2023 Reports

Berrington Hall GC v Hurlston Hall GC

Hurlston Hall GC 15 points v Berrington Hall GC 2 points

WILPSHIRE GC v Longridge GC - Thursday 10 August

A perfect day for golf- beautiful weather, course in great condition and two teams ready to do battle. What more could we ask for - well with Longridge some 38 points ahead in the League, albeit having played 2 games more, only a big win for the home side would be sufficient if we were to have any chance of preventing Longridge from winning the title yet again. Sadly, it was not be but, nevertheless, it turned out to be an excellent match:-

The opening game was halved, with the Wilpshire pair of Ken Craven and Jack Taylor holding a slender lead going to the 18th. Trevor Walker and Ged Forrest pulled a rabbit out of the bag, with Ged receiving a shot placing his second shot a few feet from the hole to win the 18th, match halved.

In match 2 the ever reliable Lenny Gillett and Gerry Girvan enjoyed a excellent 5 & 4 victory over Mick Dennison and Jim Hardman. In match 3 Craig Currie and John Glynn for the home side put up a valiant effort against Jez Morgan and Len Wright but it was not quite enough, with the Longridge pair winning 3 & 2. Match 4 was another excellent 5 & 4 home win for Brendan Barrett and Paul Hunter over Steve Brooks and Ged Dewhurst. Match 5 was another home victory with Peter Butterworth and Kevin Young winning 3 & 2 against Ade Lewthwaite and Gordon Cronshaw. The final match was a win for Longridge pair Roger Cain & John Cheadle over Stewart Cook and Dave Hawksworth. Stewart and Dave had the best of it early on but by the time they reached the 18th tee the match was all square. Roger managed to roll back the years to make an excellent birdie to win the match 1 up.

The Match result was a 7-7 draw with Wilpshire 3 wins, Longridge 2 wins and one half - fortunately Mr Carling wasn't with us to celebrate!

Today 8/6/23 Hindley Hall v Burnley Golf Club.

Started and ended in lovely sunshine thank god rain stayed away.

For the 1st time we tried an experiment of 3 tee start to get everyone finishing together for food and drinks it worked a treat .

The 1st game was Graham Rigby & Les Edwardson 4/3 won against Gwilwyn Jones & David Wilson apart a couple of 2s from home team a very close game.

Game 2 Barry Deacon and Jim Mason lost 4/5 against Mick Chambers Alan Ferguson . Great win for away team.

Game 3 Ray Ward & Andy Knowles won 4/2 against David Hughes & Brian Wright another close game up to the turn.

Game 4 Keith Walmsley & Anthony Skeak lost 3/4 against Steve Tatersall Steve Thorley.

Game 5 Gary Matthews & Kev Leyland won 5/4 against Martin Foulds & Steve Nicholson their game was closer than final result finished played in really good spirit.

Game 6 Glyn Jones & Alan Cartwright won 1 hole on last against Phil Hanson & Ken Tatersall . Was great to host and welcome to hindley hall for the first time hopefully everyone enjoyed it full result was Hindley Hall GC 8 points v Burnley GC 6 points. 

Hart Common GC v Mytton Fold GC 8th August 2023

Arrived at 9 oclock looking forward to our battle v Mytton Fold in reasonably nice weather. Met our opponents and changed pleasantries. 

On with the game .

1st out were Captain Tony Robinson & Past Captain John Starr .Myttons opening pair were Gary Alfred & Mick Bryan .A very close game , it was nip & tuck all the way with Hart common taking the game on the 18th , 1 up .

2nd game with Tom Aspey & Chris Freeman taking on Dave Pennington & Peter Sharpe . Myttons Peter played very consistently with Chris Freeman really keeping the game close on the front 9 . With the back 9 Tom Aspey excelled giving the Home side a 4 & 2 win .

The 3rd pairings out were Mark Dacre & Bob Mather for Hart common & Myttons pair of Keith Fitzhenry & Steve Worrall . From all accounts Bob was a Demon on the putting green and the Hart common pair gave the Mytton pair no joy at all . I suppose the trouble Steve had with his tyre on his buggy didnt help . Also the Mytton pair trying to bribe them with jelly babies didn't 

succeed , Hart common taking this 7 & 5 .

4th out were Hart commons Bob Doxey & Mark Royle v Mytton Captain Alan Rogers & Ewan Mackenzie . This match seen Mytton go 4 up 

after 8 , with some great play .From the turn the Hart common pair gradually pulling it back all squire after 16 .

The nail in the coffin for Alan & Ewan was the Hart common pair winning the last 2 holes to win 2 up .

5th out was Roy Smith & Steve Pickett against Peter Main & John Hindle . After being given the card i could see it was really one way traffic for the Hart common pair . It started with Roy Smith parring 4 off the 1st 5 holes . With Steve Pickett joining in on the occasions when Roy wasn't parring it finished the match on the 12th with a 7& 6 win .

6th & Last out were Harts Stu Brooks & Chris Radcliffe against Chris Quinn & Tony Monks . The Mytton pair started lik a house on fire going 4 up after 8 with Tony playing exceptionally well . At this point stu & Chris commented that they were back 9 players . Well as it happened it was a comment that came true .Stu & Chris between them parred 8 of the next 9 holes to go from 4 down to win 3 & 1 . Despite the result the games were played in a happy & friendly 

manner ..

With the games all finished we had a nice buffet and a couple 

of drinks .

 Final Score

        12-0 to Hart Common .

Longridge GC v Hart Common GC

Today is 3rd August 2023. After 3 weeks of rain following the wettest July ever in the Lancashire area we arrived at 9.45 am in brilliant bright sunshine?? What’s going on. The JET STREAM had decided to take a dip further South leaving a vacuum of clear air right over Jeffrey Hill, or so it seemed. Everyone was shocked that the wind had dropped to 5 mph, and Hart Common Red shirts contrasted with the Black Longridge attire on the bright green background. Sounds poetic don’t you think? I write a load of SH1T sometimes but hope that it is sometimes appreciated.

Let battle commence. First match out was a very tight affair between the two Chris’s Radcliffe and Freeman taking on Mick Dennison & the injured Dave Griffith. Dave admitted that he was suffering before he started, but managed to come in on a few holes which eventually helped the Longridge man of the match Denny to defeat the Chris’s 2 & 1. Well played all four.

Jim Hardman & Longridge organiser Dave Carling continued their unbeaten run JET STREAMiNG ahead of ex Rugby League player Roy Smith, and ex Motorcycle Policeman Kev Graham 4 & 3. Kev once stopped Ryan Giggs. His Man City supporting colleague asked Giggs, “ What do you do for a living? “ I play pro football” Giggs replied. Is that Salford or Stockport? Nice story.

The third match resulted in Longridge pair of Ged Forrest & Tim Sherry salvaging a half by winning the last two holes v Steve Edmonds & Trev Orrell. Ged describes this as character. His playing partners described it as him having too many shots.

Not many shots were given in match 4 however there was a GULF in the score as the home pair of Andy Tillotson and Gordon Cronshaw, both making individual birdie 2s dog licenced Stewart Brooks & Dave Whitehead 7 & 6.

As you can probably see by now GULF was STREAMING in direction of Longridge. Lenny Wright and JET Morgan knocked in 6 birdies to take out Team Captain Tony Robinson & Bob Doxey. However credit to the Hart Common pair they only lost 4 & 3.

The final match also went to the home team of Ged Dewhurst & Steve Brooks 4 &3 beating Bob Mather & Mark Dacre extending the GULF in points at the top of the league.

Over to our next opponents Wilpshire next week. One team might just STREAM ahead or the other team WEATHER the storm. I predict a close match.

Wilpshire GC v Hart Common GC - Thursday 13th July

A bright and sunny day, albeit coupled with a testing breeze, greeted our friends from Hart Common. The overall match result doesn't fully reflect a tight and competitive set of matches.

