WBoro 2021 March

MARCH 2021

Spring it on!

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Counting down the days before golf is back

ON February 3rd, 2021 Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog,
Punxsutawney Phil, emerged from his burrow on a snowy
Tuesday morning and saw his shadow, thus declaring
there would be six more weeks of winter.
He must have known about Boris’s announcement
to leave us in limbo without golf. However, only 29
more sleeps to go!
The excitement builds, spring is officially here (almost!)
and British summer time won’t be too far behind.
By opening day, over half of the membership should have
had their first jab. I had mine last Saturday.
I am sure everybody is practicing their ‘fastest finger first’
for what will surely be a stampede for tee times. And once
the initial rush has died down, the club calendar should
start to get back to a busy ‘normal’ - assuming Boris and his
roadmap stay on track, of course.
I will be resurrecting the Captain-Pro Challenge this year, so the
gauntlet is laid down to any pair who fancies their chances. More details
will be posted shortly, along with a few new items which are still being worked on.
I wonder how long I can keep my New Year’s resolution?... Cancel nothing this year.
Stay safe, get jabbed.
Club Captain, David Hawkins

2 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 3

Road to Recovery - Guidelines for the Return of Golf

GOLF Clubs and golf facilities have been handed Monday, March 29th onwards
initial guidance by England Golf on the framework
for a return to play. Playing golf:
• Fourballs.
Following the government announcement of a
gradual lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Retail Shops:
the national golf governing body has put together • All professional and retail shops remain closed.
a package of measures. • Click and collect service.

With golf being one of the first sports to return Catering:
after the first lockdown in 2020, the authorities are • All catering facilities must be closed.
again keen to give everyone the best opportunity • Takeaway service may be provided.
to enjoy the health benefits of playing the game.
Driving Ranges:
Monday, March 8th onwards • Permitted providing they are outdoor.

Playing golf: Outdoor Coaching:
• No golf permitted. • Permitted on a one-to-one basis.
• Group coaching is permitted to the ‘Rule of Six’
Retail Shops: (group of six including the coaches/volunteers).
• All professional and retail shops must remain
closed. Indoor Coaching:
• Click and collect service. • No coaching is permitted.

Catering: Indoor Swing Studios:
• All catering facilities must be closed. • Indoor swing studios must remain closed.
• Takeaway service may be provided.
Fitting Outside:
Driving Ranges: • Outdoor fitting is permitted on a one-to-one
• Not permitted. basis or to the ‘Rule of Six’ (including fitter).

Outdoor Coaching: Fitting Inside:
• No coaching is permitted, with exceptions for • No fitting is permitted.

disabled sport. Tournament and Competition Golf:
• Under strict COVID controls and where overnight
Indoor Coaching: accommodation is not required for staff or players.
• No coaching is permitted. • Club/regional/county tournaments/competitions
permitted.
Indoor Swing Studios: • No national finals.
• Indoor swing studios • No overseas.
must remain closed.
Changing Rooms:
Fitting Outside: • Not permitted to open, although use of indoor
• No fitting is permitted. toilets is permitted.

Fitting Inside: AGMs/Committee Meetings:
• No fitting is permitted. • Not permitted.

Tournament and Competition Golf:
• Not permitted.

Changing Rooms:
• Not permitted to open.

AGMs Committee Meetings:
• Not permitted.

4 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

Monday, April 12th onwards Monday, May 17th onwards

Playing golf: Playing golf:
• Fourballs. • Fourballs.

Retail Shops: Retail Shops:
• All professional and retail shops may open. • All professional and retail shops may open.

Catering: Catering:
• All catering facilities must be closed. • Indoor catering facilities may open, subject to
• Outdoor catering facilities may open, subject to the ‘Rule of Six’.
the ‘Rule of Six’. • Outdoor catering facilities may open, subject to
• Takeaway service may be provided. a maximum of 30 people.
• Takeaway service may be provided.
Driving Ranges:
• All driving ranges open. Driving Ranges:
• All driving ranges open.
Outdoor Coaching:
• Permitted on a one-to-one basis. Outdoor Coaching:
• Group coaching is permitted to the ‘Rule of Six’ • Permitted on a one-to-one basis.
(group of six including the coaches/volunteers). • Group coaching is permitted to a maximum
group size of 30 people.
Indoor Coaching:
• Permitted on a one-to-one basis. Indoor Coaching:
• Permitted on a one-to-one basis.
Indoor Swing Studios: • Group coaching is permitted to the ‘Rule of Six’
• Indoor swing studios may open for individual use. (group of six including the coaches/volunteers).

