Kentish Express Ashford & District
Pilbin claims Whisky win
The new season of competitive golf at Ashford Golf Club has been welcomed back by members old and new.
There were fields of over 100 competitors for the Irish Whisky Medal and the Chairman’s Cup.
It was 10-handicapper Simon Pilbin who won the Whisky Medal with a nett score of 66, a shot better than Stuart Girdwood, whilst evergreen Nigel Warne was in third spot.
The Chairman’s Cup was closely contested, Glenn Mackett winning with a score of 39 points, edging out Tek Gharti and Keith Hopson. The Ladies prize went to Lynn Bennett who pipped Catherine Hazelden on countback, both carding 36 points.
The April Midweek Stableford went to Tommy Lockett with 40 points while Graham Sutherland enjoyed his two successes in the tri-weekly Vets Swindle competitions, the other being won by Ron Hurst.
The Kent Veterans League campaign opened with Ashford gaining a creditable 3/3 draw at Hythe where there were wins for the pairings of Norman Barnes/ Chris Dorsett, Keith Hopson/ John Linstead and Tony Rubbo and Colin Shaw.
The newly-formed Kent Super 70s League saw Ashford travel to Lydd where the hosts recorded a 3.5-1.5 win. Skipper Graham Sutherland and Tony Rawbone gave Ashford their win and Dave Harbron and David James halved their match.
Lynn Bennett continued her good early season form with a fine win in the Marie Curie Shield.
■ Chart Hills Golf Club is set for a June reopening after a quicker than expected redevelopment.
Works on the Biddenden club were initially set to be completed in late summer 2022, but the Covid-19 pandemic and forced closures due to government restrictions, presented an opportunity to dramatically accelerate the timeframe.
The new course is now expected to be officially opened on June 1 after a year-long development.
The club has been subject to a total property renovation through Ramac Holdings, who are also owners of Prince’s Golf Club in Sandwich. They purchased Chart Hills in December 2019, with a significant task in front of them as they looked to restore a golf course that had suffered for some years.
Director of golf Anthony Tarchetti said: “We have made enormous strides and are hugely proud of the product we will be presenting.
“While the work has been significant, we absolutely will not rest on our laurels.”