HOME on the range is a suitable croon for in-tune Swallow Hall Golf Club.

The Wheldrake-based course has carried out a major improvement programme at its driving range to the delight of owner John Scutt and teaching professional Dan Moodie.

Three new target greens have been added to the range, which is covered so that players can practice in all weathers.

Moodie believed the new improvements confirmed the range as one of the most important features at the club after getting the go-ahead from Scutt following initial talks between the two nine months ago.

Said Moodie: "We looked at what could be done to improve the driving range. The outcome is now that we have a good short game area with chipping green and practise bunker, a covered tuition bay with mirrors and high-speed video equipment.

"Players can have their swings recorded, turn around and watch it straight away on the screen behind them. Until now, York golfers were having to drive miles to have access to such a facility.

"With the three new target greens, we are able to offer just about everything that local golfers could wish to have."

Moodie has just returned from a coaching spell in Austria, where, during the 1990s, he coached the national team. He will return in August to further fine-tune the Alpine hopefuls.

Back at Swallow Hall he oversees an extensive coaching programme. There are junior sessions each Sunday afternoon, open to all golfers from the ages of seven to 16. The ladies' sessions take place on Thursday mornings and a new schedule of evening sessions will start shortly to run until the end of summer.

For further details of the club, which is situated about a mile from the A19 at the Crockey Hill turn-off, tel 01904 448889.

KNARESBOROUGH Golf Club duo Gary Vickers and Andrew Turner will spearhead the North Yorkshire challenge in one of the most coveted challenges on the northern circuit.

Both men go into the £18,000 De Vere Hotels City of Leeds Cup at Oulton Park next Wednesday in good heart.

Indeed, if anything, the form of Turner - assistant to Knaresborough professional Vickers - is slightly better than his 'superior' ahead of next week's tournament.

The duo were in the money in another Professional Golfers' Association (northern region) event - the Manx Classic at Castletown GC.

Turner finished joint 15th on a six-over 222 (71 74 77) to collect £251.66, five shots clear of Vickers (76 73 78).

Now both will be in competition in the City of Leeds Cup, which also runs for three days at Oulton Park.

Other North Yorkshire competitors in the De Vere field include Selby GC's Marcus Maith; Dave Padgett (Pannal), also in the money in the Manx Classic, where he totalled 231 (75 77 79); Steve Robinson of Malton and Norton; and Ganton's Gary Brown.

Fulford GC were edged out of the Mail On Sunday club classic after a tense finish to their fifth round tie against Hornsea.

Fulford's Mike Rudd and Steve Nicholls lost their matches balanced by victories for Kevin Miller and Jonathan Plaxton. The latter recovered from three down with six to play to topple his opponent two and one. With the teams locked at 2-2 Plaxton and Mark Lamb were involved in a sudden-death finish, Lamb winning at the 22nd with a birdie three.

JUNIORS ruled in Roy Brown's Captain's Day at Kirkbymoorside GC. The captain's prize for the men's event was won by junior Tom Rollinson, who, playing off 20, scored 62 to win on count-back from another junior, Ben Pickles.

YORK Union lost 27-9 to Yorkshire Inter-District Union League leaders Sheffield at Kirkbymoorside. York lost three of the foursomes on the last green.

LINTON Richardson won Fulford's Captain's day with 43 stableford points. Matthew Kelly totalled the best gross of 74, two-over-par.

Updated: 11:12 Saturday, June 29, 2002