The warmest summer on record, followed by one of the driest winters set the golf course at Drax up perfectly for the first event of the 2019 season, the Captain’s Drive In which, ironically, was postponed due to bad weather 3 weeks earlier! On a crisp and Sunny morning, the 2019 Captain Dan Mitchell was joined on the tee by his vice captain Steve Simpson and Senior Captain Matthew Forde with his vice captain Roger Elliott. In front of over 60 members the captains hit the first shots of the season. All four managed to overcome their nerves and send respectable efforts in the general direction of the first hole. Dan’s drive was measured at 221 yards although he claimed it had hit a tree and rebounded at least 20 yards!
The competition that ensued was a Texas Scramble with the captain’s team doing just enough to avoid coming bottom of the pack!
The season is now well underway with the first Monthly Medal already completed, featuring a superb round of 62 nett by Thorne’s Colin Taylor. The first leg of the season long Senior Cup was also contested and John Tate from Snaith stormed to the front of the pack with an excellent 40 Stableford points.
The greenkeeping team and their volunteer helpers have had a most productive winter with some great improvements to the drainage systems and reworking of some bunkers and other areas of the course. The club are very grateful for the help received from Fairfax Plant Hire in Selby in enabling the work to be carried out so cost effectively.
The club are also thankful for the help received from Drax Power Station during the winter and they have recently received a very generous grant from the Two Ridings Community Foundation to install a borehole on the course which will enable the course to be watered at minimum cost and release funds to improve the access on the course for players of all ages and mobility.