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CHIPPING IN! Our featured club website this month is Crediton Golf Club, Devon

Downes Crediton Golf Club is situated on the outskirts of Crediton, approximately 5 miles from the city of Exeter and was established over 30 years ago thanks mainly to a group of golf enthusiasts who wanted to provide a golf facility for the benefit of the local community. This 18 hole golf course is set in 90 acres of parkland in Mid Devon and will challenge both the low and high handicapper alike. more info...

West Cornwall news

The first open event of the year took place at West Cornwall in mid April, the Garfield Daniels Cups, a 27-hole mixed foursomes event. Although conditions were good, the best morning score saw Patricia Weaver and Steven Elliott post 36 points. Close behind them on 33 points were Edwina & Phil Thomas and Wendy Inch and Reggie Kemp, followed by Gill & John Embley on 31 points and Colleen & David McIntosh on 30 points.

Playing with the leaders Colleen & David McIntosh posted 18 points in the afternoon and with Weaver & Elliott only managing 12 were leaders in the Clubhouse. On the course, it was down to Edwina & Phil Thomas as the only possible pair to beat them but unfortunately they could not sustain their morning form and left the McIntoshes to pick up the trophy for the second time in three years.

Richard wins Enodoc test

Richard Sadler proved why he not only regarded as one of the best golf coaches in Cornwall but also one of the best players in Cornwall by winning the Cornish Closed Championship at St Enodoc in April. The Killiow based professional returned scores of 70 + 69 for a 36 hole total of 139 to win by 1 shot from Bowood/St Enodoc Josh Greenaway with Antony Nash from Newquay a further 1 shot back on 141.

The Championship which is open to Cornish Professionals and Amateurs was played off the Blue Championship tees at St Enodoc and provided a stern test for the players. It was Alex Glover from Bude & NC/St Mellion who set the early pace by firing a scintillating 2 under par 67 to lead by 3 after the morning round. But Sadler was in hot pursuit and helped by a run of 5 consecutive threes from the 5th to the 9th holes added a second round 69 to his 70 to see him home to victory.

Marlborough matters

Congratulations to Marlborough ladies, Trish King and Sue Tulloh, winners of the first round of the County Foursomes 2&1. Others involved were ladies from Wragg Barn and Broome Manor. Marlborough Ladies also participated in their first Division 1 League match at Tidworth winning the match 3/2 with wins from Nina Davies and Isobel Henry. The Marlborough team was Karen. Gosling, Nina Davies, Trish King, Isobel Henry and Pauline Ruddick.

Graham Jefferies, Seniors Captain at Marlborough tells us. “To date £800 has been raised for the local National Deaf Children’s Society thanks to the generosity of the Marlborough Golf Club members who played in the event. This is a charity that does not receive a great deal of publicity but plays an enormously important role in providing support not only to the children themselves but also to parents.” Well done Marlborough for their invaluable support.

Leading the way at The Dorset

The Dorset Golf & Country club is leading the way by adding another wonderful luxury house to rent. If proof was need that that they have the winning formula with their short break holidays, they have just been awarded a GOLD Award to go with their 5 STAR status. Visit Britain awarded The Dorset Resort with the Gold Award for its outstanding Luxury Homes, its food, attention to detail, customer service and surroundings. This makes the Dorset Resort the only 5 Star Resort in Dorset, an amazing achievement considering that the county is a holiday destination with high rentable accommodation options.

The Championship 27 hole Golf Course has not been neglected with considerable winter works having taking place. This lovely Golf Course just gets better every year with its superb large greens and clover shaped bunkers making playing golf a sheer delight. Set in the middle of Dorset and surrounded by stunning countryside and if you visit in June you will see one of the most spectacular flower displays with rhododendron in golf today. The woodland course is cut through a forest of rhododendron and is worth playing just for the flowers alone. Over 60% of guests return year on year.