Fitting Outside: Indoor Swing Studios:
• Outdoor fitting is permitted on a one-to-one • Indoor swing studios may open for individual
basis or to the ‘Rule of Six’ (including fitter). use.
• Indoor swing studios may open for organised
Fitting Inside: group activity.
• Indoor fitting is not permitted.
Fitting Outside:
Tournament and Competition Golf: • All fitting is permitted outside.
• Under strict COVID-19 controls and where
overnight accommodation is not required for staff Fitting Inside:
or players. • Indoor fitting is permitted on a one-to-one basis.
• Club/regional/county tournaments/competitions • Indoor fitting is permitted as part of an organised
permitted. group activity.
• No national finals.
• No overseas. Tournament and Competition Golf:
• Under strict COVID-19 controls.
Changing Rooms: • Club/regional/county tournaments/competitions
• Permitted to open. permitted.
• National Finals permitted.
AGMs Committee Meetings: • No overseas.
• Not permitted.
Changing Rooms:
• Permitted to open.

AGMs Committee Meetings:
• Permitted, providing they are COVID-safe.

Monday, June 21st onwards

All restrictions end.

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 5

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Excited and looking forward to playing on the course again

LADIES Captain Jenny Wilkinson said: “Now that Boris (Johnson) has given us a timeline, at least we
can make some plans for this year, i.e. getting back to playing golf and enjoying any catering inside.

“We are hoping to have a much more normal golf year in 2021, with competitions and matches
against other clubs, and also county matches.

“Last year, we really only played golf at Wellingborough and didn’t play against any other clubs, so
I am keen to ensure we play friendly matches against other clubs, both here and away. And also
play the county fixtures, which didn’t take place last season.

“The timeline will help everyone plan ahead. Wellingborough Golf Club will make plans based on the
advice from England Golf, the government and what suits us best.

“Six people are allowed to meet outdoors from March 29th, so playing in fourballs should
be fine. We are obviously excited and looking forward to returning.

“The ladies have a Zoom get together every Tuesday, so I’ve tried to get the latest news
across on a regular basis.

“We still have to keep our fingers crossed that the timeline doesn’t get pushed back at
all, but we will remain flexible if it is, which is key. We are flexible at Wellingborough Golf
Club, although we’ve had no choice!”

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 7

8 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

Working hard and getting healthy are priorities for Evans

THE last 12 months will live long in the memory of Ryan Evans for many reasons as the Challenge
Tour professional enjoyed his first year of marriage, but also endured a frustrating golf season due
to a lack of playing opportunities with COVID and illness. But, with the new season approaching,
Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine chatted with Evans about his hopes and expectations for 2021.

What have you Were there any
been doing during
lockdown? other playing

options?

I have been working I’m not a fan of one-

three times every day competitions,

week at Blackthorn which was really the

Wood Driving Range only other option,

with my coach Shane so I didn’t play too

Rose. I told him we often. There was

needed to work extra not a lot I could do

hard over the winter about it because

to get myself ready tournaments were

for the new season, being cancelled

whenever that would week by week

be. We are allowed to because of the

practice because, as virus. When we

an elite sportsman, stayed in lockdown,

we have a waiver. sponsors were

So we have been pulling out of the

doing a lot of wedge events because

work, irons and Ryan Evans, winner on 2017 European Challenge Tour they didn’t know
driving on trackman what was going on

- doing loads of tests and what would

to get the game as sharp as possible. We have happen, so we didn’t really find out until the

just been flat out for two or three hours a day. event was called off. We weren’t really educated

We have also been working on my putting stroke. on how bad this virus was, so we kept thinking

I’ve been doing a lot of ‘pressure’ practice on the we would return soon, but tournaments just kept

trackman where I have to hit a target. If I was getting cancelled.

stood on the range, just hitting golf balls, I don’t How did that feel?
think it would be that productive.
It was frustrating and annoying because I just
Have you played any golf courses?
want to play golf – it was a tough one to take.

I’ve not really been able to get out onto a golf There is only so much you can practice in your

course - Wellingborough hasn’t been open garden with a net. I just found it to be a really

because of snow and then it’s been too wet. negative year.

How much golf did you play last year? Did you take any positives out of the year?

There were only eight or nine Challenge Tour It was lovely to spend some time with my wife,

events I could have played in last year, so I didn’t especially as I was only recently married.

have too many options. I played in five events, Considering I’m not at home a lot throughout

and I made the cut in one of those competitions, a year, it was nice to spend time at home –

but there were a couple of occasions when even though we couldn’t see friends and family

I missed the cut by only one or two shots. because of the restrictions.

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 9

What are your immediate plans? What are your expectations for 2021?

