Outstanding wins for golfers at club championship
Strong winds challenged one hundred of Branston’s lowest handicap golfers for the Club’s annual Club Championship last Sunday following cancellation of the usual first day due to torrential driving rain making play impossible. Both of last year’s winners retained their titles and, for the Ladies Championship winner, resulted in a second hat-trick of wins for Susie Spruce.
Normally a thirty-six hole event played over two days, this year’s Branston Club Championship became an 18 hole one day Medal competition attracting a hundred individual golfers with handicaps from Scratch up to 21.
Susie Spruce, an assistant head teacher at a Special School and Branston member of 14 years standing, won the Ladies Club Championship with a nett score of 75. Susie, whose parents are keen golfers and encouraged her to take up golf when just a teenager, achieved her second hat-trick at the Club Championship having won in 2007 – 2009 and now 2014- 2016.
‘Although winning is a great feeling and honour, golf for me isn’t about achieving records or tons of trophies. After the ups and downs of lots of practice it’s about walking off the 18th green knowing I’d played well and produced a good round of golf – retaining the Club Championship and sharing that experience with my husband and close family was the icing on the cake’ said Susie. ‘Being at Branston has challenged my golf and most importantly it has helped me make many wonderful and life-long friends’ she added.
Last year’s Juniors captain and Club Championship winner, James Wilkinson, now 18, retained the title with a gross score of 75.
James said ‘I couldn’t be more happy especially as the combination of strong winds, wet fairways and fast greens made Branston’s fabulous Championship course very challenging putting me under pressure. The huge crowd overlooking Branston’s 18th green creates a special atmosphere you can’t get at any other club – the expectant hush that fell over my final putts and the subsequent resounding applause was quite something’ he added.
Prizes were presented by Ben Laing, Branston Golf & Country Club’s managing director who commenting on an outstandingly successful day said. ‘Friendliness, teamwork, talented staff , dedicated supporters, fabulous facilities and outstanding golfers are making Branston one of the Midlands’ finest clubs and this year’s Club Championship is testament to the very special experience that I believe is unique to the club’.
More information: www.branstonclub.co.uk
Talented Youngsters at Branston are the future of Golf in Britain
Young people are the future of any sport and with golf’s Wee Wonders Midlands regional final set for Branston at the end of this month and golf in the Olympics at Rio in August we’re taking a look at just three of the many talented and bright young local golfers who are making their marks on the future of golf at Branston Golf & Country Club.
Saskia Robinson , from Church Gresley inspired at just four years old by her elder brother playing at Branston joined the club’s popular junior coaching sessions and in 2014 won through the Wee Wonders regional competitions to secure a place in the Grand Final at Scotland’s world famous St Andrews, the spiritual home of golf.
Now aged ten, the home taught youngest of Roy & Dianne Robinson’s four children has upped her game having played in European championships at Edinburgh’s Longmiddy course, the British Kids Championship at Woodhall Spa and most recently the Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire & Leicestershire based Shires Tour.
‘As any parents of sports mad youngsters know only too well, guitar teacher Roy & I are dashing around Britain supporting Saskia , enjoying seeing some wonderful places as her golfing achievements grow whilst she’s working hard for a place in this year’s Wee Wonders Grand Final at St Andrews’ said Dianne, a partner with their eldest daughter at Swadlincote’s Dance & Music Centre.
Meanwhile John Taylor High School student fifteen year old James Bailey, from Barton with ambitions to play for England, is busy winning Major competitions at Branston following receiving the Club’s Outstanding Achievement Award last year. That year he also clocked up an impressive array of high placing in competitions in Wales, Spain & Portugal including winning three European Junior Golf Tour events in Britain.
Continuing his growing successes, this Staffordshire County under 18 team player , whose handicap has fallen from 9 in 2014 to 3.4 today won the Easter Bowl, this year’s first adult Major competition at Branston and was in the winning team for the Club’s Kerry Cup. His latest triumph was winning the Under 16 Staffordshire County Matchplay Championship play-off with a fifteen foot birdie at the Staffordshire Golf Club.
Aiming to be playing off Scratch before his 16th. birthday James’ big ambitions are to play for England, be selected for the Walker Cup and eventually be a Professional playing on the European & PGA tours. After GCSE’s next year he’s planning to move to the United States for a golf scholarship to do A Level equivalents and try for a 4 year University golf scholarship.
‘Having supported James’s golf career for the last 10 years and sacrificed a lot, his family is so proud that he’s become an amazing golfer with a fantastic opportunity. His outstanding achievement is growing up to be a wonderful young man and role model with impeccable manners and etiquette on the golf course but taking that into his everyday life’ said Dad, Phil Bailey managing director of lighting systems innovators Minos Systems.
Another star in Branston’s firmament of talented young golfers is Morgan Thomas from Burntwood , who having just turned fifteen, has recently beaten tough competition from much older girls to win a place in the English Schools Golf Association’s (ESGA) international team set to play Scotland at Lytham (Lancs) Golf Club in September.
Pinnacle of Morgan’s current achievements is being the youngest golfer playing in the recent English Women’s Open Championships at Holme Hall near Scunthorpe. There her Stroke Play success qualified her for the Match Play competition where she was drawn against and lost 4 & 3 to a New Zealand woman about to turn professional.
‘Since being at Branston and joining this friendly Club’s amazing array of talented Junior golfers with whom I play regularly, and building up my strength in the gym, I’m really enjoying my golf and am thrilled to be in the ESGA international team’ said Morgan.
In addition to playing golf Morgan is enjoying studying sciences and German at Chase Terrace Technical College and has ambitions to continue her education and hone her sporting skills at Millfield School in Somerset. ‘My ambitions are to have a successful amateur career and represent my country at full junior amateur level, with the eventual outcome of turning professional’ said Morgan who’s hoping for a chance to practice her German when Glashofen, Branston’s German twin golf club are in Burton early next month.
Commenting on Branston’s reputation for welcoming and encouraging young golfers Richard Odell, director of golf, said ‘Branston Academy’s impressive teaching facilities, our magnificent golf courses, professional staff and reputation as one of the Midlands’ finest, friendliest, clubs means we are attracting and encouraging growing numbers of youngsters ensuring the future of golf in Britain – at Branston we’re immensely proud of their achievements and wish them luck with their ambitions’.