News
& Results: FROM NOVEMBER 1ST 2009 UNTIL 28TH FEBRUARY 2010 ENJOY UNLIMITED GOLF 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR JUST £119 CONTACT ANDREW SMITH 01335 347960
67 Wins Greensomes The
Autumn Greensome's competition was held at Ashbourne Golf Club over
the weekend of October 24th/25th. The unusual competition saw both pairs
tee off with the best drive being picked out of the two then being played
as alternate shots until the hole is finished. Any score under par is
regarded as a good result in a very testing competition. A fine turnout
over the weekend saw a mixed bag of scores returned but Karl Halford
handicap 12 and Mike Prince handicap 17 emerged as the winning pair
with a nett 67 returned. The duo teed off early on Sunday morning and
enjoyed the fine autumn weather, receiving 14 shots on the day highlights
of their round included very good birdies on holes 5, 8 and 16. A very
good front 9 score of 37 just 2 over par gross set them on their way
and the back 9 proved a little tougher, coming home in 44 after suffering
a triple bogey on the par 4 12th hole and a double bogey on the par
5 17th. Mike said after "Its a very tough competition with a lot
of pressure on each other after the drives have been hit, but we've
had some fun out there today and new we wouldn't be far away with that
score". Runners up were Jim King and M Emmerson with a nett 68
along with Dave Nash and Adam Walker also on the same score. The winter
league season now starts this weekend. Ashbourne Golf Club are also
running a winter golf offer which entails unlimited golf from November
1st right the way through until February 28th for just £119. Experienced
and beginners are most welcome to take out this fabulous offer. Contact
Andrew Smith on 01335 347960 for further information. Karl Harford
Mike Prince Hole In One For Les Les Birkett became the latest member to be fortunate enough to hit an ace at Ashbourne Golf Club on Friday 16th October. Les playing in a seniors competition at the club hit a 6 iron on the par 3 14th hole. Les said after "We weren't able to see the ball actually go into the hole from the tee due to the contours of the course but we didnt think it would be too far away. On approaching the green none of us could see the ball and only after reaching the hole did we see the ball in the bottom of the hole. Its my fourth hole in one and its a great achievement and a special feeling." Les duly carried on playing the round and celebrated by buying a round of drinks for his fellow playing members in the clubhouse. Setford Crowned Champion Champions Day was
held at Ashbourne Golf Club on Sunday 18th October in fine golfing weather
with calm conditions playing into the hands of the members who recorded
some fine scores. The competition brought together all the winners of
the Cup competitions and monthly medals in an end of season medal to
determine the Champion of Champions. Julian Setford of Derby duly claimed
the crown but only just after a fantastic finish to the last individual
competition of the year where 3 players were all tied on a nett 66 return.
Julian's nett 5 under score was won on a countback on the back 9 where
he came home in one over par with a return of 36 which included a birdie
3 on the par 4 10th hole and with a 42 gross on the front 9 the 12 handicapper
won the day. Julian said after "Its a great feeling to be crowned
champion, Ive had a bit of an in and out season playing well early on
in the year and then having a bit of a dip in the middle but I hit it
well out there and especially enjoyed the back 9!!". Narrowly missing
out was Jim Lewsley of Derby who also shot a gross 78 off his 12 handicap
where a superb 37 gross on the front 9 set him on his way only to then
to miss out on a countback to Julian. Junior member Daniel Waring of
Ashbourne capped off a fine season also on a nett 66 off his 19 handicap.
Also on the day a medal competition was held for all the members that
had not qualified for champions day. Simon Walwyn took the honours in
Division 1 scoring a level par gross 71 nett 66 off his 5 handicap which
included birdies on holes 8,10,15 and 18. Runner up was Mark Wild with
a nett 67 off his 9 handicap and Dave Barrie Junior took 3rd place with
a nett 69 off his 6 handicap. Mike "Gadget" Prince won division
2 with a nett 69 off his 17 handicap which included a birdie 2 on the
3rd hole with Phil Green on nett 70 and Barry McCabe nett 71 taking
the minor honours. A four way tie had to be separated by a countback
in the 3rd division with Mark Purrett being declared the winner on a
nett 73 off his 20 handicap. Roger Barnett found the runners up berth
for the second week running with Alan Tassell and Ben Dusanjh taking
the minor places. This weekend sees a texas scramble competition take
place with teams of 3 and 4 competing over both days. Ashbourne Golf
Club is offering a special winter golf package from November 1st 2009
until February 28th 2010 which can see you enjoy unlimited golf 7 days
a week for just £119. Contact Andrew Smith on 01335 347960 for
more information. Glover Claims October Medal Ashbourne Golf Club
held the October Medal in a contrasting day of weather varying from
a spell of drizzle in the mid morning to sunny spells later on in the
day. The damp and colder conditions led to some tough scoring conditions
on the day but Hilton's Neil Glover was in the groove in division one
by scoring a nett 68 off his 8 handicap to claim pole position. The
left hander had a fine start by scoring a birdie on the very first hole
and followed it up with birdies on holes 10 and 17 resulting in a gross
40 on the front 9 and a fine par 36 on the back 9. Mark Wild was runner
up with a nett 68 off his 9 handicap and was joined by Ashbourne's Martin
Murphy also locked on the same score off his 12 handicap. Ashbourne's
Steve Atkins fired a nett 67 off his 16 handicap to secure division
2.
Brian Bates Barrie Hits Birdie Train Dave Barrie Senior
had a Sunday to remember for many awhile in the Autumn Stableford Competition
played off the white tees on the 4th October at Ashbourne Golf Club.
Having only just recently returned from 3 months out after knee surgery,
Dave said he felt "better than ever" after recording a mammoth
44 points in Division 1 off his 6 handicap. The front 9 returned a grand
total of 22 points which was helped by amassing 13 points between holes
6 and 9 which included 3 gross birdies at holes 6,8 and 9. Dave could
even afford to have a no score on hole 5 which was to be the only blemish
of the day. The back 9 holes returned another 22 points with both the
par 3 holes on the back 9 being birdied, coming home in a one under
gross 35 on the back 9. It therefore meant Dave had managed to have
four 2's on his card and was 4 under on the five par 3's on the course
which is some amazing feat being as the greens had been hollow tined
in preparation for the winter weather making putting even more difficult.
