Bognor golfers get season off to flying start

Bognor Golf Club's season got under way with the captain's drive-in attracting an excellent number of 124 players.
The ladies' winners at Bognor's captain's drive-in eventThe ladies' winners at Bognor's captain's drive-in event
The ladies' winners at Bognor's captain's drive-in event

There was a wide range of prizes presented by captain Chris Hickling and with each one went a jar of home-made Hickle’s Pickles as a bonus.

The assembled players at the end were a truly happy group, uplifted with a celebratory drink for club secretary James MacLean’s ace on the fifth hole.

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Chris tried to increase the charity fund with a system of fines – most managed to miss the appointed hazards but found many more opportunities for dropping shots because of the gusting wind, bitterly cold at first, plus a plethora of unforced errors.

The day raised £400 for the lifeboats which will be added to by £180 profit from the Valentine’s dance.

Chris thanked players and friends for supporting the day and urged them to get involved in other up-coming competitions.

He thanked Wendy Johnson, Norman Horton, Pete Lea, vice-captain Norman Lee and professional Matthew Kirkby for their help.

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The full results of the competition are as follows: Winners - Mick Garrigan & Brian Meloy 43pts; Runners-Up - John Harnett & Gee Fenwick 42; Third - Captain Hicko & Andy Brown - 42; Ladies Runners-Up - Sue Monger & Sally Cameron - 37; Ladies Winners - Teresa Byrne & Suzanne Taylor - 43; Nearest The Pin 2nd - Roger Selway; Nearest The Pin 5th - James Maclean - hole-in-one; Nearest The Pin 10th - Derek Dady; Nearest The Pin 15th - Sue Monger; Nearest The Pin in two 13th - Dave Maskell.

Bognor seniors played in the last-ever winter season fixture away at Rowlands Castle. All four clubs involved have called it a day after many wet winters causing numerous postponements.

The whole course was open and was in good condition. The day itself was overcast but fortunately no rain appeared .

Bognor had three new senior players and all enjoyed the experience and will be signing up for more matches. Steve King continued were he left off in 2015 with an excellent 7&6 win. Apart from that one match, all were close.

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Match captain Allan Delves and his partnet Hugh Diaper were four down after four holes but managed to get level and went into the last just one down. The match finished 4-2 in favour of Rowlands Castle, who as usual were excellent hosts.

Results: Allan Delves & Hugh Diaper lost 2 down, Barry Ingate & Bob Less lost 2&1, Steve King & Keith Argent won 7&6, Alan Fitzgerald & Trevor Till won 2&1, Mike Watts & Ron Stevens lost 2&1, Barry Forey & David Turner lost 3&2.

COWDRAY PARK

The weather relented in time for Cowdray Park seniors to hold their monthly Stableford on a bright day.

The fairways had dried out but many greens were still soft and it was surprising that the scores, particularly from the better players, were not higher.

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It was a rare old battle in division one, with only one point separating the top six finishers.

Competitions secretary Bill Hummerston, an early starter, fended off all challengers, having laid a marker down with his score of 37, including an excellent back nine, to earn a well-deserved win.

Ken Marjoram played almost flawless golf and held second place for a long time until he was leapfrogged at the end of the day. Last man out Peter Laws claimed second place on countback, playing his first game for more than two months since damaging his cartilage, and qualified alongside Hummerston for the end-of-season seniors’ championship.

Division two was less competitive with only four players scoring par or better. First place on the day went to Phillip Singer with the day’s highest score of 38, which included the day’s only two on the third hole.

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Mark Kelly took second place on countback from Paul Chater, both players scoring 37, and Bernie May hit a solid 36. Only six twos were recorded, five of them on the 11th hole.

Results: Div 1 - 37 Bill Hummerston; Peter Laws; Ken Marjoram; 36 Steve Tkaczynski; Harvey Terry; Mick Fillary. Div 2 - 38 Phillip Singer; 37 Mark Kelly; Paul Chater; 36 Bernie May; 33 Wally Mitchell. Twos - 3rd Phillip Singer; 11th Rod Brown; Bill Hummerston; Rodney Fisher; Mark Kelly; Joe Berzak; Gary Strowbridge.

GOODWOOD

Golf At Goodwood is offering complimentary taster sessions and fun for the family at their inaugural academy open weekend on April 2-3.

The weekend is open to anyone interested in learning the game, as well as those who want to develop their existing skills, under the supervision of a highly-qualified team of PGA professionals.

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Complimentary 30-minute ‘get into golf’ sessions will run every hour, offering individuals the chance to learn the basics while also offering tips and guidance for the more advanced golfer.

There will be a range of fun and exciting activities for children to participate in, including tri golf – using extra light clubs and balls, making it ideal for very young children, plus an inflatable golf net with competitions running throughout the day.

Golf At Goodwood ambassadors, including star 17-year-old Marco Penge and Darren Wright, who finished second on the Money List on the Europro Tour in 2015 and secured a full Challenge Tour card for 2016, will be in attendance.

Chris McDonnell, Golf At Goodwood academy manager, said: “This is a great opportunity for new and existing golfers to see what we offer at the Golf Academy here at Goodwood.

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“We have excellent facilities here and we will be providing fantastic taster sessions for everyone to enjoy across the two-day event. For women interested in starting golf, our fast-growing Golf for Ladies package will be showcased as well as our popular junior programme, Level Up.”

The academy boasts both open and under-cover Huxley driving range bays, a six-hole par three academy course, a putting and chipping green along with a SAM putting studio, private coaching rooms and a high-performance studio.

All taster sessions need to be booked in advance by calling 01243 520162 or emailing [email protected]

LITTLEHAMPTON

The trophy season at Littlehampton GC is well under way with 15-handicapper Ken Rixon off to a flyer, claiming the Pat Gray Trophy on countback with a stunning back nine.

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His 40 Stableford points total was built on a steady front nine, the highlight of which was a birdie on the par-five fifth. Another birdie on the tenth hole was followed by four more solid pars coming home to edge him ahead of runner-up Tony Walsh.

It was just as tight over in division one with John Brunton pipping Keith Sapsed, also on countback, after the pair had tied on 39 points, this despite the latter’s impressive eagle three on the 17th hole.

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