Match 1 was a 4 & 3 win for the Wilpshire pair of Allan Donley and Roger Hetherington v John Starr and Steve Pickett. This was Allan's first match in 4 years, standing in for Jack Taylor who earlier in the week was admitted into hospital and we send Jack our best wishes for a speedy recovery. Will this win encourage Allan back into the fold or will it be another 4 years before we see him again?

In match number 2 the Wilpshire pair of John Kay and Craig Currie defeated Hart Common's team captain Tony Robinson and Chris Radcliffe by the margin of 5 & 4, an excellent performance prompting Tony in his speech to describe John as the silent assassin.

Match number 3 was another home victory, with Gerry Girvan guiding his latest partner and debutant, Pete Butterworth, to a 3 & 2 win against Mark Dacre and Bob Mather.

The 4th match was another home victory, with Paul Hunter and Brendan Barrett winning by the margin of 2 &1 against Alan Smith and Kevin Sykes. This win was not as straightforward as it might have been with a real fight back from Alan & Kev, after being dormie 4 down. They won the 15th, Kev then made a tremendous up and down to win the 16th, reducing the deficit to 2. On the part 3 17th Alan put his tee shot to 10ft, followed by Kev to 20ft. Fortunately Brendan put his tee shot to 8ft and Paul put his to 15 ft - all 4 players on the green is quite a rare achievement. No birdie was forthcoming so a par 3 was sufficient to give Wilpshire victory.

Match 5 was a win for the home pair of Ken Craven and Peter Livesey being 1 up against Mike Hughes and Bob Doxey. Peter's second outing maintained his 100% record although I understand there was more than a little luck in winning on the last although Peter was content in having carried Ken to victory - his words not Ken's.

The final match was again a home victory with Stewart Cook and David Hawksworth winning on the last against Tom Aspey and Kev Deigham. Having cruised to 5 up after 6 the Wilpshire pair found themselves 1 down after 16 but managed to pull themselves together to win the final 2 holes to seal the win.

The matches were played in an excellent spirit and no doubt Tony and his team will be looking forward to revenge when we meet at Hart Common at the end of the season.

RESULT: Wilpshire GC won all 6 matches for a 12-0 margin.

Mytton Fold GC v Hindley Hall GC

Mytton Fold welcomed Hindley Hall for the first time. Luckily the weather managed to be good in between the gales and rain of the previous few days and the poor forecast for the following few days. Some HH players apparently found some of the hills on the course challenging. Gary Matthew’s trolley expired after three holes but luckily one of his opponents managed to organise his wife to bring a replacement. Four of the matches were exceedingly close with three being decided on the final green. Hindley Hall ran out winners by 4 matches to 2, or if you prefer 12 points to 4.

Individual match results were (Mytton Fold first):

John Roberts / Jim Bridge v Ray Ward/Les Edwardson HH win 7&5

Steve Worral/John Whitaker v Barry Deacon/Jim Mason MF 1 up

John Hindle/Norman McMasters v Andy Taylor/Paul Webb HH 2&1

Alan Rogers / Tony Monks v Colin White / Andy Knowles MF 1 up

Gary Aldred/Mick Bryan v Gary Matthews / Kev Leyland HH 6&4

Dave Pennington / Chris Coleman v Keith Walmsley/Geoff Cogswell HH 1 up

Mytton Fold GC 4 points v Hindley Hall GC 12 points

Burnley Glen View paid hosts to Berrington Hall this Tuesday 11th of July.

Showers were forecast for later in the day but as the first pairs set off at 10am a light breeze, by Burnley standards, was drifting right to left across the fairway. Dave Smith got the visitors away with a fine drive followed by his partner Peter Bradshaw. Burnley pair Martin Foulds and Senior Captain Gwilym Dwyfor-Jones also placed two drives nicely down the fairway. These first four shots set the tone for much of this match, each player getting to the green without much trouble the game

coming down to a putting competition. On this occasion it was the Burnley pair who came out on top, Martin sinking his fourth long range put, sealing the win for the home team on the 13th green, 6 & 5.

The second match out was a much closer affair, the home pair, Peter Lofthouse and Brian Wright were two up with three to play but the visitors Alan Ward and Phil Davies had the game, level as they went down the par four 18th. Burnley felt sure they had this one however, Brian had a two-foot putt for a par whilst his opponent Phil was in the bunker for two. Phil executed a perfect bunker shot, one bounce a short roll and in for a birdie to take the match, such is golf.

Another closely fought match ensued, Stephen Tattersall and Stephen Thorley taking on Berrington’s Mick Webster and Steve McCormack. Similar to the first game this seemed to be decided on the putting, first Steve McCormack putting in from off the green on the 10th and then his partner Mick doing the same on the next hole to establish a lead from which the home pair could not recover. Final score 3-2 win for Berrington Hall GC.

The next match had local lads Mick Chambers and Alan Ferguson take on Chris Chisnall and Tony Pierce, again a close match Burnley taking it on the 17th, for a 2-1 win.

Ken Tattersall and David Hughes then faced Mal Hayman, Berrington’s’ current Club Captain and Mike Collins. There was a really heavy thundery downpour during the halfway stage of this game and this group bore the brunt on the most exposed section of the course. Having played 9, the home team were 5 up so Berrington conceded and the four headed straight for the 19th .

The scene was set for the final match, scores now level at 6 apiece. Burnley pair Steve Nicholson and Phil Moore took on Mike Stokes and Bradden Dermott. This game went to the 16th before the

Burnley pair could seal the win 3-2, overall, a narrow win for the home side.

Burnley GC 8 points Berrington Hall GC 6 points.

Hindley Hall GC v Hurlston Hall GC

Gary writes:

Hi Nigel today game for Hindley Hall v Hurlston hall started in good weather and in great spirits between both teams. Then when just past halfway the heavens opened and weather was dreadful 4 games finished the distance or to a result.

1st game was won by Ray Ward & Anthony Skeat 4/3 against Ray Moses & Peter Connolly. Game 2 was won by Hindley Hall, Barry Deacon & Jim Mason on the last.

Game 3 Gary Matthews & Alan Cartwright won 4/2 for Hindley Hall v Leigh McEvoy & Derek Doyle it was a great game great spirit.

Game 4 Colin White & Andy Knowles also went to the last Hindley Hall won by 1up against Andrew Cadley & Steve Marr.

Game 5 Keith Duxbury & Keith Walmsley Hindley Hall conceded the match on 11 green no room for taking relief with the heavy rain v Steve Williams & John Walker.

Game 6 Glynn Jones & Kev Leyland from Hindley Hall also conceded the game on 12th green also struggled to take relief on greens against Mark Rimmer & Owen McCann; it’s a pity the course was great before rain arrived greens running very fast; thanks to guys from Hurlston Hall for a great match.

Hindley Hall GC 8 points Hurlston Hall GC 6 points

Mytton Fold GC v Longridge GC

This was probably the most eventful league match that I have played in. Certainly, there were sympathetic comments and heartfelt understanding from Dave Carling and his team.

Minutes before the first match was teeing off Alan Rogers received an urgent telephone call that he had to get his father into hospital straight away in Macclesfield. No chance of him getting there and back in time for an 11:00 tee. Numerous calls were made but nobody available.

When you play Longridge, you know it will be tough with a full team. John Hindle boldly volunteered to battle alone.

Things can only get better. WRONG, half way through his Richard Greaves has a nasty fall and needs to go to Blackburn hospital. Two matches now with only one player.

Now for the results

Steve Worrall/Jim Bridge lost Tim Sherry/GED Forrest. 1 Down

Ewan McKenzie/Phil Chadwick lost Dave Carling/Jeremy Morgan lost 4&3

Gary Aldred/Mick Bryan beat Fred Squires/Gerard Dewhurst 2&1

Dave Pennington/Mick Mahon lost Bob Robinson/Howard Woolley 1 Down

Richard Greaves/Chris Coleman lost Adrian Lewthwaite/Gordon Cronshaw. ?

