ONE of the region’s golf clubs came within a whisker of winning the prestigious Mail on Sunday Classic last week.

Seaton Carew’s team were finally beaten 3&2 by Collingtree Park at Spain’s El Rompido.

Jonathan Conley was the star of the show for Seaton while Robbie McGahan claimed the other success. There were harsh defeats for Hughie Hamilton, Ian Hendry and Kris Diamond.

The County Durham team, which had earned the trip by progressing through rounds which began with hundreds of entries, had to win a semi-final with the Shire Club to tee up the duel with Collingtree.

A DURHAM golf club has landed a major investment to help the sport grow.

Darlington has been awarded a Sport England Inspired Facilities Grant of £57,000 which will allow them to deliver an all-weather practice and coaching area.

The club, which was founded in 1908 and can be found at Haughton Grange, can press ahead with their ambitious plans.

A new practice and coaching area will enhance the work that is already going on to encourage a new generation of players into golf.

The project will ensure all year round coaching is available in eight individual covered practice bays while a new green will also help transform the club’s existing offering.

Honorary Secretary and project lead Mark Etherington says: “This project provides a great opportunity for all categories of golfer, new starter to professional, who need to be able to practice their game away from the course.

“We have been very fortunate to be awarded the grant and appreciate all the support we received from the local authority in Darlington, the Golf Foundation, the Durham County Golf Partnership, and our members when we put the bid together.”

Get into golf is a national campaign to inspire adults to take up the game and is run by the England Golf Partnership through its network of County Golf Partnerships, supported by Sport England and National Lottery funding.

To find your nearest centre visit getintogolf.org and look at the activity map or call 0800 118 2766.

A LEADING Northallerton business has renewed its sponsorship with a young sports team for the 12th year running.

Romanby Golf Club Juniors continues to attract young people into the game and has a number of success stories thanks to the commitment of its staff and a long-running community partnership with Simon Bailes Peugeot.

The dealership is continuing as Romanby Golf Club’s main sponsor of its successful junior section which is helping dozens of young people to excel in the sport. Last year the club received England Golf’s GolfMark ‘High Achiever’ status in recognition of its commitment to junior golf.

Romanby works to attract more young people to the game, running coaching courses for six to 13-year-olds. In addition, the club runs taster sessions for local organisations including schools, scouts and girl guides groups.

Many of Romanby’s juniors have made local and national headlines, not least Lily Downs who recently qualified for the final of the Daily Express Junior Championship in Spain, which will be played later this year.

Dorothy Edwards, junior co-ordinator at Romanby, said: “The future is looking bright for Romanby Golf Club Juniors. We now have a new pro on board, Rob Lilley, who runs really popular coaching classes on Saturdays throughout the year. “