The Pros fourball betterball at Outlane Golf Club saw the winners pick up 13 nett birdies to have a clear win in the first division.

Meanwhile the second division winners put their two shot win down to a blistering second nine which resulted in only 27 to add to their opening 33 which was the same as second placed grandfather and grandson Dean and Matthew Clarke who must have thought they had done enough to win it.

Pros 4 Ball Better Ball Results:
Division 1:
Peter Sellers / Neil Morison = 57 nett
Ron Hardy / Michael Hales = 60 nett
John Firth / Patrick Wray = 60 nett

Division 2:
Richard Godino / Brent Ashton = 60 nett
Dean Clarke / Matthew Clarke = 62 nett
Roy Beaumont / Barry Hinchcliffe = 63 nett

The starting times for the next Alliance fixture are now available to view online.

The fixture at Elland Golf Club on Tuesday 24th November is totally full with a reserve list in place should anybody drop out. Start Sheet.

The Halifax, Huddersfield & District Union of Golf Clubs Team Manager, Chris Mear, has recently qualified as a Certified Mind Factor Coach and is now hoping that his new skills will be able to benefit local golfers by improving their game.

Mear, a former President of the Union and Captain at Meltham Golf Club, successfully completed the four day Mind Factor Institute course in Manchester and is now fully registered to impart his knowledge on to others. The intensive course consists of several elements of the mind game focusing in particular on four quadrants; Before golf, During golf, In between golf, and After golf.

Mear, who plays off a handicap of just three, told the Huddersfield Golf Blog, "We also did some work on the power of belief, and how you might believe what you are thinking but your mind may not! I am now really looking forward to working with clients to give them the power to harness their own mind and make their mind believe."

The course also covered hypnotherapy and the power of persuasion in relation to improving your golf game. Mear added, "There was just so much information to take in it was brilliant, the course was very intense and after four solid days everybody was very tired at the end but we all left the course feeling great."

The winter period is a fantastic time to work on the mental side of the game and those interested in working with Mear can contact him via email on meargolf.mindcoaching@googlemail.com or by phone at 07887838189 or 01484 859979.

The Halifax, Huddersfield & District Union of Golf Clubs have announced their fixture list for next season.

Crosland Heath will host the P.S. Cockroft Trophy, the Union's premier strokeplay event, on Sunday 8th August. As usual this 36-hole tournament will act as the qualifier for the Matchplay Championship with the top 32 progressing to the knockout stages. The first two rounds will be contested at Saddleworth a fortnight later, the quarter-final and semi-final matches will be played on Saturday 18th September at Halifax Bradley Hall with the 36-hole final taking place at Huddersfield Golf Club the following Sunday.

The Junior Matchplay final will take place on the same day with the strokeplay qualifier held at Bradley Hall on Sunday 4th July. The Junior Team Championship is at Outlane on the 6th June.

Halifax Golf Club host the Foursomes finals on the 19th September. Outlane is the venue for the Handicap Team Championship on Sunday 29th August with West End staging the Scratch Team Championship on Sunday 25th July. The Second Division of the Scratch Team Championship is at Queensbury on the 20th June.

Meanwhile the 9-hole Club Championship will be competed for at Longley Park on the 2nd May and the Seniors Strokeplay Championship heads to Elland on Tuesday 29th June.

In relation to team matters the Senior Team will take on the Junior Team in a pre-season game at Bradley Park on Sunday 18th April. The season then pans out for them with home ties at Woodsome Hall, Huddersfield, Dewsbury and West End. These are intersected by away trips to Hull (Kirkella), Bingley St. Ives and Catterick. The 6-man Team Championship will be held at Doncaster (Bessacarr) on the 12th September.

The Juniors will play their home matches at Meltham (twice) and Bradley Hall with away days at Kilnwick Percy (KP Club), Northcliffe and Harrogate (Starbeck). Their 6-man Team Championship will be held at Wakefield Golf Club on Thursday 26th August. The Inter Union Club Team Championship is at Brough this year and will be played on Sunday 11th July.

Having won the opening alliance fixture of the season, Mark Campbell and Michael Scott from Crow Nest Park, took top honors at Meltham last Tuesday.

Scoring an excellent 44 points, with a superb front nine of 23, they won by just one shot from home pairing Leon Bolton and Richard Clark.

Setting off like a train, the pair from Crow Nest Park had accumulated twelve points after just four holes, thanks mainly to two gross birdies on the first two holes. That kind of scoring is hard to maintain but with further gross birdies, this more than made up for their three single pointers in the round.

Not to be outdone second place pairing Bolton and Clark also had 23 on the front nine and had it not been for their single pointer on the relatively easy par4 15th, they could have been walking away with top spot.

In the Pro-Am section West End professional Darren Arber and his partner Andrew Baxter claimed first position with an amazing 45 points, this won the Pro-Am competition by 6 points.

The pair from West End between them scored a gross level par 71 for their round, which left them nine under nett!! In fact, their back nine of 24 points was one the highest recorded in recent times during alliance events. In second place were Chris Hanson and Ian Clegg from Woodsome Hall with 39 points.

