Juniors and Seniors golf at Greetham Valley

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on April 17, 2012

The Clark Chapman Trophy is an annual competition played for by Greetham Valley and Burghley Park Juniors; the format is matchplay and the teams play home and away. Greetham have won the Trophy for the past three years and set out their stall to try for a record breaking fourth. The first of the two matches was at Greetham Valley and was off white tees on the Valley course. The home team was at a slight disadvantage as they had only seven team members against Burghley’s eight, this meant that Junior Captain Ryan Tarrant played on his own against Joe Carr and Dean Vaughan. Ryan managed to win one up with a very mature Captain’s performance.

In the second match Freddie Turner and Frazer McCombie beat Adam Vaughan and Sanjay Niithigalingam four and two. Will Chamberlain and Cameron Hornsby beat Matt Lem and his partner two and one.

Alex Ashwin and debutant Bobbie Elsigood lost to the very good pairing of Joe Regis and Jordan Mayman by four and three.

Junior Organiser Pat Jones said that she was very proud of her team which is looking forward to the return match at Burghley Park. 

After a harsh overnight frost and a cold changeable wind, the Lakes course was a very cold place to be in Rutland this Monday morning when eighty plus Seniors took to the fairways to compete for the April monthly medal. The bitter weather didn’t seem to affect the winner in division one, Neil Lowndes. He shot a brilliant seventy seven gross, net sixty eight to take the win and the lowest gross and was rewarded with a cut to eight. John Dowding was second on count back with a gross eighty seven, net seventy and was cut to sixteen. Barry Shaw took third place with a gross 84, he was cut to thirteen.

Dick Thirlwell won division two, the lowest gross for the division and the overall medal with a score of ninety two gross, net sixty seven. This was in spite of coming off the par five fifteenth with a nine and then repeating the “feat” on the sixteenth; Dick was cut to twenty two. Peter Morris took second place on count back from Dennis Cleggett both scoring a net seventy three.

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Lincolnshire County Ladies’ Golf Fundraiser at Greetham Valley

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on April 17, 2012

A mixed Am-Am to raise funds for Lincolnshire County Ladies’ Golf took place on Saturday 14th April at Greetham Valley. This was the brainchild of Gilly Grant who together with County player and Greetham Valley member Sophie Beardsall and member Sally Bowker brought it to fruition. Seventy six brave souls took to the Lakes course in a howling and extremely cold Rutland wind, many of them Greetham Valley members who were keen to support the Lincolnshire Ladies and Juniors. The very rough weather made scoring quite tough and this was reflected in the final scores for some teams. This however didn’t seem to apply to Zoe Ridgeway from Tytherington Golf Club near Macclesfield:  Zoe managed to birdie the short but difficult par three fourteenth and then followed this up with an eagle on the par five fifteenth. 

The format was two to score on each hole except the par threes where all four had to count. The winning team was made up of Greetham Valley member Heather Morgan and her friends from Burghley Park who came home with eighty seven points. The Torksey team came second only two points behind and in third place was a team from Stoke Rochford who scored eighty three points. Tytherington and Normanby Hall were fourth and fifth respectively with eighty three and eighty one points.  

After the fun and frivolities on the golf course came the serious business of fund raising. First up was the sweep stake for the Grand National followed by a raffle. The raffle and the entries which the Hinch family, Greetham Valley’s proprietors had donated to the fund brought the running total to £1600.

Former Men’s Captain George Grant gavel in hand took to the floor to launch the auction. Prizes had been donated by the victorious European Solheim Cup team, Lee Westwood, Darren Clark and several local golf clubs who were kind enough to donate a fourball. Former Ladies’ Captain Jackie Friend was up at 0600 that morning cooking one of her famous Chinese meals which was bought by the County Captain Cindy Ireland. 

George did a magnificent job as an auctioneer, even talking himself into buying a pair of Solheim Cup Ecco golf shoes. Thanks to George’s efforts and the generosity of the buyers a further £1600 was raised bringing the total on the day to a staggering £3200. Gilly, Sophie and Sally had hoped for a figure of £1500 and were astounded by the final total, Gilly Grant said that thanks to the generosity of the people who donated and people who bought, this will be an enormous support to the county and will allow them to continue developing the game in Lincolnshire and hopefully see the first team challenging for national honours again.

