Golf round-up: The latest from around the region's courses

Pannal GC

Unfortunately the ladies golf on Tuesday 15th was a complete washout but that did not put a dampener on their annual dinner in the evening where the season’s achievements were celebrated, and trophy presentations made to the winners of the year’s most prestigious awards.

Congratulations to Sophie McCormack, Pannal GC Junior’s Club Champion, who was announced the winner of the Jean Rudgard Memorial Award at the Yorkshire Ladies’ County Golf Association AGM on Thursday 17th November. This award is granted annually to the most improved Bronze Division junior girl golfer in Yorkshire.

Friday 18th was the evening of the Annual Men’s Dinner when Men’s Captain Lindsay Mackenzie welcomed guests and officials from across the County, past Captains and club members.

After a four-course dinner everyone was entertained by former England and Newcastle United footballer John Beresford with his tales of playing with likes of David Ginola and Paul Gascoigne.

However the highlight of the evening was the presentation of a crystal vase to retiring PGA Professional David Padgett after almost 23 years at Pannal

The morning of Saturday 19th saw persistent rain which had a negative impact on the number of players contesting in the four ball better ball Stableford competition.

In fact, only 13 pairs returned a score with Dave Hindle and Phil Stott making an outstanding 45 points to take the first prize. Rob Cooper and Andrew Booth took second spot with 40 points, two clear of Jeremy Halliday and Nigel Wright in third.

Regular heavy rain has been a challenge for both golfers and course managers in recent weeks. At Pannal, the November total after 20 days was 113 mm on top of 112mm for October giving us a total of 225mm, similar to the 6 month total for April to September.

Fortunately the club’s £100,000 investment in new drainage systems over the past two years is proving very successful in ensuring a continuing good playing surface as we head into the depths of the winter.

On Tuesday 22nd there was a Ladies Fourball Better Ball where the strong pairing of Moira Rusling and Susan Asquith finished on top with 28 points over the 13 hole event.

In second place on 26 were Becs Booth and Amanda Dunn, with Lynn Sheldrake and Gill Roberts coming third after a countback.

On Saturday 26th 48 pairs contested the Fourball Better Ball. An excellent 45 points by David Wilby and Mens Vice Captain Martin Boyle gave them a single point margin over Peter Jones and Jeremy Halliday, the latter being “on the podium” for the second week running.

Third spot decided by a countback went to Richard Jones and Jonathan Kershaw with 43 points, edging Chris Matthewman and Graham Watson into fourth.

Knaresborough GC

Stephen Ward swears by his lucky yellow ball - or at least won’t be lured to play with a white one if he can help it. And after a storming front nine in the Turkey Trot on Sunday, when he turned with a nett seven under, the 15 handicapper looked set to card a personal best.

He’d struck a nine iron into the par three fifth and sank the six-foot birdie putt. Two holes later, from 180 yards he powered an eight iron, then struck a wedge to eight feet to convert another birdie chance. The yellow ball magic almost worked again at the long ninth but his birdie putt just lipped out.

However, the yellow ball luck seemed to shrivel in the cold damp air down the back nine as he ran up four double bogeys.

He still finished top of the leader board with 39 points but was ruing the decision to take his three wood at the down hill 13th.

Anxious not to over drive into a hedge row at the bottom of the hill, instead he curved his shot fiercely into hillside hawthorn bushes down the left. He tried to punch out through a gap - only to see it disappear. He walked off the hole with an eight.

Peter Jeans (16), with 38, and Barry Peel (18), with 37, finished second and third.

Defeated Club Championship finalist Mike Pennington (1) bounced back with a birdie studded victory in the Saturday Turkey Trot.

It was almost an eagle start when his wedge shot finished two inches from the hole, but the opening birdie set him up for a solid front recording a gross 37, one over, before going on to card two under over the back nine to close out with 38 points.

There was a shot dropped at the 10th but he surely made up for it by seeing out the remaining holes with seven single putts, aided by three birdies.

The first was at the 12th where he holed a 20-footer from off the green. A wedge to three feet set up the birdie at the 16th but the birdie at the 18th was the icing on the cake. Hemmed in by trees, he struck a six iron to 12 feet and sank the uphill putt to edge out Brian Healey (7), who lit up his front nine with an eagle at the par five ninth.

A cluster of bogeys down the back nine, relieved by a single birdie at 16, meant he finished behind Pennington on the countback, with John Taylor (10) finishing third on 37.

Masham GC

Although it was a pretty wet few days at the end of last week, one or two competitions were played over the weekend, but we will start with the annual presentation evening on Sunday 20th November.

As always, Masham Golf Club’s best silverware was on show, gleaming in the club house spot lights, ready to be received, by their respective recipients.

As tradition has it at Masham, the Club’s Captain presents the prizes to the Ladies and the Lady Captain presents the prizes to the Men, and so it was, Captain, Will I’Anson and Lady Captain, Penny Nicklas, fulfilled their duties, including awarding prizes to the Mixed Section winners.