In what was an unusual time for an Alliance to be held at Meltham the weather was actually not too bad. The day was overcast but surprisingly warm with just some intermittent light drizzle. The course itself was in good condition but recent essential maintenance to the greens did mean they were not up to their usual standards.

The service and hospitality received at Meltham was excellent and many complimented the meal afterwards. The Alliance would also like to thank Meltham, and in particular Paul Davis for his efforts in helping to organise the day.

The next event is at Elland Golf Club on Tuesday 24th November where the entry field is already full with 8 pairs in reserve. The alliance then moves onto Hebden Bridge on Tuesday 8th December where the field is also filling up quickly.

In the picture above are the the winners. Left to right; Pro-Am winners Andrew Baxter and Darren Arber. Centre is Barry Isles (Secretary of the H.H.D.G.A) followed by Am-Am winners Mark Campbell and Michael Scott from Crow Nest Park.

Leading Scores.

The latest professional's order of merit will be published later this week which includes details about the new scoring system. The fixtures for the second half of the season will also be posted later this week.

Details about a 'new' competition, The Champion Club Trophy, will also be announced shortly. This will be played for an old Alliance trophy that has recently been handed back to the Alliance which can no longer be played for under the original rules so has been re-devised under current regulations.

The Outlane annual Turkey Trot proved to be a fourball better ball of low scoring for a lot of players.

The winners, Ken Robinson and Steve Howlett, didn't have their usual partners to play with but teamed up to perfection to take first prize with a blistering 60 nett.

The three partnerships who scored a 61 must have thought it was a winning combination especially Andy Statham and 15-year-old Michael Thomas who were one of the first out whilst all the other Turkey winners were out in the later stages which proved to be the birdie period for low scoring!

TURKEY WINNERS:
Ken Robinson / Steve Howlett = 60 nett
Andy Statham / Michael Thomas = 61 nett
Peter Hey / Peter Lawton = 61 nett
Mark Clare / Trevor Mullins = 61 nett
Andy McLaughlin / Patrick O'Flynn = 62 nett
Andy Fearnley / Russell Cole = 62 nett

Dewsbury golfer Bob Oldroyd recently completed an amazing treble, spanning four decades, when he claimed the Veterans knockout title at the Mirfield based course earlier this year.

As well as many successes in general club competitions the former Club Captain's illustrious golfing resume now includes being Junior Champion in 1968, the Scratch Winner in 1984 and now his newly achieved Veterans crown.

Club Manager Mick Thorpe praised Oldroyd's treble, "This is quite an achievement to have claimed these titles over a 41 year time span and he is still going strong!"

He added, "No one else has managed this fete at the club and we doubt it will have been achieved many times at any other club."

The start times for the next HHDGA Alliance meeting have now been published.

The fixture will take place at Meltham Golf Club on Tuesday 10th November. The full start sheet can be seen here.

Last Monday, the 19th October 2009, Christine Withers from Dewsbury District Golf Club was enrolled as the new President of the Yorkshire Veteran Ladies' Golf Association.

Christine has served as both Lady Captain (1970) and Lady President (1975-76) at The Pinnacle Club.

She has also previously held the office of Captain of the Yorkshire Veteran Ladies' Golf Association in 1998.

Having been excellent supporters of the Alliance for many years, Meltham pair Neil Paxman and Tony Baier proved very popular winners at last weeks Alliance meeting at West End.

In another high scoring and tight competition, Paxman and Baier (pictured below with West Professional David Rishworth) scored an excellent 43 points to claim top spot and end a 10 year drought since their last win.

Being one of the later pairs to complete their round they overtook long time clubhouse leaders Dave Rollinson and Frank Roby from home cub West End. Two other pairs matched Rollinson and Roby’s score of 42 points but it was their excellent 22 points on the back nine that grabbed them second place.

On an interesting note, every Alliance event has specific local rules relating to the course and conditions on the day but this is the first time that Alliance officials have had to have a rule in for balls lost through birds stealing them. In fact on the day some dozen golfers reported balls vanishing from the course!!

In the PRO-AM Bradley Hall professional Rob Booth and his partner Andy Hare (pictured below) claimed first position with an excellent 41 points that included four birdies. In second place, after a card play off, were David Astin from Woodsome Hall and his partner John Gumbley from Hebden Bridge with 39 points.

In what was a welcome return to West End after 10 years, the weather could not have been any better and with the course in excellent condition the day proved a huge success, highlighted by the fact that this was a record field for an event at this time of the year, for which the Alliance would like to give thanks.

James Washington, one of the Alliance's organisers commented, "The service and hospitality received at West End was excellent and many complimented the meal afterwards. The Alliance would also like to thank West End Golf Club, and in particular David Rishworth for his efforts in helping to organise the day and for conducting the presentation with Barry Isles so professionally."

The next event is at Meltham Golf Club on Tuesday 10th November.

Leading Scores.