Golf round-up: The latest news from Harrogate & district's courses

Pannal GC

On March 28, the ladies’ competition was a 13-hole Fourball Better Ball Stableford.

Carole Whiles and Lynn Sheldrake with 28 points enjoyed a narrow one-point win over Amanda Finney and Vicky Eyre who in turn needed a countback to secure second ahead of Ruth Skaife-Clarke and Sophie Jacob.

Seven days later, the competition format was an individual Stableford in two divisions again over 13 holes.

In Division One, Janet Jones came out on top with 27 points, one ahead of Lynn Sheldrake who in turn was three ahead of Carole Whiles.

In Division Two, Susan Asquith’s 27 points were good enough to earn her first place by one point over Becs Booth with Helen Mountford in third on 21.

After a total of 31 matches played over the period November to April the final of the Men’s Winter Foursomes came down to two pairs battling it out for the first prize.

Men’s Captain Martin Boyle and Phil O'Connor were pitted against Jon Gregory and Steve Rogers. The match was played in good spirit in the pleasant spring sunshine on Good Friday with Boyle and O’Connor emerging as the eventual victors.

On Saturday April 8, PGA Professional Martin Padgett put on a Fourball Better Ball Stableford with 44 pairs entering a score. As in previous weeks the competition was keen with all but four pairs scoring even par points of 36 or better.

A count-back was needed to separate the second and third placed pairs with Chris and Snare Booth having to be content with third place behind Kjeld Rasmussen and Pete Barnard all on 47 points.

The winners just one point ahead on 48 were John Branton and Simon Foreman. Only 10 pairs managed a two with the pairing of Billy Johnson and Jonny Freeman joining the twos club together at the 10th

Finally, a special mention for Roger Calvert, who was the Captain of Pannal GC in 1963 and has just celebrated his 100th birthday.

Although he left Pannal to join Moortown, where his wife was a member, he continued to play golf until he was 96 which is no mean feat. His late brother Bob was also captain of Pannal in 1974, the only brothers to date who have captained the club.

Knaresborough GC

If ever a format demanded a high degree of complementary effort, it’s the greensome and in Scots Ivor Roy and Ronnie Harrison it had two who knit together closer than a Fair Isle jumper.

To few people’s great surprise they shot a commanding 47 points to seal a clear victory in the Millennium Cup at the weekend.

Division One player Roy set the pace with an eight foot birdie putt at the first, followed by birdies at the fourth and ninth, taking advantage of an almost windless, sun-filled day.

Division Three partner Harrison helped stack up the points with nett birdies at the third and fifth and the 430 yard sixth.

Come the ninth green, the pair were 24 points to the good. At the 12th, they holed a nett eagle, off their combined three handicap, securing another four points. Birdies at 14 and 16 followed with Harrison keeping his nerve to sink a four nett three at 18.

Nowhere did they gather less than par points and they also had the company of Harvey Dean and Robin Sharp, who finished second in the contest with 44 points.

In their case, they only failed to score par points on two holes.

It was off to a flyer early when, at the par three third, flanked by three bunkers, Dean chipped over the top bunker from rough to see it roll in for birdie two.

Four more pars down the front stretch saw them turn at 22 points after nine holes. Rounding the potentially tricky 10, 11 and 12 when, they picked up 10 points from 13 as Sharp clinched the first of three straight pars. Particularly gratifying was Sharp’s fine approach shot to leave a simple three foot par at the 15th.

Just behind them on 43 points were Richard Taylor and Duncan Roberts.

When it came to putting, there were few of those short “ones that got away” for the team of John Martin, Les Tate, Maria Grayson and Julie Lovell in the Millennium Mixed trophy.

That despite some hard showers and gusty winds.

Consistency around the greens was key to their winning score of 77 in the am-am competition. Julie Lovell boosted the team score by four points with an eagle at the 12th.

Second were Barry McDermottroe, Brenda Moore, Tim Savage and Julie Curry on 76 with Kevin Lodge, Linda Savage, Rose Tate and Phil Curry on 75.

Harrogate GC

David Underwood and Charlotte Franks have been elected as the Captains of Harrogate GC for 2023.

Along with Junior Captain Harvey Auckland they commenced their year with the traditional Captains Drive-in on Sunday April 2.

A large crowd of supporters and members congregated around the 1st Tee to see them drive off, showing their support for what will be a very busy time for all three of them. Franks and Underwood, along with their vice-captains Vanessa Conway and David Walkinshaw, say they are looking forward to representing the club, forging the bond between new members and old as well as supporting three local charities, the Samaritans, Saint Michael’s Hospice and the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease.

After a frosty early morning last Tuesday, the ladies enjoyed a fine bright day for their April Stableford. The course was drying out well after the recent rain but the scores reflected conditions still being quite tough and playing long.

Results: Division One - 1st Ann Lancaster 28 pts; 2nd Boo Orman 24 pts; 3rd Jenny Hill 23 pts.

Division Two – 1st Karen Myers 30 pts; 2nd Judith Nickols 29 pts; 3rd Jane Moorhouse 25 pts.

Division Three – 1st Sue Hood 25 pts; 2nd Louise Sellars 23 pts; 3rd Carol Coleman 22 pts.

The rain returned on Wednesday for the mid-week Stableford, but the players did not feel that the weather made playing unpleasant.

There was a close finish with David Rowlay enjoying another good showing in a tie with Paul Farrand for second place, both scoring 35 points.

The win was secured by Carl Westerman, just one point better off.

Results: 1st C. Westerman (8), 36 pts; 2nd D. Rowlay (21), 35 pts. (bb9); 3rd P. Farrand (6), 35 pts.

In the revised schedule, Saturday’s competition was a Team of Three Easter Stableford with two scores to count on each hole.

In total, 138 players enjoyed a fine day but, just as the ladies had reported, the course was playing long so scores were just a little below where they would usually be in this format.

Tied on 76 points, the team of Derek Hood, Peter Dean & Bob Fox squeezed Ian Blackstone, Danny Rowe & Steve Chadwick into fifth place after a count-back.

Tied on 77 points were the teams of Paul Birk, Simon Butterwith and Peter Watson and Andy Doyle, Samuel Morley and Robin Nicholls.

It was Team Birk however that had the better back-nine to claim second. The clear winners with 80 points were the team of Philip Rhodes, Keith Rogers & Paul Martin.