With due respect to all 49 prize winners, it is not possible to publicly announce all winners, although, those who read this column weekly, will already know who all the winners were, especially, those with very good memories.

There are several names however that need a bit more of a mention, for instance, next year’s Senior’s Captain, Paddy Lafford.

He achieved 3 prizes, although had to be assisted by his able partners for two of them, but the Men’s Veterans Shield, he attained all by himself.

His others were with his old friend, Gerry Johnson, to win the Seniors Autumn Pairs and with Pat Watts to win the John Holland Greensomes Memorial Shield.

Other notables were the knock-out competition winners; for the ladies, Jean Clarke, winner of the Match Play Shield with Mandy Boak, runner-up.

For the men, Tim Howard and Peter Clayton won the Black Sheep Pairs match-play shield, with Howard also taking away the Theakston Trophy. Jonathan Stansfield took the Swinton Park Singles match-play shield, Nick Bedford the Hutchinson Cup as well as the Seniors Knockout Jameson Trophy and the Division Two Annual Medal.

Special mention for the Most Improved Lady Golfer, Jackie Jones who also took home the Prince of Wales Trophy.

For the men, the Most Improved Golfer, The Healey Cup went to Toby Carter, who, with his partner, Craig Nichols, won the Falshaw Trophy and the Tigers Player of the Year, John Pickard.

For perseverance, over the whole of the summer, Tom Rodney took the Tuesday (roll-up) Cup.

Multiple prize winners on the night also included, Dave Nicklas (3), Jockey Beckett (2) and Neil Garbutt (2).

And finally, the two top prize winners of 2022 were, for the ladies, Barbara Jameson, winning the Lady Masham Cup and Jonathan Stansfield, winner of the Lord Masham Cup.

In their acceptance speeches, both thanked all those who made the evening a success (especially the trophy polishers!) and for the continuing support the club receives throughout the year, ending with how proud they were to be this year’s recipients of the Lord and Lady Masham Cups.

Saturday 19th Nov. Men’s Winter 9 hole League, Round 8: 1st Bruce Watson 24pts (11); 2nd Dave Nicklas 19pts (11)(b6); 3rd Alan Sturdy 19pts (05); 4th Rob Taylor 17pts (13)(b6).

Sunday 20th November, November Mixed Section: A wet, cold afternoon’s golf, finished almost in the dark, but once in the clubhouse, having been fed and watered, spirits were once again restored.

Results – 1st, Mandy Boak, Neil Garbutt, Pippa Featherstone and James Ebbage 85pts; 2nd Jackie Thirsk, Tony Roebuck, Jackie Jones and Tom Rodney 82pts; 3rd Pat Watts, Tim Burrills, Melanie Couchman and Barry Stead 79pts.

Bedale GC

November 18 – Friday Animals: 1st Terri Williamson 39 pts; 2nd Jez Corner 37 pts (countback required); 3rd Colin Baines 37 pts (countback required).

November 19 – Junior Winter League Round 3: 1st Bailey Lawson 15 pts; 2nd Shona Lawson 14 pts (countback required); 3rd Josh Askew 14 pts (countback required).

November 20 – Ladies Winter Stableford 4: 1st Kathleen Allison (23) 36 pts.

November 24 – Thursday Stableford: 1st Gary Boothroyd 35 pts; 2nd Mike Plummer 34 pts; 3rd Geoff Bush 31 pts (countback required); 4th Terry Pratt 31 pts (countback required).

November 25 – Friday Animals: 1st Dave Hennessey 42 pts ; 2nd Colin Baines 41 pts ; 3rd Steve Grant 39 pts.

November 25 – Seniors Stableford: 1st Les Kitching 41 pts ; 2nd Kevin Clinton 38 pts ; 3rd Peter Tarran 34 pts.

November 26 – Junior Winter League Round 4: 1st Oliver Crannage 22 pts ; 2nd Bailey Lawson 19 pts (countback required) ; 3rd Thomas Moody 19 pts (countback required).

Oakdale GC

There was an exciting finish to Oakdale’s Open Series, with the competition going right down to the very last hole before the winners were decided.

The top three teams from Oakdale were: 1st Marcus Bowsher & Richard Cassells-Smith with 176; 2nd Ollie Hodges & Rob Morgan 175; 3rd Christine Downing & Gary Nash with 172.

Winter League - Individual Round 1: On Wednesday (16th) the overall winner was Jonathan Dale (10) with 43 pts.

Division 1 - 1st Dean Taylor (7) 29 pts; 2nd Patsy Rochester (11) 29 pts; 3rd Karen Leake (10) 28 pts.

Division 2 - 1st Tony Smith (17) 32 pts; 2nd Martino De Mola (14) 23 pts.

Division 3 - 1st Mike Hughes (26) 30 pts.

On Saturday (19th), Club Captain John Dixon presented the 2022 medal winners with their medal trophies.