Dave said afterwards "It all clicked out there today and I'm delighted
to be back playing in the groove and on that birdie train". Milne Captures Bank Holiday Medal A busy few weeks at Ashbourne Golf Club has seen numerous competitions played for over the past few weekends in dismal conditions overhead not helping playing members in their quest for victory. Trevor McCabe of Allestree who plays off a 15 handicap was the man to lift the Burkhill Cup after scoring a nett 66 with gross 40 on the front 9 and 41 coming home giving him the 5 under nett return. Divisional winners were Nick Hamblin nett 68 off his 12 handicap in Division 1, Damien Jeffery in Division 2 with a nett 67 off his 18 handicap and Martin Ellis claimed the Division 3 title with a nett 69 off his 20 handicap. A first for the club saw a qualifying competition take place off the yellow tees on Saturday 29th August in a stableford format with the standard scratch score adjusted to 69 on the day. Rob Hancock took the Division 1 honours with a return of 38 points, Division 2 winner was Ashbourne's Geoff Venison with 39 points and Mark Emmett recording a fantastic score of 44 points off his 23 handicap to win Division 3. The following day the Centenary Cup was played for off the white tees in an individual medal format. Peter Jessup was crowned the winner with a cracking nett 64 scored in some tough blustery conditions off his 18 handicap with a 41 front 9 and 41 back 9 doing the damage. Neil Glover of Hilton won Division 1 with a nett 68 off his 9 handicap which included a birdie 4 on the par 5 eighth hole. Division 2 was won by Adam Walker off his 17 handicap who returned a nett 65 and R Allen won Division 3 with also a nett 65 off his 24 handicap. Bank Holiday Monday saw the annual medal played off the white tees with Etwall's Jonathan Milne taking the pride and joy of Division 1 with a sublime 3 under par gross 68 nett 64 off his 4 handicap which included birdies at holes 5,8,11 and 13. Jonathan said after his round "The course record was in my sights at one stage but I think the nerves got the better of me and my only bogey of the day on 17 put paid to any lingering hopes I had!". Division 2 was won
by Junior member Liam Waring with a nett 67 off his 18 handicap and
not to be outdone was his brother Daniel Waring who claimed Division
3 with a nett 69 off his 24 handicap. This weekend sees the Captain's
Tankard played over both days of the weekend and also Interclub Finals
Day being held on Sunday. The President's Putter Final will be between
Darren Barker and Dan Harbey. The Men's Matchplay will be between Rob
Hancock and Nick Prince. The Men's Brown and Bailey Pairs Matchplay
will be between Mick Carter and Sean Fernihough against Simon Walwyn
and James Platt.
Jonathan
Milne --------------------------------- --- --------
Trevor McCabe Success For Heart Day The Ashbourne Branch
of the British Heart Foundation held their annual golf day at Ashbourne
Golf Club on Friday 21st August with a fine turnout of 20 teams competing
in fine but windy conditions. The competition now in its 6th year which
was started by the late Ken Allen and is now organised by Brian Bradley
saw teams of 4 compete in a best 2 from 4 stableford scoring system
off a 3/4 handicap. Returning a score of 89 points saw Anthony Bates,
Richard Walker, Dean Higton and Steve Walwyn win the competition with
44 points returned on the front 9 and 45 points on the back 9. On collecting
their prizes from Madam Chairwoman Angela Hodgkinson of the Ashbourne
Branch of the British Heart Foundation the winning team thanked Brian
Bradley on organising a terrific day's competition, John Harrison for
donating a fabulous table of prizes and also the rest of the competitors
for competing and ensuring a good day for the British Heart Foundation.
Runners up were Tony East, Ken Bainbridge, Peter Cliffe and Andrew Jordan
on 86 points and the yellow ball was won by Les Birkett, Brian Bates,
Steve Waring and Pete Sutton returning 46 points. Brian Bradley thanked
everyone for making the day so successful with in the region of £1500
being raised.
Gary and Geoff Claim The Open A full house of
competitors were booked up solid on the first tee from 7.30am all the
way through to 3.30pm to compete in the 2009 Ashbourne Open held at
Ashbourne Golf Club on Sunday 16th August. The men's four ball better
ball competition was played off the white tees with a 3/4 handicap allowance
and with blustery winds affecting playing conditions for most of the
day, competitors new that scoring was going to be tough. When the results
were finally returned at 8.15pm in the clubhouse, local members of Ashbourne
Golf Club Gary Morris (handicap 8) and Geoff Clarence (handicap 15)
were declared the winners of the Ashbourne Claret Jug with an 8 under
par nett score of 63. On receiving the trophy from Captain Bob Carter,
Gary spoke to say that he was highly honoured and delighted to be holding
the Ashbourne Open Trophy and also commented that he had today hit the
round of his life. Gary also went on to thank the starters, recorders,
greenkeepers and bar and catering staff for all their help and dedication
put in on the day. In fact it was a cracking round from Gary which included
5 gross birdies including a pair of 2's on holes 3 and 16 and with Geoff
coming in with nett birdies on holes 7 and 15 the pair returned a fine
score with 33 nett on the front 9 and a spanking 30 nett coming home.
