Yorkshire Youngsters Flying the Flag for England

Six Yorkshire teenagers will travel to Spain next month in a bid to be crowned Britain's best young golfers by securing title glory for England in the Junior Team Home Nations Championship.

Willow Valley Golf's junior members will represent their country at the prestigious La Manga course on January 17-22 after qualifying for the Under 18s event by winning the English Inter-Club tournament, a national junior competition which attracted teams from over 1,200 clubs.

Lewis Howell, Tom Calvert, George Branch, Ali Butters, Tom Brancker and Tom Pinder were the first Yorkshire side to win the national event with a thrilling victory in October's final at The Oxfordshire Golf Club, the team from Brighouse, near Huddersfield, clinching top spot by an impressive five strokes. (see report)

Willow Valley Golf's success has thrilled the local community and the team, who will be kitted out for the occasion by the club as well as local clothing companies Stromberg and Glenbrae, will have a sizeable contingent of supporters behind them when they tee off against Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

The important tournament is also due to be screened by Sky Sports, but Willow Valley Golf's junior organiser Chris Nuttall is confident the team will not be fazed by the cameras or the tag of underdogs in La Manga.

He said: "Our professionals are already preparing the team for the tournament and I am sure they will be in the right frame of mind. We might be underdogs due to our higher handicaps, but we have already defied the odds by beating some established clubs in the nationals. They are a great bunch of lads who believe in each other and want to go and do the best for their county and their country. "

Mr Nuttall added: "I think we have a fantastic chance of winning the tournament. I have told the lads 'we have come this far, so lets go and win it'. "

The youngsters' achievements are a massive boost for Willow Valley Golf, which also hosts the Yorkshire PGA Championship in June and was voted one of the best new courses in the British Isles.

It boasts three fine courses in Willow Valley, Pine Valley and Fountain Ridge - built to exacting U.S.G.A standards - and with its dedicated team of P.G.A. professionals, the club can cater for all ages and standards.

Playing facilities include a 24 bay all weather driving range, a three-hole floodlit Academy Course and practice putting areas. After a challenging day on the fairways, the club's improved spacious changing area, bar and restaurant can help round off the perfect golfing day. The club also stages corporate events and society days.

Established in 1993 Willow Valley Golf is one of the north's premier golfing venues, and now its talented young members will be flying the flag for England at the world-renowned La Manga course, in an attempt to upset the odds by becoming the first team from Yorkshire to bring back the Home Nations trophy.

The Willow Valley complex boasts three high-class courses, two 18-hole and one nine-hole, and a host of other playing facilities including a 24 bay all-weather driving range, a floodlit three-hole Academy course and practice putting areas, while the clubhouse has spacious changing facilities, a restaurant and bar. The club also stages corporate events and society days.

The Willow Valley course has also been chosen to host the Yorkshire PGA Championship until 2013. The tournament has had several high-profile winners in the past, including Ryder Cup player Gordon Brand.

Bradley Hall Remove Entry Fees

With the current financial crisis and in line with the latest E.G.U. initiative to boost golf club membership, Bradley Hall Golf Club have removed Entry Fees for all categories of membership for at least the coming year.

Competitions Director Mick Jones explained the action which is likely to see an influx of members at the Halifax club in 2009, "This decision was ratified at an E.G.M. on Wednesday 10th December 2008. The Club have a number of vacancies in all categories of membership, from 'Full Playing' (seven day) to 'Five Day' (Monday to Friday) and Juniors for both male and female golfers."

Enquiries for membership can be made to the club secretary or via the club website www.bradleyhallgolf.co.uk

Get Your Game in Shape

Local golfers now have a fantastic opportunity to literally get their game in shape over the winter with the help of a qualified and state-registered Physiotherapist who specialises in golf fitness.

Craig Coulson is a Bsc Hons, MCSP and HPC registered Physiotherapist and will be providing golf fitness screening down at the Huddersfield Indoor Golf Centre in Honley.

Coulson will be using state-of-the art video to analyse a golfers posture and determine how this affects the kinetic chain. He will then show you how to maximise the kinetic chain to suit your golf swing.

The benefits of golf fitness screening are plentiful and is a process used by many of the top touring professionals.

For better players it is designed to lower handicaps further by taking your game to the next plateau and maximise the full potential out of your game.

Mid to high handicappers will benefit by ensuring a correct posture and increasing feel throughout the golf swing whilst it allows junior golfers to get into the right habits at an early age to avoid overuse and burnout.

Senior golfers are also likely to benefit too by keeping playing into their later years and maximise their playing time.

Also included in the session is a pack of exercises for you to take away and feedback for your golf swing coach, should you have one. An hours session will cost £40 with further information available by calling 07739004443.

