THE phrase 'union activist' might not be seen too often in golf, but there's no keener advocate of all things union than York's Mike Thompson.

For a good slice of three decades Thompson has been at the helm of the York Union of Golf Clubs and its membership in the Yorkshire Inter-District Union.

Tomorrow the York Union secretary will never be more proud than when the Inter-District Six-man Team Championship swings full-on into Forest Park Golf Club.

The Yorkshire Union's most prestigious competition, it is staged in rotation and so is back in York for the first time in eight years. Tomorrow's event will be the third such involving Thompson in his home city, a distinction he regards as an 'honour'.

He told the Evening Press: "With this year's event I will have been involved in the last three in York and I feel rather privileged. As a founder member of the Inter-District League in the early 1980s it's been great to see it become so established.

"Tomorrow we'll see the 48 best amateur golfers in Yorkshire in action. So it's an honour and I'm sure the tournament has given me more pleasure than I have given it."

What would delight Thompson, who celebrates his 71st birthday next week, to the nth degree would be a home victory. The York ranks have not been triumphant in the event since 1996 when they won at Hornsea.

The tournament features six-man teams from the Yorkshire Union membership of Bradford, East Riding, Halifax/Huddersfield, Harrogate, Leeds, Teesside, Sheffield and hosts York. The format is 36 holes stroke-play with all scores to count from scratch.

The York Union team aiming to end a seven-year itch for conquest comprises captain Neil Thompson (Scarthingwell); James Mason, Matthew Lord and Steve Dunn (all Fulford); Stuart Parkin (Malton and Norton) and Martin Brown (Pike Hills). Play starts 8am.

THERE was a perfect glaze to the Pocklington and District Licensed Victuallers' Association golf day at Kilnwick Percy GC.

Played as an Am-Am strokeplay format off a -handicap in which the best two scores counted on every hole saving the ninth and 18th, where all four scores counted, the tournament's division one prize was sealed by the Pocklington Windows' team of John Smith, Neil Smith, Steve Knowles and S Burdett on 145 points ahead of the Carpenters Team One of J Walker, M Kneeshaw, D Tough and Chris Gunby.

In Kilnwick Percy's men's Autumn Challenge Cup - a pairs betterball strokeplay event - Alan Howson and David Kilford finished top with a nett 58, ahead of three teams on 61. Count-back determined that Peter Williamson and Phil Curtis finished second with David Jacobs and Steve Johnson in third and Graham Martin and Mark Gatenby in fourth.

The ladies' stableford was won by Sue Hodgson with 41 points. Iona Buckle was second on 39 with Carol Kilford third on 36.

IF ever a crouch was standing tall it was The Clifton Hotel Golf Society's Steve Scott.

Nicknamed 'Crouch', he had the round many would dream about to win the Landlords Trophy played at Swallow Hall GC in Wheldrake.

Not only did the 28-handicapper accumulate an unassailable 45 stableford points, Scott also notched the society's and his first hole in one.

Scott's ace was on the 129-yard fifth hole using a six iron. Just for good measure he also, naturally, took the nearest the pin prize. And it was quite a feat considering that he started playing the game right-handed before eventually switching to play left-handed.

The runner-up in the Landlords Trophy was Alan Green (23 handicap) on 41 points with the longest drive prize claimed by Neil Chipchase.

KNARESBOROUGH GC's Andrew Turner and Gary Vickers were in the prize-money in the De Vere North Region PGA Championship at Northrop County Park in Cheshire.

Turner finished in joint 29th spot with a two-under-par 211 (71 69 71) with Knaresborough club professional Vickers one shot, but four places, further adrift on 212 (68 74 70).

However, after three events of the Delta Airlines PGA North Region Order of Merit, Vickers heads his club-mate with 31st place as opposed to Turner's 47th position.

Turner, and Malton and Norton GC professional Steve Robinson, are this weekend competing in the Rayrigg Motor Group Autumn Lakes Classic at the Windermere course.

G-FORCE ruled at Easingwold GC, where Gary Whitwell sampled a major one-two.

Whitwell won the president's putter tournament to be crowned the club champion (gross). His score of 75-74 (149) was four shots clear of runner-up David Tompkins, who had rounds of 77 and 76.

Then in the Pearson Bowl event to determine the club champion (nett), Whitwell was runner-up after carding rounds of 69 68 (137) to finish behind Jeff Atkinson, who took the nett title with rounds of 71 and 63 for a decisive 134 total and a winning margin of three shots.

DOUGLAS Burns had a price to pay when he won the Old Foss Trophy at Forest Park GC. He fired a nett 62 and saw his handicap reduced by three shots to 11.

The club's September medal competition was a close run thing with nine players shooting a nett 67, but after countbacks the honour went to Martyn Robinson.

Malton and Norton GC 20-handicapper Mike Punchard holed in one for the first time in 15 years of playing the game on the 169-yard 17th hole. His one-shot feat was achieved in a friendly four-ball using a seven wood.

Updated: 11:22 Saturday, September 13, 2003