The best gross prize on the day was again won by a local pairing with
Dean Higton (handicap 5) and Matt O'Shaughnessy (handicap 6) shooting
a 2 under gross score of 69 with birdies on holes 8,17 and 18 doing
the damage. News:Rosey win for Rob A glimpse of how summer used to be returned to the fairways of Ashbourne Golf Club on the weekend of the 8th and 9th of August as sunshine greeted members taking part in the Rose Cup and August Medal with sunglasses instead of umbrellas required over the weekend's play. Rob Bradley was the winner of the Rose Cup on Saturday with a return of plus 4 good enough to lift the Cup. The bogey competition sees members playing against the course with plus scores meaning members have played better than their handicap and with minus scores meaning the course has beaten the member. Rob had a birdie on hole 2 and another one on the very hard closing hole with a plus 2 score recorded on the front 9 and back 9. Former Captain Paul Cook entered the winners enclosure in Division 1 off his 11 handicap with a plus 4 score only to lose out on the Cup to Rob on a countback. Paul scored plus 3 on the front and plus 1 on the back 9 in his card which included a brace of 2's on holes 6 and 16 leaving him well in the money from the two's club on the day. Paul said "I've had a bit of an in and out season this year but new I had the game in me and I had a good run from the 4th hole to the 9th with a plus 5 score after a loose start". Martin Murphy continues his fine season by coming runner up with a plus 2 score along with Derby's Andy Robb. Michael Carter of Ashbourne won Division 2 with a fine return of plus 3 off his 13 handicap which included gross birdies on holes 1 and 7 with Michael saying after "I set myself up lovely with plus 3 on the front 9 but Just let it slip on the back 9 which was a little disappointing as I played some of the best golf of my season today". Runner up was Vice Captain Tony East followed in by Jim Platt. George Ditchfield made a welcome return to weekend golf and took the Division 3 title with ease after recording a plus 5 score off his 19 handicap. After pars on the first 3 holes left George in a plus 3 position, he then went on to score plus 2 on the back 9 to leave him with the cracking score. The minor placing's were took by Simon Knight and Peter Bye. The following day the August Medal was competed for off the white pots with the dead ground meaning it was all about finding position on the fairways a must with hardly any forward roll being found. Adam Wild of Derby won Division 1 with a nett 68 off his 6 handicap Just edging out Jonathan Milne on a countback and next in was James Robinson with on a nett 69. Adam carded a front and back 9 gross 37's with the highlight being a birdie 3 on the fourth hole. Les Birkett took Division 2 with a nett 70 off his 15 handicap with 43 on the front and 42 coming home with the minor placings all tied on nett 71's who were Max Lee, George Williams and Will Austin. Mickleover's Jim King carried on his fine season by claiming another title in Division 3 with a nett 70 off his 19 handicap. Another multiple tie saw Roger Barnett, Mel Godfrey and C Warren all on nett 72's. This weekend sees another double header with the Dove Valley Trophy being played for on Saturday and The Burkhill Cup on Sunday at the Wyaston Road Venue.
Young continues fine form The Derek Earp Trophy
was played for on Sunday 2nd August at Ashbourne Golf Club off the white
pots in an individual stableford format. The course had recovered very
well from the previous days relentless rain but scores were still down
on usual standards. The best player at the club though at present Craig
Young of Marchington kept on with his very high standards and again
out performed his handicap of 1 by shooting a 3 under gross score of
68 to return 40 stableford points and claim the trophy. His card scored
5 gross birdies on the day with highlight being hole 12, the hardest
hole on the course in which Craig returned a birdie 3 to claim 4 stableford
points to his tally and the back 9 in actual fact scored 22 of the 40
point total.
Cliff Cason July Medal Washout The July Medal was
played for on Saturday 1st August at Ashbourne Golf Club in absolutely
dismal conditions, starting the golfing month of August off to the worst
possible start with consistent heavy rain making play very difficult.
Only the hardy souls braved the elements on the day with Division One
being won by Ashbourne's Dean Higton scoring a one under nett 70 off
his 5 handicap which included birdies at holes 7 and 17. Bradley's Peter
Flynn and Mickleover's Mark Wild took the runner up spots. Junior member
Nathen Lee continues his tremendous season of golf, seeing his handicap
come down yet again after firing a nett 68 off his 15 handicap with
the highlight being a birdie 2 on the 184 yard third hole. Scott Wood
and Mark Rayner were the next home in the division. Derby's John Brommage
scored a nett par round of 71 to win Division Three off his 21 handicap
and was followed in by M Roberts and Peter Bembridge. This Sunday sees
the one of the major highlights of the golfing year with the Ashbourne
Open being played for on Sunday in a Men's Pairs Format, with a few
tee times still available at going to press. Also on Friday 22nd August
the British Heart Foundation is holding its annual golf day in a team
of 4 format. Further details for both events contact the pro shop on
01335 347960. Captain Bob Tackles Longcliffe Ashbourne Golf Club
Captain Bob Carter enjoyed another highlight of his year in office by
holding his away day at Longcliffe Golf Club in Loughborough on Friday
31st July. A full house of 48 members booked up to support and enjoy
a fine day's golf at the Leicestershire venue which provided a tough
test of golf with tree lined fairways and tricky greens meaning members
could not afford any loose shots if they were to make a decent score.
Captain Bob could not have forecasted any better weather on the day
after the deluges of recent weeks a fine day ensured waterproofs were
not required on the day. After the golfers had finished their rounds,
a fine banquet was served in the clubhouse followed by the presentation
of the generous prize table by the Captain. Announced by Handicap Secretary
Brian Bates, Division 1 best nett was Nick Prince with 35 points, followed
in by Chris Carter on 33 points. Division 2 winner was Geoff Clarence
on 35 points followed in by Steve Wilson on 33. Peter Bembridge took
Division 3 with 32 points and runner up was Martin Tunaley. Best Gross
score of the day was won by Lister Cumming shooting a fine 83 and the
team ball was won by Michael Carter, Sean Fernihough and Steve Walwyn
who returned 70 points. Captain's Prize for Best Nett was won by the
in form Sean Fernihough who recorded 35 stableford points. Captain Bob
thanked all members for their support on the day and said he was now
looking forward to the away weekend at Staverton Park in September.