John Hindle lost Trevor Walker/Andrew Tillotson. .

Result MFGC. 1 win. Longridge 5 wins.

Points MFGC. 2 points. Longridge 15 points.

Thanks again to Longridge for their understanding and expressed concerns.

BERRINGTON HALL VERSUS WILPSHIRE

Thursday 6 th July 2023 @ Berrington Hall

The good news first: -

Weather was kind to us today. Although a cloudy day the rain stayed away. Wilpshire are a great

set of lads who we always enjoy playing against. All matches were played in good spirit, the way it

should be. Captain Paul Hunter asked me to pass on his praise for the course conditions which has

been done.

Now the bad news THE GOLF

We were stuffed by an excellent team the final score being Berrington 1 Wilpshire 16. Please find

results below.

Game 1

Phil Davies & Tony Pierce (Berrington) played Jack Taylor & Kevin Young (Wilpshire) A/S after 18 holes.

Game 2

Peter Bradshaw and Steve Byron (Berrington) lost to Craig Currie & John Glynn 3 & 2.

Game 3

Steve Morgan and Steve Murgatroyd (Berrington) lost to Paul Hunter and Nigel Grice 3 & 2.

Game 4

Bradden Dermott and Mark Connor (Berrington) lost to Gerry Girvan and Peter Livesey, Peter making his NWSL debut 3 & 1

Game 5

Mal Hayman and Mike Collins (Berrington) lost to Stewart Cook and Dave Hawksworth 5 & 4.

Game 6

Brothers Terry Winrow and Peter Winrow (Berrington) could not contain Alain Knott on the first three holes on his debut in the NWSL and was one under gross after only three holes ultimately losing £ & 2 to Alain and Nigel Fairhurst 3 & 2.

FINAL RESULT BERRINGTON 1 WILPSHIRE 16

Hurlston Hall GC v Burnley GC Monday 3rd July

Leigh produces the most amazing reports and has not disappointed in the new report today. He writes:

On the first tee, the smell of damp clothes mingled with that of mothballs as players dug out their waterproofs, bringing to an end the long spell of sublime weather. Burnley had whacked us in the first game of the season. Would this long-awaited revenge match even be completed, as the greens threatened to puddle up and the doom mongers were forecasting thunder storms? The greenkeepers proved crucial as they were out spiking the greens with the sorrel roller to help absorb the downpours. In the end, it was back to shirt sleeves for the second half of the fixture as the sun reappeared, and after the games, there weren't too many soggy socks and undies sat in the dining room for a fine meal and a return to top form from the chef. On to the results, with shots received in brackets.

Game one pitted Hurlston past Captains Peter Connolly (9) and Steve Marr (9) against Myles Moore (0) and Ken Tattersall (6). The Burnley pair eased into a 3-hole lead, helped by Myles' birdie on the 6th. However, Peter Connolly can hit it miles more (gerrit??) than most, and he parred the next two. Before you knew it, Burnley restored their 3-hole lead, and from the 13th it was a case of Steve and Pete upping their game with a series of pars to be only one back playing the last hole. A battling par from Hurlston's Seve (typo, sorry, I mean Steve) gave a chance of a deserved half, but Myles' smile was a mile wide as he too parred the 18th to win the game for Burnley, 1-up.

Second out were Club Chairman John Walker (10) and team ace Mark Rimmer (0), against stand in Captain Gwilym D-Jones (2) and Martin Foulds (5). John made good use of his shots and with steady play from both sides, Hurlston were 1-up after six holes, then briefly 3-up after eight. More than a wafer-thin lead, but one which was cut to two, then held onto up to the 12th. Walker went on a run of wins on 12, 14 and 15, with Burnley (details lacking on card) winning one back, before shared pars on 16th meant a win to Hurlston 3 and 2.

Third game out was Hurlston team Captain Leigh McEvoy (3) with Tom Ainscough (8) against Steve Nicholson (0) and Malcolm Wills (4). The front nine were very tight with good play from both sides, the highlight being Steve's extraordinary ability to locate any ball, anywhere, in record time. He did find mine once, but needless to say, in a crappy lie. Hurlston turned 1-up, then, fired up by wine gums and the improving weather, went on to win 4 and 3.

Fourth out, hampered by giving shots and a monumental hangover from drinking shots after a debauched stag weekend in Benidorm, Martin Isherwood (0), with Owen McCann (5), ex-rock star and lothario from the 70's. Steve Tattersall (1) and Stephen Thorley (2) I expect are now privy to plenty of divorce material on the Hurlston pair, and were no doubt distracted by tales of their wanton conduct. Amazingly, the golf was sparkling with pars a-plenty, with Owen and Steve playing particularly well for their respective teams. After nine, Hurlston were 2-up, then held off any challenge as Martin's hangover wore off and ensured a home victory 3 and 2.

Game five paired John Sharps (10) with Mark Greenhalgh (10), against David Hughes (0) and Peter Lofthouse (10). Only two holes were halved in a frantic toing-and-froing on the front nine, with Hurlston edging it 1-up, despite some great play by David. On the final nine, a nett birdie by Peter was matched by Hurlston's John on 14, following his par on the 12th, then Mark's nett birdie on 15 was enough to seal the deal 4 and 3 for the home team.

Finally, Nigel Wilmhurst (9) fresh from his lie-in, with a rare appearance from Alan Morgan (11). For Burnley, David Wilson (0) and Stephen Pickup (12). I'm reading the scorecard under an electron microscope after foolishly giving it to Alan to record. His writing is so small he can copy the whole Bible onto the back of a postage stamp. Two opening halves were followed by an amazing blitz from Nigel. In the next six holes he parred five, and the sixth was a birdie. Stephen managed to pick up a win on the 9th for Burnley, but Alan's wins on 10 and 11 left the away team in a desperate position from which they couldn't recover, despite David's 2 on the 12th. So, a 5 and 4 win to Hurlston.

Hurlston's lust for vengeance was sated by the 5-1 win, so 10-3 on points.

Hurlston Hall GC 10 points v Burnley GC 3 points

Hindley Hall GC v Longridge GC Tuesday 4th July

Gary Writes:

Longridge great set of guys they really enjoyed Hindley Hall course and hospitality couple of incidents in 1st game Ray Ward playing wrong ball twice on the 11th hole and on 14th hole resulting into loss off hole. Our game was played in good spirit only for Fred Picking is ball up by accident when having a shot without realising could have got a half instead off losing the hole. But in all really great games thank you Longridge guys.

Les Edwardson/Ray Ward lost to Steve Brooks/Gerrard Dewhurst 2 & 1

Gary Mathews/Alan Cartwright beat Fred Squires/Andrew Tillotson 3 & 1

Colin White/Keith Fairhurst beat Alan Peterson/John Cheadle 4 & 3

Barry Deacon/Jim Mason lost to Jez Morgan/Dave Carling 4 & 3

Kev Leyland/Keith Aspey lost to Timothy Sherry/Ged Forrest 4 & 3

Anthony Skeet/Andy Knowles half with William Conn/ Trevor Walker

Hindley Hall GC 5 points v Longridge GC 10 points

Berrington Hall GC v Hart Common GC

Another sunny day at Berrington for the visit of Hart Common

Hart Common got of to a flying start when their pair of Marc Dacre and Bob Mather beat Berrington’s Mark Connor and Dave Smith 3 and 2 followed by Roy Smith and Kev Sykes sneaking a final hole win over Steve Morgan and Cesare.

The third match started in the same way with the Hart Common duo of Kev Deighan and David Whitehead racing into a 4 hole lead after 5 holes but the Berrington pair of Geoff Hull and Mal Hayman clawed their way back to go 1 up at the 16th but could not hold on with the match finishing all square

The fourth match resulted inn a resounding win for Berrington when Alan Ward and Bradden Dermott beat Steve Brookes and Chris Freeman of Hart Common 7 and 6 to level the match

Berrington continued on their winning run in the last 2 matches both being a lot closer with Pete Bradshaw and Dave Organ winning an up and down encounter over Hart Commons Tom Aspey and Kev Graham on the 18th hole

A similarly closely fought final match between Frank Murphy and Tony Pierce of Berrington beating tony Robinson and Bob Oxley of Hart Common the match finishing 2 up to Berrington this match pitted the two lowest handicaps against each other for a existing dual to the end.

