Castletown Golf Club
LAUGHLIN EXTENDS HIS LEAD IN WINTER LEAGUE
Attention all parents or guardians, at half-term a three-day junior golf development camp is taking place at Castletown Golf Links from 16-18th February. Aimed at players aged 12-18, tuition in all aspects of the beautiful game runs from 9am until noon each day with supervised course play afterwards. Eight places are available and the cost is £150 per student. Contact the pro-shop on 822211 or email: rasheed@castletown.golf for more information.
With demolition of the old hotel now underway, parking was at a premium on Saturday. Early starter Keith Featherstone (9) had no such problems, and he also squeezed in ten pars and three nett pars in his fine five over par round. This was good enough to win the latest round of the Winter League in a three-way countback with 33 Stableford points accumulated over the 15-hole course.
William Laughlin (8) birdied the 6th and was leading at 2 over with two to play. A disappointing double bogey followed and although he equalled Featherstone’s overall and back-nine score he became the closest countback casualty based on their final six holes. Compensatingly, Laughlin extended his lead to 22 points in the Winter League after one 4th place and two 2nd place finishes. Nick Maybin, who won the first round, remains second in the league with 31 placement points.
Placement prizes on Saturday were based on the top two finishers plus the next best scores in each of the three divisions comprised of handicaps: (up to 4), (5-8) and (9 or over). Consequently, Terry Ditchfield (6), who birdied four of his first seven holes in his terrific two over par round had to settle for the runner’s up prize in division two with his front-loaded 33 points.
This also meant that both fourth placed Matt Ascroft (5) and sixth-placed Dom Litton (5) dipped-out in a congested division two with 32 points. Conversely, senior club champion Sam Skelton (+2) was rightly rewarded for topping division one with the same Stableford score following his fantastic four under par performance.
On 30 points, tenth-placed Steve Zybert (11), who nett-eagled the 4th hole, headed division three to procure the final placement prize. Two near holes-in-ones were rewarded with boxes of balls for securing the NTP prizes: Mark Todd was just 60cm away on the 13th, but Paul Keeley was figuratively spitting feathers after he missed his birdie putt from 84cm on the 16th.
There were ten takers for the mixed midweek 15-hole Stableford and Jamie Garrett (7) successfully secured the win despite a nasty N/R on the 11th. His 28 points was one ahead of Ross Mulligan (+4) who duly delivered four birdies but mingled them with three bothersome bogeys. Some sixes and sevens corrupted the card of the aforementioned Will Laughlin (8) who finished third with 26 points. Leighton Cup holder Linda Fisk (15) was the first of three ladies who entered. Encouragingly, 20 of her 24 points were bagged on the back-nine.
This coming Saturday a Pyramid AM-AM is set to entice us. Over the first third just one Stableford score is required, two are needed in the second sector, and this ramps up to three on the final third.
Finally, please note that Oli in the pro-shop is currently undertaking TrackMan taster sessions for anyone wishing to familiarize themselves with the splendid golf simulator now available at the upgraded indoor training facility adjacent to the greenkeepers’ sheds in Derbyhaven Road. Monthly packages are available providing usage from a mere £12.50 per hour. Shown below is scratch golfer Liam Cowin busy assessing golf balls for flight, spin rate and carry distance.
MALCOLM LAMBERT
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