The Millennium Championship

Drax Golf Club, an East Riding Union of Golf Clubs member since 2023, have hosted their first East Riding Championship. This well presented 12 hole course with 17 different tees was an ideal venue to hold the 2025 Millennium Championship. June 1st was also, coincidently, the 35th anniversary of the opening of the original 9 hole course. Initially it was just for members of Drax Power Station and their social club, but now it is an independently run club with a small number of staff but plenty of volunteers.

Drax officials, members and staff put on a great show with complimentary tea/coffee and biscuits at the registration point and halfway house as a starter, followed by sandwiches and drinks as players passed by. Cards were then returned to the Drax club where drinks and meals were served throughout the day. Drax provided wardens to direct players around the course with a special mention to Alan Puddyford (below) who was up at 4am to help on the course, then had an 11 hour stint as starter and marshall to ensure the players were well looked after.

Most of the field of 54 players from 19 different East Riding clubs had not played the course before and quickly realised the relatively short layout belies a tough challenge, with excellent greens, which all enjoyed.

The winner of division one was Paul Norrie of Springhead Park Golf Club with a very good score of  39 points, the highest score of the day with only two scores over 36 points. Simon Heard of Cave Castle GC with 34 points was in second place beating Gary Acton of Hull GC also on 34 points on countback.

Below is ERUGC President Dave Greenwood  presenting Paul with the Division One Millennium Shield.

The second division was won by Joey Singer from  Cottingham Parks GC  with 31 points. Second was D Plummer of Sutton Park GC with 29 points beating Tom Donnelly of Ganstead Park GC also with 29 points on countback.

Division 3 saw Philip Cawthra  from Hull GC take the honours with an excellent 37 points. Joe McCabe of Beverley & ER GC was second on 33 points with Daniel Duckett from home club Drax GC 3rd with 32 points. ER Executive member Jonathan Clark presented Phil with his Division 3 Millennium Shield.

All the players complimented both the challenge and the condition of the course that many didn’t even know existed in the shadow of the cooling towers.

Full results & event statistics can be found here –

Millennium Trophy – Drax Golf Club Event :: Event Information

Any prize vouchers not issued on the day will be forwarded to your home club.

Thanks to all the clubs for entering their qualifying players, it was a throroughly enjoyable day where higher handicap players can represent their home club on an individual basis.

Again thank you for Drax for hosting and the time put in to prepare the course and welcome. A big thankyou to Competition Secretary Ian Jeffrey for coordinating and organising the event.

Our next Championship is the East Riding Amateur which can be entered via this website www.erugc.co.uk

Please register for Golf Genius to see all the events East Riding Members can sign up for and enjoy….

Summer arrived, for at least a day, with a still sunny morning at Ganstead  Park GC for the 2024 Millennium Championship. The course was in great condition but with the recent wet weather the run was non existant and the already long course was playing even longer than normal from the white tees.

This proved difficult for some of the players and presented a challenge for all in the field.

17 clubs were represented. 

The winner of division one was Dan Hudson from Bridlington Golf Club with a score of 38 points. A back nine of 21 points ensured a win with Shawn Hall (Burstwick) M Redmore (Hornsea) and Shaun Day (Cottingham) all with 33 points in 2nd, 3rd and 4th place respectiveley.

The second division was won by Kevin Simpson of Drax GC with the highest score of the day of 40 points. Two 4 point birdies on the 8th and 10th saw Kevin open up a 4 point cushion over 2nd place Jack Warriner (KP) and 3rd  place Tom O’Neill (Cottingham) both on 36 pts. Kevin Bulless (Beverley) was in 4th place with 32 points.

Division 3 saw last man out Paul Cartmell of Brough Golf Club come through and win with 36 points. This was despite having no points after the first 2 holes. A back nine of 22 points saw Paul race through the field to edge out Martin Cockerill  (Bridlington) 2nd with 34 points and Steve Johnson (KP) also 34 points. Ken Winter of Drax made up the prize winners in 4th place with 32 points.