If you are looking for a golfing break then make sure you put The Dorset Golf & Country Club in your dairy

Working together

The Open in July and the Ryder Cup in September will mean a huge influx of visitors from across the UK as well as overseas. To capitalise on this Wells Golf Club, Farrington and Bath Golf Clubs have joined forces and formed Bath and Wells Golf Breaks. In another joint venture, Wells and Farrington have launched their own Cyder Cup. This innovative event is a two day 36 hole competition on 23 and 24 August - one day at each venue. Entry forms are now available from both clubs.

Last years club captain at Wells, Philip Slater raised over £8,000 on his charity day, a magnificent result. It was decided that this year 25% of the funds would go to local good causes. The three main recipients were Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, Breakthrough Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer. The 25% to local good causes went to SSAFA(Soldier, Sailor and Airmen Families Assoc), BLESMA (British Limbless ex Sewrvicemens Assoc) and the British Legion branches at Glastonbury, Wells and Shepton Mallet. Arrangements are also under way for 6 limbless or partially limbless service personnel who play golf to play at Wells and will be matched up with club members.

Truro win Junior Champion Qualifier

Truro’s junior team ( pictured ) have qualified to represent Cornwall at this years EGU Junior Champion Club Finals after winning the qualifying round in April at Launceston. The finals will take place at Malton & Norton Golf Club on 21-22nd August this year.

Dorset U14 Champion

England squad players, led by Emily Taylor of Lancashire (pictured) and Georgia Hall of Dorset, swept the board of honours at the Scottish U16 open strokeplay championship at Strathmore. Emily, 15, won the championship, helped by a new course record of six-under par 66. She added it to her opening 74 for a four-under total for 36 holes.

Georgia, 13, shot a bogey-free 68 in the second round to finish on two-under par for the tournament. She won the U14 trophy and was third overall, behind Ashley Cramond of Warwickshire.

The English Women’s Golf Association sent a squad of six to the championship and the two teams took first and second place in the Nations Cup event. Team B, represented by Emily, Georgia and Brogan Townend, won with a two-day score of 279. Team A, represented by Elizabeth Mallett, Bronte Law and Lauren Taylor, were runners-up on 285. The best two scores counted on each day.

Charity the winner at Stover

Over 200 Stover members took part in the captains charity weekend over Easter. Captain Neil Hayman has been joined by lady captain, Janet Emery and seniors captain Gordon Brown in nominating the NSPCC as the clubs chosen charity for 2010 and the weekend raised nearly £2000 including over £500 from an auction for holiday accommodation in Somerset and £450.00 raised by waitress Anne Marie McCue and barmaid Karen Stephenson on a sponsored walk over Dartmoor. The Sunday competitors had by far the better weather and this was reflected in the results. The competition was stableford off ¾ handicap and the winner of the men’s competition was Barry Ravenscroft with 38pts followed by Clive Hutchings 36pts and Andy Livingstone 35pts. Leading lady was Victoria Boseley with 31pts followed by Paula Keaney 27pts and Jane Crump 26pts. Junior captain Matt Lyne was leading junior with 33pts with Callum Livingstone second with 32pts on count back from Mark Hughes.

On Easter Monday 40 pairs competed for the Advertiser & Badcock mixed foursomes cup. Emerging victorious were Judith Moran and Alan Turner with 32pts on count back from Ricky and Neville Pawsey. Third and fourth on 31pts were Linda and Roger Clake and Margaret Jeffs and Graham Green respectively

Neil is new captain

Marlborough Golf Club’s new Club Captain for the 2010/2011 year is Neil Patch. Neil hosted his first event in March with a very well attended Captain’s Drive-In match .. Since starting as a youngster/ 47 year-old, Neil has played golf for some 40 years and joined Marlborough in 2005. His current handicap is 7. He has been a very active member of the Club since joining, he was elected to the General Committee in 2008 and is now responsible for the organisation of competitions and handicap administration. In his year, Neil will be ably supported by vice captain, Guy Piercy.

