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

Knaresborough GC

She’s seen a few summers at Knaresborough GC, but Julie Willey is as dominant as ever.

Her latest triumph was a shared victory with Karen Lippeatt after they shot 70 to claim the Freda Oldfield Fourball Trophy.

Lippeatt, a new member, is Willey’s nominated ‘buddy’. The duo's front nine was a bit uneven, but momentum was preserved with nett eagles at four and the eighth, and two nett birdies to post three-under at the turn.

The pair piloted the testing back nine with a two-under to add more silverware to Willey’s collection.

It followed on the heels of her second successive victory in the Harpanoak Trophy, a challenging quest in the heated conditions.

Second and third in the Freda Oldfield were Linda Gray and Carol Rispin on 72, with Sue Robertson and Jo McBratney just behind on the countback.

There was a spell of several weeks last year when Tom Halliday seemed to be winning everything.

The one that featured prominently was the regular Pro Stableford. Well, he’s back and proving the adage that an outstanding short game is a premium quality in competition.

In his Division One round, he shot 36 points but it was dead close with his two nearest rivals separated only on the countback.

Halliday’s knack of getting up and down was decisive. He chipped up from 10 yards to hole out, chipped it to two feet at the short third from deep rough behind the long eighth for another killer putt from one foot, saving bogey points.

Next, he single-putted from six feet after a wedge from 10 yards.

And so it went on over the back nine, finally flipping it up out of lush rough left of the 17th green to single-putt from three feet.

The icing on the cake was his only birdie - an eight iron to six feet for the three.

Gary Young and Graeme Atkinson were the two close rivals divided on the countback.

Richard Pickles in Division Two may not have featured as much in the winners' enclosure in the Pro Stableford, but 42 points to win was the best card of the day.

Key to his victory was keeping the ball consistently in play and equally consistent putting on the excellent greens. A single birdie at the fourth where the three helped to his best return in the event.

In Division Three, Paul Weston led the way with 37 points, five ahead of Tony Stead and James Smithson, divided on the countback.

Pannal GC

On Saturday May 24, Pannal GC held a Pro’s competition. It was a BB medal and the winners were Harry Armstrong & Reuben Bhogal with nett 63.

In second were Michael Crack & Richard Burcher (nett 64), while third place went to Steve Drinkwater & John Jones (nett 65).

On Tuesday May 27, some 33 ladies took part in the Ladies' 18-hole Stableford competition.

For the first time in a ladies’ competition, entrants could choose their tee set from the usual red tees, or the yellow tees which are newly rated for ladies.

Division One was won by Ruth Skaife-Clarke, scoring 37 points. She played a very consistent round, which included 14 pars and a birdie.

In second place was Clare Davies, on 35 points, followed by Vicky Eyre, with 34 points. Both Davies and Eyre bravely took on the new challenge, playing from the yellow tees.

Division Two was taken by Susie Stuart-Brown, who scored 37 points. Debbie Bruce, also 37 points, came second on countback, with Sue White taking third place with 36 points.

Gill Roberts topped the table in Division Three with a return of 29 points.

Pannal's Scratch & 1st Team match against Bedale GC took place on Thursday May 29 at Bedale.

The Scratch Team of Jason Taylor, Simon Walker, Will Eardley, & Dom Jesper won 7-1.

Overall, Pannal lost 11-9 on points, points but remain top of the league on 63 points, two ahead of Knaresborough GC.

Next up is an away match against Skipton GC.

Men’s Invitation Day was held on Saturday May 31 in warm & sunny conditions.

The winners were Will Eardley & J Wright with a score of 46 points. In second were Andrew Asquith & J Eyton-Jones (44 points), while Michael Dormer & M Hickling took third on 43 points.

On Tuesday June 3, a total of 44 ladies took part in the Ladies' 18-hole Stableford competition.

The honours in Division One went to Carole Whiles, with a score of 39 points after she produced a very tidy round of golf, which included six pars.

In second place was Pam Dodds with 36 points, followed by Gerry Callander, also with 36 points, but placed third on countback.

Division Two was won by Mary Duffield with 40 points. She played the par-threes particularly well and picked up lots of points on these holes.

Susan Taylor came second with 38 points, beating Helen Mountford, who scored 36 points.

Two ladies took part in the Nine-hole Stableford competition, Donna Fenn taking first place with 17 points.

The June Medal & Barber Bratby was held on Saturday June 7.

Chris Booth won Division One, going out in 40, coming back in 35 with three birdies and nine pars, beating Ian Davison by two shots. James Matthews came in third.

Michael Flatley was victorious in Division Two, going out in 39, coming back in 39 with one birdie and 11 pars, beating Gary Beeston by one shot. Robert Pettit took third spot.

Christopher Matthewman claimed pole position in Division Three, going out in 45, coming back in 38 with three birdies and six pars, beating Stephen Duffy by three shots. Paul Smith finished in third place.

Rudding Park GC

On Monday May 26, Rudding Park GC marked the beginning of the Seniors’ golf season by hosting the first Seniors’ Major—the Andrew Ainley Trophy.