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20th Anniversary Invitation Golf Day

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on April 11, 2012

Greetham Valley started off in 1992 as a driving range, par three nine hole academy course, 18 holes course and clubhouse. Over the past twenty years a further 18 holes have been added, along with a bowls green, hotel, lodges, gym and fishing lakes. Greetham Valley has evolved into one of the finest resort complexes in the area and one of the ways this was celebrated on the 20th Anniversary was an Invitation Golf Day to say thank you to staff, former Captains and officers of the club. This was a shotgun start played on the Valley course on a lovely warm Rutland day. The format was a fourball Am-Am, with the best two on each hole to count. 

Second team Captain Alan Bennet took the Gents Nearest the Pin and Hazel Hinch won the ladies. Ladies’ Vice Captain Sheila Douty went one better and had a hole in one on the par three eighteenth. She didn’t get a nearest the pin prize, but she did win a bar bill.

 Juniors’ Captain Ryan Tarrant, Club Pro Gary Constable, Men’s Captain Jim Wheeler and Ladies’ Captain Eileen Pare  took third place with eighty five points.

 Men’s Vice Captain Trevor Smith, Harvey Harrison, Trevor Ireland and Sheila Douty were second with 86 points. 

The winners were Joe Ritchie, Bob Green, Keith Crellin and Sue Wiles with a brilliant 91 points. 

After the prize giving it was time for a quick change before the Anniversary celebration party took place. Greetham Valley proprietors Frank, Hazel, Robert and Dee Hinch said that they look forward to the next twenty years!

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Final round of Greetham Valley’s Winter Order of Merit

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on April 5, 2012

The final round of Greetham Valley’s 2011/2012 Winter Order of Merit was held on the Valley course which at the start of play was quite cold but after an hour or so the temperature drifted upwards towards the accepted norm for the month of twenty two degrees. On the day, Paul Jenkinson took his third win of the series with another fine performance,scoring thirty seven points and just edging out the very steady Graham Smith who came in with thirty six points. Fred Aspin took third place with thirty four points and for the second week running, Adrian Cunningham was edged out of the placings on count back.  

The overall Order of Merit had a final twist on the last day: three players from the top ten were missing from the final and this affected the overall prize table which saw the top eleven places receiving prize money. After the final round, the top of the table saw some last minute changes. Long time leader Bob Beverley finished in fifth place with 256 points, Fraser Denholm‘s final round wasn’t as good as his previous day’s when he won the Anniversary Trophy and he ended the series in fourth with 276.5 points. Dave Copley was pushed back from last week’s position of second to finish third on 278.2. Graham Smith’s very steady scoring throughout the series was rewarded when he managed to squeeze past Dave Copley to take second place, finishing with 294 points.

The eventual winner of the Winter Order of Merit was Adam Clegg with a massive 311 merit points. Adam scored consistently every week and the final day was no exception; he came home with thirty two points which included a birdie on the seventh and an eagle on the thirteenth. It also saw him picked for the Greetham Second Team after impressing Team Captain Alan Bennett.

Neil Harris won high praise for his impeccable organisation from all of the competitors and was presented with a copy of his own recently published follow up book in the Eric and the Red Shoes series. This was signed by everybody who had played in the series and presented by former Captain John Sparks.

With £565 in prize money the top eleven players were rewarded for their sterling efforts throughout the series. Notable success goes to Paul Jenkinson for a rapid climb up the table, finishing a credible 14th with only a handful of outings. Out of the forty four players who took part, thirty two received a handicap cut and shared in the weekly prizes. 

Elliott Clark finishing 6th just edging out the missing 2011 Order of Merit winner Martin Boughton and Steve Anderson into 7th and 8th place respectively. Neil Harris finished in 9th just ahead of the absent Steff Dutton in 10th with Carl Causbrook maintaining 11th spot beating the unlucky Paul Clegg by 6 points.

