A BULLSEYE birthday is planned for Flaxby Park Golf and Country Club, writes Tony Kelly.

The club, located on the York to Harrogate road on the Harrogate side of the A1 junction, is to celebrate its first year with the launch of its new state of the art driving range and golf academy a week today.

And to mark the Saturday, July 16 opening the club is to run a free target golf competition throughout the day for the best male, female and junior scores.

The competition will run from 9am to 6pm with everyone who attends able to have five free shots at a bullseye green. The individual with the highest cumulative score will be the winner in each category - man, woman, boy and girl.

The driving range has 23 covered bays, all heated and featuring the latest Supertee automated teeing system. There are also outdoor bays, practice bunkers and putting and chipping areas and is also floodlit for night use.

Said Flaxby Park's director of golf Iain Russell-Jarvie: "It has been a major investment by the owners but the facilities are second to none and we are confident they will prove extremely popular with golfers in the local area."

Open to anyone the academy and driving range is aimed at encouraging as many people as possible to play the game.

Added professional Guy Wills: "The teaching facilities are outstanding and we can offer lessons to golfers of any standard on an individual or group basis. A sophisticated computerised video teaching system is used enabling students to monitor their improvements on their home PCs."

Annual academy membership is £25 and comprises discounts for balls and lessons and a free 100-ball basket on joining.

And to further mark the Academy's opening the Evening Press has teamed up with Flaxby Park to produce a special offer.

Anyone who brings along a copy of the Evening Press to the club between July 16-22 can take up a two for one offer on baskets of balls at the driving range.

Updated: 10:29 Saturday, July 09, 2005