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

Knaresborough GC

One shot, one hole, one mistake - that’s all it sometimes takes to divide the leaders right down to the last green. Witness the Men’s Division One Medal result as three if not four players were in hot contention.

The prize though went to Keith Davison who, having triple-bogeyed the 15th, pulled out a match saving birdie at the 17th.

An assured front nine, marred really by only a double bogey at the ninth, laid important groundwork.

After the frustration of the triple bogey at 15, Davison went on to sink a clinching birdie at the par five 17th. In the event, driver, five wood and a gap wedge to 10 feet effectively sealed his win.

Until then it had been nip and tuck with Barry McDermottroe, beaten into second place on the countback. Paddy Mournian finished third with 36 points.

But rueing the last stages more than anyone was Simon Gaskill, playing ahead of Davison. Failing to recover from a bad drive, he walked off 18 with no score when a par would have given him victory.

In Division Two, Brian Pashley drew on good course management, particularly as he navigated a series of temporary greens over the front nine then maintained a grip on trickier holes down the back nine.

Other than a “shocker of an approach shot” to the 14th everything else was kept in play and rounded off with some solid putting. Pashley’s gross 78 strokes - 42 points - was his best result since joining Knaresborough three years ago.

Almost as impressive to finish second in the weekend aggregate was Steve Weets with a score of 41, edging Steve Skiggs into third on the countback.

Harrogate GC

Just six pairs of Ladies ventured out on a cold grey Tuesday to play a four-ball better ball Stableford.

Scoring was tight for first place and went to a countback to determine the winners.

Results: 1st Nikki Butters & Margaret Bleasdale, 32 pts. (bb9);2nd Viv Allison & Ann Lancaster, 32 pts. (bb9); 3rd Elaine Shepherd & Karen Myers, 29 pts.

Although the chilly weather was refusing to leave, at least it was dry and quiet for the Midweek Stableford.

Ian Watson certainly found the conditions to his liking, playing off h/c of 11 he came home on 40 points to win.

This was despite Paul Farrand manfully managing his p.h. of 3, eventually ending up signing for 37 points and second place. In third place, Andrew Fowler finished one point back.

On the Saturday, members had to endure finger-numbing low temperatures along with cold mizzle, which did lead to a few teams deciding to stay at home.

Never-the-less, 28 hardy teams of three players went out in the ‘two to count; Team of Three Stableford.

Played over 16 holes and in those trying conditions, some exceptional scores were posted.

Against a nominal par score of 64 points, there was a high scoring close finish at the head of the leaderboard with the team of David Taylor, David May & Chris Jones claiming top spot by just one point, scoring 75 points.

In second place were Andrew Whiteley, Joe Whiteley & Mark Winter.

John Aldington backed up his team win of the previous Saturday by picking up third place on 72 points, albeit with new team- mates, Howard Kemp & building on his mid-week result, Andrew Fowler.

The following Tuesday, seven teams of three ladies played a reverse waltz, where three scores count on the first hole, two on the second and one on the third hole and so on in that sequence.

In a close contest, the team of Elaine Shepherd, Ann Lancaster & Lindsay Bancroft finished as the winners.

Results: 1st Elaine Shepherd, Ann Lancaster & Lindsay Bancroft, 62 pts; 2nd Karen Myers, Margaret Bleasdale & Elizabeth Goody, 60 pts; 3rd Jenny Hill, Viv Allison & Libby Walkinshaw, 55 pts.

The next Saturday, the series of winter fun team competitions continued when the players entered the weird and whacky arena of the Florida Scramble, where concentration on adherence of the rules is required more than playing your shots.

Played in teams of four it was anticipated that a nett score in the mid 50s would be needed to be in contention, and ultimately it was a fine nett score of 53 that won the competition.

That score was posted by the quartet of Jacques Clarkson, Ralph Taylor, Graeme Kerr & Paul Mitchell, who won by two shots from two teams, tied on nett 55.

With a better back nine, the team of Chris Naylor, David Frayne, James Watson & Kevin Howe took second place from the team comprising David Balsden, Graham Denison, Keir Parker & Colin McCaw.

Pannal GC

A total of 32 ladies played in the 13-hole four-ball better ball Stableford competition on Tuesday, February 25.

There were several good scores, with only one point between first and fourth place in the end.

The consistent pairing of Hilary Ingram and Carol Wakelin topped the table with 28 points.

Also with 28 points, coming second on countback, were Lisa O’Reilly and Katie Burke. Third placed, with 27 points, were Joanne McCormack and Val Jackson.

A 15-hole Pro’s BB Stableford was held on Saturday, March 1, with both scores to count on the last three holes.

The winners were Rory Mountain & Lincoln Brailsford with 43 points, while second place went to Michael Holmes & Michael Dormer with 42 points (countback).

David Whan & Michael Rhodes, also with 42 points, came third on countback, while there were a further two teams that also scored 42 points.

Bedale GC

February 19 – Ladies Stableford: Division One - 1st Clare Bevan 39 pts; 2nd Rachel Holden 33 pts; 3rd Patricia Knox 32 pts.

Division Two - 1st Julie Noble 37 pts; 2nd Pam Rawlin 34 pts; 3rd Evelyn Weighell 31 pts.

Division Three - 1st Claire Retchless 41 pts; 2nd Serena Lishman 40 pts; 3rd Annie Duffy 32 pts.

Nine holes - 1st Barbara Calvert 17 pts; 2nd Freda Allinson 16 pts; 3rd Sheila Minto 15 pts.

February 20 – Thursday Stableford: 1st Jaicob Saunders 41 pts; 2nd Graham Seel 38 pts; 3rd John Norwood 37 pts; 4th John McAuley 34 pts.

February 21 – Seniors Medal: 1st Steve Gibbins nett 70; 2nd Bob Iliffe nett 71; 3rd William McCord nett 72.

February 21 – Friday Animals: 1st Peter Tate 37 pts; 2nd Al Aurelius 35 pts; 3rd Gary Clark 33 pts.

Front nine - David Lawrence 21 pts. Back nine - Richard Megson 18 pts.

February 22 – Ladies Stableford: 18 holes - 1st Terri Williamson 32 pts; 2nd Di Clark 31 pts (countback required); 3rd Kath Tate 31 pts (countback).

Nine holes - 1st Karen Lilley 14 pts.