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In form Fraser wins Greetham Valley’s Anniversary Trophy

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on April 3, 2012

As players teed off in the Anniversary Trophy on 31st March, Greetham Valley saw temperatures drop from the twenty plus experienced only twenty four hours previously to a miserly eight degrees with a stiff cold breeze. Everybody wants to win this Trophy because it is the first of the big on ones, with the winner’s name displayed on the Club honours board, not to mention getting off to a good start for the season. 

Fraser Denholm won the Trophy with forty two points. He got off to a good start by parring the first three holes then went on to bogey the next four. He steadied the ship a little with a birdie on the ninth and finished the front nine only three over. Fraser bogeyed the tenth and eleventh but again steadied himself by parring the next five only to come unstuck on the seventeenth where he dropped a further shot. He finished well with a hard won par on the eighteenth to end his round on forty two after dropping six shots in total. The twelve handicapper was ecstatic to have won as his ambition this year is to try cut out the little mistakes and to get his handicap cut to six or seven. He was cut to eleven to start him on his way. 

Second place went to Fraser’s Winter Order of Merit rival Adam Clegg, who came home with with forty one points and saw his handicap cut to eight. Wayne Clark was third with thirty nine points, and was cut to sixteen.

Christine Edwards won the Ladies’ Anniversary Trophy with thirty five points. Christine had a fantastic run of form in 2011 and looks to have got this year off to a good start. Christine said in her usual shy way that it was quite hard fighting the wind on some of the already tough par fives but that she was over the moon with the win.

Second and third had to be decided on count back after five Ladies came home with thirty three points. Pat Jamieson took second place and Chris Harper was third. The unlucky Sally Bowker and Lesley Young were pushed back to fourth and fifth respectively, Ah, what if!

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Fantastic 20th Anniversary celebration for Greetham Valley

Posted by Dee Hinch, Business & Marketing Director on March 31, 2012

What a fantastic 20th Anniversary celebration for Greetham Valley yesterday! From the arrival at lunchtime of our past captains and other officials and stalwarts of the Golf Club for the Invitation golf competition, to the departure of the last of the 354 guests at the celebration party in the wee small hours this morning, the whole event was absolutely brilliant!

Coffee and bacon rolls in the Lounge Bar greeted the 72 players in the shotgun start, organised by Dennis Millington with minimal interference from yours truly. During the partaking of a glass of ‘celebration punch’ (aimed at improving everyone’s first tee shot), Sir David Davenport-Handley unveiled a lovely clock  presented to the Hinch family as a token of appreciation and to commemorate the 20th Anniversary from Greetham Valley Golf Club’s members. The golf competition was played on the Valley course on a lovely Rutland Spring day as an AM-AM stableford off 3/4 handicap. First place team prizes of crystal icebuckets and bottles of champagne went to last year’s Captain Bob Green, Joe Ritchie, Sue Wiles and Keith Crellin. Second place prizes of a bottle of pink champagne each went to Vice Captains Trevor Smith and Sheila Douty, teamed with two likely lads from the Lincolnshire Golf Union, Trevor Ireland and Harvey Harrison. Third place prizes of a bottle of champagne each went to current Captains Jim Wheeler and Eileen Pare, teamed with Juniors’ Captain Ryan Tarrant and Greetham Valley’s new PGA Advanced professional Gary Constable. Ladies’ Nearest the Pin on the 3rd was won by Hazel Hinch whilst Tony Kvederas won the Gents’ Nearest the Pin on the three tiered 16th.  To top it all off, Sheila Douty was presented with yet another bottle of pink champagne to celebrate her fantastic hole in one on the 18th!

Many of the players then dashed off to don their best bib and tucker for the evening celebration party, which was spread throughout the entire complex – the Rutland Suite, the Lakeview Suite and the Lounge Bar. Greetham Valley’s team of chefs served a delicious two course meal family style direct to the tables – 354 guests tucked into lamb hotpot with seasonal vegetables, followed by a platter of scrumptious finger desserts and a British and continental cheese board. Dancing then followed to the sounds of the JH Roadshow disco and live music from the one and only Crazy Ape, who had the dancefloor filled all night.