Match result Berrington Hall 3.1/2 [7 points] Hart Common 2.1/2 [7 points]

Mytton Fold GC v Burnley GC

“After the recent variable and unsettled weather Mytton Fold welcomed Burnley GC to a lovely day at Mytton Fold. With the wet weather following the sunny period the course was looking good and playing well, with the greens running true. All the matches were close and the score was equal after the first five were in the clubhouse resulting in an anxious wait for the final pairing to come in. This was a win for Mytton, with Mytton thereby running out overall winners by 8 points to 6. The individual results (Mytton names first) were:

Gary Aldred/Mike Bryan v Gwilym D Jones/Phil Moore Mytton 2 & 1

Peter Main/Chris Quinn v Myles Moore / Ken Tattersall Burnley 2&1

Steve Worrall / Jim Bridge v Stephen Tattersall / Martin Foulds Mytton 1 up

Alan Rogers/John Hindle v Phil Hanson / Stephen Pickup Mytton 2&1

Sam Cowan / Tony Monks v Mick Chambers / Geoff Butterfield Burnley 3&2

Dave Pennington/Mick Mahon v David Robinson / Peter Lofthouse Mytton 3&2

The match was followed by drinks and sandwiches on the lawn in the afternoon sun, which again proved a very convivial gathering.”

Mytton Fold GC 8 points v Burnley GC 6 points

Longridge GC v Hindley Hall GC

The match was played in pretty much perfect conditions, sunny with a mild south westerly breeze. This was the first league match for Longridge v Hindley Hall.

Match 1 finished 1 up for the home side of Paul Greenall & Ged Dewhurst v Les Edwardson & Ray Ward. The game was level on 16. The Longridge pair won 17, and held on with a half on 18.

The two team Captains and their partners contested the second match Dave Carling and Jim Hardman came out victorious v Gaza Mathews & Alan Cartwright 5 & 4. The home duo a only dropped 3 shots to par, and even though I say so myself played extremely well.

Match 3 also finished 5 & 4. Fred Squires & Andrew Tillotson overcame the two Keiths Duxbury & Fairhurst.

Longridge team stalwarts Trevor Walker & Steve Brooks dispatched Colin White & Peter Mills 6 & 5 in match4.

In the 5th match Hindley pair of Barry Deacon & Jim Mason halved the 18th to cling on to a 1-hole win over Alan Peterson & Bob Robinson. Bob just failed to sink an 8-foot put which would have halved the match.

The final match was another 5 & 4 win for the home pair of Ady Lewthwaite & Ged Forrest v Kev Leyland & Keith Aspey. Apparently, Ged putted like a God, so he is now known as God Forrest

Despite the result Gaz Mathews noted in his after-dinner speech that they had gained more points at Longridge this season than any other team.

Longridge GC 9 points v Hindley Hall GC 3 points

Dave Carling.

Hurlston Hall GC v Wilpshire GC

Hi Nigel, results and match report below. Hope you enjoyed yourself today.

Those optimists who chose to wear shorts today were proved right, as a brisk wind kept any rain from the towering clouds at bay, and the weather remained as close as many of the games then proved to be. Recent weeks have provided continental weather and the NWS league's excellent courses give us the impression of being on an expensive golfing holiday, and a tan to match. Hurlston welcomed the Wilpshire team who were fielding their dignitaries, including the Club President and the NWS Secretary. It was disappointing therefore that the meal that followed was a re-enactment of the scene from the musical 'Oliver!', where a bowl of gruel and a crust of bread were served, leaving everyone asking for more, before rushing home for tea. A shame, since the food previously has been excellent. On to the results. The figures in brackets are shots received.

Game one saw Hurlston's Dave O'Neil-Bayes (0) and Steve Williams (8) take on Wilpshire's openers, Ken Craven (4) and League Secretary Nigel Fairhurst (13). Early pars from Dave gave Hurlston a lead of two after three holes, and Steve increased this to three after parring the 6th. Far from being daunted, Ken and Nigel's counter attack of a par and two nett birdies levelled the match after 10 holes, then with a spring in their step Wilpshire went into a two-hole lead with only three remaining. Hurlston's Dave must then have gone into a phone box and emerged as superman, or swallowed a tin of spinach, since he then finished 2,4,4 to win the final three holes and the match, one up.

The second pairings were Mark 'how many shots am I giving today?' Rimmer (0) and Owen 'you never played for my team last year' McCann (10), versus Wilpshire's Jack Taylor (5) and Kevin Young (7). No doubt Mark was pulling faces when Jack and Kevin parred the first three holes. So Wilpshire quickly 2-up. Hurlston countered with birdie par par to go 1-up, but the difficult 8th must have been Taylor-made for Jack as he birdied it to even the match. Problems on the 10th for Wilpshire lead to a concession, then par golf from Mark over the next four holes increased the lead, but only by one. So, 2-up and three to play. Seeing Mark then seal the match for Hurlston with a two on 16 must have made Kevin Young age a bit and left Jack Taylor in tatters. A 3-2 win to the home side.

Third out were Club Chairman John Walker (5) and team Captain Leigh McEvoy (2), happy to be receiving shots from Wilpshire's Craig Curry (0) and John Glynn (4). In a match where over 50% of the holes were halved, it was going to be a tight affair. The away pair had more fire-power and Craig managed 4 pars on the front nine, but Hurlston equalled this tally and took a 2-hole lead into the back nine. A brilliant nett birdie from John Glynn on the 10th followed by Craig winning the 11th squared the match though. Step up Mr Walker. A par on the 12th, one up. Step up Mr McEvoy. Pars on 14 and 15, but only to go 2-up. With three to play, the 16th and 17th were halved with bogeys, so a very tight 2-up win to Hurlston.

Game four. He's back. Last year's Captain Nigel Wilmhurst (2) with Peter Connolly (11) for Hurlston. Team Captain Paul Hunter (0) and Brendan Barrett (10) teed off for Wilpshire in another nail-biter, with never more than one or two in it. Yet again, the away team got away fast, with Paul parring the first three holes. Peter didn't need his shots to win the next three, including two pars, and also parred the 8th, but steady play from Paul and Brendan meant they were still one up at the turn. Nigel must now have woken up after his lie-in, and proceeded to par or birdie four out of the next six holes. The problem was, so did Wilpshire. Peter meanwhile had parred the 11th, and with the match all-square on the 17th, he matched Brendan's five and then pulled out another on the 18th to clinch an enthralling Hurlston victory by one hole.

Fifth out were Kevin Spooner (0) and Bernie Grady (8) against Wilpshire Club President David Ellis (3) and Gerry Girvan. What's going on? Again, the away team had a quick start as Gerry won the first three holes. Things then settled down with a string of halves. In a mirror image of the first three holes, Hurlston's Bernie won the last three of the front nine to take the match back to level, then the 10th to go one up. Five pars in a row from David and Gerry saw the match swing back into Wilpshire's favour, and no doubt Kevin was in shock when his par on the long 15th was bettered by David's nett birdie. A par on the 16th was enough to clinch another see-saw match, but this time 3 and 2 in Wilpshire's favour.

The final match. Eric Todd (5) and Mark Greenhalgh (5) for Hurlston, and Stewart Cook (0) with Dave Hawksworth (1). Guess what. AGAIN, Hurlston were two down after three holes, with a slow start from Eric and Mark. Of course, they rallied, but two pars in a row from Stewart on 6 and 7 meant Wilpshire had a 2-hole lead at the half-way mark. Both teams played better golf on the back nine, with plenty of pars from Eric and Stewart, but Wilpshire held the home team at bay to win 3 and 2.

