Sports writer Geoff Garnett’s round-up of news from local golf courses
Success in Styal
Styal Golf Club juniors have enjoyed a great season with their players and teams enjoying success at local and regional level. They won the Cheshire Junior team championships to qualify for the England North West semi-final at Clitheroe GC with the opportunity to make it through to the Junior Team Golf Home Nations Inter Club Championship.
At Clitheroe they took on the champions from Shropshire, Leicestershire and Rutland and South Lancs.
Styal had Jacob Oakley having the best gross of 69 (nett 68) and he was given good backing by Will Dodds 71, Jack Muir 72, Jack McLeod 77 and Will Lucas 78. But it left them seven shots adrift of Horsehay GC, the Shropshire champions, who go on to the next stage.
Styal had a few days previously won the Manchester Alliance’s Williams BMW Junior Challenge KO final in a thriller at Lowes Park.
The match went right to the wire with Styal just securing a win by 4-3 to take the coveted trophy from Williams BMW’s Nick Cook, who has kindly sponsored the competition for many years.
Great night for juniors at Astbury
ASTBURY Golf Club juniors have enjoyed a great year with assistant professional Lauren Oleksik as the new junior organiser.
Lauren compered a Junior Presentations evening announcing the winners with Captain Nigel Hodges and Lady Captain Linda Burrows presenting the prizes.
The players of the year were in three categories with the winners being Tom Knapper (Junior Section), Jack Knapper (Novice) and Ryan Cartlidge (Super Novice).
The guest of honour was Gary Clark who through is company Stonebright Restoration has sponsored the section in 2015 and together with his wife Katy will sponsor the section again in 2016 providing shirts and other items.
Gary said: “I came into golf late and wish that I could have had the opportunity that the juniors at Astbury now have to develop their game.
“The juniors are the future of the sport and it is a privilege to be involved in their development.”
He was presented with a token of appreciation by Junior Captain Jack Machin.
Captains’ table
THE Society of Manchester and District Golf Captains, founded in 1955, now has over 600 current members who enjoy a busy programme of competitions, matches and events.
They came together recently for their annual dinner at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa.
The principal and distinguished guests were Nigel Evans OBE, the President of England Golf, and Gavin Caldwell, the Captain of the R and A.
Tony McMunn, the President of Lancashire GU, brought along the English Counties Champions Trophy won by the Red Rose this year and which was first won in 1926 by Cheshire GU at Formby Golf Club.
Gavin Caldwell proposed a toast to the Society giving an entertaining and enlightening insight into his career and the work being done by the R and A for the benefit of golfers.
The evening was concluded by Paul Mahoney, a sports journalist with the Independent who told stories of his work in meeting some of the game’s legends.
