Boom on the range

Since the opening of the high-tech centre in Towthorpe, on the northern outskirts of York, the YGR has helped to initiate a boom in the sport.

So tee-riffic has been the upswing in interest, that this week the club celebrated its 200th beginner signing up in the 200 days since the new venture was launched by farmer Graham Chapman and his family.

Enthused professional Andrew Smith, who is the pro at YGR: "It's quite something to have had that many people come into golf.

"The figure of 200 does not just represent those people who have come to the range, but those who have actually tried the sport for the first time, loved it, gone out and bought the clubs and are now playing golf at various courses throughout the area.

"The six-week beginners' group class we run has received a fantastic response. I have had to put on four groups a week in order to cope with the demand.

"The course is structured to teach all areas of the game and we find that many of the new golfers become friends and play their first rounds together on local courses.

"The future of the game is surely very bright if we continue to get that amount of people through the doors.

Smith, an establish tour professional and coach who was previously the professional at Selby GC, attributed a great deal of the success of the range to its founder Chapman, who, with his family, decided to diversify into the sport from their traditional business of farming.

"He has put in a lot of attention to detail and I knew that if Graham is going to do something he will do it right, from the balls we use through to the cutting of the greens and the range. It always looks in pristine condition," said the pro'.

The YGR opened in April with an 18-bay floodlit driving range, which included automated tees as part of a high-tech approach.

An all-weather nine-hole putting course has been added to provide the look, feel and play of natural turf all-year round.

And the YGR's scope of facilities is to widen further. In the pipeline are plans for par-three and par-four practice holes, which will help in its quest to attract even more new players to the game.

HOME fires burned the fiercest in the opening Humber Alliance fixture played at Kilnwick Percy GC.

Played as an Am-Am medal with the best two nett scores to count on each hole, Kilnwick Percy professional Joe Townhill (scratch) led Rob Bradley (5), Norman Turton (14) and David Jacobs (17) to victory on 131 - two shots clear of the rest of the field.

Second place went to the Brough GC quartet of Darren Leng (scr), Chris Pyle (3), James Beetham (4) and Craig Edgar (6) ahead of the Kilnwick second-team of Toby Gowthorpe (5), David Burrows (10), Steve Cooper (18) and Steve Wilcox (18) whose third place was confirmed on count-back.

The Kilnwick men's pairs match-play final was won by the in-form Kyle Mathers and Kevin Beattie, who toppled rivals Lee Eastoe and Martin Anderson by an emphatic 7 and 5 margin.

SCOTT Brannan, at 14-year-old the youngest player in a strong field, won Fulford GC's annual medal with a one-under-par 71.

Brannan, who plays off 11, has also won the York Union of Golf Clubs' Seward Trophy, open to all union junior members.

At Fulford he was up against the winners of all the other medal competitions throughout the year. He is believed to be the youngest player in the club's history to win the annual event.

Andy Curran took first place in the extra medal, played in conjunction with the annual event, with a six-under nett 66. Iain Simpson, a two handicap player, had the best gross of 74.

FOREST Park GC's Lady Captains Charity Cup competition was won by Margaret Skilbeck, who posted a nett round of 67 to finish clear five shots ahead of her nearest challenger. The runaway triumph saw three shots cut from her handicap.

Fulford ladies section's final event of the season was won by Linda Edmondson with a three-under par net 71 to lift the 1900 Anniversary Annual Medal Trophy. The lowest gross of 91 was shot by Marianne Miller.

VICTORY in the Allerthorpe Park captain's drive-in American greensome event went to Shirley Wilson and Richard Craven with 41 stableford points, one clear of Thelma Dutton and Iain Charlton.

Updated: 12:23 Saturday, October 18, 2003