So, 4-2 to Hurlston. Plenty of good play and close matches lead to results that leave both teams reasonably happy with the points 8-6.

Wilpshire GC v Mytton Fold GC - Thursday 22 June 2023

Match 1 - Ken Craven & Nigel Fairhurst won 5 & 4 against Steve Worrall & Chris Quinn

Match 2 - Lenny Gillett & Gerry Girvan won 5&4 against Dave Pennington & Mick Mahon

Match 3 - Craig Currie & John Glynn won 3 & 2 against Peter Main & Dave Westwood

Match 4 - Nigel Grice & Dave Hawksworth won 4 & 3 against Alan Rogers & Tony Monks

Match 5 - Jack Taylor & Kevin Young won 4 & 3 against Gary Aldred & Mick Bryan

Match 6 - John Kay & Brendan Barrett won 4 & 3 against Peter Sharpe & John Hindle

MATCH RESULT: WILPSHIRE GC 12 - Mytton Fold GC 0

Longridge GC seniors welcomed Wilpshire GC on a hot and sunny day, pleasantries were exchanged over coffee and biscuits prior to the match. As Captain Dave Carling was away celebrating a significant birthday Len Wright stood in as organiser. Due to holidays and other commitments Longridge fielded some new faces to the team. First match out saw Gordon Cronshaw partnered with new face Peter Topping up against Wilpshire pair Ken Craven and President Nigel Fairhurst. Nigel having lost his ball on the first hole combined with the steady play of the Longridge pair saw a 3 & 1 to the home side.

Second out Lenny Wright paired with seasoned debutant Gordon Edwards taking on unbeaten pair Lenny Gillett and Gerry Girvan. The Wilpshire pair had their fair share of tree trouble on the first two holes and when Gordon chipped in for a birdie on the par 5 third this seemed to be going only one way, and sure enough it finished 7 & 6 victory for the home pair. Third out comprises of Jim Hardman and another new face Chris Lindley taking on Wilpshire’s organiser Paul Hunter and Brendan Barrett. The Longridge pair being dormy 4 were taken all the way to the 18th and finally won 1 up.

Fourth out, two more season debutants for the home side, Ady Lewthaite and Dave Griffith up against Craig Currie and John Glynn. Again, another close match with nothing between them, this too went to the final hole with the Longridge pair just edging the match 1 up.

FYI Mr Carling, just to make you aware Dave Griffith rearranged his 75th birthday celebrations to play his match! (Dave told me to tell you !!)

Fifth out, Tim Sherry and recently retired Ged Dewhurst up against Andy Bradford and Kevin (the red) Young!! The Longridge pair comfortably came through 4 & 3, helped along the way by a chip in 4 net 3 on the 7th by Ged.

Finally, sixth out was Bob Robinson and Howard Woolley against Nigel Grice and Dave Hawksworth. Another closely matched pairing the Longridge pair won a closely contested match in front of a crowded balcony overlooking the 18th green.

As usual all matches were played in a spirited and friendly manner. In his summary, Paul Hunter, Wilpshire’s captain, thanked Longridge GC for their hospitality and he also commented that they’d never left Longridge without any points, but was looking forward to the return match. In his closing Len Wright thanked the caterers and wished everyone a safe journey home.

Final Score Longridge GC 12 points Wilpshire GC 0 points

Berrington Hall GC v Mytton Fold GC

Berrington entertained Mytton Fold on a lovely sunny day and got off to a great start winning the opening 2 matches

when Mark Connor and Tony Pierce winning 2 and 1 against Tony Monks and Ewan McKenzie followed by

Dave Smith and Steve Murgatroyd doing even better with a 3 and 2 win over Dave Pennington and Mick Mahon

Berrington continued their good run when Captain Mal Heyman and Cesare Marchesan beat Myttons Jim Bridge and Geoff Holtom finishing 2 up

Things got even better when Alan Ward and Bradden Dermott had a good 3 and 2 win over Alan Rogers and Peter Sharpe putting Berrington 4 up then came the Mytton Fight back when there pair of Keith Fitzhenry and Sam Cowen won a closely fought even match against Dave Duffy and Pete Bradshaw winning on 18th

The last match had Mytton continuing there recovery when Gary Aldred and Mick Bryan had a very deserved and convincing 5 and 4 win over Geoff Hull and Mike Collins.

Match result Berrington Hall 4 [8 points] Mytton Fold 2 [6 points]

Wilpshire GC v Burnley GC Thursday 8th June

Another dry sunny day with a strong nagging wind greeted our visitors from Burnley GC. The individual matches provided some remarkable competition with Wilpshire ahead in four matches by at least 4 holes, only to be pegged back with each of the matches going to the 18th. The opening match was an excellent 6 & 5 victory for the home pairing of Ken Craven and League Secretary Nigel Fairhurst over his former Burnley pals Myles Moore and Ken Tattersall. Match two was another emphatic home win with Lenny Gillett and Gerry Girvan winning 5&4 against David Hughes and Stephen Pickup - Lenny recording an eagle two on the par 4 sixth. Match 3 was a much tighter affair with Wilpshire pair Craig Currie and Roger Hetherington securing a 3 & 1 win over Burnley team captain Gwilym D-Jones and Mick Chambers. Match 4 was another narrow win for the home team of Paul Hunter and Brendan Barrett against Alan Green and Geoff Butterfield. Paul & Brendan raced into a 4-shot lead after 6 holes, which was maintained until the 14th where the Burnley fightback commenced, winning 4 holes in a row to level the match with one hole to play. Brendan was receiving a shot and after putting his second shot in the front bunker he got up and down for a 4 net 3 to win a thrilling match 1up. Match 5 was an even more bizarre game with Wilpshire pair of Dave Hawksworth and Nigel Grice racing into a 6-shot lead after 12 holes only to relinquish the lead to be all square after 17, with the Burnley pair of David Robinson and Peter Lofthouse going on to win the18th for the team's only win on the day. The final match was a clash of the titans with the Wilpshire pair of John Kay and Kevin Young overcoming the threat of scratch man Graham Haworth and 9 handicap Derek Bainbridge. Having seen a 4 hole lead reduced to a 1 hole lead playing the18th, Kevin steadied the ship with a 4 net 3 on the final hole to secure a 2up win. Overall, a splendid day.

Editor’s note: I have had the pleasure of calling Derek and Graham close friends of 30 more years and it’s a delight that they have both, following retirement, enjoy the North West Seniors League. A great win for Kevin and John, Graham and Derek will not lose many but when you give so many shots it opton a big ask!

WILPSHIRE GC 5 (10 points) BURNLEY GC 1 (3 points)

Hart Common GC Vs Longridge GC Tuesday 6th June

We waited for the Longridge players to arrive at the club in hope that we could get a good win against the ever-impressive Longridge. Once the teams were laid side by side, we knew that we had our work cut out. Having to give a team like Longridge 102 shots against our 50 shots worked out to be a bridge to far.Results as follows:

First out: Tim James and Bill Holmes beat Tony Robinson & Mike Hughes in what was mostly a close game by 3 &2

Second out: Captain of Longridge Dave Carling and Jim Hardman were eventual winners beating Tom Aspey & Chris Freeman 2 up.

Third Out: Stewart Brooks and Chris Radcliffe were the first pairings of Hart Common to bring home a win beating Gordon Cronshaw & Ged Forrest with an impressive display of good golf on the back 9 eventually winning 4 & 3

Fourth out: This turned out to be a tight match, Roy Smith of Hart Common playing some great golf, with his partner Steve Pickett coming in when needed. On the 16th Hart Common was 1 up needing only to win the 17th to secure the points. Hart commons Roy Smith looked good having put his 3rd shot on the green, but Leonard Wright had a different idea, playing his 4th shot from 200 yds to 8 feet from the pin securing a 5 net 4 to Roy Smiths 5, scores now level. Everything to play for on the 18th Trevor Walker & Leonard Wright were eventual winners, Roy Smith needing to make a putt on the 18th to make the match all square but it rolled by. Longridge win 1 up.

