Young guns bringing fresh enthusiasm to Deep Creek

Deep Creek member Grant Wilson lines up his putt on the par-four 18th. Deep Creek will come alive this week with multiple 2023 Club Championships going up for grabs. 322121 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

DEEP CREEK GOLF

One of the great strengths of the Deep Creek Golf Club right now is the emergence of a rising crop of young juniors that are set to take the club bounding forward into the future.

Club professional Mark Shaw has laid the platform for success with a fantastic junior program that has the great practice facilities at Deep Creek always buzzing with enthusiasm.

It’s not uncommon for Saturday morning golfers to finish their round and see dozens of young golfers, and their families, hovering around the practice green, chipping and bunker facilities, or the 12-bay driving range, and learning their craft from Shaw.

These youngsters are breathing new enthusiasm into the club and are rapidly improving their golf.

In a sport where most golf clubs are experiencing a rise in the average age of their membership, the young talent at Deep Creek has the club well-placed for an exciting and prosperous future.

Saturday’s stableford event saw Lyriq Bester (17) continue to find a way to the top of the leaderboard despite his dwindling handicap.

Bester scored 39 points to win by two shots from Harry Elyasie (6), who tuned up for this week’s first round of the 2023 Club Championships with an impressive score of 37 points.

Elyasie will start one of the favourites when the three-round championships kick off this weekend.

Duncan Campbell (29) was also in terrific form, winning B Grade with a great score of 40 points just one shot clear of an emerging young star in Ciara Davies (35).

Down the lines went to Stuart Whaley with 39 points, young-gun Blaze Bester with 38, Colin Crowie and Leigh Cullen 37, and to Royce Thompson, John McDonald, Michael Anlanger, Mathew Elliot, Alex Blanck and Andrew Hale with 36 points.

Nearest the pins went to 2nd hole: Andrew Hale (0.92m) and 16th hole: David Bell 1.75m.

The golfing week came to life last Monday with a stableford event where Frank Leontini (22) played an even-par round of 36 points to take a one-shot victory over John Kingman (21).

Down the lines went to Noel Boyd 32, Tom Reid, Harry Bolotin and Leigh Burton 31, and David McMahon with 30 points.

Nearest the pins went to 2nd: Stephen Northcott (5m) and 16th: Harry Bolotin (4.2m).

A countback was required to split Rex Ryan and Harry Bolotin in Wednesday’s A Grade stableford event, with both players shooting impressive rounds of 37 points.

It was Ryan who got the nod via a countback, while in B Grade it was William Carmichael who scored 38 points for a two-shot win over runner up Kel Trickey.

Down the lines went to Scott Irwin, Andrew Hale and Neville Taylor with 36 points, and to Noel Bonne, Geoff Percival and David McMahon with 35 points.

The SuperComp Front 9 winner was Neville Taylor while nearest the pins went to 2nd Hole: Noel Bonne (4m) and 16th Hole: Darren Grayson (1.64m).

And a small field took part in Sunday’s stableford event, which saw some lacklustre scoring with no players playing to their handicap.

Best on the day was Harry Elyasie (6), who scored 35 points for a one-shot margin over Matt Hogan and Bobby Edwards.

It’s a massive time at Deep Creek Golf Club this week, with the Midweek Club Championships beginning on Wednesday, the Ladies Championships kicking off on Thursday, before round one of the 2023 Club Championships sets sail on Saturday.

Good luck to all players participating.