Craig Crowned Champion Marchington's Craig Young
aged 16 who plays off a handicap of 1 was the worthy winner of Ashbourne
Golf Club's Scratch Cup Competition 2009. Played on Saturday 11th July
off the white tees, a select field of 10 players took to the competition
which consisted of 36 holes of golf off a scratch handicap. The first
18 holes were played in the morning with Simon Griffiths taking the
lead with a level gross 71, followed closely by Dean Higton with a gross
72, with James Bainbridge and Jonathan Milne next in on 74's. In the
afternoon the breeze increased and conditions remained damp but the
one person who did excel was Craig Young who fired a four under gross
score of 67 and went on to win the competition by 3 shots from Simon
Griffiths. The final 18 holes contained an astonishing 7 gross birdies,
going out in 34 shots and coming home in 33 shots with some of his drives
being classed as "massive" by playing partners. Craig said
after his round "Im delighted to be crowned champion, its a massive
honour. I had a disappointing opening 18 but new if I could put a score
together in the afternoon I would always have a chance".
Ashbourne Golf Club's Scratch Team which currently play in Division 2 of the Derbyshire Union of Golf Clubs have received a welcome bonus by being presented with some brand new sponsored shirts. Phil Braithwaite of First Safety Limited and Carina Haynes Chiropractic have combined to sponsor the Scratch Team. Leon Lewis the Scratch Team Captain was delighted saying "We are very grateful to Phil and Carina for their support and we now look forward to the rest of the season turning up and playing in these smart shirts". Pictured
from left to right - Harry Dusanjh, Phil Braithwaite, Craig Young, Leon
Lewis and James Bainbridge Magnificent Turn Out For Captain's Day Saturday 4th July
saw the main highlight of Ashbourne Golf Club Captain Bob Carter's year,
when Captain's Day was held and played for in an individual medal format
off the white tees. A staggering turn out of 148 members played in the
competition easily making it the most played competition of the season
and an indication of how highly thought of and regarded Captain Bob
is. The early starters at 7am enjoyed bright blue skies and sunshine
probably enjoying the best of conditions where as the late starters
endured overcast weather and a nasty squalling shower around 5pm. All
the scores were returned by 7.15pm and the presentation was held in
the clubhouse for the victors. Captain's Day Prize for the best nett
was won by Ashburnian Sean Fernihough with a 9 under par score of nett
62 off his 12 handicap. After pars on the first 8 holes on the course
the 9th hole was the only bogey on his front 9 card to go out in 36.
The back 9 started with a birdie 3 on the 10th and a return of 38 shots
coming home gave a gross 38. Speaking after being presented with a brand
new carry bag by Captain Bob, Sean said "I didnt prepare very well
for the day after having a slight hangover after a late night out, but
after a bowl of cereal and some fresh air its all come together and
thats the best round ive ever had up here".
Saturday June 27th
saw the Brough Jeffery Trophy competed for at Ashbourne Golf Club in
an individual stableford competition played off the white tees. The
course playing in fantastic condition at present was praised by all
quarters on Tuesday after the Derbyshire P.G.A. held their Pro-Am at
the Wyaston Road Club which saw Kedlaston Golf Club Professional Paul
Wesselingh shoot a course record 64, a score of 7 under par. Alan Weild
was the man to lift the Brough Jeffery Trophy returning a fine score
of 42 stableford points off his 12 handicap. Alan of Derby had 3 gross
birdies on holes 6, 13 and the 18th, which saw him record 19 points
on the front 9 and a cracking 23 points on the back which even included
a no score on hole 17. Division 1 winner was Ashbourne Man Martin Murphy
who continues to play some consistent golf and now sees his handicap
fall to 11 after returning 41 points. A gross 78 saw Martin score 21
on the front 9 and 20 points coming home to secure the first division.
Martin Murphy Saturday June 20th
saw Ashbourne Golf Club stage the Bagshaw Cup, an individual stableford
competition off the white pots in humid weather conditions being played
on a course in its optimum conditions. Scratch Team Captain Leon Lewis
of Mayfield was the man to follow on the day who clinched the trophy
with a fine return of 41 points off his 4 handicap, with 22 points scored
on the front 9 and 19 points coming home. A gross round of a one under
par 70 included 4 birdies at holes 1,4,10 and 16 and the only blemish
on the scorecard was a double bogey 7 on the 17th hole to deny Leon
an even better score. Speaking after Leon said "Im really enjoying
my golf at the minute and with the course playing as it is its a pleasure
to play golf out there at the minute". Division 1 winner was Jason
"Chuzzy" Clowes who returned a fine score of 40 points. The
highlight for Jason was a birdie 2 on the very tough par 3 ninth hole,
scoring him 4 points and returning 23 points on the front 9 with 17
coming home and perhaps ruing the no score on the 17th which might have
swung the cup in his favour. Runner up was Neil Glover with 39 points
followed in by John Taylor on 38. Division 2 winner was A Walker with
39 stableford points with the highlight being a gross birdie 3 on the
hard closing hole securing 4 points, with 18 scored on the first 9 and
21 on the back 9 giving the 17 handicapper victory and seeing his handicap
reduced by 1 shot in the process. Rob Bradley came second with 38 points
followed in by Mark Rayner on 37. Division 3 victor was R Allen off
his 25 handicap scoring 39 points with 21 on the front 9 and 18 coming
home to Just scrape to victory after a 3 way tie in the division. Simon
Knight and B Hayer also scored 39 points. This weekend sees one of the
major highlights of the season for Ashbourne Golf Club Captain Bob Carter
when Captain's Day is held on Saturday followed by Captain's Fun Day
on Sunday. All members are warmly welcomed and entertainment in the
clubhouse will be performed by a live band following the pre sentation
of prizes on Saturday evening from 8pm onwards. On Sunday afternoon
on the practice ground a various selection of fund raising stalls and
games will be held and again all members are invited to attend. With
the course in such good condition at present, the club has a special
10th anniversary green fee on offer of £20 per round in the week
and £25 at the weekend. Any person interested will be warmly welcomed
and can contact the pro shop on 01335 347960 to book a tee time.
Simon Lockwood of
Hulland produced a stunning round of golf to score a 7 under par score
of nett 64 to win the Mick Grundy Trophy held at Ashbourne Golf Club
on Saturday June 13th. The 10 handicapper had birdies at holes 4,8,10
and 17 in this medal competition to score a gross 74 and claim the trophy.