Any prize vouchers not issued on the day will be forwarded to your home club.

Thanks to all the stafff and volunteers at Ganstead for the hospitality and the members for their support of the event on a busy day. 

Thankyou to Tony Barker of Ganstead Park for standing in as the starter for the day due to Andy Pittaway and other members of the executive assisting the Junior team at Beverley Golf Club.

President Jonty Hall of Hornsea GC had a busy day helping at the Ganstead event before travelling over to Beverley to support the Juniors and entertain the visiting team and dignitaries.

Full results and scores can be found on the East Riding page of www.howdidido.com

Dawes, Petch & Bentley win Millennium Championship Trophies

A dry overcast day at Withernsea GC, but with a steady onshore breeze it presented a hard challenge for players in the 2023 Millennium Championship.

With 20 clubs entered and the course looking great it was hoped we were in for a competitive day.

Some players struggled on the tight running course, but almost all enjoyed the different problems this underestimated course threw at them. The course was in great condition, prepared by the small group of greenkeeping staff and the many volunteers.

The most points of the day and the winner of division one was Stuart Dawes of Filey Golf club with a score of 37 points. With a birdie on the last for four points he won on countback from Michael Parker of Driffield GC also with 37 pnts. P Sellers of Hornsea GC 36 pts and Mitchell Clarke of Cottingham GC 35pts finished 3rd and 4th place repectively.

The second division was won by Nigel Petch of KP Club with 36 points – despite two no score holes in the last three – edging out James Potter of Burstwick GC whose six on the last proved costly. Ian Sutor of Beverley GC 34pts and Lee McGeachy of Withernsea GC with 33pts finished in 3rd and 4th place.

Division 3 saw Andrew Bentley win on his home course. A no score on the last for 35 points still saw him with enough to keep Matthew Morris of Scarborough North Cliff GC in 2nd place on 34 pts.David Pitchers KP club with 33pts and Ian McManus 29pts of Sutton GC made up the 3rd and 4th places.

Thanks to Neil Baxter and all the stafff/volunteers at Withernsea, and the Sunday afternoon crowd for your hospitality.

Thanks again to Andy Pittaway our starter and President Mike Dawson of Filey GC for their assistance throughout the day,

Full results and scores can be found on the East Riding page of www,howdidido.com

The next event is the East Riding Amateur Championship on the 18th June at Cave Castle Golf club. Entry closes on the 11th June. Enter here www.erugc.co.uk

Millennium Championship

Sutton Park Golf Club
28th May 2022

A dry day with sunny intervals along with a slight breeze gave almost perfect conditions for the Millennium Championship.

With 19 clubs represented and the course looking great it was hoped we were in for a competitive day. Some players struggled on the tight course as well as the small greens, but all enjoyed the challenge and had nothing but praise for Sutton Parks condition.

The best round of the day and the winner of division one was current Hessle Captain Karl Thorne who had 40pts despite missing a tap in on the last. He beat first out Sutton player Paul Holmes into second place.

The second division was won by Keith Simmonds on countback with 39 points. He edged out John Carter with a back 9 of 20 against Johns 18. The deciding hole was the 17th where Keith birdied the 229-yard par 3 with John taking a double bogey 5.

Division 3 saw Michael Spooner in the last group of the day edge past home player Lee Swatman who had held the lead from the start. Michael went out in 23pts and despite a wobble held on finishing par par to scrape home by one point.

Thanks to Mac and all the staff at Sutton Park GC and The Lodge clubhouse whose hospitality was second to none.

The next event is the Amateur Championship on Sunday 19th June hosted by Beverley & ER GC.

Enter here

Entry is now also open for East Riding Open Championship on Sunday the 17th of July at Burstwick GC.

Full results as always are on the East Riding Howdidido page. A full list of prize winners is below, and vouchers will be distributed.

Division 1

Division 2

Division 3

Winners pictured below, Karl Thorne (left) Michael Spooner (right).