Looking Ahead To The New Season

Frances Gell endured a very frustrating year in 2020 as Captain of the Cheshire County Ladies Golf Association along with other golfers and sports organisations across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Frances, a member of Bramhall Golf Club, will be carrying on in her role in 2021 and she is optimistic that it will be a successful year for the county with the hard work that is being put in behind the scenes in preparation for a busy year.

Frances said: “My hopes for 2021 are obviously that we get back to some sort of normal golf and that the indoor and outdoor training/coaching can happen this year, although there are alternatives happening online already.

“The low handicap ladies and up and coming juniors, together with some members of the Seniors’ elite squad, are already benefiting from online coaching from Mike Kanski from the Phil Kenyon Putting Academy.

“Mark Pilling, the Prestbury GC PGA coach, is also going to be doing a couple of sessions online over the winter before we hopefully start with coaching in March.

“My big hope is that the County Championship takes place at Bramhall GC from May 9-11, the Junior Championship at Prestbury on May 23, and that we are able to play in County Match Week at Alnmouth GC June 28 - July 2, and the Junior Jamboree at Wynyard GC July 26 and 27.

“For a County Captain those are amongst the highlights of the year.

“We’ve had some plus and low handicap ladies join the County in 2020 and so I’m very hopeful that, together with the fairly intensive coaching and training programme we’ve put in place over the next few months, we may go from strength to strength and perform very well at County Match Week.

“We’ve also got some wonderful youngsters performing very well and reducing handicaps so we’d love to build on our success in 2019 and win the Junior Jamboree again.

“There is now a full contingent on our board and our sub committees, particularly the Junior Sub Committee, so I am happy when I leave office I will be leaving a good strong team behind to support Jackie Hesketh in her year in 2022 as County Captain.”

l A Sunday singles Stableford played at Denton, before the latest lockdown, was very tight with a cpo on 28 points won by Duncan Calder from Reece Hobson and David Sibanda, one more than John Strickland.

l A Team Bucket Stableford at Ashton, also played before the latest lockdown, was led in by S Garner and P Zrada, with a neat 50 points ahead of C Quinlan and B Froggatt 49 and S Gregg and D Wilson 48, one more than Glynn Taylor and Paul Cooper.

A Sunday Stableford at Ashton was close in division one with Callum O’Neill winning a cpo on 40 points from Bill Croxton and Alan Newell.

In division two, Charlie Mills was out on his own with 44 points from Kyle McCannon 42, Graham Brooks 41 and Darren Howles, Mike Cooke and John Lees, all 40.

Top of division three was Michael Brooks with a best of the day haul of 47 points from Bailey Kilgannon 44 and Paul Zrada 40.

l The most recent Winter League action at Stamford saw Chris Montgomery win a cpo on 29 points from Graham Dowd, two points more than Joseph Martin, Terry Merson, Kevin Brown, Scott Barker and Ian Mayes.

l The popular and very active Knutsford Golf Club professional Tim Maxwell has organised the successful Maxitours competitions for club golfers in the region for several years.

Tim has managed to get most of the fixtures in action during the Covid problems, with usually well over 100 players at his weekly competitions with many of them from local clubs.

Now Tim has completed his summer schedule for 2021 to provide players with the best golf, on the best courses at the best prices.

The programme includes the Moorland Masters and The Welsh Classic and included in the programme, also involving an Order of Merit, are top venues such as Pleasington, Conwy, Vale Royal Abbey, Hopwood, Vale of Llangollen, Prestbury, Stockport, Ringway and Clitheroe.

To find out more visit Maxitoursgolf.com