York spur for sex drive

Over the past few years the junior section at the Strensall-based club has flourished to unparalleled levels.

The boys' team, which is pictured above ahead of their annual match against the club's ladies' squad, boasts several players already into single-figure handicaps and has forged its way into the York Union of Golf Clubs' junior ranks.

They have just been bought new uniforms by the club.

Currently the junior section stands at 78 players. But of that healthy total a mere two are girls in Emma Thompson and Victoria Crapper.

Such a lonely existence for Emma and Victoria has now prompted an urgent appeal from the club to try to attract yet more females to York GC.

Why there should be such a deep disparity between the sexes in the otherwise thriving youth section is a mystery to Don Fairclough, the head of the club's youth section.

After all, he explained, the club boasts among its senior ranks Kirsty Taylor, North Yorkshire's lone representative on the lucrative professional women's golf circuit.

Added Fairclough: "The youth section has grown steadily these past few years, but we feel the girls are missing out.

"In this day and age of greater equality it's puzzling that we don't have even more girls taking up the sport, especially with Kirsty Taylor doing so well.

"I cannot see why there is a reluctance to join as the facilities here are second to none."

Other clubs in the area could point to teenage girl contingents comfortably into double figures, added Fairclough. "Wetherby Golf Club have 15, I believe, and Selby 12. We have got just two and we have vacancies for another 20."

Ideally, York would like to recruit youngsters from the age of eight onwards. "The earlier you get them the more likely they are to take to the game and then to continue playing it right through to their teens," added Fairclough.

"There are opportunities here for girls to take advantage of what the club has to offer."

Lasses interested in restoring the balance of the sexes at York should contact the club tel (01904) 491840.

AN Austrian adventure yielded a twin-peak of triumph for Swallow Hall GC teaching professional Dan Moodie.

During a two-week coaching stint in Austria, where several years ago he was a successful coach, Moodie's second boost came when KGC Dellach, the team he has been advising since April, were crowned Austrian champions after defeating favourites Kitzbuhel 4-3 in a thrilling final.

That followed the success of one of the team's younger stars, 17-year-old Lukas Michor, capturing the national youths' title.

Enthused Moodie, who is now back coaching at the Wheldrake-based Swallow Hall club: "Some of the golf was outstanding, with two of the team players four-under par as they closed out their matches.

"The weather for the final was atrocious - we were right in the middle of those torrential rains which have been sweeping across Europe, so I was very proud of the way the players dug in and got the job done. Lukas's victory in the youths' event was the icing on the cake.

"Now they're trying to lure me back to Austria full-time, but I'm happy where I am."

As well as his Wheldrake club posting, Moodie is to undertake some junior summer coaching at Oaklands Sports Centre later this month.

Any players or youngsters wishing to contact Moodie can ring 07904 241092.

Fulford'S Dot Elliott marked her year as captain of Yorkshire Ladies Veterans' Association by leading the white rose county to a Northern Counties League title triumph. Yorkshire topped Lancashire 5-2 in the final match at Fulford to take the crown.

The Fulford Jubilee mug, meanwhile, was won by Sue Garland with a three-under-par net 71, two shots clear of Ann Robinson, who had the lowest gross of 84.

Stuart Gregory and Maurice Everton won the Arthur Brown pairs competition on count-back from fellow 66 scorers Colin Foster and Ian Snowdon.

PIKE Hills' Adrian Lount was the model of consistency to land the York Union of Golf Clubs' junior championship.

He posted rounds of 72 and 73 at Heworth to win by two shots from Boothferry Park's Wayne Strutt on 147 (73 74) with last year's winner Darren Rix, of the Malton and Norton club, a further shot behind on 148 (76 72).

Meanwhile, Sue Ward and Bronwynne Moorhouse held their nerve to win YUGC ladies fourball stableford title.

The Easingwold GC duo were among three pairs totalling 42 points at Kirkbymoorside GC, but they gained first place on count-back from Julia Ashton and Davina Burn (Forest Park) and Judy Butler and Judith Fishbourne (Malton and Norton).

WEAKENED by the absence of Jonathan Plaxton, James Mason and Chris Brownlee, York Union slid to a 29-7 loss to East Riding at Hainsworth Park in the Yorkshire inter-district league.

The Oaks' 16-year-old Philip Dobson was unlucky to lose 2 and 1 in the singles after Matthew Dowdall (Pike Hills) was injured in the foursomes.

York's lone singles winners were Fulford's Steve Dunn, the newly-crowned and record-breaking York Union open champion, and Boothferry Park's James Duckett.

SECONDS out holds no fear for Malton and Norton GC, where two of the club's senior members enjoyed aces at the club's 128-yard par-three second hole.

Peter Jones, who plays off a handicap of 13, and Tom Spowart, a 14-handicapper, holed their tee shots in separate friendly games using seven and six irons respectively. It was the third ace for Jones and the fourth for former club captain Spowart.

ALLERTHORPE Park women's team of Caroline Lewis (capt), Christine Floyd, Eunice Mouncey, Thelma Dutton, Chris Hyde, Pat Stageman, Sally Wilkinson and Judy Clarke have reached the semi-finals of the Yorkshire Ladies County Association inter-club team championship at Meltham, near Huddersfield, next week.

Allerthorpe's Invitation Day went to John Holmes and Chris Perkins on 51 stableford points.

FATHER and son Don and Michael Pickering displayed fine home knowledge to win Easingwold GC's Invitation Day.

In harness with Pike Hills GC duo John Taylor and Trevor Boddison, they totalled 94 points to win the stableford (best two scores of four) team event, which attracted more than 200 entrants.

IN tune for an encore was Carmen Batty, who won Forest Park Golf Club's Leadbeater Trophy for the second successive year. She posted a net 64 to take the glittering prize as well as heading up division two.

Updated: 10:17 Tuesday, September 17, 2002