The Huddersfield Indoor Golf Centre is a fantastic golfing environment where so much is going on!

Currently run by the Crosland Heath attached professional, Chris Hanson, it’s a golf training centre but with a difference as it can also be used for entertaining clients, staff bonding nights and work parties. The state-of-the-art simulator is a fantastic way to relax and have fun for golfers of all abilities!

Hanson is delighted to have Coulson providing the screening at the centre, "Over the last few winters I have been training with Craig and he is fantastic at what he does. I believe it is something all golfers should look into. If you are keen about your fitness and gym work then this really points you in the right direction. I have found out how I am doing so many things wrong, but have seen so much improvement over the last two winters from what we have worked on."

The screening process is already proving popular with quite a few pros and amateurs having booked sessions already, including former English Amateur champion Aran Wainright.

Yorkshire Golf Factor Talent Search!

ATTENTION LOCAL JUNIOR GOLFERS: Is there a Tiger living in Yorkshire? Golf Factor Talent search certainly intends to find out! And if you are aged between 8 and 16 years old you have the opportunity to enter this fantastic competition and possibly share in £10,000 worth of support that is up for grabs!

The brainchild of John Andrew, a Class AA PGA Qualified Professional and owner of the John Letters Golf Academy in Huddersfield, has launched this event with official partners Direct Golf UK, Nike Golf, John Letters Golf and The Yorkshire Golfer magazine also being involved.

The Golf Factor Talent Search is a junior golf talent competition with the goal of identifying golf talent in Yorkshire to help them become the best they can be in the sport. Plus there is the small matter of £10,000 worth of support up for grabs to the three lucky winners, which includes elite equipment, coaching, and personal development at the highest level.

Golf’s high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy, manners and fair play make it stand out from many other sports, and it sets a very good example to young people. Golf is now widely recognised as one of the most popular sports in the country with a reported 4 million golfers taking part in the sport.

Andrew, who is also Chairman and owner of the award winning multi-channel golf retailer Direct Golf explained the initiative, "Tiger Woods is the richest and most famous sporting icon in the world, his talent was recognised from an early age by his father Earl, and he was given the opportunity to fulfill his potential which through dedication and a burning desire to win he has achieved truly remarkable results. We are now giving youngsters in the area the chance to follow in his footsteps."

The competition is FREE to enter and is open to boys and girls aged 8-16 living in Yorkshire with each player assessed by an expert panel of judges headed by Mr Andrew. There is a total of four stages which will determine the eventual winners.

Full details, FAQ's and an entry-form for those interested in entering this fantastic competition are available on the John Letters website.

Yorkshire IDU 2009 Fixtures

The Yorkshire Inter-District Union have released details of their 2009 fixture schedule. Below you can see dates for both the Main and Junior League fixtures plus dates of the various team championships.

League Fixtures 2009:
17th May:
East Riding v Teesside at Scarborough Sth Clf
Harrogate v Sheffield at Romanby
Bradford v York at West Bradford
Leeds v H’fax-H’field at Wetherby

14th June:
Teesside v Harrogate at Teesside
Sheffield v Bradford at Silkstone
York v Leeds at Easingwold
H’fax-H’field v East Riding at Huddersfield

28th June:
East Riding v York at Cottingham Parks
Harrogate v H’fax-H’field at Harrogate
Bradford v Teesside at Baildon
Leeds v Sheffield at Horsforth

12th July:
York v Harrogate at Forest Park
H’fax-H’field v Bradford at Bradley Hall
Teesside v Leeds at Wynyard
Sheffield v East Riding at Doncaster Town Mr

2nd August:
East Riding v Harrogate at Hornsea
Bradford v Leeds at Bradford
Teesside v Sheffield at Middlesbrough
York v H’fax-H’field at York

16th August:
Harrogate v Bradford at Rudding Park
Leeds v East Riding at Moortown
Sheffield v York at Worksop
H’fax-H’field v Teesside at Meltham

6th Sept:
East Riding v Bradford at Ganstead Park
Harrogate v Leeds at Thirsk & N’allerton
Teesside v York at Saltburn
Sheffield v H’fax-H’field at Chesterfield


