We may still be in the relatively early stages of the season but the signs are good for a fabulous summer of golf.
Greenkeepers across the region have seen a dry spell in April continue into the early days of May and many of our finest courses are already in great condition.
For those of us hoping to get our handicaps down, the extra run on the fairways and less give on the greens can prove a challenge but you will find no complaints from most, with the region’s courses packed with members and visitors taking advantage of the decent weather.
One golfer taking full advantage is our cover star Jess Baker. A member of Gosforth Park Ladies, she put herself in the national spotlight with a superb victory in the Midland Under 16 Girls Championship. Her namesake Jessica Hall, who has featured on our cover in the past, has won a deserved call up to international duty while clubmate and our Junior Champion of Champions Briony Bayles has continued her success with victory in the Durham County Ladies Championship this month.
This month sees the start of an occasional series looking back at days gone by. We begin with the North of England Youths, a tournament at Middlesbrough’s Brass Castle course which has featured some of those who went on to become major champions. Northern Golfer is delighted to add its support to this prestigious event – a regular highlight in the region’s golfing calendar.
We also enjoy A Round With Steve Cram, who gives us an insight into some of his favourite places to play as well as naming an eclectic dream fourball.
We review The Northumberland and Headlam Hall, take a trip into the Scottish Borders, check out the latest gear on offer as well as featuring the winners, the characters and the events from across the North East and Yorkshire.
As ever we are keen to hear from you about your exploits on the golf course, whether it be for charity, a hole-in-one, an unusual occurrence or a trophy win. The more golfers and clubs from our region we can feature the better. All our contact details are on the left-hand side of this page.
Until next time let the golfing gods and the sun continue to shine on you throughout the early summer.