Division 1 winner was Dean Higton of Ashbourne who scored a one over
gross of 72 to give him a nett 66 which included birdies at holes 13
and 15 on his way to a fine score. Dean said after "I hit the ball
very solid today and the course is playing really well which I think
shows in the scores that have come in today". There were in fact
16 players in Division 1 who played to par or better which is a great
return. Following Dean in were Derby's Adam Wild and Clifton's John
Griffiths both on nett 67's.
Taylor Captures Rose Bowl Another day that
was again interupted by the wet weather was Sunday 7th June when the
Rose Bowl was competed for at Ashbourne Golf Club.The competition off
the white tees played in a stableford format was won by Wirkworth's
John Taylor with 39 points scoring 21 on the front 9 and 18 coming home.
John who had a fine winter campaign finally found a winning score off
his 11 handicap which included birdies at holes 3 and 8 and even a no
score on the 18th still did not do any harm as he claimed the Rose Bowl
by 2 clear points. Division 1 winner was Jason Clowes of Mayfield who
scored 37 points off his 12 handicap followed in by Dennis Dawson and
John Hammond. Cliff Cason of Doveridge scored 34 points and won Division
2 in the process with 19 on the front 9 scored and 15 on the back. Runner
up was Barry McCabe with 33 points and K Halford on 32. Division 3 was
won by Dave Pereguine of Mickleover with 36 points off his 28 handicap.
The Frank Wright employee scored 20 on the front 9 and 16 coming home
and even had 3 no scores on his card suggesting there maybe more to
come in future rounds. Dave said after "Im enjoying my golf at
the minute and im so glad I Joined the club back in March its a fantastic
club!".
Harbey Takes June Medal Saturday June 6th saw the
aptly named June Medal contested off the white tees at Ashbourne Golf
Club in dreadful conditions which saw the course under deluge of rain
for most of the day. The brave souls that decided to play battled in
thoroughly testing condtions but Ashbourne's Graham Harbey claimed the
Division 1 title with a great nett 64. The former Derby County footballer
playing off a 12 handicap fired a gross 76 with the highlight being
a fine birdie 3 on the par 4 fifth hole. Runner up was John Taylor with
a nett 68 and Dave Barrie Jnr with a nett par score of 71. Division
2 winner was another Ashbourne man in Les Birkett who fired a fine nett
68 off his 15 handicap followed in by Mark Rayner and President Tony
Broadhurst. Phil Taylor took the honours in Division 3 with a 47 on
the front and the same on the back giving a gross 94 nett 71 off his
23 handicap. 89 Year Old Asa Bags Hole In One The date of Wednesday
27th May 2009 and the 6th hole at Ashbourne Golf Club will be a day
and place to remember for 89 year old Asa Kirkham of Belper Road, Ashbourne.
Playing in the 9 hole medal, Asa stepped up on to the tee armed with
a 4 iron in hand and hit an absolute beauty of a shot as described by
playing partner John Harrison which went straight into the hole. The
tough uphill par 3 which measures 152 yards off the yellow tees and
plays to stroke index 14 on the card was no problem to Asa, the oldest
playing member at the club. Asa said after "Its one of those that
doesnt come very often to us amateur golfers, but when it does its a
fantastic achievement and Im delighted!". Asa duly rewarded all
members visiting the clubhouse bar by providing all a shot of whiskey
to celebrate the fantastic achievement.
The second round
of the President's Putter took place on Saturday 16th May in strong
winds and showers affecting play. Pierre Weir of Ashbourne won Division
1 with a fine score of nett 67 off his 10 handicap. A front 9 score
of 37 was recorded with a birdie 2 at the par 3 sixth hole followed
up by a cracking eagle 3 on the par 5 eighth hole being without doubt
the highlight of the card. The back 9 returned 40 shots with birdies
at holes 13 and 18 to cap a fine round. Unfortunately for Pierre he
never played in the first round so qualifying for the knockout stage
had to be forfeited. Darren Barker took the runner up berth with a fine
gross 72 off his 4 handicap seeing him return a nett 68 and qualifies
as the number 1 seed going into the quarter final matchplay knockout
draw. Ashbourne's Simon Griffiths shot the best gross of the day with
a par score of 71 nett 69 off his 2 handicap which also sees Simon qualify.
