Staffordshire Girls News

Girls Handicap Team V Shropshire - 21/04/2024

It was amazing to start the season away at Llanymynech. Not the longest course but contained some very interesting holes with driving a hole in England and finishing off in Wales.

With Molly Calder and Molly McMurray both winning their match it was a close but unforntunate result overall. However, it was lovely seeing everyone together again and great meeting Isla Tilke and Rihanna Bachra.

Match Result 3-2 to Shropshire.

Kennedy Murphy - Girls Handicap Team Captain

Team: Kennedy Murphy, Cassie Alsop, Molly McMurray, Molly Calder, Rhianna Bachra, Isla Tilke. 

Midland North Region Girls's Championship

The 2024 MNR Girls Chanpionship shall take place on Sunday 25th August at Wollaton Park Golf Club, Nottingham.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE NECESSARY INFORMATION  

Development Squad Day 21st April Postponed

Please note the development squad day due to take place on the Sunday 21st April has been postponded. A new date will be arranged fo r this day to take place.

Rabbits & Futures Day Postponed

Please be aware the Rabbits Fun Lessons and Futures Squad training due to take place on Sunday 14th April have been postponed. A new date will be arranged and all will be notified in advance.

Staffordshire Schools Trial & Midland Schools Championships 2024

This years Staffordshire Schools Trial takes place at Barlaston G.C on Monday 25th March and the Midlands Schools Championships will take place at Trentham Park G.C on 27th May.

Any junior who is interested in playing in either of these events please contact Oliva Mason, County Head Coach, or Louise Manning, Junior Organiser for further contact details.

Contact details for Olivia and Louise can be found in the junior sub committe tab.

England Golf Centenary Dinner and Awards

The England Golf Centenary Dinner and awards evening that took place on Tuesday 13th February were truly fantastic and an honour for me as President to be present and be part of the celebration.

Nick Doherty, former golf star and current Sky Sports presenter, hosted the evening and with England Golf dignitaries gave an insightful commentary on the history of England Golf. It was inspiring to hear about the achievements of everyone in the golfing community.

Among the award recipients were two young ladies from Staffordshire previously highlighted on our website. Maria Tiffany-Thompson of Brocton Hall Golf Club and Ryka Verma of The South Staffordshire Golf Club. Both made the final three for the Young Volunteer of the Year Award. Unfortunately, it was not to be on this occasion. However, they were both winners in their own right. The work they have carried out in promoting golf to young girls and encouraging them to take part in the game is a credit to their love and dedication to the game. Congratulations to them both on their achievements. 

We also witnessed the inaugural England Golf Hall of Fame.  It was a privilege to see Bridget Jackson MBE, of Handsworth Golf Club, inducted and receive her award for a lifetime of dedication to the game as a player and administrator at all levels and rightfully receive applause and appreciation from the floor.

Annette Deeley, President

For further details of the evening, CLICK HERE

England Golf Young Volunteer Of The Year

Congratulations to both Maria Tiffany Thompson of Brocton Hall Golf Club and Ryka  Verma of South Staffordshire Golf Club as  being confirmed on making the finalists list for the England Golf Young Vol unteer Of The Year  Awards. A  fantastic achievement and SLCGA are extremely proud of them both for the  work and time they have given, and are still doing, for girls golf.    T he presentation to the eventual winner will take place at the England Golf Centenary Dinner & Awards E vening held on Tuesday 13th February 2024 at the Midland Manchester Hotel. 

Here are the reasons why they have been chosen as finalists:

Maria-Tiffany Thompson (Brocton Hall GC, Staffordshire)

Brocton’s Girls Golf Rocks section is the most successful in the county and Maria-Tiffany is a Girls Golf Rocks Ambassador helping young girls to enjoy the game of golf. For the last three years, Maria-Tiffany organised a Christmas-themed charity competition in support of Birmingham Children's Hospital in memory of friend Charlie Mears who passed away at the age of 15 and who loved playing golf. Last year the competition raised over £2000. Maria-Tiffany has always welcomed and made all new junior members feel welcome, spending time and encouraging them to enjoy golf. As a county scratch player, she offers advice and recognises girls that have the qualities to make the team and passes the information to her organisers.

