Slinfold Golf & Country Club’s first ever Junior Open Championship attracted a field of 40 players from across the Sussex region and resulted in four players getting their names on the Justin Rose Telegraph Junior Golf Championship leaderboard.
The 18-hole competition at the Horsham-based club was supported by Sussex County Junior Golf and was part of the Sussex Order of Merit, as well as serving as a qualifier for the Justin Rose Daily Telegraph Championship. Open to boys and girls under 18, the day entailed a gross and handicap competition over the club’s 18-hole parkland course.
Slinfold’s very own George Brooker won the handicap event with a net 66, while the gross championship was captured by Oscar Tollit from Piltdown Golf Club. Darci Lewis-Bradbury (West Hove GC) and Millie Lynsdale-Nock (Horsham Golf & Fitness) were the best-placed girls for gross and net scores respectively.
The hosting of the Junior Golf Championship represented a further investment in junior golf being made by Slinfold and complements the club’s overall golf facilities available to members and visitors. This includes a 6,424-yard 18-hole golf course, 9-hole short course, practice putting area, and floodlit 18-bay driving range featuring Trackman ball-tracking technology.
In the past year, the number of junior golf members at the club has more than doubled, with a quarter of these now achieving a handicap to play in local competitions. For the first time in many years, three juniors have been selected for the U14 Sussex Academy, and one chosen to represent Sussex U13s. The club now runs one of the largest junior competitions in West Sussex, with well-established weekly junior competitions and an annual club championship.
To help encourage children to be active in sport and open up golf to all abilities and backgrounds, Slinfold has also been developing and running taster days for under-10s in local schools, with over 150 students attending to date. A partnership with one school has been so well-received that it has now led to an after-school golf club starting for the first time. The club also holds golf camps for juniors in the Easter and school summer holidays, which are frequently over-subscribed.
Will O’Halloran, PGA Trainee Professional at Slinfold Golf & Country Club, commented: “The Junior Open Golf Championship was a fantastic success. I get great enjoyment from watching our juniors develop from our initial coaching through to club competitions, on to Sussex Open events and eventually representing the county. I can’t wait to see how these champions and our other young golfers continue to progress.”
For further details, visit slinfoldclub.co.uk