I was supposed to play on the Challenge Tour I don’t really know what to expect, which is why
in South Africa in February but that was pushed I want to play in America. There will be some
back to April, so I’m off to Florida on March 10th guys, who haven’t played at all, so I want to give
for two weeks. I’ve got a couple of friends in myself a head start by getting some sun on my
West Palm Beach, where I can stay. I intend to back and playing some golf. When I do peg it up
play on some of the best golf courses out there, for a tournament, at least I would have done that
which should be good. I want to get myself already this year. There would be nothing worse
ready for when we go to South Africa. With the than standing on the first tee having not played
weather here, and the courses not being open, over the last six months – I would just think
I need to play golf - this is the only opportunity. ‘what’s going to happen?’ At least over the next
I can’t go out to Dubai because I would have to two weeks I can find out where I am, what stage
quarantine in a hotel when I get back and it’s the I’m at, and what work I need to do to sharpen up.

same with Portugal, who are also on the red list. Why did you pull out of events with illness?
What is your schedule for the Challenge Tour? I wasn’t well for the majority of 2020, but towards

As soon as they say ‘let’s go’ we have 25 the end of the season, I was really struggling to
events in a row. Although I’m not play – my stomach was so sore. I’ve just had
going to play in 25 in a row, I really bad stomach issues for about a year, but I
might have to play five, take didn’t know what the health issue was, so I took
a week off, then another the time off to get the investigation done.
five, followed by another
week off. I can’t wait to get Do you know what the issue was?
back into action. They haven’t found anything yet. I’ve had a
colonoscopy, endoscopy, a cystoscopy, three

cat scans, an MRI scan, countless blood tests,

loads of stools, everything – and they can’t find

anything. They checked for bowel conditions, they

checked for ulcers in my stomach, they checked

for anything in my blood, I’m just waiting for the

results to come back from a MRI on my prostate.

One professor thinks I may have prostatitis,

which is an inflamed prostate and could give

me those symptoms, but there are

parts that don’t correspond with

prostatitis, so they don’t know.

Are you feeling better now?

Fortunately over the last couple of
months, I’ve started to improve - I’ve

felt a little bit better from November
onwards. I’ve changed my diet, I’m
not drinking alcohol and I’m drinking
a lot more water. These are all
improvements, but they still don’t
know what is causing the stomach

issues. I’m just hoping that we can
get the answers and that it doesn’t
come back at all during the coming
season and beyond.

10 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 11

Teams get ready for busy County League campaign

THE NGL Men’s League calendar is expected to see a number of modifications for the 2021 season
as the recent coronavirus restrictions have squeezed the schedule into a shorter period.
With the Hollingsworth Trophy traditionally starting things off in the spring, Wellingborough will need
to wait to play their first home fixture against Northants County after the Group B contest was moved
from its April date.
Under the captaincy of Adam Sherlock, the team have also been drawn alongside 2017 winners
Peterborough Milton, Priors Hall and Kingsthorpe as they look to add to their successes in 2016 and
2018.
The Handicap League side, which will be skippered by Carl Martin, have a stiff challenge this
season after being paired with Collingtree Park, who have clinched the title on three occasions in
the previous decade.
Wellingborough, who were successful in the 2014 campaign (team pictured below), will also take
on Cold Ashby, Rushden and Staverton Park in Group C.
The Scratch League team face arguably the toughest test of any of the men’s sides as they come up
against Northants County, who have dominated the competition in recent years.
With Chris Howes in charge this season, Wellingborough will take some comfort from the 2017
campaign when they beat the reigning champions to secure first position (team pictured overleaf).
Staverton Park, Northampton and Overstone Park are also competing in the top flight.
The Intermediate League has also proved to be a successful competition in recent seasons, with two
victories coming in the last decade, so hopes are high for another good year under the captaincy of
Paul Hughes.
Reigning champions Overstone Park are the team to beat as they look to extend their 10-match
unbeaten run in the event, while Collingtree Park, Kingsthorpe, Northampton and Staverton Park will
be hopeful of progressing into the knockout stages.

12 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

Tap-Ins HULL and fellow

WELLINGBOROUGH Golf Club lost another Wellingborough pro
popular member last month after 1994 Club Meghan MacLaren will
Captain Derek Abbott (pictured right) passed have the opportunity
away. The Club offered its condolences to his to tee it up against the
family and many friends. European Tour men
after the ISPS HANDA

MEMBERS looking to work on their game ahead World Invitational

of golf’s return are advised to take in Club pro Mixed event was

James Whittemore’s lessons on Facebook. The confirmed on the 2021

regular sessions included controlling the mind, schedule for late July

swing finish, grip pressure and putting drills in in Northern Ireland.

recent weeks. THE Robert Rock

FOR anyone who hasn’t registered yet on the Junior Golf Tour event

new Club V1/howdidido software, please can at Wellingborough Golf

you do so asap by clicking on the howdidido Club has been moved

logo on the members page on the Club back to Thursday, June

website. As well as booking into golf, you can 3rd. For details of how

enjoy a host of other features. to enter, visit www.robertrockjuniorgolftour.co.uk.