Ryka Verma (South Staffordshire GC, Staffordshire)

Ryka has been promoting golf and the benefits it has on health and mental wellbeing. Ryka planned and delivered a golf day at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she generated funds for the England Golf and the Golf Foundation. Ryka made history by becoming the first female Junior Captain at South Staffordshire Golf Club, where she encourages peers to become well-rounded sports people. Ryka represents Staffordshire County in golf competitions, displaying her commitment to regional golf development and supports Afriyea - an African golf organisation - by providing support to their members in becoming better golfers. She also delivered a podcast with the Afriyea Ugandan academy, which gained recognition from We Women Golf Magazine, MyGolfWay in Barcelona, and being featured in Women & Golf. Whilst studying hard for her GCSEs, Ryka has authored two articles for Midlands Golfer, sharing her insight on topics from sustainability to goalsetting. As a Young Ambassador, she has left an indelible mark on many children's golf journeys through her positive influence and patience. Serving as the Junior Captain at South Staffordshire Golf Club, she has fostered a vibrant junior community, fostering strong connections with both the ladies and men at the club. Beyond her club, she extends her influence on other golfing communities, including the 3 Hammers Golf Complex. Motivated by gratitude for the sport that has shaped her character, she challenges conventional perceptions of golf. Whether at South Staffordshire Golf Club or within her school community, she has actively reshaped others' views of golf, demonstrating its inclusive nature beyond stereotypes.

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SAVE THE DATE - 6th JANUARY 2024 

 Staffordshire  Ladies County Golf Association (SLCGA) - Junior Section Meet and Greet.

We would like to invite you all, parents, guardians and junior players to our meet-and-greet get-together that is taking place at

THE CHASE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB in the Atrium room at 10:30 am on Saturday 6th January 2024.

As a County, we are making changes to and rebuilding our Junior Committee along with changes to our junior development team. Don’t worry we will still be following the pathway implemented by England Golf, and that will always be the case.

During this meeting, we shall introduce you to committee members, aids, players the coaching/development team and you will be given the dates of the coaching sessions.

Also, importantly we shall be announcing the 2024 Junior Captain.

There are a large number of junior girls affiliated to the County and we only see in comparison a small number of them. We must try and reach all of these girls.  After all, they are the future of our golf.

We are excited about our movement forward and believe we can get our junior players/teams back at the top where they all belong. But of course, this will only come with the commitment from us and the players themselves. We want our girls to enjoy their time with us, enjoy their golfing journey and enjoy making new friends.

As in previous years, we require a one-off cost of £40 per child towards the funding of the training. The remaining cost will be funded by the SLCGA  and England Golf. Details on how to make this payment will be made available at the meet & greet.

Progression through the ranks is important to us, our ladies' 1st team and 2nd team captains along with our development team will be monitoring how our juniors are advancing and will look at slowly integrating them through the ranks and into these ladies’ teams.

Playing for the county at any level and being involved in the county as an officer at any level is a great honour and a position to be proud of and every officer that will meet you on this day will agree with that.

Please confirm your attendance to Louise Manning at louisejoss@hotmail.com as soon as possible for us to have an idea of how many of you will be attending.

We look forward to seeing you on the 6th of January.

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Festival of Golf and Finals Day 2023

13 girls took part in this year's festival of golf that took place at Branston Golf and Country Club on the 15th of August. 

This day event holds the final of the MNR (Midland North Region) matches of both the scratch league and handicap league teams, with adventure golf fun challenges and 9-hole Stableford competitions for players with new handicaps and those with no current handicap. A day to experience and enjoy.

The MNR comprises of the 6 following counties: Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Throughout the season each county has played their league matches running up to this date ready to play the final match to see who will become the league winners. 

We were very proud of all the girls who took part, all taking the day's challenges on with positivity, strength, commitment and playing with pride in representing their County.

Taking part for Staffordshire were: Mia Gregory, Sophie Thomas, Kiran Bains, Kennedy Murphy, Molly Calder, Rucci Verma, Ryka Verma, Amelia Forrester, Imogen Forrester, Lily Wardle Gray, Alexandra Lee, Arriana Lee and Kayra Tiwaquen

Congratulations to Sophie Thomas and Molly Calder who took prizes in the adventure golf challenges.

Both our scratch and handicap teams finished 4th in their respective leagues. Well done to all the girls who played, many of whom were elevated through to these teams for this event. Being taken out of your comfort zone is a huge thing but every player took it in their stride, playing and supporting each other throughout the day.

