THE G.S. LANCASHIRE CUP 2024

Crompton & Royton Golf Club hosted

the 2024 G S Lancashire Cup

( the first Balfour and Houldsworth Competition held  at Crompton & Royton )

Winners of the G.S. Lancashire Cup 2024

Kevin Speight, Ian Marsh , Julie Speight & Angela Iddles

Bury Golf Club

Second Place

Michael Biddle, Lee Hodgkinson ,  Niki Bonell & Jo Henderson

Malkins Bank Golf Club

  Third Place  
Jeff  Blackburn, Penny Blackburn, Cherryl Twist & Daniel Twist
Ellesmere Golf Club

  Fourth Place  

David Wilkinson*, Barry Moran, Estelle Spence & Victoria Evans

Altrincham* & Northenden Golf Clubs

B&H Treasurer Steve Misell presented Sandra McManus

with a bottle of wine to celebrate a Hole In One.

The field was made up of 136 players from 31 different clubs. The tee-sheets and labels for the score cards were printed out at 6.00 am to take account of any handicap changes which may have occurred overnight via the WHS.

 
The 2022 GS Lancs report had noted that "The first team out at 9.00 am, made up of Kevin Speight, Ian Marsh, Julie Speight and Chloe Marsh of Bury Golf Club, set the early pace with a team score of 82 Points". The 2024 reports tells much of the same story with Angela Iddles replacing Chloe Marsh, and the Bury team setting the pace this year with a score of 86 points. After an hour or so the Worsley / Whitefield team, led by Pat Jackson, the current Lady Captain of Manchester Lady Captains, came back with a score of 81 points.

Shortly after that, a team from Malkins Bank near Sandbach, led by Michael Biddle started the challenge with a score of 84 points. However, the scores like the weather started to cool down somewhat, and we had to wait nearly 2 hours for the next nearest challenge. Crompton & Royton member, Emily Halstead, playing off 4.8, led her team back with 80 points.

Two more teams came back with 80 points, led by Tuan Truong of Stand Golf Club and Cheryl Thorpe of Whitefield Golf Club. The top score of 82 in the afternoon came from the Ellesmere team of Jeff & Penny Blackburn and Cherryl & Daniel Twist and this was to secure them third place. Having spent a few soggy and windy days at the Open, Estelle Spence's Northenden team of Barry Moran, Victora Evans and David Wilkinson (Altrincham), return a score of 81 points. This just secured them 4th place on a card play-off with Pat Jackson's team.

So, having waited most of the day for the final results to be confirmed, it was with great delight that Kevin Speight accepted the GS Lancashire Cup on behalf of his Bury GC team from the B&H Chairman John Farmer. The 2025 GS Lancs is due to played at Bury GC in 2025 and Kevin is due to be Captain of Bury GC - so watch this space!

The evening Presentation commenced with C&R Captain David Weldon, thanking all those who had taken part in the competition, and in particular those who had stayed or returned for the Presentation. He noted that the B&H Hon Sec. David Haley had been a junior member at C&R in 1956 and not having played the course for over 50 years, returned for old times sake with Pat Jackson to play in and then win the 2022 Charity Shield.  Thus started the ongoing links with C&R and B&H.

On behalf of the B&H Competitions Committee, John Farmer expressed his thanks to Crompton & Royton Golf Club for hosting the competition and for the excellent services provided to players on the course and in the Club House.  

On behalf of the B&H Committee, Nick Wyatt presented a cheque to Mr Captain  in appreciation of the excellent and enthusiastic way that all at Crompton & Royton Golf hosted the 2024 GS Lancs.

Video Slideshow of some more photos of the 2024 GS Lancs

click to view

The 2025 G S Lancs will be played at Bury  Golf Club. 

The Tee-sheet is now open for those who would like to secure their preferred times.  

CLICK HERE to enter the GS Lancashire on 20th July 2025 at Bury Golf Club  

Mixed Team Event - Best Gent & Best Lady to score on each hole - £100 per team

Origins of the GS Lancs

In 1921 the George S Lancashire Cup was presented

by a “well known Manchester fruit and potato merchant"

Extracts from an article in the Boston Guardian Sat 14th March 1931

This week the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades' Associations have been holding their conference in Manchester, and they had councillor James Blindell, M.P., as their chief guest at their annual diner. The President of the Federation. Mr. G. S. Lancashire, is a well known Manchester fruit and potato merchant, who has achieved success in various walks of life. He is an accomplished linguist, wide traveller, is well-known in literary circles, has written extensively, and is a golfer of note and the donor of the GS. Lancashire Golf Cup.