In the year ahead Marlborough will host many events including the 30th Annual Pro Am in September which this year is sponsored by Towergate Risk Solutions. It will also hold a number of other competitions, Opens, inter-Club friendly matches and County matches. The new Captain’s “Good Causes” namely Signalong, Swindon Down’s Syndrome Group and The Freddie Boardman Junior Golf Foundation will all benefit from fund raising events held during the year at the Club. Neil is a Sales Manager, married to Jeanette, also an active member of the Club. They live in Swindon.

10 years at Farrington for Paul

Farrington Golf Club owner Paul Harwood (pictured) is celebrating the 10 year milestone since he bought the club back in 2000. Paul grew up in the area when there was no chance of playing golf. Things have certainly changed and with the course under his stewardship much has been achieved and he celebrated by having a ‘10 years at Farrington’ night with food and champagne for 80 guests. A man who is always looking forward, Paul announced that night his expansion plans for the club over the next 18 months. 2010 will see the driveway tarmaced and the installation of buggy paths all around the course. These will allow the use of buggies all year round as well as trollies at certain times in the winter to protect the course. Other plans include the building of a new tower for the entrance to the Montgomerie Suite complete with new toilets and a lift for disabled access. The Main entrance courtyard will also be revamped as well as the possibility of a new restaurant conservatory and refurbishment of the changing rooms. Farrington is well set to become of the top clubs in the region. Click here for more information.

Buggy break at Mendip

Golf at Mendip Golf Club has really got underway and results are coming in thick and fast, reports Hugh Campbell. On March 19 the club held its Spring Open Bowmaker, a well supported event with 153 players taking part. Proving the popularity of this Somerset course, marauding visitors took the honours with Bath trio of P. Winton/R. Johnson & M. Cashella way out in front with 87 pts from A. Bayley/M. Clark & J. Russell (Farrington) 81pts,a Back 6 win from local trio N. Cheshire/N. Squire & M.V. Smith (Mendip) . The March Tankard produced some very even scoring in the first two divisions, but division three excelled with Alan Fussell recording a fine 41 points. The Seniors Competition in March promised thunder and hailstones but although this did not materialise the odd heavy shower and very strong winds increased the S S S by two shots. Winners were Div. 1 - 1st Mike Sharp 37, 2nd Vic Shaw 36, 3rd Martin Hirst 31 and is Div. 2 - 1st Trevor Francis 34, 2nd Terry Linthorne 32, 3rd John Wyke 30. By the way - for those who find the Mendip course a little hilly, help is now at hand. They now have two buggies for hire- only £15 a round (£10 for members).

Clock in to play Lansdown

LANSDOWN Bath held its second midweek stableford of the year with some very good scoring, reports Terry Mercer. 54 members who took part and Gordon Beavis, Trevor Iles and Lee Ricketts all recorded 40pts to win their respective divisions but Beavis took the winners slot on countback. Long standing Lansdown members, Tony Gough and Robert Smith narrowly lost in the final of the Bowood Winter Foursomes in March . Ex pro footballer and current Gloucestershire seniors captain Gough, with partner Lansdown greens chairman Smith, had to give 10 strokes to the two Bowood members they were playing but took the match all the way to the 18th hole. With the match all square, a poor lie in a greenside bunker cost the Lansdown pair the chance of a par resulting in them losing the final by just 1 down. With the clocks changin, Lansdown has started offering “evening golf” at only £10 a player, contact the Club on 01225 420242 for details on availability. Great course - great value !

Devon out in front

Cornwall suffered a narrow defeat to Devon in their opening Channel League game of the season at Trevose in late March. The predicted bad weather held off for the morning foursomes which were shared 2½ - 2½. In the afternoon singles Cornwall got off to a good start winning 2 out of the first three matches with wins for Billy Downing and the impressive Robert Macgregor but unfortunately only Aaron Stephens and Josh Greenaway could add to this total and Devon with some convincing wins swept to victory. Cornwall’s next match is a Friendly against the Royal Navy at Tehidy on Sunday 25 April followed by their next Channel League game against Wiltshire on Sunday 2 May away at Ogbourne Downs.

