Latest Pike Fold member's news letter available

The April-May 2012 member's news letter is now available in the member's news section.

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Captain's Drive In

2012 Captain Phil Stanley drives in the new season.

I would like to thank all those members; ladies and gents, who supported both mine and the Lady Captain’s respective “Drive ins” last month. You may be aware that our Lady Captain challenged me to a nearest the pin comp with the “loser” donating £20 to the Captain’s charity. I am rather embarrassed to say that I won the challenge with a distance of 69ft!! (Sorry Jane) Well done to Mike Murphy who was closest with his prediction of 65ft. (Thanks Mike!!)

Our Captain spanking that little white ball. The Captain supported by some of the members, “Ouch Marcum those pants are loud”

Trophy Success

Pike Fold have started the 2011 season in the same golfing form as they finished 2010.

In addition to the BDGA league title the following honours have already been gained in the golfing associations.

BDGA Hambleton Trophy / NWMGA Junior Team Trophy / BDGA Duxbury Trophy.

Pictured are the team members with the BDGA League Trophy and the Hambleton Trophy.

All team organisers and members as well as council would like to express their sincere thanks and gratitude to member Christian Pepper of Financial Options (Bury) for his generous sponsorship of the men's team shirts for 2011.
The shirts themselves look very smart with the club logo emblazoned and depict the BDGA team's successful 2010 campaign - crowned as champions for the first time.

Pike Fold Golf Club - Hambleton Trophy Winners

As a result of Pike Fold winning the BDGA league for the first time last season, the team made the most of home advantage to win the Hambleton Trophy at the first attempt. The match between Pike Fold the Bury Champions and Breightmet the Bolton Champions always looked to be a close affair with Pike squeezing home by a scoreline of 4.5 - 3.5.

The form from last year was carried forward in to this match with the top 3 players in the BDGA player of the year, Daniel Forster, Mark Forster and Jason Jones all winning. Adding Mike O'Brien's comprehensive 6 & 5 win, the biggest for any side on the day, Pike Fold were left needing another half point from the remaining matches.

With these games all seeming to be going in Breightmet's favour a play off between the number 1 players from both sides looked likely. However nobody had counted on the staying power of Steve Horner, having passed a late fitness test and ignoring the advice to get his game won early, Steve managed to turn around a 3 hole deficit with 3 holes to play to salvage the vital half point with a brilliant up and down from the back of the 18th hole.

Well done to all the team and hopefully another successful season will follow.

CAPTAIN'S DRIVE IN SUNDAY 20TH MARCH 2011

http://www.golfbuddy.com/photos.php?album=192

Winter Greens Information

Members and Visitors Notice - Winter Playing Conditions

Winter Tees & Mats

• From Monday the 1st November 2011 winter conditions will apply playing from the winter tees and mats on all grass tees, fairways and rough.

Winter Greens

• The winter greens have now been cut and will be played on under frost conditions when the main greens will be closed.

Trolley Bans

• There will be a ban on use of electric trolleys and ride on buggies during extremely wet conditions to prevent damage to the course.
• Pull trolleys can still be used as they cause minimum damage to the course.
• This will be communicated with a sign at the entrance to the car park.
• If any member cannot comply with the trolley ban due to health problems could you please obtain a doctors note and register it with the Club Secretary to allow use of your trolley.

Hole Closures

• During winter conditions it may be necessary to close and rest certain holes due to wet conditions. The hole closures will be advised by the Club Professional and posted on the notice board.

Please check course conditions before traveling by contacting the Club Professional to enable you to make the necessary arrangements before playing.

Thanks for your support on this.
 
Pike Fold Golf Club, Greens Committee

November 2011

Pike Fold's grass is always greener

Manchester Evening News Article

David Birtill

June 23, 2009

Pike Fold are turning many of the region's clubs green with envy.
And if Ross Fisher had been putting on the verdant, slick surfaces at the Unsworth course he might well have taken fewer strokes he used during the US Open at Bethpage Black!
Course manager Philip Harmon and his staff have overseen the transformation of the greens from the ordinary to the extraordinary over the past few months.
"We have just scarified some on the front nine but the members know that the work has to be done and in the long run it's in all their interests so they don't complain," he said.
Harmon has left alone the expansive greens on the inward half which opened little more than a year ago to stretch the course to a full 18 holes at the centenary club that moved from the lowlands of Blackley in 1999 to the undulating fells near Bury with views to die for.
And they are arguably some of the best in the North West, despite their newness, thanks to them being laid to USGA specification.

Opinion
Club captain John O'Donnell enthused: "We're extremely proud of the greens. I've visited a lot of courses this year and ours come up to the standard of every one I've played. That includes Hesketh, Royal Birkdale and Romiley who have nothing better than what we have here.
"But I have a biased opinion although we had an invitation day recently when we received a lot of praise, as we generally do from visiting parties. And we can play on them all year unless there's a heavy frost."
O'Donnell agreed that greens at most clubs will be in top condition at this time of the year but he rated Pike Fold's right up there with the best.
Harmon, 33, worked in the States and Germany before returning to Crompton and Royton then taking the Pike Fold job three years ago.
"The greens may be all-weather but maintaining them is not an easy job. They need a lot more feed and water than you'd expect. We aerated the new ones at an early stage, which not many people do, but we have adopted a programme to keep them as healthy as we can.
"We don't have any weeds because we keep on top of them. The structure of the front and back nine greens are different but we've managed to get them to play the same pace."
They will be put to the full test during a festival week starting in July 27 when Lancashire play Yorkshire in a Roses mixed age match.
And that's an appropriate and deserved fixture for the child friendly club that has more than 40 juniors including 14-year-old Holly Vizard who was crowned youngest winner of the Bury Women's Championship at the town's club last week.

NEW MEMBERS JOIN PIKE!

The following new Members arrived today and all are doing well!

Existing Members are requested not to feed them as their parents might object!

Centenary Captain's Drive In

Pike Fold's Centenary Year got underway with a memorable Captain's Drive In. The event was well supported with many members in period dress.

Here are just a few photos from the day.

Click on an image to select and then use the view/download button to magnify the selected image.

Photos of the Course

Photos of the course kindly provided by Bury Photograhic Society.

As part of the Centenary Year celebrations, Pike Fold GC will have selected images framed and displayed in the Clubhouse. 

Click on any image then page though the images using the arrows, or select an image fom the drop down list of image legends. Click on the selected image again to magnify.