ADAM BATES has clinched the Blackwell Grange club championship for a sixth time – only this time on a different course.

Bates, a Durham County player, became the first golfer to win the title since Blackwell merged with Stressholme and moved to the other side of the A66.

He posted back-to-back 72s over the two days of play (nett 71) to clinch the championship and now at the new course. Rebecca Gibson became ladies champion keeping up the family tradition of playing at Blackwell.

Gibson is the third generation of the Kilcran family to be a member and was pictured with Bates and captain Jon Bradley (centre).

GOLF club members in the North-East are being given the opportunity to enjoy a world-class day out together at a Ryder Cup practice day thanks to the introduction of a direct bus scheme.

The initiative will enable groups of between 11 and 45 club members and their guests to travel direct to Gleneagles in their own minibus or coach.

Golf club groups will also benefit from a discount on practice day tickets on Tuesday, September 23 and Wednesday, September 24 (£30 for adults, £5 for 5-16 year-olds).

This year, Ryder Cup practice days will tee off with Tartan Tuesday (September 23), a fun, charitable event that will welcome both teams to Scotland. All spectators are being encouraged to wear a piece of tartan or the one-off tartan clothes pin that will also be on sale at the event, with all proceeds going to the official charities of the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Group tickets can be purchased from a special page on the main Ryder Cup ticketing website: http://rydercup.seetickets.com/content/rc14-group-landing. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM45a6iSPdo