Dean Bailey looks ahead to the finals of the Rabbits and Inter leagues for 2016
The North East Rabbits Golf Association season is heading to an exciting conclusion as the best clubs and individuals in the season-long Rabbits and Inter leagues head to their respective Finals Days in October.
The Inter league (for players with handicaps from 8-15) concludes with its Finals Day at Rockliffe Hall, bringing together the winners of the three divisions – Roseberry Grange, Ripon City and Blackwell Grange and best runner-up Stocksfield.
Meanwhile, the Rabbits league (for handicaps 16-28) concludes with its Finals Day, also at Rockliffe, bringing together the winners of its four divisions – Roseberry Grange, Kirkbymoorside, Houghton-le-Spring and Thirsk & Northallerton, plus the best runners-up – Malton & Norton and Bishop Auckland.
Both events will also include individual events for the leading points scorers from each club (determined by their best three scores throughout the year), who will compete for the title of NERGA/INTER Individual Champion.
Association secretary Martin Hill said: “We’ve grown the league again in 2016 and the feedback from clubs new and old has again been very positive. We’re now one of the biggest golf leagues in the country and, with more clubs looking to get involved, our growth is set to continue, which will mean clubs can play more venues and meet more new people in our region.
“We’re looking forward to both Finals Days at Rockliffe Hall, with more than 100 players competing over the two days. The league was set up to get mid-high handicappers playing regular, inter club golf and to provide that to so many people is fantastic.
“As well as offering a competitive format for golfers, we’re incredibly proud of being able to support each club through the match fees and the secondary spend in the clubhouse.”
Formed in 2010, the Rabbits league comprises 33 clubs in four leagues, while the Inter league features 21 clubs in three divisions. Each club hosts a tournament round for their respective division, where each team – represented by eight players – compete in a stableford format with the best seven scores counting towards the team’s total. The leading team in each division, as well as the best-placed runner-up, then head to Finals Day.
We’ll have a full report from both events in November’s edition. For more from the NERGA visit nerga.herokuapp.com