To escape the music, guests strolled through to the Lounge Bar where they enjoyed blackjack and roulette tables of the Casino – with the person holding the most chips at the end of the night winning a meal for four dining from Greetham Valley’s new seasonal menu to the value of £100! Derek Ward, one of Greetham Valley’s course marshals, showed hints of his previous career as a professional magician by visiting the dining tables, entertaining guests with amazing sleight of hand card tricks – had to be seen to be believed, incredible!

All in all, a fantastic night, clearly enjoyed by everyone! Thank you from the Hinch family to all who attended throughout the day to help us celebrate Greetham Valley’s 20th Anniversary and a special thank you to all our staff, whose hard work was smoothly carried out, professional, thorough – and who seemed to be really enjoying the atmosphere just as much as the guests they were looking after!

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Greetham Valley’s 20th Anniversary celebration!

Posted by Dee Hinch, Business & Marketing Director on March 30, 2012

Just finished setting courses up for Greetham Valley’s 20th Anniversary and I do believe that in the 17 years I have been here, the courses are in the best condition for the start of the season than they have ever been. Look forward to a wonderful season! Adi

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Greetham Valley Winter Order of Merit penultimate round

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on March 28, 2012

The penultimate week of the Winter Order of Merit took place on Saturday in conditions that would not have been out of place on a lovely Rutland July day. The Lakes course was the venue for the final time in this year’s competition, next week’s final will be held on the Valley course.

Andrew Queen hasn’t played many games in the competition but whenever he has he has scored quite well. This week he topped the leader board with a faultless thirty nine points to take a maximum 50 Order of Merit points and was cut to seven. In second with thirty seven points was Carl Causbrook who was cut to nine. Just missing out on countback, Adrian Cunningham took the third spot. With thirty seven points, Adrian was the long time leader in the Clubhouse and while he was very pleased with his game, he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. 

Adam Clegg remains at the top of the Order of Merit despite only securing 1.6 points this week, he is on 298.6. It is not all over for Dave Copley, he played his way back into second place and pushed Fraser Denholm down to third. David is less than twenty three points behind Adam and Fraser is only seven behind him. A win on the day would be good enough for either of them to take the title that is almost within Adam’s grasp.

It is very tight at the top for the race for the title, Graham Smith on 245 points and Bob Beverley on 238 points will be fighting to take fourth or fifth. The prize table is for the top ten so a lot of players just outside the top echelon still have something to aim for on the final day this Sunday. Exciting stuff!

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Winter League Final success for Ian and Dave

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on March 28, 2012

After five months, a seven game round robin phase, followed by quarter and semi final knock out games, Greetham Valley Golf Club’s Winter League reached its’ climax on Sunday. The finalists, Ian Bain and Dave Morgan took on Mick Carnie and Jim Kearney for the title. The match, refereed by Club Secretary Dennis Millington, was played in fantastic conditions on the Lakes course.

After halving the first two holes, first blood went to Mick and Jim when Mick birdied the third to go one up. Ian and Dave won the fourth to take it back to level. Dave birdied the fifth after a fantastic iron shot onto the green to put them one up, the pair then won the ninth to go two up after the front nine.

The back nine was very much nip and tuck with a lot of halved holes, however, it all changed on the sixteenth when Ian and Dave finally won the match by three and two. Ian and Dave said that Mick and Jim are renowned as tough doubles players so they knew that it would be a hard game but said that they were even tougher than they had expected and only their very best game made the win possible. The winners were level gross after the front nine and one under gross after winning on the sixteenth.

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Mail on Sunday success for Greetham Valley

Posted by Fred Aspin, Press Officer on March 28, 2012

After beating local rivals away at Burghley Park in the first round of the Mail on Sunday team knockout competition, and defeating March Golf Club in the second round, the Greetham Valley team entertained North Luffenham at home. They played on the Lakes course and enjoyed a comprehensive win by four and a half games to a half.

Carl Causbrook won two up and George Grant halved. In the third game Stef Dutton won five and four, this was followed by a win for former first team Captain Glenn Sharpe who won one up. Glenn’s son in law Matt Williams won the final match by five and three. They will find out next week who they play in their fourth round. With Burghley, Stoke Rochford, Belton Woods and several other Lincolnshire teams now out of the competition, they will probably have to travel further afield. Well done lads, an excellent result!

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