A FOCUS on juniors has been at the heart of Lymm Golf Club success in 2023.

Thanks to a number of volunteers and a pro-active team, the junior section has developed ‘greatly’ with a lot of boys and girls between the ages of six and 13 introduced to the sport.

Included in this has been a series of coaching and teaching sessions with PGA qualified professionals and youngsters competing in friendly leagues.

Lymm also held several days of mixed golf events with juniors and adults taking part.

A crucial element in the club’s junior development was receiving the renewal of the ‘SafeGolf’ accreditation in October.

This is a partnership of UK and Ireland golf bodies committed to promoting a safe and positive environment for all those participating, working and volunteering in the sport.

Capping the year’s junior highlights, Lymm celebrated becoming home to the Cheshire team champions; Matty Griffiths, the club’s junior captain for 2023, qualified for the Junior European Open in Spain; and another Lymm member, Imogen Marsland, represented the county as junior captain.

The junior section has embarked on a fundraising project to provide covered teaching bays to ensure that during their hours of teaching and coaching they are able to stay dry.

They have raised a little in excess of £30,000 and the end target is now close.

These are all huge positives in what was another challenging year for any sport, leisure and hospitality sector organisation.

A record level of rainfall throughout the whole year resulted in many golf courses being closed for long periods of time.

But not at Lymm, although at times they had to restrict the course to 10 to 12 holes.

Such is the quality of Lymm’s course and facilities, the venue was selected to stage the Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs Senior Championship.

And home member Ian Quirk made his experience of the course count when he won with scores of 71 and 67.

It was a tremendous four-under-par winning score achieved against more than 60 of Cheshire’s best over 55s players.

In another moment of personal achievement, Lymm PGA professional Steve McCarthy pocketed his seventh hole-in-one of the year while the club was hosting a charity day.

The club have been involved with a number of charities over the past 12 months, raising several thousands of pounds, for the benefit of, among others, Sarcoma UK, ‘Wear it Pink’ – Breast Cancer Awareness, Warrington Disability Partnership, Children's Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT), Warrington Foodbank and Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

Lymm Golf Club have also hosted a number of community groups, particularly with the closure of the Fir Grove Hotel in Grappenhall.