KIRKBYMOORSIDE got off to a cracking start to the York Union of Golf Clubs' Cross Trophy competition - but a dire warning was also sounded.

Golfers from Kirkbymoorside won both opening events, Cross Trophy No 1 at Malton and Norton and the No 2 competition at Kirkbymoorside.

Yet the closing stages at each venue were marred by slow play to such an extent that the last pairs home were lucky to finish before day-light disappeared. The final groups were taking more than four and a half hours to complete their rounds after delays caused by earlier groups.

The Union has now agreed that time penalties will apply this coming Sunday if the pace of play slows to unacceptable levels when the No 3 and No 4 Cross Trophy contests are played out at Forest of Galtres and Easingwold respectively.

There was no question of slow play in the opening No 1 competition at Malton and Norton where the eventual winners - three-handicapper Andy Holmes and his Kirkbymoorside club-mate Brian Feaster (14 handicap) - made the most of starting out first by speeding round the Derwent course in a little over three and half hours.

They wasted no time in posting a superb ten-under-par 62 to finish two shots clear of runners-up J Brown and I Oldfield (Malton and Norton).

Over at Kirkbymoorside, the No 2 Cross Trophy honours went to the host club pairing of J Brisby (11) and R White (16) on count-back after their round of 63 was matched by Forest Park's J Neal (18) and A Garland (10).

The two results combined - the top three pairs count at each venue for all competing clubs - to put Kirkbymoorside at the top of the first rankings with 391, five shots clear of Malton and Norton, with Forest Park a further two strokes back.

There was even more to celebrate at Kirkbymoorside GC.

Ten-handicapper Hazel Fletcher scored 42 points in the October stableford to establish a new ladies' record on the course since it was re-designed in 1998.

TRADITIONS recalling the railway origins of Pike Hills GC reached their final 2005 destination.

The Directors Cup - given by the directors of the North Eastern Railway Company in 1922 and originally open to railwaymen alone - is a foursomes event held throughout each year with teams arranging their partners and then drawing for opponents. The winners were the father and son team of John (13 handicap) and James Hudson (2) with Darren Meek (6) and Russ Chilton (3) runners-up.

The Associates Cup, originally played for by the club's non-railwaymen, is a four-ball better-ball match-play knockout and was won by Wilf Akers (20) and Kevin Melody (15), who shaded Chris Lone (6) and Paul Brough-Jones (11) to the honours.

Pike Hills' Coronation Trophy went to Rich Unwin (17) from Mitch Carter (9). The event is for players with handicaps from 16-28.

Four-handicapper John Austwick beat John Hudson to win the Lycett Green Challenge Bowl.

BEN Waind, Alex McGill and Matthew Butler were all winners in the Kirkbymoorside Junior Skills Nine-Hole Putting challenge.

Waind, 14, clinched victory in the 13-16-year-old section with a score of 14, finishing ahead of 13-year-olds Tom Fairweather and Jack Feather, who both carded 18.

Age 9-12 results: 1 Alex McGill (12) 15; 2 Jack Hugill (10) 17; 3 Tom Tate (9) 18, Tom Wood (9) 18; 5 Josh Berry (9) 21; 6 Jonathan Earp (9) 22.

Age five-to-eight results: 1 Matthew Butler (7) 20; 2 James Earp (7) 24; 3 Will Jackson (7) 25; 4 Freddie Feather (7) 26; 5 Dan Berry (6) 30; 6 Macauley Gibson (5) 36.

MICHAEL Brennan's four-under-par 66 gave him Allerthorpe Park's October midweek medal by one shot from George Appleby.

Lowest gross honours went to Iain Charlton with a 74. Roy Jones completed a double, winning division two with a one-under 69 and having the best gross of 88.

ANN Robinson won Fulford's annual medal with a net four-over-par 78 on count-back from Linda Edmondson. Robinson also had the lowest gross score of 87.

MALTON and Norton GC's Mo Clark scored a hole in one on the sixth hole at Driffield GC open day.

Updated: 09:28 Saturday, October 22, 2005