A huge thank you to Therese Douglas, Louise Manning and Glennis Dawes for their work in supporting this day and to the volunteers from The Chase Golf Club, and Branston Golf & County Club; Ann Merle Jones, Angela Bateman, Penny Simpson, Jenny Hollis and Bev Doughty. Also thanks to Katrina White for collating the players for this event.

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Boys V Girls Match Sunday 16th April 2023

The girls had an excellent win 3.5/0.5 against a strong Staffordshire boys’ team, the whole team played really well and adapted quickly to the change in format due to the travel disruptions. The girls played foursomes which worked well, with the girls supporting each other fantastically. Liv, Izzy, Lilia, Kennedy, Mia, and Molly brought in three wins, Kiran and Cassie halved their match.
Thank you Olivia Whittle for being Team Captain you did a brilliant job.

We received a warm welcome from Trentham Park GC, the course was in good condition and the girls enjoyed playing the course. The weather held off too.
Thank you to the boys committee members for organising the day and to Gareth for starting the girls off.
Well done girls, a great start to the season. Keep enjoying your golf and have a great season.
Thank you to all the parents for their support and to Therese Douglas for your invaluable help on the day.

Alison Scase

12th April 2023

Staffordshire Girls County Championship was held at Barlaston GC on a cold, blustery, wet Wednesday. The girls were amazing and smiled their way through the challenging weather conditions.
Congratulations to Olivia Whittle who is the new County Champion with a gross score of 78 & 81 over 36 holes really well-played.
RESULTS
36 HOLE BRIDGET JACKSON
1st Olivia Whittle
2nd Caitlin Metcalfe

BEST BETT
1st Kiran Bains
2nd Molly Lloyd

18 HOLE DEBBIE EAGLEFIELD
1st Sophie Thomas
2nd Molly McMurray

U14 WINNER
Mia Gregory

HOLE IN ONE
Congratulations to Caitlin Metcalfe who had a hole in 1 on the 6th hole, 94 yards.

Thank you to Barlaston GC for giving the course and looking after us so well and to the team of helpers at Barlaston GC and Staffordshire County Ladies.
Also, thank you to Mr President – Tim Hewin for braving the elements outside to start the girls off.
Thank you to the parents for bringing the girls to the matches and for your continued support and guidance.

Alison Scase

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05/09/22 - Well Done Chloe

As the Junior Girls’ County Champion, Chloe Williamson won a place and represented Staffordshire in the England Golf County Champion of Champions, which was held at Woodhall Spa last weekend.
Woodhall Spa is a very tricky course and Chloe finished 11th playing against all the other County Champions.

16/08/22 - Festival of Golf

Staffordshire Junior Girls took part in the Festival of Golf at Branston Golf and Country Club on the 16th August.

The event is the culmination of the Midland and Regional Year, and the final scratch and handicap matches were played, along with fun challenges and 9 hole competitions for players with new handicaps or no handicaps.

In the Scratch match, Staffordshire halved with Nottinghamshire, who ultimately won the MNR Trophy. The Handicap team lost to Leicestershire 3-2.

The players were a great joy, and our County should be very proud of the team players. The Handicap team walked back down the final fairway to bring our last player home. A wonderful gesture.

In the challenges, Molly McMurray came 2nd in the 9 hole competitions for players with a handicap, and Isla Tilke won the nearest the pin challenge, principally, because she had a hole in one! Congratulations to everyone who took part.

09/07/22 - Derbyshire & Shropshire Scratch Matches

Glorious weather in Shropshire, but a VERY early start, and in the first match against Shropshire, Staffordshire struggled to maintain their winning streak from the week before. Shropshire won by 3.5 to 1.5.

The weather did not get any cooler in the afternoon for the match against Derbyshire with Staffordshire going down 3.5 to 1.5.

Well done to everyone for a gruelling day in the heat, it was tough, and everyone worked hard, a real credit to our County. Grateful thanks to Molly Lloyd, who really helped the County Team by stepping in at the last moment. Thanks Molly.

02/07/22 - Scratch Team power home vs Leicester and Lincolnshire

The County Girls scratch team played Leicestershire in the morning and the team won 4 1/2 to 1/2, in the afternoon with just four players and already conceeding a point the girls roared home with a 4 to 1 win over Lincolnshire. Amazing play by all the team led by Captain Holly Branson, Olivia Whittle, Chloe Williamson, Maria-Tiffany Thompson & Caitlin Metcalfe. The game was played in a tremendous spirit.

