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

Harrogate GC

For the juniors at Harrogate GC, season 49 closed with the annual Festive Texas Scramble, a match which brought together youngsters of all ages and abilities.

Played on a bitterly cold day, the friendship and team spirit of the competitors burned through to make this a closely-fought but most importantly, a really enjoyable contest for all involved.

It was fitting that the club’s young, dedicated professional, Lewis Harrison led his team to victory as he departs the club to widen his professional horizons.

The competition was also an opportunity for the juniors to thank Harrison for his commitment and hard work over the last few years helping our them to achieve their golfing goals.

The event concluded with the season 49 prize-giving, supported by club president Ian Glover. This was a chance to reflect on a very successful season together as well as to look forward to next year.

2023 will be the 50th anniversary of Harrogate GC’s juniors section and the club plans to mark this milestone in style. After all, the junior golfers have always been and always will be the future of Harrogate GC.

The ladies recently played their annual Christmas Stableford, team-of-three competition, with two scores to count and playing off 85% CH and putting on temporary greens due to frost.

To make it more interesting, each team randomly chose two Monopoly-type chance cards. Some cards gave advantages such as a Mulligan or teeing off from the green tees instead of the reds, but other cards sent the players directly into bunkers.

Christmas hats and jumpers were the order of the day and lady captain Boo Orman gave a prize for the best attire to Judy Holroyde who was dressed like a Christmas tree.

Each member of the winning team received a Chocolate Reindeer from the lady captain.

Results: 1st Linda Herman, Pat Littlewood, Jane Moorhouse. 61 pts; 2nd Elizabeth Goody, Margaret Bleasdale, Pat Capps 59 pts; 3rd Fiona Gillies, Cheryl Lewis, Sue Severn. 57 pts.

The mid- week Stableford was played, but again, it was necessary to use temporary greens.

It has been a good couple of weeks for Steve English (16) and he kept up his run scoring 37 points to win just edging out one of the club’s most improved players of 2022, Danny Rowe (20), who came in on 36 points.

A strong performance from both John Parker (22) and Tom Hailwood (29) saw them tied for third with 34 points.

Harrogate’s ladies bade farewell to a very successful 2022 with their annual dinner and prize giving evening.

Among those to recieve prizes were Carol Coleman who won the Seniors Cup, and Boo Orman, who took the Past Captains Trophy.

A few hardy souls went out on a very soggy Wednesday last week for a mid-week Stableford, which was won comfortably by Paul Farrand (5). His 36 points left the field well behind in his wake.

The following day, the competitions team organised a post-Christmas mixed team-of-four event, which proved to be a great way to tackle the effects of over-indulgence.

The team led by Harrogate GC’s junior co-ordinator, Richard Mackenzie, and including three of the club’s talented juniors - Matthew (Charlie) Mackenzie, Dexter Ward and Harvey Auckland – were victorious with a score of 73 points.

New Year’s Eve brought out a good entry for the Individual Stableford. In what proved to be a closely-fought contest, three players were tied on 33 points but they had to settle for the places behind the winner, Phil Rhodes.

Results: 1st P. Rhodes (19), 35 pts; 2nd S. Wright (8), 33 pts (bb9); 3rd L. Edwards (9), 33 pts (bb9); 4th A. Partridge (8) 33 pts.

Knaresborough GC

The festive break saw Knaresborough ringing out the changes in some of its formats - firstly, in a once-a-month team competition for Saturday golfers and secondly in the upcoming launch of a Monthly Masters through the 2023 season.

After a weather -stricken first try, the second effort to vary the winter programme with a Texas Scramble proved a big success despite some miserable conditions.

Eighty players in the four-member teams took on the challenge the quartet of Mick Dobson, Pete Linfoot, Bill Baybutt and Alan Kitching combining effectively to head the leader board with 53 Stableford points.

The team netted three birdies and just one bogey over the remaining holes in some really trying conditions. They finished one point ahead of Brendan Donaghy, Stuart Reid, Sean Robinson and John Elcock with Mauricio Contreras, Harry Taylor, Ben Doherty and David Web on 50.

As the next chapter in the freshening up project, the Monthly Masters will be a week long opportunity for members to play either a stroke play or Stableford round or even both, separately, once per month during the competition week.

The idea is to offer both men and ladies more chances to play qualifying golf, played at a time convenient to the entrants, from Monday to Sunday in the designated week.

Meantime much credit to the greens staff who have maintained a playable course, with occasional exceptions in the worst of days, allowing plenty of social golf to be played throughout the mid-winter.

Bedale GC

December 21 – Ladies Fun Competition: 1st Claire Retchless; 2nd Terri Williamson

December 23 – Friday Animals: 1st David Lawrence 45 pts; 2nd Darren Forrest 42 pts (countback required); 3rd Jim Hargan 42 pts (countback required); 4th Steve Livesey 38 pts.

December 26 – Boxing Day Friends & Family Scramble: 1st Hannah Bowe, Ged Hall, Liam Hall & Ian Rob nett 54.95; 2nd Pam Rawlin, Hilda Jackson, Chris Jefferey & Andy Kitching nett 58.15.

December 30 – Friday Animals: 1st Steve Livesey, Pam Rawlin & Scott Gray 87 pts ; 2nd Jim Hargan, Craig Lawson & Darren Forrest 86 pts (countback required) ; 3rd Mike Ingram, Colin Tipton & Patricia Knox 86 pts (countback required) ; 4th Mark Allison, Dave Hennessey & Mo Kamali 86 pts (countback required).

Rudding Park

Cross Country Golf: The format for the day was a Texas scramble where there was some great scoring in challenging conditions.

In first place were David Balbi, David Liversedge, Julie Gibbs & Mark McHale with nett 22.8. Second were Liam Wharldall, Matt Wharldall, Stuart Ingham & Rod Smith Nett 23.5

December Weekend Stableford: Robert Harrison won Division One with 8 pars, beating Graeme Ogilvie by 3 points.

Julie Gibbs won Division Two, beating Eve Snodgrass by 1 point.

Results: Division One – 1 Robert Harrison 35; Graeme Ogilvie 32; Steven Walmsley 32.

Division Two - 1 Julie Gibbs 38; 2 Eve Snodgrass 37; 3 John Dodman 36.

Seniors Stableford: Carl Kennady won Division One with 1 birdie and 14 pars, beating David Smart by 2 points.

John Noble won Division Two with 5 pars, beating Nicholas Reeve in a card play-off.

Results: Division One - 1 Carl Kennady 44; David Smart 42; Richard Brewster 39.

Division Two – 1 John Noble 36; 2 Nicholas Reeve 36; 3 Aytach Sadik 34.