GANSTEAD PARK GOLF COURSE (GOD BLESS YOU MR STAPLES)

GANSTEAD PARK	https://www.gansteadpark.co.uk/		GANSTEAD HULL UK
Type of course	PARKLAND	18 holes
Course distance	White 6775 yds	Yellow  6461 yds	Red 5740 yds
Holes	4 x par 5	10 x par 4	4 x par 3
Claim to fame: One of the most improved venues in the East Riding
Driving out of Hull along the A165 heading for Bridlington a sharp right 1.5 miles on takes you onto the meandering Longdales Lane which leads to Ganstead Golf Course. Taking a tight left-hand bend reveals the red flag of the practice area and further on the open car park and club house fits snugly along the roadside. It must be said the openness of the grounds makes a welcome change from the many fenced and gated establishments I have played at previously. The pro shop is small but very well stocked with the usual array of costly clothes and equipment. The clubhouse sits atop the changing rooms and offices and has a balcony that is tight against the 18th green. From here the vista of the walkable parkland course reveals established, well-manicured grounds. Undulating greens are exquisite, and fairways are neatly separated by rows of mature trees. Ponds, ditches and bunkers have their place but tend not to come into play very often. Prior knowledge of the greens greatly assists in the approach shots getting close to the flag. Wayward tee shots can be recovered on many occasions by driving down the adjacent fairways or firing a low shot between the trees.   When the family who owned the course put it up for sale in 2015, the 400 or so members took it upon themselves to purchase the club. The members raised a quarter of the necessary funding and a commercial loan of £525 000 from HSBC secured the posts of 12 full time staff and a significant improvement in the quality of not only the course but all its marketable aspects. In an era that sees courses around the country being sold for land redevelopment at least the people of the East Riding Holderness ward, have a place to play, for hopefully a long time to come.   Today’s game sees me playing against Nigel on his home turf, alongside Bernard who is a decent middle handicapper. Our fourth for the day didn’t appear as he had a late call up for a business meeting in Manchester. It seems that for some people, work is more important than golf. Just like it was for me once, but not now! Golf first, work last, is my motto.   Due to the final four of a ladies competition teeing off 10 minutes before us Nigel opted that we should play the back nine first and so it was we crossed the lane into what is affectionately known as the field. Signs before you cross indicate the need to look carefully in both directions for oncoming traffic, which is a must, as the cars speed is akin to the start of any decent formula 1 race. As to the field it contains holes 10 to 14 and is clearly the area acquired, when like many a club, they moved from a 9 to 18 hole course way back in the 1980’s.   Starting at the par 3 10th, SI 12 at 175 yards would appear to be a relatively easy beginning, that is if you can strike it smoothly off the tee box. With my iron shot catching the trees on the left I was still 125 yards short of the green. My opponents on the day fared a little better with Bernard landing short of the green and Nigel off to the right. Thankfully my second placed me on the green and two putts later I was off in four, as was Bernard. Nigel carded a three and the tone was set for the day.   I have a theory that regardless of the holes par I will endeavour to score no more than five on each and thereby red uce my handicap. After three holes all was going well and then came the first of four par 5’s. The 13, SI 8 at 516 yards has out of bounds running down its left-hand side and has a green protected by trees and hills thereby giving a narrow entry to the green from the regulation fairway.  Here I became slightly unstuck, a poor drive into the long grass saw me struggle to release the ball onto the fairway and I carded a horrific nine.   On TV I have often heard professional golfers and commentators talk about one shot at a time and so it was that I put this set back behind me and carded a three at the 14th Par 3, SI 16 which is 156 yards to the middle and has a sloping green from right to left. My colleagues both carded four apiece.   What would normally be the closing two holes are both par 5, SI 10 and 18 respectively at 490 and 480 yards, thankfully I parred the 17th and bogeyed the 18th.  Coming off the 17th Nigel, who had just birdied the hole, walked past me and whispered in my ear, “Well done but it still doesn’t give you the tee does it.” Was this my first introduction to what in cricketing parlance is known as sledging? Was the well-mannered mood of the game veering off in a different direction?   Moving onto the 1st then, we come across our third par 5 in a row, this is SI 13 and measures 480 yards with water and ditches strategically placed, again a bogey for me, a par for Bernard and a bogey for Nigel.  On glancing up from the 1st tee box several bags hang from coat pegs resembling a primary school cloakroom. Further investigation reveals that these bags are used by members to reseed divots as they go around the course. A nice touch me thinks.   The 2nd and 3rd are relatively short par 4’s and a bogey on each for me and Bernard was followed up by a par and birdie for Nigel.   The par 3 4th SI 15 at 140 yards compares to a beached embankment and anything short will get wet. At this hole a welcome park bench is positioned for following golfers to view your strike off the tee without being too close to make you feel uncomfortable.   Closer inspection reveals the bench is in memory of Dennis Staples, who died at the age of 91, a man who clearly loved his golf and was a regular on the course for many years. Further investigation revealed that the park bench is placed at the 4th tee because this is where Dennis achieved not one, but two holes in one. The last apparently in 2006 at the age of 82! If only I could replicate Dennis once, in my lifetime, I’d be happy.  It appears Dennis was a founding member of the club in 1976, won the Captains Cup in 1982 and carried on playing till the age of 85. By all accounts he was renowned for his politeness and baking, it is alleged that on entering the club shop before any game he would provide the pros with quality homemade coconut tarts, something that I very much doubt happens today.  As with many clubs it is fitting that families recognise their fore-fathers dedication and love of the game and one gets the feeling that the relatives of Dennis are truly proud of him and if any of his family currently play, I am sure they will doff the proverbial cap as they pass.   Maybe Dennis inspired me, for I carded a par and my colleagues bogeyed. Holding my own against these two clearly shows improvement in my all-round game.  At this point however the friendly tone of the game seemed to change. Gimme’s disappeared off the radar, questions were being asked about positions around the green, could balls be lifted and cleaned or not and were divots due to animal action? It appears a ball can be lifted without penalty from rabbit scrapes! At one point I was refused a 6 inch gimme due to an alleged bias on the green!   Why the change you may ask, could it be that rather than just an extra body in the group I was now a threat? Could a high handicapper like myself beat two seasoned players?   As ever they had nothing to worry about, the par 4 7th, SI 3 at 365 yards saw me card a snowman, so named because of the resemblance of the figure 8 to a child’s winter build. Four putts are poor in anybody’s game however the strategically placed, unattended golf buggy, in the middle of the fairway that I unfortunately smacked when hitting a low drive out of the tree line, didn’t help. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but I was doing relatively well up till then.    Our final hole of the day then was the SI 1 9th par 4 at 475 yards and a double bogey saw me come in with a nett 69, 3 under par. Would it be enough? Sadly not, Bernard netted a 68 and Nigel a 66. We three had carded better than our handicaps would indicate. Apparently, I was informed that all of us carding as we did was a rare event in golf circles.   It may be rare, but I was particularly proud of what I had achieved and just think what could have been if it wasn’t for the 13th and 7th.   Can’t wait for my next game. Relaxing and reflecting on the balcony the ladies who teed off before us came in 45 minutes later justifying Nigel’s astute decision making.   My mind also wandered as to how often Mr Staples would have stepped out here, to watch players coming in on a warm sunny evening, with best bitter in one hand and coconut tart in the other, applauding players shots regardless of the standard.  God bless you sir.