RACECOURSE CHALLENGE SUCCESS

The sun shone, the players and spectators had fun, low scores (and some high ones!) were posted ….. and the Partnership’s first Cheltenham Racecourse Challenge was a resounding success.

The event, sponsored by Single Figure Golfer, was won by Shirehampton’s Luke Krupa, who conquered the specially designed 9-hole course, around the Gold Cup racetrack, with a four under par 32, an emphatic two shots ahead of his nearest rivals.

As well as being the first name on the fine trophy, presented by the GGU, 18-year-old Krupa, won a place in the Single Figure Golfer Qualifying School on Monday 26^th  October 2009  at Celtic Manor to compete for a place in the SFG team for the SFG Challenge Cup.

Peter McEvoy, Britain’s famous amateur from 30 odd years ago, opened the event with an exhibition drive from the 1^st tee, high on the roof of the Paddock Stand, and presented the prizes, praising the Partnership and Cheltenham Racecourse for their idea.

Jockeys Mick Fitzgerald and Andrew Thornton, both past Golf Cup winners, joined selected club champions, men and women, from all over the county for the Challenge.

As Fitzgerald put it: “Great fun to see the it all from a different perspective ….. but you still have to think your way around the course!”

Although the track had been cut, for golfers it was ‘rough’ all the way, prompting some wry comments from some of the players:-

“Remind me not to come back in the next life as a racehorse – it’s tough out there!”

“Ordinary rough will hold no problems for me ever again!”

Some funds from the Tote were donated, at the winner’s request, to CLIC Sargent, the charity which looks after children and young people with cancer and their families.

       Winner Luke Krupa                                          Jockey Mick FitzGerald negotiating a 'hazard'

Photographs by Tom Ward www.tomwardsport.com

For group photographs of players contact j-may3@sky.com

Results:

Gross: 1st:    Luke Krupa (Shirehampton Pk)            32

           2nd:   Chris LLoyd (The kendleshire)             34cb

           3rd:    Adam Carson (Long Ashton)               34cb

Nett:    1st:   Adam Stevens (Cotswold Hills)            34cb

           2nd:   Nigel Thompson (Brickhampton Ct)     34cb

           3rd:    Phil Wooley (Lilley Brook)                  35.5

Nearest the line on the 18th

                     Shelby Smart (Knowle)

RACECOURSE GOLF

Cheltenham’s famous racecourse is to become a golf course for a few hours on May 21^st!

The track becomes the narrow fairway, the fences turn into unusual hazards and targets replace conventional greens.

And the players …. four golfing racing celebrities and 24 club champions, men and women, from all over the county …. will compete for the Cheltenham Racecourse Challenge Bowl.

Where did this fanciful idea come from? The racecourse’s MD, Edward Gillespie, a self confessed ‘rabbit’ golfer, often takes a club and a couple of balls when he does an early morning course inspection.  He enjoyed himself, so why not offer that pleasure to others?

He discussed it with the Gloucestershire County Golf Partnership, whose whole aim is to bring golf to all sections of the community – men and women, children, everyone, including those with special needs.

And so the idea became reality.

Peter McEvoy, Britain’s iconic amateur from the 1970’s and 80’s, will hit the first shot from the first tee – invitingly elevated to the roof of the Paddock Stand! – and then they’ll be off!

It will all start at 4.30 p.m. and entry for spectators, who can walk the course with the players, is free. There will be a raffle for tickets to next year’s National Hunt Festival and, if you are a non-golfer, you can ‘have a go’ at the game with the help of golf professionals on hand to help …. and yes, you can bet on your favourite too!

Single Figure Golf is a sponsor, offering goody bags and great prizes for the Champions (see below).

All proceeds will go to the Gloucestershire County Golf Partnership to help them ‘grow the game’.

Sometimes …. just sometimes ….pure fun wins the day!

Footnote: It is all very appropriate , this joint venture ….. high on Cleeve Hill, which forms the backdrop to the racecourse, there is a golf course.  But in the 1800’s it also had a racecourse – you can still walk the figure of eight track – where the Cheltenham Gold Cup was run, as a Flat race, from 1818 prior it its reincarnation at its current home in 1925.

THANK YOU SINGLE FIGURE GOLF for offering:

• Gross prize: winner to go to SFG Qualifying School on Monday 26^th  October 2009  at Celtic manor to compete for a place in the SFG team for the SFG Challenge Cup. Go to  http://www.singlefiguregolfer.co.uk/school and find out more about this.

·         SFG Goody bags containing Srixon balls for every entrant

·         Free goody bags for all who visit the SFG stand and can prove they have a single figure handicap … so bring your handicap certificate!

      (Go to www.singlefiguregolfer.co.uk/cheltenham to learn more)

                View from the 1st Tee                                                                Practice on the 1st Tee!