The Balfour & Houldsworth Golf Challenge Cups

The Balfour Cup is in its 119th year and 113 golfers representing 33 golf clubs converged at Northenden Golf Club on Sunday 22nd May. 

The course was in excellent condition and Michael Hudson-Davies from Heaton Moor Golf Club posted the winning score of gross 75, nett 69 to win by 3 clear shots from 2nd place home player Paul Laverty.
The best gross prize of 78 was scored by David Knapper from Stand GC playing off 6.
Two other Northenden players Bernard Scott and Rehan Ashraf were in the prizes in 3rd and 5th place and in between in 4th place was Chapel en le frith golfer Leslie Hattersley with a nett 73.

Some of the players were unlucky as they had heavy downpour for about an hour during their round, but they all commented on how good the course was and how much they had enjoyed the day.

Only 7 players carded lower scores than the high CSS of 75.

Members of Northenden GC and especially the comps chairman Roy Moore were very helpful to our Committee and even though we were in the temporary accommodation, the food, hospitality and facilities were all excellent.

The committee would like to thank Northenden GC for their help in making the Balfour Cup a great success and wish them well in their new clubhouse.

All the results can be seen on our website , click on the link on the front page.

The Houldsworth Cup

The Houldsworth Cup is almost 120 years old and was first played for in 1897 when it was won by D G Schofield and J Howie Smith of Disley Golf Club. We do not have a record of their score but it unlikely to have been anything like the 2016 winning score of 11 up!

Ian Denby and Richard Ellis of Bramhall Golf Club were first on the Tee at 8.00 am and remained leaders in the club house for the whole of the day with 11 up. An unusual event in its own right.

Richard Mallard and Robert Mallard squeezed David McDougal and Colin Stephenson of Bury Golf Club into third place. Both teams came in with an 8 up and it had to go to the final point on a card play-off to distinguish between second and third place. Lee Harrison and John Craine of Chorlton Golf Club took the fourth place with a very creditable 7 up. This again went to a card playoff with 4 teams scoring 7 up.
The course was in excellent condition as is evident from the high scores which were returned. The morning players had the best of the weather before the rains come down in the afternoon.
​The Balfour Committee would like to thank the Council of Bury Golf  Club for hosting this year’s Houldsworth Cup and are looking forward to the 120th Competition which will be held at Worsley Golf Club in 2017.

We have been using online booking for the 2016 competitions and this seems to be a more popular way of signing up for competitions as we had 56 pairs in the Houldsworth Cup representing 20  golf clubs  from within the 25 mile radius of Manchester Town Hall.

Ian Denby & Richard Ellis

The GS Lancashire trophy has been running since 1920 and this year's competition took place at Chorlton cum hardy GC on Sunday the 24 July .

As usual we were all made to feel very welcome by everyone at the club and the course was in a very good condition. Especially considering the rain that has fallen over the last few months.and from the good scores, it was evident all the players enjoyed their day.

Forty and Forty one points were in the prizes for most of the day , but as happens quite often nowadays one of the later entries posted the winning score of 44 points. This was achieved by Jim O'Reilly and Fran Jewkes from Swinton Park GC. The 2nd place prizes went to Alan Vaughan and Carol Brady with 41points from Davyhume Park GC. Also on 41 points but losing out on the countback were Chris Darwent and Donna Macintosh from Bramall Park GC (3rd place) and Craig Dennis with Janette Sellers from Ellesmere GC (4th place).

Over the years the format of this competition has changed and it is now a Mixed Betterball Stableford , which seems popular, as it allows each player to play their own ball. 

There were 92 golfers representing 18 golf clubs. 

The competition in 2017 will be held at Davyhulme Park GC in July

Jim O'Reilly & Fran Jewkes