CHILDWALL Golf Club have capped their centenary year by seeing their annual scratch competition elevated to world ranking status.
Players taking part in the Childwall Trophy can score points towards the world amateur list after the Liverpool club teamed up with Grange Park to create a new trophy.
The Pilkington Rose Bowl will be awarded to the competitor with the best aggregate score from the Childwall Trophy and the Grange Park Rose Bowl, which will now be held the following day.
The two events will be held over the weekend of August 3/4 and will both form part of the Northern Order of Merit, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2013.
The idea follows the success of Southport and Ainsdale and Formby golf clubs who teamed up two years ago to create the Lancashire Links Trophy – which is based on the Southport and Ainsdale Bowl and the Formby Hare, which take place in May and also attract world ranking points.
It is hoped the move to an earlier date in the schedule, which means it will come at an important stage of the Northern Order of Merit race, coupled with the attraction of playing two of Merseyside’s top club courses with a prestigious new prize at stake, will encourage an increase in the numbers taking part.
Peter Bowen, manager at Childwall who was also the 2012 captain for the north west region of the Golf Club Managers Association, said: “We are delighted that the Childwall Trophy will now carry world ranking points and the fact that we have teamed up with Grange Park to create an exciting new weekend of golf for the region’s leading amateur players is a great way to round off our centenary season.”
The club held a number of events throughout 2012 to mark their centenary, one of the highlights being the formal dinner and ball which saw 260 members and guests attend.
Captain Peter Quinn and wife Eileen hosted the event with guests including Dr David Marsh, the then Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Sharon Sullivan, Lord and Lady Carlile, and Tony Moss, the secretary of the Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs. The club was represented by president Alan Booth, ladies captain Catherine McHale, chairman Tony Croxford and the chairman of the centenary committee, Alan Rawlinson.
The club also staged a family day, organised by the club’s professional Nigel Parr, Stuart Landon and Helen Gale. The Foxes and Rabbits competition attracted more than 120 players and in a close finish Phil Murphy and Sarah Blackhirst pipped Ciaran McEniff and son Ian by a single shot.
The putting contest was won by Annabelle Astley, 10, daughter of club member Rob Astley.
Captain Peter Quinn also hosted a charity sportsman’s dinner featuring former Everton star Duncan McKenzie, Liverpool legend Ian Callaghan and sports presenter and writer John Keith. The charity draw, which offered golf and dinner for four at West Lancashire, Childwall and Formby Hall golf clubs to the winners, raised nearly £3,000, which is being used to buy computers for a school in Tamale, North Ghana.
Childwall’s ladies section held a centenary golf competition.
Sue Jolley, from Huyton and Prescot, and Sonja King (Southport Old Links) won the visitors’ prize while Alannah Whelan and Sandra Parr took the members’ prizes.
The ladies centenary dinner, hosted by Catherine McHale, was attended by the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside, Dame Lorna Muirhead, the captain of the Liverpool Society of Liverpool Lady Golf Captains, Barbara Forster (Haydock), along with the captains of 16 local clubs.
To round off the year, it was announced that Alan Rawlinson, who also completed a book on the club’s history, has been nominated as president of the Lancashire Union of Golf Clubs.
Rawlinson, 72, who comes into office in March, joined the county executive 11 years ago and has been chairman of the county junior committee since 2006.
CLEVELAND SRIXON NORTHERN ORDER OF MERIT
FIXTURES
April 7: Crosby Challenge Plate (West Lancashire GC); April 28: Pines Trophy (Hillside); May 12: Henriques Trophy (Hesketh); May 18: Southport and Ainsdale Bowl (S&A); May 19: Formby Hare (Formby); May 26: Penwortham Rose Bowl; June 2: Frank Stableford Open (Wallasey); June 15: Calvert Trophy (Ashton & Lea); June 16: The Eaton Talbot (Eaton); June 23: Hulbert Trophy (Manchester); June 26: Bromborough Bowl (Bromborough); June 30: Acorn Trophy (Accrington); July 7: Pleasington Antlers (Pleasington); July 14: Royton Sword (Crompton & Royton); July 18 Caldy Quart (Caldy); July 26: Wilmslow Crow (Wilmslow); July 27 Wilpshire Trophy (Wilpshire); July 28: Baskerville Hound (Northenden); August 3 Childwall Trophy (Childwall); August 4: Grange Park Rose Bowl (Grange Park); August 13: Astbury Jewel (Astbury); August 16: Prestbury Open (Prestbury); August 18: Birkdale Silver Goblet (Royal Birkdale), Revidge Cannon (Blackburn); August 26: Mere Trophy (Mere); September 1: DE Ingham Trophy (Rossendale); September 7: Old Links Trophy (Bolton Old Links); September 8: Ashton Trophy (St Annes Old Links); September 15: Trafalgar Trophy (Nelson); September 22: Pendle Witch (Clitheroe).