Wiggy Catches The Worm The End of May Bank
Holiday Monday saw 40 members at Ashbourne Golf Club take part in the
Early Bird Stableford Competition off the yellow tees. An early morning
shotgun start tee off at 6.30am saw the members compete off a full handicap
allowance in absolutely glorious conditions with the early morning sun
beating down on the course, presenting perfect golfing conditions. They
say the early bird catches the worm and it certainly was for Steve "Wiggy"
Waring of Ashbourne who won Division 1 with a fine score of 42 stableford
points. Steve said after "Being a postie means I was certainly
ready for the early start and the conditions were perfect and its a
pleasing knock". Irish Retain The Ashbourne Trophy Friday 8th May saw 22 members of Ashbourne Golf Club take to the high road and high waters as they set off from the club to the destination of Ashbourne Golf Club in County Meath, Ireland in an attempt to bring home the much coveted "Ashbourne Trophy". The transport was provided by Cox's of Belper and expertly chauffeured by Peter and Bernard Bembridge to the destination via Holyhead to Dublin although the rough Irish Sea enroute to the port of Dublin gave an indication of things to come. Captain Bob Carter gathered his team in the hotel foyet on the friday evening and ensured a fine banquet meal of Irish Steak and chips in the hotel before announcing the pairings for the all important first day of battle on the Saturday. The Friday evening nerves had set in but they were soon to be put to one side as the team travelled to Ashbourne Golf Club for a welcoming party and evenings entertainment at the host's clubhouse. Greeted warmly by Club Secretary Martin Farrell, the Guinness and Irish vodka flowed into the night with eventually the singer/guitarist being replaced by Ashbourne's own answer to Elvis in the form of Damien Jeffery who sang Just like "The King" to the words of suspicious minds. A full Irish Breakfast awaited the Englishmen at the hotel before setting off for the first day of battle with a high noon tee off in the four ball better ball matchplay competition. Silence on the first tee greeted Captain Bob Carter as he stepped up to hit the first ball of the weekend, and what a ball it was greeted with a huge cheer from the English contingent as he split the fairway in half to send it straight down the middle, the battle commenced. Unfortunately though for Captain Bob and playing partner Theo Triance, Captain David Dooley and Vice Captain Brendan were on their game and it was a victory for the Irish at the 14th green.The high wind made conditions very tough for the English Members, some playing the course for the first time and finding the speed of the greens a little bit on the quick side. Ian Atterbury unable to play due to a recent operation was the team manager, keeping all pairs upto date with scores by travelling the course on a buggy and feeding and watering the members as they played. Victorious for the English were Chris Carter and Sean Fernihough winning 4 and 2, the Bembridge brother's Peter and Bernard winning 3 and 2. Half's were secured for John Hammond and Cliff Cason and also Michael Carter and Richard Walker and out of the ten pairings out on course that was as good as it got on day one with the home side taking a massive 7-3 lead with some lenient handicap marks for the Irish side coming into play. A sombre bus load of members headed back to the hotel, battered and bruised but ready for the next days events. The gala dinner was held on the Saturday evening, the team from Derbyshire looked splendid in their lounge suits with club ties, again treated to some fantastic hospitality by the home side. Cook your own steak on a lava plate was the speciality of the evening in the restaurant but those who opted for the fish dish of Seabass looked to have made a wrong choice as through the evening and into the early morning a slight hit of illness had set in. The evenings entertainment was exceptional with tap dancers and line dancers entertaining both sets of parties with a choir encore from the Past Captain's of Ashbourne Ireland giving out a brilliant rendition of cockles and muscles. Waking on Sunday morning to glorious Irish sunshine and no breeze, Captain Bob Carter rallied his troops for the final push and named his pairings as the coach embarked on the short Journey to the golf club with the tune of Jerusalem banging out on the digital entertainment system with the English members in fine voice on entering the clubhouse drive. Could this be the day that history was made and follow former Captain Steve Bryan's win back in 2007 to take the trophy back home? Again silence on the first tee as Captain Bob teed off hoping his team could improve on the previous day's play. Playing with President Tony Broadhurst, Captain Bob secured a half in the first match which was then followed up by a win for John Hammond and Cliff Cason, was the almighty comeback on? Unfortunately not as the Irish rallied to win the next 6 matches all be it by slender margins except for a hammering given out to Derby's Phil Garner and Tony Harton who had to shake hands on the 13th going down 7 and 5. Jim Platt and Damien Jeffery were unlucky to lose by 1 with Damien finding the white telephone a few times on the course. Hugh "The Legend" Stevenson played despite suffering from the seabass the previous evening but eventually lost going down 3 and 2 with playing partner Theo Triance after a brave battle. The Bembridge brothers, Mick Carter and Richard Walker suffered 2 and 1 losses but Will Austin and Steve Walwyn gained a little pride back for the English with a final hole victory over their opponents. Steve Bryan holed some smooth putts in his round but could not stop him and playing partner Martin Tunnaley suffering a 2 and 1 loss. So onto the presentation party held immediately after in the clubhouse. Presented immaculately by Martin Farrell who thanked his fellow Irish golfers on a wonderful victory with the final score being 14.5 to 5.5 in favour of the Irish. Captain Bob Carter spoke of his pride of the English members who had supported him and travelled to Ireland and although suffered a loss he said the boys could hold there heads high for presenting Ashbourne Golf Club, Derbyshire with great dignity on the trip. On presenting the Ashbourne Trophy to Club Secretary Martin Farrell, Captain Bob thanked the hosts for there unbelievable generosity and hospitality on the trip which was out of this world and he hoped to see many faces back in Derbyshire next year where the competition will be held. The Journey home on Monday morning concluded with a 9 hole competition at Turvey Golf Club, organised by past president of the Club Frank McCabe, who went on to win the competition with President Tony Broadhurst. Irish Ferries provided the fast boat back over the Irish Sea and Peter Bembridge steered the bus home to Wyaston Road, Ashbourne. Many thanks were given to the Bembridge brothers for the transport and to organiser Frank McCabe on another successful venture over the water.
Team Ireland
The Inaugural Cup competition held since the opening of the new clubhouse and 18 hole course on Wyaston Road at The Ashbourne Golf Club was played for on Sunday 3rd of May to coincide with the previous evening's party celebrations at the club. Rob Donnelly was the member fortunate to win the Inaugural Cup in its tenth year with a fine score of 39 stableford points off his 13 handicap. Played off the white tees in very blustery conditions which tested members to the full, Rob scored 17 points on the front 9 and a cracking 22 points coming home. Obviously the back 9 stood out and a fine birdie 3 on the 10th hole set Rob up on his way with 4 points and two fine pars on the last two testing holes gaining 3 points on each good enough to win the Cup on a countback. A delighted Rob said "Im very proud to have won the Cup especially in its 10th year, it was very tough out there with the wind, sometimes taking two clubs more than you usually would do at a hole to get the distance right and before we teed off we said if you play to your handicap today your in with a shout". Division 1 winner was Ashbourne's Pierre Weir who also scored 39 points off his 10 handicap but lost out on the cup to a countback. The front 9 rendered 18 points with 21 points coming home with the highlight being a birdie 4 on the par 5 eighth hole. Runner up was Derby's Phil Garner with 38 points off his 12 handicap and Darren Hooley continuing his fine form by taking 3rd place with 37 points. Another Ashbourne Man in form is Steve Challinor who won Division 2 with a 37 points off his 18 handicap with the highlight again being the 8th hole where Steve had a birdie 4 gaining 4 points with 21 scored on the front and 16 coming home. Terry Brown and P Roworth shared the runner up berths both on 36 points. Division 3 winner was P Reynolds who scored 38 points off his 27 handicap with the highlight being 5 points scored on the 7th hole after a gross birdie 3. W Taylor was runner up with 36 points followed in by Liam Ellis of Brailsford with a nett 33. Thi s bank holiday weekend is packed with competitions on over each of the three days. The Fred Udale Over 50's Competition is held on the Saturday. The Ian Wakelin Pairs Competition is held on the Sunday and the Bank Holiday Early Bird 6.30am shotgun start is to be held on Bank Holiday Monday. Ashbourne Golf Club's Green Fees are being held at the price they were 10 years ago to celebrate a decade at the Wyaston Road Venue with weekdays at £20 and weekends at £25. Contact 01335 347960 for further details. Ashbourne Golf Club is also delighted to announce new caterers at the Wyaston Road Club with Helen and David Naylor of Upper Crust taking the helm.