Fifth out: Mark Dacre & Bob Doxey of Hart Common, Bob hoping to keep his 100% record of winning. The pressure was too much for the pairing of Martin Gray & Howard Woolley of Longridge eventually being beaten by the Hart Common Players with an impressive win of 4&3, Bob keeping his 100% record intact.

Sixth out: Kevin Deighan & Kevin Graham of Hart Common took on the players of Robert Robinson & Gerrard Dewhurst. The hart common pair needed to win the last hole to make the game a halved match but Longridge won the last hole beating Hart Common 2 up.

Match Result:

Hart Common 2 (4pts.) Longridge 4 (12 pts.)

WILPSHIRE GC v HINDLEY HALL GC - 1st June 2023.

A strong breeze coupled with firm ground conditions made for a challenging day as Wilpshire GC hosted Hindley Hall GC for the first time. The Hindley Hall team acquitted themselves well on unfamiliar territory but the home team managed to come out on top. In the first match Ken Craven and League Secretary Nigel gave the home side an excellent start with a 3 & 2 win over Les Edwards and Alan Cartwright. Les a nine-handicap golfer had a triple heart bypass last November and looked the fittest of all four of us and played to his handicap. Alan had fallen a few weeks before and had a torn muscle in his shoulder, preventing him from playing his best but was like all the away players, complimentary of the course and facilities.

In Match tw0, Lenny Gillett and Gerry Girvan continued their splendid partnership with a 4&2 win against Hindley Hall Seniors organiser Gary Matthews and Ray Ward. Match 3 was a 5 &4 defeat for the home pair of Andy Bradford and Kevin Young (neither of whom have struck their best form yet) against the excellent pair of Glynn Jones & Keith Aspey. The fourth match was a 2up victory for the home team of Paul Hunter and Brendan Barrett against Colin White and Keith Fairhurst, despite Colin having 3 birdies. The home team was 3 up after 7 holes before a strong fightback by Colin and Keith to be all square after 16, with the Wilpshire pair winning the final two holes to secure victory - a superb match. John Kay and John Glynn secured another 2up win for the home side against Barry Deacon and Keith Walmsley. In the final game the home pair of Nigel Grice and Dave Hawksworth enjoyed an excellent 4&3 win against Kevin Leyland and Andy Taylor. WILPSHIRE GC 10 POINTS (5 wins) HINDLEY HALL 3POINTS (1 win).

Longridge GC v Berrington Hall GC

This was the absolute classic Seniors Match. Full of Senior Moments. The result did not matter. I am up first, picked the team and didn’t make it available to all on the website. 1st Moment. On my way up to the Fell, Roger Cain rang from Fred Squires phone saying they were on their way back from Berrington and would be late, gone to the wrong venue. We are at home?? 2nd Moment. Paul Oliver practiced putting with his slip ons on?? Then put his golf shoes on. Mayhem. Who is out first. Nightmare. So, 5th pair Tim Sherry & Len Wright our 1st pair told me that they might have won 6 & 5 over Steve Howlett and Peter Bradshaw as they couldn’t stop laughing at Peter demolishing a tree on the 16th in a buggy.

Jim Hardman and I followed with a 4 & 3 win over the double Captains Mal Hayman & Mike Stokes. This was a closer match than the final result. Match 3, which was really match 5 saw a tap in 4 on the 18th by Paul Greenall & Ged Dewhurst secured a 2 up win against Dave Horgan & Mark Conner. Roger (Do I get a prize for the longest DRIVE as I also went to Berrington) Cain and his partner Gordon Cronshaw (I got a 2) got the better of Steve Morgan & Alan Ward 2 up. Fred Squires managed to fill his Mercedes up at Asda on his way back from his travels, and aided by his teammate Stan Hughes who had to wait an extra 50 minutes on the first tee finally overcame Tony Pierce & Mike Preston 6 & 5.

Who is up next?

Finally Bill Conn & Paul (laid back no shoes) Oliver defeated Geoff (no battery on the 18th) Hull & Mike Worsley by 2 holes.

An absolute classic. This is why we all love Seniors Golf.

Result Longridge 12 v Berrington 0.

Editor’s note: Again, great report from Dave. Keep it up guys.

Hurlston Hall GC v Mytton Fold GC

The final chapter in the great shots allowance debate reached a climactic conclusion prior to this match. The much quoted '21' is to be universally accepted as the maximum Handicap Index, meaning relevant players are allowed 90% of the course handicap based on this. The slope rating at Hurlston, combined with the high handicaps of today's players, meant that just over half of them actually received 22 shots (before subtracting from the lowest player in the group, naturally!). So, away we went, wondering if Hurlston Hall would, well.... haul themselves up the league table. Would Mytton Fold, well.... fold? But not before another mad scramble, with Hurlston sending the snatch squad on to the course to grab a replacement for a last-minute absentee. Thank you, Jeff Wainwright, for stepping up. We owe you. By the way you owe us £15 for the meal.

First out was Chairman John Walker with Andy Wilson, looking well rested after 3 hours sleep. They took on Keith Fitzhenry and Mick Bryan, playing together as they were the only ones in their squad to have Christian names in their surnames. With John and Andy one under gross after three holes, it is no surprise they were 3-up. But Keith and Mick showed these Rolling Stones would gather no moss, and were only one down after pars on 5th, 6th, and 7th. John Walker's crisp birdie on 8th augured what was to come though, as the Hurlston pair pulled away for a comfortable 4 and 3 victory.

Match two paired low handicapper Mark Rimmer with debutant John Williams, hoping to compose a victory in his first game for Hurlston. They were up against Phil Chadwick and Steve Worrall, with Mark giving each 7 shots, though his own playing partner's allowance was 12. It was Mark hitting the right notes for Hurlston on the front 9, with John a little off key, though his par on the 6th won that hole for the home team. Mytton's pair were steady, Phil in particular, so the match was all-square at the turn. The overture to the back nine was music to Mark's ears, as John nett-birdied the 10th to take the lead. Not liking the sound of this, Steve did likewise for Mytton on the following hole, and when he parred the 16th, it was game over, with the visitors winning 3 and 2. So, no music for Hurlston, just a death knell.

The third game was Leigh McEvoy(0) and Tom Ainscough (5) against Peter Sharpe (3) and Ewan McKenzie (5). Two down to pars after three holes, the Hurlston pair's spirits were flagging. Some steady play and help from the troublesome rough reduced the deficit to one at the turn. Gloom descended on the Hurlston pair again, when Peter nett-birdied 10 and Ewan parred 12, Mytton going three up. The rough then won the 13th for Hurlston, with Peter losing his ball and Ewan having to hack out. Then miracles happened in Hurlston's favour. Pars on 15,16 and 17 gave Hurlston a one-hole advantage, with trouble for Mytton off the 18th tee allowing Hurlston to snatch a two-up victory.

Match four. For Hurlston, Eric Todd and Viv Allen, up against Captain for the day Dave Pennington and Mick Mahon, with Viv generously giving everyone two shots. After birdying the second to give Hurlston the lead, Viv passed the baton to Eric for the rest of the front nine. Taking advantage of this, steady play from both Dave and Mick, including 5's on the 8th and 9th, gave Mytton a three-hole advantage at the turn. Golf's a funny game, although not quite funny enough, as Viv roused himself to get Hurlston back into the frame. Only one in it playing the 17th, Mytton clinched victory by winning that hole for a 2 and 1 victory.

