Fixtures for 2024
One of the reasons for this fairly early bulletin for 2024 is so that members can note the dates of events and fixtures in their virgin diaries. This bulletin will be followed up by another early in the New Year and more detailed information on the events will be provided then. Most members will be aware from their own Clubs that green fees have risen, and continue to rise, in some cases far beyond the rate of inflation. As a Committee we are very conscious of this phenomenon and will do our very best to keep costs as low as possible. Not only do we seek the best deal we can negotiate but we will continue to ‘soften’ the impact on members to a degree but clearly Society funds are not inexhaustible.
While costs are of concern to us so are participation levels. It is often said that ’You can take the boy out of Yorkshire but you cannot take Yorkshire out of the boy’ and with that in mind you will forgive me, I hope, for speaking bluntly. In 2023 only about a third of our members participated in any of our fixtures and, while many of our host Clubs tend to set a maximum to the number of Society guests, it is one thing to book for 20 or so members and then to arrive with numbers in single figures. Please help us with this, many good reasons exist for not supporting an event, choice, geography, other arrangements etc. but it is important to remember that no organisation continues to exist unless it is supported. Please note that guests of members are always welcome save for matches.
At the moment the following fixtures have been arranged:-
Thursday 30 May 2024. Dore and Totley Golf Club
A mature parkland course which benefitted from the attention of Alister Mackenzie early in its life. Many revisions took place in the 1990s but many MacKenzie features remain. It poured with rain on our last visit but we all enjoyed the day!
Thursday 20 June 2024. Cleeve Hill Golf Club
The Club was founded in 1891 and occupies a place in most ‘Top 100’ lists. The doyen of golf architects, Tom Doak, said ‘here is a chance to appreciate golf as you may never have understood it’. This is an experience not to be missed.
Friday 5 July 2024. Annual match v. The British Golf Collectors at Cavendish G.C.
Always a great day out against a competitive group of golf addicts. Add in the joys of an ever-improving course in wonderful surroundings and what more does golf offer?
Friday 16 August 2024. Crosland Heath Golf Club.
It is some time since the Society visited the Club and encountered those wonderful short holes designed by Alister Mackenzie in the quarries. Alas the closure of the fireworks factory in the valley below has ended the Friday afternoon salute!
Monday 30 September 2024. Sitwell Park Golf Club.
Many local professional golfers complained about the severity of the greens after the Club opened in 1913 with the result that several were flattened. However many remained as MacKenzie designed them. A lovely course within easy reach of many Society members and always in good condition.