Mighty Flinn Claims Medal The May Medal was contested at Ashbourne Golf Club on Saturday the 2nd of May off the white tees. A good turnout of Just under 100 members competed over the course, and it was Bradley Man Peter Flinn who took the honours in Division 1 with a fantastic nett 64, seven under off his 11 handicap. Peter teed off early on Saturday morning and had two birdies on the front 9, Joining the 2's club on the par 3 third hole and a birdie 4 on the par 5 eighth hole setting him up for a gross 37 on the front 9. On the back 9 a birdie 2 on the par 3 fourteenth hole set Peter up for a gross 38 coming home to record a great gross score of 75 which saw his handicap reduced a shot to 10 after this cracking performance. Ashbourne's Darren Hooley shot a fine nett 66 off his 10 handicap which on any other day would of took the honours in Division 1 and also Hulland's Simon Lockwood scoring a nett 68 off his 10 handicap having a fine round which sees both members enter single figure handicaps. Division 2 was won by Derby's Jim Lewsley who scored a nett 68 off his 14 handicap with the highlight being a birdie 2 at the tough par 3 sixth hole. Jim scored 40 on the front 9 and 42 coming home to give a gross 82 and sees his handicap reduced to 13. Waterhouses's Dave Stone took the runners up berth also with a nett 68 off his 13 handicap but losing out on a countback, while Ashbourne's Martin Murphy continues his fine run of form with a nett 69 off his 13 handicap. Junior Member Nathen Lee was the toast of Division 3 with a nett 69 off his 23 handicap to win by 5 shots from his nearest challenger. A 44 front 9 and 48 coming home saw Nathen also knock a shot off his handicap. S Smalley and L Weetman took the minor honours with nett 74's off their allotted handicap. Barrie Shines in President's Putter Ashbourne Golf Club
held the prestigious President's Putter Round 1 on Saturday 25th April
in typical spring weather with showers affecting the morning players
but sunny intervals by mid afternoon. Known as The Player's Major round
1 of the competition found member's seeing the white tees placed towards
the back of the tee boxes and some tricky flag positions making it a
good test of golf. Local Lad Dave Barrie Junior took the honours in
Division 1 scoring a fine 3 under nett 68 off his 6 handicap which included
a birdie 4 at the par 5 eighth hole the highlight of the round with
two gross 37's on the front and back 9. Dave said "Ive hit the
ball really solid in the last few weeks and felt a good round was coming
and also Steve Astle has been really good in giving me some good advice
over the winter months". Runner up to Dave was James Bainbridge
who shot a one over gross 72 off his 3 handicap to leave a nett 69 and
James Robinson of Allestree also on the same score off his 9 handicap
came 3rd. Division 2 saw Alan "Bud" Weild of Derby take the
overall lead in the competition with a cracking nett 66 off his 14 handicap.
A front 9 score of 41 followed in by a 39 on the back 9 which included
2 cracking gross birdies on holes 16 and 17 saw Alan in a fine position
come the second round on Saturday May 16th. A three way tie in the Division
saw Derby's Jim Lewsley and Ashbourne's Martin Murphy and Michael Carter
all record nett 70's off their respected handicaps. Division 3 saw Ashbourne
Man Steve Challinor take the honours with a nett 68 off his 19 handicap.
Steve said after "I had a cracking front 9 score of 40 to set myself
up but the Ashbourne "Amen Corner" on 10,11 and 12 took its
toll on me and I was very disappointed to score 47 coming home, but
im still in the mix come round two". Runner up was Jim King of
Mickleover with a nett 72 followed in by Uttoxeter's Andy Nicholls back
on nett 73. A lot of member's are still in contention come the next
round which will be keenly fought. Lewis Takes Stableford The following day
saw the Spring Stableford Competition take place as the golf season
really gets into gear now with another double header of competitions
allowing members to get stuck into some serious golfing competition.
Leon Lewis of Mayfield and Scratch Captain for 2009 won Division 1 of
the competition by scoring 40 points. A steady front 9 of 18 points
was followed up with a cracking 22 points on the back 9, which included
a hat trick of gross birdies on holes 12,13 and 14 described by Leon
as "a perfect 3 holes of golf" to cap a fine display off his
4 handicap. Runner up in the division was Jonathan Milne with 39 points
off his 4 handicap followed in by Craig Young with 39 points off his
2 handicap, meaning it was definately a day for the low handicappers
in the 0-12 handicap bracket. Theo Triance of Brailsford and Treasurer
of the golf club found his form with a fine win in Divsion 2 with 39
points off his 18 handicap with 19 points on the front followed in with
20 on the back 9. Runner up was Roston's Nick Hamblin also on 39 and
Steve "Wal" Wilson taking 3rd place with 37 points off his
17 handicap. Jim King of Mickleover again found the winner's enclosure
and definately looks a man to follow over the summer after firing a
mammoth 43 points to win Division 3 by a country mile. The front 9 had
21 points and the back 9 had 22 points including a gross birdie 4 on
the par 5 17th hole the highlight of his round. Liam Ellis of Brailsford
had a fine round scoring 37 points off his 19 handicap and definatley
looks to have a very bright future in the game after coming in second
place and was followed in by C Warren and Phil Taylor both on 35 points.
