Welsh Free Golf Week
An initiative by the Golf Union of Wales introducing a “Golf awareness Week” has been directed at golfers who play the game but are not members of a recognized golf club, and towards people who may have fancied a try at the sport but have found the opportunity has not presented itself in a customer friendly manner. Well, all that is about to change.
Wrexham golf club, along with others in the area, is hosting a Welsh Free Golf Week during which they will be offering “taster lessons” for both ladies and gentlemen. Due to pressure on the course and facilities, the lessons will be at the user friendly time of 6.30 to 7.30 on Tuesday, April 13th and Thursday April 15th. Bookings can be made immediately on 01978 351476, the professional’s shop, where names will be recorded and all completed forms will be entered into a prize winning draw for Ryder Cup Wales practice day tickets.
Speaking with Dillwyn Griffiths of Caernarfon who is the Golf Development Wales officer for North Wales, he expressed his excitement at the number of people who are availing themselves of this opportunity and thoroughly enjoying the experience, so please feel free to join in this experience and enjoy the game as we all do.
Chairman of the Golf Union of Wales, Louise Fleet, has been aware from some time of the number of players who perhaps belong to societies, or play in their own groups as nomadic golfers without a club, traveling from course to course throughout the duration of the summer without a club to call their own. The problem arises with handicaps as players must be a member of an affiliated club to hold a national handicap and play in either club, county or national events. Social golf is excellent but nothing compares with the taste of competition, even in this most civilized of games.
Talking of competitions, the Vale of Llangollen played the first round of their “home and away” fixture against Oswestry golf club for the Eifion Davies Memorial trophy. Eifion was a member of both clubs and a stalwart of the Llangollen Golf Club as it was then known.
He was a county player in the 60’s when the inter county events were very much an “ad hoc” arrangement with little formality, but along with Pat Riley of Llangollen, Oscar Wyn Jones and Graham “Flicker” Williams of Wrexham and Edwin Jones of Ruthin Pwllglas they gave far more than the got in these very enjoyable tussles.
How enjoyable the win by Oswestry by eight matches to four was remains to be seen, but as Phil Coleman, the Veterans’ Press Officer remarked, “we have a mountain to climb when the away leg is played in July.”
Pat Riley also enjoyed an outing partnering his wife Carole in the qualifier for the Bader Cup which now enables them to proceed to the area finals at Birchwood Golf club in Warrington. They led the Stableford event with 38 points from Andrew and Barbara Wright on 37 and John and Cath Firth on 36 for third place.
As with most finals, the Baker final is to be held in Portugal should they win at Birchwood.
Wrexham Ladies Captain Anne Davies hosted her “drive in” event a week last Tuesday which featured a win for the quartet comprising Wendy Roberts, Janet Pritchard, Carolann Jones and Mary Hunter with 49 points. The second placed group were Shirley Williams, Carole Jones, Anne Bale and Janet Edwards with 43 on a card scrutiny. The back nine competition was won by Eve Jenks with 17 points from Margaret Ellis on 15.
The Ladies Welsh Dragon Brooch was contested last Tuesday with the overall victor being Jane Mullett Prandle with an excellent net 65. Divided into separate divisions, Jane won the Silver division followed by Hazel Parry with net 74. The Bronze group went to Sandy Reddington with 70 followed by June Roberts with 73.
The Junior March medal was played at the end of the month with Tom Williams winning the first division with net 68. Sam Higgins came in second with 74. Robert Keenan took the honours in the second division with his score of net 61 followed by James Adamson on 73. Thomas now reduces to nine handicap and Roberts from 38 down to 32.
Clays have had a busy few days with the Senior April medal being won by Maelor Davies on net 71 from Ray Martin , 79, and then Don Wraight with 79 also. The second division went to Cliff Davies on 72 from Joe White, 74, and then Peter Frazer with 76.
The April medal for the club featured a first division win for Steve Parry with 70 from Frank Rodenhurst, 72, and Phil Davies on 73. Rob Brown took the second division with 68 followed by Bob Shotton, 68 and then Michael Carnell on a 70.
The third handicap group was won by Steve Evans with a first class 66 from runner up Ernest Williams, 70 and Ian Barwood, 72.
The shop Stableford played last Sunday went to Paul Fell with 33 points from Gareth Whitely, 32, and Terrance Bull with 30.
In the Junior April medal, Tom Gledhill was the overall winner with net 62 from Paul McCaffrey, 66 and Scott Anderson, 68 whilst the Ladies’ April medal resulted in a won for Kim Harcombe on 74 followed by Sheila Roscoe with 85.