This highly-anticipated event featured a medal competition format and took place on the club’s new course, where players faced the challenge of navigating two newly-designed holes.

Mrs Andrea Ainley graced the occasion by presenting the coveted trophy, embodying the spirit of the game and the significance of the competition.

Simon Mackaness and his son, Matthew Mackaness, joined Andrea Ainley during the trophy presentation, creating a moment of shared pride and joy.

The highlight of the day came with the announcement of the winner, James Crowther, who demonstrated outstanding skill and composure to secure victory with a nett score of 70.

Division One delivered intense competition among seasoned players, meaning that Crowther’s triumph was hard-earned, and his score of 75, adjusted by his handicap of 5, resulted in the winning nett score of 70.

Following closely behind was Douglas Dickie, who achieved a nett score of 72, calculated from his round of 88 and handicap of 16.

The podium was completed by David Balbi and Philip Holmes, both with nett scores of 73, showcasing exceptional golfing ability and resilience.

In Division Two, George Bellis claimed top spot with a nett score of 72, a commendable achievement given his gross score of 98 and handicap of 26.

John Marchant followed in second place with a nett score of 73, while Aytach Sadik and Bill Brooke secured third and fourth places, respectively, with scores of 77 and 78.

Rudding Park's two new holes introduced fresh strategic challenges for the competitors, forcing them to adapt and elevate their game.

These enhancements reflect the club’s commitment to continuously raising the standard of its facilities and providing an engaging experience for players of all levels.

These latest updates to the course layout incorporate member feedback and the natural beauty of the estate.

One of the new additions - hole 15 – the 'Cemetery Hole’ is now a risk-reward par-four and brings back one of the course’s most iconic features — the family cemetery bordering the left hand side of the fairway.

Accuracy and nerve will be key, with dramatic scoring opportunities and hazards.

Hole 16 returns to the layout from Rudding Park's 2019 course, previously the old 13th. It is hoped that this will prove to be welcome re-addition, which many long-time members and visitors will remember fondly, or not!

Hole 17 – an extended par-five - is the other new addition.

A bold transformation of the old 15th, it introduces added length and complexity and should be a real highlight of the closing stretch.

Harrogate GC

The Belmont Course Nine-hole Stableford on Thursday May 22 was won by new member, Susan Flynn, who managed a fine score of 20 points, with Lynne Shears second on 19 points.

Charlotte Franks claimed third place with a score of 18 points.

The 18-hole Stableford, incorporating the Seniors Cup (for ladies 70 years and over) was played between May 24 & 27.

The overall winner of the Seniors Cup with a score of 37 points was Margaret Bleasdale.

Each division was won with impressive scores, not least in Divisions One and Two, which were taken by Nicola Butters and Claire Hall respectively, scoring 43 points.

Results: Division One - 1st Nicola Butters, 43 pts; 2nd Caroline Wood, 36 pts; 3rd Fiona Gillies, 35 pts.

Division Two - 1st Dee Lewin Jones, 39 pts; 2nd Louise Sellars, 38 pts; 3rd Viv Allison, 38 pts.

Division Three - 1stClaire Hall, 43 pts; 2nd Lindsay Bancroft, 35 pts; 3rd Carol Coleman, 34 pts.

Nine- Hole Stableford (May 27) - 1st Magaret Lander, 23 pts; 2nd Susie Lax, 17 pts; 3rd Karen Myers, 16pts.

The last Saturday competition of May saw the Men chasing silverware in the shape of the Belmont Bowl.

This trophy is for a pairs stroke-play game and what a tough, hotly-contested event it turned out to be.

In a field of 66 pairs, over half of them returned with sub-par rounds and the competitive nature was illustrated by the fact that top eight pairs were covered by just two shots.

There was a tie of six pairs on 62 points, but unlike the professional game, the final places were determined after a countback.

This was required for places third to eighth and meant that Jacques Clarkson & Luke Edwards took third place ahead of Keith Rogers & Gary Marsh, Simon Chadwick & Steve Dunn.

The three other pairs on that score were Paul Mayfield & Peter Trueman, Sam Bainbridge & James Hobson, then John Clarke & Dave Walkinshaw.

The winning pair comprised a team that has been honed over many years, and so it is that Paul Mitchell & Neil Fegan will be collecting the trophy at the Captain’s Supper later in the year.

They won on a nett score of 60, one shot better than Nick Crouse & Stuart Reid, who had to settle for second place.

Last week's Midweek Stableford was similarly competitive, with three players finishing on 37 points and vying for second place, while a fine performance earned the win with a score of 38 points.

It hardly started well for David Keywood, stumbling to a double bogie on the first hole, but that must have spurred his resolve to go on and take top spot, assisted by six birdies.

Three fine rounds for the players tied on 37 points saw Nigel Golden take second after a countback from John Parker and Paul Farrand.

Harrogate GC's teams have had the usual mixture of ups and downs during recent fixtures.

