Union and Alliance form perfect golf partnership
When Halifax, Huddersfield & District Union of Golf Clubs saw their younger 'brother' - the local winter Alliance – faced possible extinction in their 70th year, they were quick to offer aid.
The Halifax-Huddersfield Union themselves were in fine health as they celebrated their 75th anniversary and did not want to see the Alliance, threatened by a combination of the effects of COVID and the personal circumstances of their core administrators, go under.
Subsequently the Alliance was taken under the Union's wing and a 10-event season recently passed its halfway mark at Halifax West End with close battles being waged in both the professional and amateur orders of merit.
The Alliance was founded in 1952 and over the following seven decades met their aim of providing competitive winter golf for both amateurs and club professionals, although the final two seasons were restricted to just two competitions each by the global pandemic and extremely poor weather.
Much of the Alliance's success down the years has been built on unpaid volunteers committing a considerable amount of time and effort, and it was when their contributions were undermined through circumstances beyond their control that their 'big brother', the Union,
came to the rescue.
“The Halifax, Huddersfield & District Golf Alliance is now under the Union, and we've amalgamated it so the president of the Alliance is now the president of the Union, when in the past they've been two separate things,” said Frank Greaves, team manager of the Union's senior and junior teams.
“When the golf season is closing down, the Alliance gives players at clubs within the Union the chance to play some competitive golf at different courses and to meet and play with players from other clubs.
“It is an extension of what the Union was set up to do – which was to promote the game, but also promote
friendship and fellowship between all of the clubs involved in the Union – and the Alliance would have gone by the wayside.”
Competitions are open to professionals, assistant professionals and amateurs connected to any of the Union's 23 clubs and the season's climax – at Ryburn on April 18 and Meltham on May 2 – will
see players compete for the Page Trophy and Roger Heap Memorial Cup (both individual medals) and the Ronnie Parkinson Trophy (better ball stableford).
The Colin H Swain Trophy will be awarded to the best professional and the Emmie Smith Trophy to the best club team in the Page Trophy at Meltham.