  27/06/22 - Oliva Goes to the National Schools Championships 

County Girls Scratch team player Olivia Whittle represented Staffordshire at the National Schools’ Championships at GogMagog Golf Club in Cambridgeshire on the 27th June.

Olivia had qualified at the Midlands Regional Finals at Telford earlier in the month, where only the top five players progressed to the finals.

County Week 2022. Trentham Golf Club (June)

The Junior Girls were very well represented in the Staffordshire County team for County Week which was hosted by Staffordshire this year at Trentham Golf Club.

The Juniors were included in the team on each day, and they were involved with playing as well as supporting the team and caddying for other players when they weren’t actually playing.

It was a great learning experience for the Juniors, and they all said how much fun they had had, especially being part of the team and helping each other.

Kate Smith joined Julia Gaunt in the foursomes, whilst Olivia Whittle and Chloe Williamson played in single matches. Olivia took a GCSE exam in the morning and then won her match in the afternoon. Caitlin Metcalfe formed a great partnership with Bronwen Davies, caddying for her every day.

Staffordshire were very close to winning the Week, but Nottinghamshire pipped them on the last morning, to go to the County Finals in Hampshire in September.

Staffordshire Juniors can be very proud of their efforts over the three days.

12/06/22 - Handicap Match vs Cheshire at Barlaston Golf Club 

A beautiful day and a course in super condition, Staffordshire hosted Cheshire in a handicap match at Barlaston Golf Club on 12th June 2022.

Caitlin Metcalfe captained the team and led them off with a win 3 and 1 against Jamie Hand. Both players returning birdies on the 9th.

The team made up of: Mia Gregory (halved); Kennedy Murphy (lost 7 and 6); Kiran Bains (won 6 and 5). Staffordshire came out as overall winners by 2.5 points to 1.5 points.

Due to illness, Cassie Allsop, Taryn Davis for Staffordshire, and Hannah Carr for Cheshire, played 11 holes in a Stableford competition, with Taryn Davis coming out top on feedback.

The match was a lot of fun and the hospitality from Barlaston Golf Club was excellent.

06/06/22 - Olivia Makes It To English Schools National Championship

Congratulations to our County player Olivia Whittle who is through to the English Schools National Championship @ Gog Magog Golf Club, Cambridge on the 27th June 2022.

Olivia achieved a gross score of 123 over 27 holes, placing her within the top 5 girls to go through .

Brilliant Olivia wishing you all the very best at the championship

29/05/22 - Staffordshire vs Worcestershire & Herefordshire

We received a really warm welcome from the W/H team and Hagley GC; a lovely course with beautiful views. The girls found the front 9 holes quite challenging and had to really think about club choice.

The team played very well with 3 matches going to the 18th and 3 matches to the 17th. Well done to Molly Calder and Kiran Bains who were playing their first match for the County girls.

Well played girls, I saw some great golf played.

Result was 5.5 win to W/H.

Thankyou to all the parents for their support. 

08/05/22 - Derbyshire Friendly Match Aston Wood

Staffordshire vs Derbyshire 8th May 2022 @ Aston Wood GC

All the girls fought hard with 3 girls giving 9 shots each, 1 giving 7 shots and 1 match level.

3 matches went to the 18th and one to the 17th.

The girls played really well and stayed focused and positive right to the end.

We are proud of you all. Well done team.

Match result 4.5 -  0.5 to Derbyshire

Team Captain Amelia, Ruby Horobin, Caitlin Metcalfe, Lilia Marklew, Kennedy Murphy, Mia Gregory  (reserve)

01/05/22 - Handicap Match vs Shropshire

Well done Staffordshire girls! You all fought well at The Wrekin, which was a challenging hilly course. The match was played with a friendly competitive spirit.

Team captain Caitlin Metcalfe did a great job leading and supporting the girls.

Thank you to Mia Gregory for joining the team and playing so well.

Also thank you to the Wrekin GC for giving the course and looking after everyone.

Staffordshire girl’s team: Ruby Horobin, Caitlin Metcalfe, Lilia Marklew, Cassie Allsopp & Mia Gregory

Final result 4-1 to Shropshire

01/05/22 - Rabbits Trophy Winner

The annual Rabbits Trophy was held at Lichfield Golf & Country Club on Sunday 1st May 2022.