The Men’s 1st Team had won two and drawn one before last week, when they suffered their first reverse in the HDU League.

The Ladies Scratch Team were involved a very close match at home against Cleveland GC, but in the end, just lost out by a 3-2 score-line. The Rabbits have had two 4-2 results, firstly a win at home to Thirsk & Northallerton GC, then a loss by the same score at Easingwold in a contest which took place in difficult conditions.

Playing away at Scarcroft GC, the Seniors just missed out, losing 3.5 to 2.5. They did however fare better when they took on Headingley GC, coming out on top in that clash.

Harrogate & District Union

The Harrogate & District Union's Ladies Bronze Division Team and Individual Championships were staged at Otley GC on June 2.

This event saw member clubs eligible to enter two teams of four players into the 18-hole Stableford competition for players with a handicap index of 21.0 and above.

The highest total of three individual scores takes the team trophy, and the first three to appear on the leader board were Otley 'A' with 100pts, Ilkley GC 'A' on 89 pts, and Skipton GC 'A' on 80 pts.

By game 12, Pannal GC 'A' on 94 pts and Harrogate GC 'A' with 90 pts had moved to second and third place, holding their positions until the 24th game, when Rudding Park GC 'A' returned a score of 98 pts.

Both Otley 'A' and Rudding Park 'A' maintained those spots until the end of the competition, resulting in the Otley team of Hilary Heron, Sue Snow, Shirley Whittington and Julia Wright taking the Team Championship.

Rudding Park's team of Karen Rutter, Katherine Fenton, Charlotte Cook and Julie Procter finished as runners-up.

Individually, the player with the best score of the day is presented with the Individual Championship Trophy and was handed over toRudding Park's Julie Procter after she scored 40 points.

Julia Wright, from Otley, took the Division One prize, while Oakdale GC's Janet Parker claimed the Division Two title.

Prizes were presented by Harrogate & District Union's president, Ian Hepworth.

Bedale GC

May 27 – Gents Air Ambulance round four: 1st Max Weighell 41 pts; 2nd Dave Brown 40 pts (countback required); 3rd Jez Corner 40 pts (countback required); 4th Kevin Palethorpe 39 pts.

May 28 – Ladies Non Qualifier & Coronation Fours: There was a good turnout for these events. The winners of the Non Qualifier were Jo Williams, Anne Anderson and Debbie Eames. Congratulations to Linda Mableson and Serena Lishman who won the Coronation Fours qualifier, beating Sally Hunt and Rachel Holden on a 4th count back situation.

May 28 – Water Rats: 1st Ian Sykes 38 pts; 2nd Graham Lilley 36 pts; 3rd David Abbey 35 pts.

May 29 – Thursday Stablefod:d 1st Dave Hennessey 37 pts; 2nd Peter Hoyle 34 pts; 3rd Michael Stirk 33 pts; 4th Gary Boothroyd 32 pts.

May 29 – Ladies White Rose Team v Skipton GC: The White Rose team lost to Skipton 3-2. It was a very challenging day weather-wise because of the rain and wind.

May 29 – Gents ‘A’ Team v Pannal GC: Bedale’s 1st team hosted another home match against the league leaders and undefeated Pannal GC.

Pannal arrived with an impressive squad of low handicap golfers. Never fazed, the home team’s intrepid group were definitely up for the challenge. The match was close with the Scratch Team succumbing to a defeat, but in the handicap matches, Bedale fought on with Craig Lawson bringing the match home on the 18th green. Overall it finished 11-9 to Bedale. Well played the team of Jonny Rayner, Bailey Lawson, Tim Morris, Matty Gibb, Kevin Rayner, Max Weighell, Craig Lawson, Jez Corner, Andrew Scott and Scott Gray – and, always pulling it all together in the background, Team Manager Mike Greenwood.

May 30 – Friday Animals: 1st Andy Coulson 36 pts (countback required); 2nd Steve Livesey 36 pts (countback required); 3rd Jim Arling 35 pts.

Front nine - Kevin Palethorpe 18 pts; Back nine - Mike Edwards 19 pts.

May 31 – Junior George Darwin Trophy: 1st Tom Moody nett 72 (countback required); 2nd Oliver Moody nett 72 (countback required); 3rd Jaicob Saunders nett 74.

May 31 – Ladies Medal: 1st Claire Retchless nett 69; 2nd Terri Williamson nett 72; 3rd Patricia Knox nett 74.

June 1 – Gents June Medal: Division One - 1st Kevin Palethorpe nett 70; 2nd Oliver McWhinney nett 71 (countback required); 3rd Adrian Woodward nett 71 (countback required); 4th Terry Jobling nett 73.

Division Two - 1st Jamie Moffatt nett 69; 2nd Ken Fay nett 71 (countback required); 3rd Julian Hodge nett 71 (countback required); 4th Harry Balsillie nett 73.

Division Three – 1st Phil Danby nett 70; 2nd Steve Senior nett 72 (countback required); 3rd Steve Smithurst nett 72 (countback required); 4th Peter Durrans nett 73.