LEADING county professional Charley Hull made WITH pages to fill in the Wellingborough Club

the cut in her first appearance of the season on Magazine, there are plenty of opportunities to

the LPGA Tour as she finished tied 52nd in the advertise during the year. Please contact the

Gainbridge LPGA event in Florida with rounds of Club Office to get your message across to the

71, 72, 72 and 75. members and visitors in 2021 and beyond.

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 13

League restructure provides fresh opportunities for ladies

THE County Ladies Leagues are likely to have an unfamiliar look in 2021 as the NGL made several
changes to the format and structure of the three competitions.
Ladies Captain Jenny Wilkinson explained: “In the Ceil Leitch League, they are cutting the number
of players in each team from seven to five. I think some of the other clubs struggle to get a full team
to play. Whether that becomes the norm, I’m not sure.
“I’m really hoping the Cecil Leitch goes ahead without any issues. We were going to play a match in
April, but we’ve moved that back.
“Daventry were also supposed to play in our division, but unfortunately they have pulled out of the
league. So we are only playing against two other clubs - Overstone Park and Cold Ashby.
“Not many clubs played in the Scratch League because they didn’t have enough players. So the plan
is to combine the Scratch and Intermediate teams into one league.
“We won both competitions the last time they were played in 2019 (combined team pictured below),
and I’m certain we will have a strong side again this year with Gill Snelson in charge
“Before COVID, the NGL were clarifying how it would work, but my understanding is that it will be four
in a team. One golfer plays off scratch, the others are off handicaps up to 20.4. I’m sure full details
of fixtures will be confirmed soon.”
Both boys and girls, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to compete for Wellingborough in the Junior
League as the club look to build some momentum for the future.
Although the side have struggled in recent years, not winning a group stage match since 2017, hopes
remain high for this season as the club now have a wider pool of youngsters to pick from as the junior
section at Harrowden Hall continues to grow.
The club face Group A matches against Overstone Park and the B team of Peterborough Milton,
who have provided both finalists in two of the last four years, and also won the national title in 2020.

14 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 15

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please contact Steve Munns

Now, for tomorrow

16 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

Coursework continues throughout winter months

WELLINGBOROUGH Golf Club Assistant Greenkeeper Matthew Henson said: “There has been
plenty of work on the course over the last month.

“We have re-built the face on the first bunker with astro turf and we have also done a bit of patching
up on the left hand bunker on the 11th hole.

“The sand has continued to be swapped in the bunkers - there are only 12 bunkers left to be
completed on the seventh, eighth, 13th and 14th holes.

“There is no timescale on when this will be completed - we are just trying to get as many finished as
possible before we re-open. When golf comes back, it’s going to be tricky to get them done.

“Thirty tonnes of sand has gone on the greens. We have cut the fairways twice, cut the approaches
twice, sprayed all the tees and approaches and put some dew suppressant on the greens.

“The lockdown has obviously meant we threw the book out of the window to some extent. While we
had a hard frost on the ground, we got a hard cut on the fairways.

“If they hadn’t have been frozen solid, we wouldn’t have cut them because it was so wet. But
after the frost went, we gave it a week to thaw out, and everywhere is now drying up.

“We managed to get the cylinder mowers on the fairways, as opposed to the rotary
mowers. So we have come out of the cold snap ok.”

Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 17

Henson, pictured, added: “Two huge trees also
came down - a pine and an oak - so they had to
be cleared up and tidied up.
“The oak was by the left hand side of the 11th
hole, while a pine on the back of the 15th came
down while we were clearing that up.
“We heard a loud noise, and looked over to the
15th and saw it crashing down - they were both
big trees.
“It may have been due to the amount of moisture
in the ground, because they sunk before they fell,
which gives us an indication how wet it has been.
“If it is down to the ground being wet, then it will be
determined by how damp it gets.
“You never know when any of the trees will come
down, but I would say the one on the 11th was
related to ground conditions.
“In general, the members can expect nothing
different with the course than any other spring.
“They can expect a course governed by the
weather - it won’t be any better or worse than
normal. We are doing exactly the same as every
other year.”

18 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com

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Wellingborough Golf Club Magazine 19

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20 www.wellingboroughgolfclub.com