a “turkey hat” of which the unlucky participant has to wear on the 1st tee at the next event. There are also prizes for nearest the pin, longest drive & nearest the pin in two.
Although many of us are club members, the majority are “fair weather” golfers, which in some ways reflects our age span which ranges from 25 – 78 years.
We try to accommodate at least 5 – 6 new golfing venues per season during the so called “better weather” months. In the winter months we mainly stay local, because you never know if the event will be called off at short notice.
During the month of June, we play for the Brian Orvis Memorial Trophy. This trophy was donated by Kevin Orvis in remembrance of his late father, who scored a hole in one at Chevin Golf Club. CGC presented the trophy to Brian for his achievement.
The month of December brings around our “winter warmer” in which we play an 18 hole par 3 course & again a trophy has been produced.
As a society we also try to have two long weekend’s away “stay & play” outings, which normally take place in May & September.
Each society event concludes in our hostelry of residence The Robin Hood, Swannington. Traditional Sunday lunch is provided by our hosts Kevin & Carol, after which the prize giving takes place & a gallon of beer is donated by the landlord.
As a society we have run & participated in charity fund raising events over the past three years for British Heart Foundation, Rainbows & Acorns. The donations have either been individual, as a team or part of organised media, all of which have been run from The Robin Hood.
The social aspect of the society balances the competitiveness of the winning demon within & for those who dedicate their Sunday society day to winning, comes the harsh reality of the handicapper.
RHGS Committee:
- Mike (Rhino) Barnett Chair & Events
- Ian (Villa) Boyes Treasurer
- Paul (Wils) Wilson Handicaps
- Dave (Sticky) Stevenson Captain
www.robinhoodgolfsociety.com or tel: 01530 831137
If you are a local Midlands golf society and would like to make your own contribution to On the Tee, both in the magazine and online, please contact us by e-mailing Phil at editor@midlandsgolfer.co.uk or registering your details via our Society Registration Form