Mark and Paul take title

The finals of the South West of England Open Winter Foursomes competition were played at Yelverton Golf Club on Sunday 22nd March. The competition started back in October, with 79 pairs competing, including 19 Professionals and 12 Ladies. The final was played over 36 holes, the weather was good and the course had drained well after 3 days of rain. Two Yelverton players, Mark Blaber and Paul Hendy played the Bigbury Professional, Tracey Loveys and her partner Amy McSweeney.

After a very tight match going down the 16th Tracey and Amy had to win the hole to stay in the game but their approach shot was short of the green, and a good bunker shot by Hendy meant that the girls were unable to win the hole and the match was over, Blaber and Hendy winning 3&2.

Winter is over at Stover

Stover held their final winter texas scramble in March with 30 teams of 3 taking part, reports Will Hendry. Although the competition was open to teams of any combination the top four teams were comprised solely of men. Despite the overnight rain the greens were in good condition but the wet fairways made low scoring difficult. Junior captain Matt Lyne lead his team home in first place with a very good nett 62.1 ably assisted by Keith Revell and Keith Gimson. Second place went to Richard Pascoe, Ryan Stevenson and Martin Wright with a nett 63.1 followed by Malcolm Hall, Ron Cann and John Springate with a nett 64.9 and forth were Nick Dodd, Steve Williams and Peter Rowlands with a nett 65.4. 2010 Captain Neil Hayman took 10 pairs to Exeter for a mixed match between the two clubs and playing in the first group out with his wife Jan showed the way with a fine 4 & 3 victory. The next three pairs all lost their games but with strength in depth the Stover team came away with a 6 to 4 victory.

We are the champions

St Austell overcame local rivals Carlyon Bay to become the 2010 CAW Cornwall Bowl champions winning 3–2 in the final at Newquay early in March. It was always going to a close match but when St Austell secured a 1 hole victory in the top match and won games 2 & 3 there was no way back for Carlyon Bay even though they were up in the last 2 games. St Austell Captain Simon Ferguson-Smith received the trophy from County President Graham Binney and paid tribute to the sporting manner in which the game had been played between the two teams. The County Union thanked CAW for their continued sponsorship of the competition again this year.

Burnham Triumph

A sunny but breezy Saunton Golf Club (pictured) hosted clubs from Cornwall to Gloucestershire early in March for the Annual Jamboree where golfers represent both club and county in this early season fixture. Defending Champions Burnham and Berrow Golf Club put out a strong team with Robin Griffiths and Steve Crook , Frank Ellis and Mark Woods and Neil Folland playing with Neil Darby. An outstanding 43 points from Ellis and Woods was good enough to win the West Course prize. Deja vu as this score on the same course was the foundation for Burnham's win last year, and so it proved again as the 117 points team total proved good enough by two - good team golf ! Each County was represented by four clubs and this year Burnham was joined by Clevedon, Taunton and Pickeridge and Enmore Park.. For the first time ever, four clubs had a decent day at the same time and the aggregate score for Somerset proved to be good enough to win the County competition for the first time - well done Somerset.

Drink up thee Cyder Cup!

Wells Golf Club and Farrington Golf and Country Club have announced their first ever joint open club competition this August - The Cyder Cup - a 36 hole pairs open competition. The first round will be on Monday 23rd August at Wells and will be a greensomes stableford format with the second round at Farrington as a four ball better ball on Tuesday 24th August. Members will pay £20.00 p.p. and visitors will be £30.00. Entry fee includes extensive prizes for the overall competition and daily prizes for members and visitors. ‘We’re very excited to join up with Wells for this new event. We’ve already received a lot of interest and we’re confident we’ll have a full field on both these top class courses. Thank you to Steve Bocquet, Erica Klim and Raymond Smith of Wells for all their help and support’ said Farrington Director of Golf Jon Cowgill. For more information contact Farrington by clicking here!

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