This weekend sees Ashbourne Golf Club Captain Bob Carter take a 22 man
squad over the Irish Sea to compete in the annual "Ashbourne Challenge"
against Ashbourne Golf Club in County Meath near Dublin. Bob says his
main goal is to have an enjoyable weekend but the main priority is to
bring the Ashbourne Trophy home after the disappointment of losing it
on home soil last year. Williams Takes R.N.L.I. Medal Lovely spring sunshine greeted members teeing off in the RNLI Medal held at Ashbourne Golf Club on Sunday 19th April. Mark Williams of Belper was the man to follow in Division 1 who recorded a fine nett 68 off his 11 handicap. Mark's highlight was a birdie 4 at the 479 yard par 5 eighth hole and saw him fire 38 on the front 9 and 41 coming home on the back 9. Neil Glover of Hilton took the runners up berth with a nett 69 off his 8 handicap with Ashbourne Lad Daniel Harbey taking 3rd place with a nett 70 off his 11 handicap. Mick Beech of Middleton by Wirksworth took the honours in Division 2 with a fine round of a nett 67 off his 15 handicap. Mick's round included making a double appearance in the two's club with birdies on the 3rd and 16th holes, scoring 42 front and 40 coming home. Mick said after "Ive played pretty well over the winter, keeping my competitive nature in tact, and its always nice to get in the winner's enclosure early in the season". A tie was had for second place with P Jessup, A Walker and Les Birkett all having nett 70's. Division 3 was won by new member Jim King of Mickleover who shot a nett 70 off his 24 handicap. A score of 52 on the front 9 and a very good 42 on the back 9 ensured the win. Another 3 way tie for second place included P Fewtrell, J Polglass and N Tyler all on 71 nett and playing to their handicaps. Ashbourne Golf Club held a four ball better ball stableford competition over the Easter Weekend with a good turnout by members over the two days. The member's playing off a 3/4 handicap allowance off the white tees found some good scores with many pairs finishing with the par score of 36 points or above. The winning score this year was 44 points and was obtained by Ashbourne's Paul Harrison (Hcp 12) and James Robinson (Hcp 9) of Allestree. The scorecard shows a fine round for Paul, who was playing of a 9 handicap of the day and came in on 13 of the 18 holes which included 3 gross birdies on the back 9 on holes 10,13 and 16. A front 9 tally of 19 points and a stunning back 9 score of 25 points was good enough to win the Easter Trophy. Runner's Up and only losing out on a countback were Winter League Champions Leon Lewis (Hcp 4) and John Taylor (Hcp 12) who also amassed 44 points with 22 on the front and 22 on the back, with Leon having birdies on the 1st and 8th holes. The Derbyshire Interclub Foursomes Competition saw the 0-6 handicappers have a fine win over Burton Golf Club by beating them by 10 up. Unfortunately the 7-11 handicappers lost to New Mills Golf Club and the 12 and above brackett lost away at Alfreton Golf Club. This weekend sees a double header with the May Medal being held on Saturday followed by the Inaugral Cup on Sunday which concurs with the 10th anniversary of the club moving to a new clubhouse at the Wyaston Road and becoming 18 holes. To concur aswell with this, the club is making green fees at 1999 prices which are £20 for 18 holes in the week and £25 at weekends. Contact 01335 347960 for further details.
P
Harrison & J Robinson Mick Beech April Medal Win For Clifford The
aptly named April Medal was contested for at Ashbourne Golf Club on
Sunday 5th April in perfect golfing conditions, played in glorious spring
sunshine with a slight breeze although the early starters were caught
out with an overnight frost affecting the greens for the first couple
of hours of the competition. Another good turnout of just under 100
members saw some fine scores returned in the second competition of the
season off the white tees enjoying the early spring sunshine. Ian Clifford
of Belper got back in the winner's enclosure after securing last season's
invitation day by winning Division 1 with a 3 under score of a nett
68 off his 12 handicap. In actual fact Ian's front 9 score card was
nothing to shout about with a score of 43, 8 over par, it was the back
9 where the true story unfolded. Regarded by many as the harder of the
two 9 holes, Ian shot a one over gross 37 which included a birdie 2
on the 201 yard par 3 16th hole and only dropped a shot on the 12th
and final hole to secure a fine win. James Robinson of Allestree had
a fine nett 68 off his 9 handicap to carry on a very good winter league
campaign into the start of the season with Ashbourne's Anthony Bates
firing a nett 69 off his 9 handicap taking 3rd place on a countback
from Paul Harrison. Derby's Julian Setford took Division 2 by scoring
a gross 80 off his 13 handicap to win by 3 clear shots. Julian's card
contained no birdies but a front 39 and back 41 did the damage in a
fine round. Stuart Knight of Rolleston on Dove took the runners up spot
with a nett 70 off his 14 handicap with A Walker taking 3rd place with
a nett 70 off his 18 handicap. Division 3 was won by P Jessup with a
fine 5 under par score of nett 66 off his 20 handicap. With a 43 on
the front 9 and 43 on the back a gross 86 was recorded with E Fletcher
and M Emmett taking the minor honours. This weekend sees the RNLI medal
being played for off the white tees on Sunday. Ian
Clifford Julian Setford Young Takes Season Opener Ashbourne
Golf Club held the March Medal on Saturday the 28th March in the first
competition of the season to be held off the white tees. Member's found
playing conditions very tough with high winds and rain showers affecting
the scoring. Craig Young of Marchington stole the honours in Division
1 with a fantastic score of gross 70 nett 67 off his 3 handicap which
was reduced to 2 following this fine perfomance. The competition standard
scratch was raised to 73 due to the conditions so to shoot a one under
gross on the course was a great achievement. The front 9 score was 32
with birdies at holes 2,3,4 and 8 with a bogey on 9 the only blemish
on the card. Craig continued his fine round with birdies on holes 13
and 15 on the back 9 with the par 3 14th finding Craig in a bit of trouble
by recording a double bogey but still recording a gross 38. See news archive here See Winter 2008 Results archive here |
----------------------- 