Game five was to feature Steve Marr and our 12 handicapper, but his last-minute inability to play gave us Jeff Wainwright, a press-ganged 28 handicapper and club hero if he were to win. Mytton Fold fielded Peter Main and Sam Cowan who was giving the other three four shots each. The good news for Hurlston was that they won the first and last holes of the front nine. OK, you've guessed the full picture. Mytton's pair (a pair of Myttons?) won six of the other seven holes, turning 4-up. Come on Jeff...surely...! Mytton won the 10th as well, and the 13th, so there was to be no hero, Jeff. But wait. Hurlston won five holes on the back nine to take the match to the 18th hole......where Mytton sealed a 2-up victory. Dreams dashed. No individual scores were recorded unfortunately, so perhaps Jeff was within a whisker of becoming a Hurlston folk hero after all.

The final game, with Hurlston not so much on the ropes as on the canvass. Could John Sharps and John F. Davies get us back in the fight against John Hindle and Jim (another John would have been amusing) Bridge? A slow start gifted Mytton the first hole. Feats of individual glory cannot be ascertained from the scant information on the scorecard, but since both Hurlston players are called John, I can with complete confidence declare that John got Hurlston back in the game with a three on the 2nd hole. Then John, or was it John, played very steadily, so much so that after nine holes, the team with two Johns were beating the team with only one John by five holes. The Mytton duo resisted going further behind, but neither could they reduce the deficit. So, after 14 holes the match was over. Well played John, or John, or both of you.

A result of three matches apiece 3-3, doesn't sound bad, but translated into scores of 6-9, it's congratulations to Mytton Fold. A great day for them and a disappointing one for Hurlston Hall.

Hurlston Hall GC 6 points v Mytton Fold GC 9 points

Editor’s note: Great report by Leigh, well done and I believe a first win at Hurlston Hall GC by Mytton Fold GC; well done.

Tuesday 30th May

Burnley GC (Glen View) v Hart Common GC.

Hart Common, playing their first match of this years’ N.W Seniors League, visited Burnley who have already played three matches and are currently topping the League.

Locals Stuart Henderson and Mick Chambers got proceedings underway promptly at 10am against Shaun Royle and Kevin Graham. This was Micks first League game of the season having posted a good number of wins last year and along with 7 handicapper Stuart they would be hard to beat. The visitors rose to the challenge however emerging winners 3-2.

Next out for Burnley the two Johns, Greenwood and Muir versus Stewart Brookes and Hart Common Seniors Captain, Chris Radcliffe. A very close match this one going to the 18th green, Burnley eventually securing a 1-0 win.

Burnley Seniors Captain Gwilym Dwyfor-Jones partnered Stephen Tattersall then took on Roy Smith and Steve Pickett. Another close match both pairs playing up to the green really well leaving it to the best (luckiest) putters on the day. On this occasion it was Burnley, sealing the match on the 17th, 2-1.

Myles Moore and Ken Tattersall then challenged Hart Commons Bob Doxey and Mike Hughes,

although the formidable pairing of Myles and Ken were three up at one point the visitors took the

game to the 18 th and sunk a long putt to win 1-0

Local pairing Pete Lofthouse and Dave Robinson then played Mark Dacre and Bob Mather, another match going all the way to the 18 th , this time the result going to Burnley 1-0.

With 3 wins for Burnley and two for Hart Common the match was finely poised at 6 points each.

Much thanks to Phil Moore a late stand in for the Burnley side, who partnered David Hughes playing against David Whitehead and Chris Freeman. The home pair were really on their game and despite some good golf the visitors could do nothing to avoid the 6-4 victory to the home side.

Final score: Burnley 4wins; 8 points, Hart Common 2 wins 6 points.

Thursday 25th May

Berrington Hall GC v Burnley GC

Thursday saw Berrington entertain Burnley for their first league match of the season on a lovely day for golf.

Frank Murphy and Tony Pierce got the home team of two good start with a fine hard fought 2 and 1 win over Gwilym D-Jones and David Robinson

Things got better for Berrington when Chris Chisnall and Dave Organ had a superb victory over Burnley pair of Graham Haworth and Derek Bainbridge running out 7 and 6 winners

The third match had Berrington's Steve Mutgatroyd and Steve Morgan and Burnley’s David Wilson and John Greenwood fighting to the last hole with neither manage to secure the victory and the match finished all square.

The next 2 matches followed the same tight hard fought encounters but the time the Berrington pair of Mark Connor and Steve Maguire Getting the better of Burnley’s Andy Birbeck and Geoff Butterfield followed by Berrington's Mal Hayman and Dave Smith beating Ken Tattering and Myles Moore of Burnley both matches finishing 1 up

The last match was also a up and down match with Geoff Hull and Pete Bradshaw of Berrington going into the turn 3 up the Burnley’s S Tattersall and Martin Foulds fighting back to take a 2 shot lead into final 2 holes the Berrington pair managed to win the 17th But Burnley held on to win the last match finishing 2 up

Match score Berrington 4.1/2 [9 points] Burnley 1.1/2 [4 points

Tuesday 23rd May

Hindley Hall GC v Mytton Fold GC

Hindley Hall GC hosted their first home game in the North West Seniors League with lucky Mytton Fold GC players playing this wonderful course on a warm dry day with just a light wind. Gary Aldred had to play his game alone and did remarkably well in losing on the last, great effort Gary.

Game 1 Keith Aspey Keith Walmsley v Gary Aldred lost on last

Game 2 Gary Matthews Ray Ward v Keith Fitzhenry and Mick Bryan won 3/2

Game 3 Glyn Jones Andy Knowles v John Hindle and Tom Monks won 3/2

Game 4 Les Edwardson Alan Cartwright v Peter Sharpe and Alan Rodgers won 6/5

Game 5 Colin White Keith Fairhurst v Jim Bridge and Steve Worral win 5/4

Game 6 Kevin Leyland Jim Mason v Dave Pennington and Mick Mahon lost 4/5.

All games were played in great spirit Mytton players enjoyed the golf really enjoyed the course and hospitality given to them I hope this helps.

Hindley Hall GC 8points v 6 points

Hurlston Hall GC v Longridge GC Monday 22nd May

The sun was out to add to the warm welcome offered to Hurlston's long-standing rivals, Longridge, and we expected more heat in the matches to come. Dry conditions and a gentle breeze offered the prospect of a fast, bouncing and running course, helping to soften the challenge of the 6,678 yardages from the white tees. A strange feature of the teams' make-up was the fact that Longridge were giving shots to Hurlston in all six matches, Hurlston having two players with a handicap index under 16, Longridge having nine.

First up for Hurlston were James Milner and Martin Isherwood, taking on Roger Cain and John Cheadle. After taking an early lead, winning the first two holes including a two from John on the second, Longridge held Hurlston at bay and were three up after 11 holes. A spirited fight-back lead to Martin halving the match by winning the final hole with a par 5.

The second match was between Hurlston's ace single handicapper, Mark Rimmer (9.3), playing with Bernie Grady, and Longridge's big gun, Jeremy Morgan (8.5), with team Captain Dave Carling. In a tight match with Dave making the most of the shots he was receiving, Bernie closed the deficit to one hole with a two on the 12th. Mark then clinched another half by birdying the final hole for a draw.

Game three was Hurlston's team Captain Leigh McEvoy with Tom Ainscough against Longridge's junior section, Paul Greenall and Ged Forrest. The tightness of this game was epitomised on the par five 8th, which Paul birdied but Leigh halved with a par and a shot. All square after nine, pars were scored on every hole bar one from the 11th onwards. Tom's brilliant three on the 12th lead to Hurlston holding a two-hole advantage with three to play. Paul then parred 16 and unbelievably 17 to square the match with one hole to go. But trouble from the tee for the Longridge pair lead to a Hurlston victory on the last.

Match number four was Eric Todd with Hurlston Chairman John Walker., versus Fred Squires and Andy Tillotson. Another ding-dong match, with Hurlston going behind early but finishing the front 9 two up. It only took the Longridge pair until the 12th to get back level, but after some toing and froing and the match all-square again going down the 18th, Fred and Andy snatched a one-hole victory for Longridge.