The girls played brilliantly and supported each other throughout the competition. We saw some fabulous golf shots with some birdies and pars

Thank you to Lichfield Golf and Country Club for giving the course, making us feel so welcome and looking after everyone so well.

Thank you to Jinny Callaghan for organising this year’s competition. Extended thanks to Lichfield Lady Captain for providing support out on the course and presenting the prizes. Finally, thank you to all the volunteers for giving your time and guidance, as always this is very much appreciated.

Thank you to parents, grandparents for your continued support.

Results:
1st  -   Isla Tilke - Branston GC - score 36
2nd - Molly McMurray - Stafford Castle GC - score 43
3rd -  Rihanna Bachra - Trentham GC - score  46

20/04/22 - 2022 County Girls Champion

Chloe Williamson has won the 2022 County Girls Championship at Wolstanton Golf Club, the 36 hole event was kindly hosted by the Newcastle Under Lyme club. Chloe beat a field of 8 players to claim the annual Bridget Jackson (gross comp) Trophy and become County Champion. Runner up was Olivia Whittle. U14 winner was Ruby Horobin, U16 winner Caitlin Metcalfe. The nett prize went to Katie Smith with runner up Amelia Taylor. Bronze plate winner Jessica Moffatt and runner up Kennedy Murphy. Congratulations to all the players.

17/04/22 - County Girls vs County Boys Friendly

The annual season opened against the county girls and county boys took place on Sunday 17th April at Trentham Park Golf Club. The weather was perfect but the boys just sneaked it winning 4.5 to 3.5. Many thanks to Trentham Park for the kind hospitality. 

13/04/22 - County Girls Make Next Round

County Girls Kate Smith & Chloe Williamson played in Telegraph Junior Golf Championship Qualifier event @ South Staffordshire GC.
Chloe scored Gross 73 / Nett 71
Kate scored Gross 82 / Nett 80
Well done to both girls in challenging wet conditions. Both girls have qualified for next round. 

23/03/22 - Girls County Championship Update

The girls County Championship has been moved to the 20th April and will be held at the Wolstanton Golf Club, entries are now open to take part in this prestigious event to decide the Champion golfer within the county over 36 holes. Do not miss this opportunity to take part in the most important county event of the year. Spike the county mascot will be presenting the winner with the trophy. Click the link to enter: Girls County Championship Enter

18/03/22 - Calling Girls looking to enter County Golf

Following the success of the county girls open day at Three Hammers on the 6th March the county are calling for any girls wanting to join the county training programme at Branston GC. All levels of ability and no need for a WHS. If interested in more details please do email us.

12/03/22 - Girls Open Day in the News

The Staffordshire girls open day was held on Sunday 6th March to showcase the county and the game to new golfers and explain the county’s player development pathway, click the link to see the news article that covered the event.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

06/03/22 - County Open Day Success

The Staffordshire County Girls section had their open day today to welcome the new intake of young girls to the development of girls into golf, hosted at the Three Hammers Golf Centre with head coach Rob Bluck. Photos and more CLICK HERE.

06/03/22 - Girls County Championship

The Girls County Championships take place on the 11th April at Wolstanton Golf Club and is open to all players with a WHS handicap.

Don’t miss the opportunity to enter this important County competition and get on the website to fill out your form.

This is a perfect opportunity to compete against the best in the county and learn and grow your skills while meeting and making new friends.

If you have not entered yet please do go to the Junior fixture list on the link here and enter now.

Who will be the next Girls County Champion? It could be you.

17/02/22 - Spike Returns

Spike the Rufus who has been the County Girls Mascot from 2015 until his retirement three years ago is coming out of retirement to once again support the county girls for 2022. In a press announcement "Spike" as he is affectionatley known by former county girls said he wanted to return to full time mascot work and support the girls in all the county matches this year.  Spike saw the girls win the scratch league for 3 years in a row but controversy occured with Spike on the tee at Chevin against Derbyshire girls. As he watched the Staffs girls tee off he in his excitement toppled the golf ball from the tee prior to one of our girls teeing off and the Derbyshire Captain claimed a shot penalty as a rule infringement as he was part of the 'equipment.' (however both teams laughed about the incident) We hope no accidents occur in 2022 for Spike.

31/05/21 - Maria-Tiffany Thompson Wins County Championship

The County Girls Championships and Bronze Plate was held on the 31st May at Leek GC
Maria-Tiffany came from four shots down in the first round at Leek to win by a single shot over the field with a total of 162.

TBA - Title News

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