Junior League Fixtures 2009:
9th April: Bradford v East Riding at Cleckheaton
15th April: Teesside v Leeds at Castle Eden
17th April: Harrogate v Teesside at Thirsk & N.A.
17th April: Leeds v Sheffield at Wooley Park
3rd May: H’fax-H’field v Harrogate at Dewsbury
10th May: H’fax-H’field v East Riding at Bradley Park
24th May: H’fax-H’field v Bradford at Woodsome Hall
26th May: Teesside v Sheffield at Blackwell Gr’nge
28th May: Leeds v Bradford at Horsforth
28th May: Sheffield v Harrogate at Sitwell Park
24th July: East Riding v Sheffield at Brough
29th July: Harrogate v Leeds at Ilkley
30th July Bradford v Teesside at Bradford
30th July: Sheffield v H’fax-H’field at Hillsborough
31st July: East Riding v Teesside at Scarborough N.C
3rd August: Bradford v Harrogate at Northcliffe
5th August: Leeds v H’fax-H’field at Sand Moor
6th August: Harrogate v East Riding at Knaresborough
10th August: Teesside v H’fax-H’field at Saltburn
20th August: Sheffield v Bradford at Owston Hall
21st August: East Riding v Leeds at Hainsworth Park


Team Championships / Other:
12th July: Junior Club Team Championship at Forest Park
8&9th August: E.G.U. Final JCT Championship at Burghley Park
27th August: Junior Team Championship at Tankersley Park
13th September: Team Championship at Bedale
15th September: Past Presidents Day at Forest Park

Hanson: I'm Up For The Challenge

2009 will see Chris Hanson target the European Challenge Tour as a main priority when the new season starts next year.

Hanson, attached at Crosland Heath Golf Club, will continue to play events on the EuroPro Tour but with the ranking that he has achieved through European Tour Qualifying School, where he progressed to the second stage, he aims to make more appearances on the Challenge Tour, which sits directly beneath the main European Tour.

Hanson said, "Next year I plan to play the season a little differently. I want to try and push myself more and play with better players and the Challenge Tour has to bring the best golf out of me. Over the last two years I have played a few events on there and the experience has been fantastic; the set up is better, the players are better and you can achieve more from doing well at that level."

Before then Hanson's winter schedule will include participation in HHDGA Alliance tournaments, hard practice at the Huddersfield Indoor Golf Centre (which he is currently running with great success - see more) and a Pro-Am in Spain during January.

One of the other things Hanson highlights, which should stand him in good stead for next year, is the work he has done with trainer Chris Coulson,"A massive help in 2008 was the work I did with Craig. I trained with him over the last winter and through the season. This winter we are planning better, more structured work and the effects on my golf from this training will show very soon."

Deana Taking Local Golfers to the Next Level

Golfers in the area now have a fantastic opportunity to take their game to the next level by improving the mental side of their golf as well as working on the technical aspects of their swing.

Last week forward-thinking Bradley Park PGA qualified professional, Deana Rushworth, attended a four day intensive course on NLP Sports Psychology and Hypnosis, run by the internationally renowned Dr Karl Morris.

Morris is an extremely successful sports psychologist and mind coach to many tour players and Ryder Cup stars such as Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke. We mentioned last month that he is also going to be working with top Halifax, Huddersfield & District Union players in 2009 as they go in search of silverware in the Yorkshire Inter-District-Union League next term (see report).

Rushworth summarised the four day course held in Manchester, "It was centred around how the brain receives and processes information and how to maximise each golfers personal potential."

And she firmly believes that it will not only aid her but also her clients adding, "The wealth of strategies learned has improved my outlook on how to coach both the golf swing and the golfer, making lessons more personal and in turn more productive. Throughout the four days, I learned and became confident in delivering simple and effective exercises to improve and achieve many areas of a golfers game"

Some of the areas Deana will specialise in to help golfers with their game are:
-Self image, self esteem, self belief and self confidence.
-A feeling of calmness on the golf course.
-A reduction in anxiety and 1st tee nerves.
-Strategies to manage anger and emotions.
-An increased enjoyment from your game.
-Concentration and focus.
-Individual IPS (Ideal Performance State).
-More productive and motivating practice sessions, resulting in an increased sense of achievement.
-The transition from the driving range to the golf course.

The former England international player told The Huddersfield Golf Blog, "I feel so excited about what I have learned and I cannot wait to share it with people and improve their game further. I feel that I have increased and developed my knowledge and understanding tenfold, enabling my answers to common questions asked on a daily basis i.e. 'How come i can hit the ball fantastically on the range and then go out and play like I've never picked up a club before?' to be more informed and useful to the golfer."

With a few months still to the start of the season now is the perfect time to work on your game and make next season your best yet! If any of the above points are area's that you feel you could improve on then now is the time to take action!

Anybody who is interested in really improving their game on a one-to-one basis or in a group of friends, for personalised assessments, sessions and lesson packages should contact Deana on 01484 223772 or 07739 844527.

Deana also has her own website: www.deanagolfpro.co.uk