Game five involved a very late sub for Hurlston, when very luckily the Club Vice Captain, John Baccino was on hand to replace a player with a last-minute injury. He partnered Steve Marr against Martin Grey and Robert Robinson (yet more players with alcoholic links, to go with Walker, Carling, Cain and Greenall). Incredibly, another ultra-tight game which was decided by one hole in favour of Hurlston.

The breeze was getting stronger for the final pairings, Kevin O'Brien and Ray Moses against Alan Peterson and Stan Hughes. After losing the first hole, Hurlston turned for home one up. They then turned on the after-burners, winning the next four holes, including a two for Ray on 12, and turned in the only convincing result, a 5 and 4 victory.

So, a typical hard-fought match, with a victory to Hurlston 8 - 5, but with Longridge probably feeling the slightly happier.

Longridge GC v Mytton Fold GC Thursday 18th May

The first match of the season at home, and off the white tees. Longridge GC are part way through installing a new sprinkler system on every green and tee, so the course doesn’t look as pristine at the moment with pot holes all over the place. However, the work did not affect the match. Game 1 saw Steve Brooks & Ged Forrest defeat Jim Bridge & Steve Worrall 5 & 4. Game 2 ended in a draw, team organiser Dave Carling & Jez Morgan played against Mick Bryan, and Keith Fitzhenry. The match developed into a putting contest, with neither team getting more than 1 up throughout the match, before ending up with two gimmies on the 18th for par. A fair result. The third match finished 7 & 6 win for the home team of Fred Squires & Lenny Wright v Phil Chadwick & Chris Quinn. Fred had 3 birdies in his round. Game 4 was the best home result of the day. Debutant Ged Dewhurst & Paul Greenall overcame Mytton organiser Alan Rogers & Dave Pennington 8 & 6. Geds day started with a great birdie on the first.The 5th game was another 7 & 6 win for the home side of Roger Cain & Gordon Cronshaw v Peter Main & John Hindle. Game 6 was another close match with the home pair of Martin Grey & Andrew Tillotson winning by 1 hole v Ewan McKenzie & Tony Monks.An excellent meal followed in the recently refurbished clubhouse, with some friendly banter.

The result Longridge GC 11 - 1 Mytton Fold GC

Burnley GC v Hurlston Hall GC

Burnley’s second match of the North West Seniors league season, this Thursday 18 th May, was another home fixture, this time welcoming Hurlston Hall.

An early start of 9.30am and excellent weather and course conditions set the scene for what would surely be a competitive set of matches.

First out the strong pairing from Burnley of Graham Haworth and Derek Bainbridge, who made their league debut this season faced John Sharps and John F Davies. The home pair, Graham off scratch, were giving away the maximum 21 shots, so would really have to be on their game to get a result.

John Sharps stamped his mark on the game by parring the stroke 1 and 2 holes (5 th and 15 th ) equating

to net eagles. Despite being 5 down at one point the home pair took the match to the eighteenth where Graham had to sink a 25ft birdie putt to halve the match.

On the tee at 9.40, Steve Tattersall and Martin Foulds against Martin Isherwood and Derek Doyle.

There was never much separating this group, both Martin’s birdied the 7 th such was the level of play.

Unfortunately Steve snapped his 3 wood as he pulled it out of his bag on the par 5 8 th but undeterred, the locals brought home a 2-1 victory.

Burnley pairing Myles Moore and Ken Tattersall then took on Steve Marr and Ray Moses. Another good quality match with Ray gaining birdies on the 7 th and 9 th . Myles and Ken are hard to subdue however and came out 5-3 winners.

The next match had the captains squaring up to each other, Gwilym Dwyfor-Jones from Burnley and Leigh McEvoy from Hurlston with their partners Stephen Pickup and Derek Blundell. This was a close fought match, never more than a hole in it. The home pair eventually made their local knowledge pay to close out the match on the 16th, 3-2.

Big thanks to the next Burnley pair, Malcolm Wills (ex: Burnley G.C President) and Steve Marlow for stepping in at the last minute to play, they took on Tom Ainscough and John Dixon. Perhaps the lack of preparation was the key to this solid performance from Malcolm and Steve who won 7-6 helped by an excellent chip in off the green by Steve on the 9 th .

Final match at 10.20 was between Burnley’s David Wilson and David Robinson against singleton Viv Allen. You would usually put your money on this Burnley pair, especially on their home turf and facing only one opponent. It was very close, though, Viv played some outstanding golf and took the match to the 16 th , finally succumbing 4-2.

A good day for the home side ending up with a draw and 5 wins, 11 points to 1.

Special thanks today to the Burnley caterers for standing in, Graham Haworth’s wife Debbie and her friend did an excellent job, the bread and butter pudding in particular was top drawer!

Wilpshire GC v Berrington Hall GC

A very pleasant day for our first match of the season at home to Berrington Hall GC. The match was a close encounter played in the best of spirits, with the match summary as detailed below:-

Match 1 was halved, with Jack Taylor making his League debut and League Secretary Nigel Fairhurst all square with Berrington pair David Organ and Brian Dermott. Match 2 was a 3&2 win for the ever-reliable Wilpshire pair of Lenny Gillett and Gerry Girvan against Frankie Murphy and Simon Morgan. Match 3 was another 3&2 win for Wilpshire pair Paul Hunter and Brendan Barrett against Chris Chisnall and Tony Pierce. This was a close-run match with putting proving to be the difference between the two teams. Match 4 was the sole win for Berrington Hall with Peter Bradshaw and Shaun Connor enjoying a 2 up win over Andy Bradford and Kevin Young. Match 5 was an exceptional 8 & 7 Wilpshire win for new pair Craig Currie and John Glynn against Steve McCormick and David Smith - It seems birdies and pars were the order of the day for the Wilpshire duo. Match 5 was a 3 &1 win for the Wilpshire golden oldies - Roger Hetherington and Dave Hawksworth - over Berrington Hall pair of Club Captain Malcolm Hayman and Seniors Captain Mike Stokes.

Overall, the result was a 9-4 victory for Wilpshire GC but on the evidence of today's match I fully expect Berrington Hall to be much higher in the League this season.

Paul Hunter.

Tuesday 2nd May

Burnley Glen View Golf Club kicked off their North West Seniors League season hosting

newcomers to the League, Hindley Hall.

First match out was Burnley Seniors Captain, Gwilym Dwyfor-Jones partnering Martin

Foulds facing Les Edwards and Alan Cartwright from Hindley Hall. The visitors always kept

their noses in front in this match and sealed the victory on the 15 th with a fine approach shot from Alan onto the tough stroke two hole, halving the hole and closing out the match 4-3.

Had the match gone as far as the 18 th then victory would surely still have gone to the visitors as Les fired in a 9 iron to the green and after a couple of bounces the ball rolled in for an eagle 2.

Next up for Burnley Derek Bainbridge and Graham Howarth against Hindley Hall Seniors

Captain Gary Mathews and Ray Ward. The low handicappers from Burnley were newcomers to the Seniors Team and they certainly stamped their mark with a 6-5 Victory.

David Wilson and Geoff Butterfield then took on visitors B Deacon and Keith Walmsley, this one went to the visitors 4-3.

Stuart Henderson and Alan Ferguson brought home a hard fought draw against Glynn Jones and Andrew Knowles to keep the home side in the match.

Two groups to go and Burnley would need to win both to equal points with Hindley.

Alan Green and Steve Tattersall, having been 5 up at one point, held on against T Magnall

and Anthony Skeat, who were only one down by the 17 th . The home pair kept their nerve

taking the 18 th hole, finally winning 2-0.

Last match out, Myles Moore and Ken Tattersall took on visitors Colin White and Paul

Entwistle. The Burnley pair are always tough to beat and this Tuesday they gelled well to

secure a 4-2 victory and save a point for the home side.

Final score 7-7.

It was a pleasure to host newcomers Hindley Hall, the food was excellent and without

exception everyone commented on how well the course was presented in particular the

greens at this time of year.