Golf: Brendan shows he has the drive to lead Chichester veterans

Inclement weather greeted the new Chichester veterans' captain Brendan Sharpe on his drive-in day as he first exploded his chalk ball and then a sent a thumping drive 224 yards down the middle of the fairway.

He continued to play a fine round and record a creditable 37 points on the day. The weather relented after a couple of hours and the 56 entrants completed their rounds in bright sunshine with several players beating their handicap.

The eventual winner was Ken Williams, who won on countback from Roy Chandler with 39 points, followed by a clutch of players on 38.

The event was completed with a captain’s raffle and a successful day raised more than £300 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice, Brendan’s charity for the year.

n Chichester veterans completed their summer schedule with a rearranged match at Slinfold. It was a very close contest which saw Chichester recover from early losses for a satisfying 4-4 draw.

Results: Brendan Sharpe & Roy Chandler lost 1 down; David Blythe & Dieter Matthey lost 4&3; Norman Moore & Roger Fletcher lost 1 down; Chris Myers & Ken Williams won 2 up; Nick Hobbs & Ivan Hollow halved; Mike Hunter & Richard Parker won 4&3; Mike Chapman & Richard Holden won 4&3; Bill Martin & Mike Harrington halved.

Chichester Golf Club have relaunched their driving range with great new features.

The new-look range features new targets, new distance markers and new mats and is 30 yards longer.

The £55,000 refurbishment includes an extension of the range and the height of the netting, so woods can now be used on all the bays and you can hit without holding back.

Four new large-target greens have been put in at 75, 125, 150 and 200 yards, so you have something to aim at whether you are practicing your short or long game. There are new distance markers so you can measure how far you are hitting. Inside the range there are new mats, which include strike mats to help you shape your shot – in simple terms they show you where your feet should go.

To celebrate the re-launch, everyone who hits one of the new targets is entered into a prize draw for a chance to win a Gold Range Card worth £100. With a Gold Range Card you get 2,000 balls to hit, so if you win there will be plenty of opportunities to come and use the range.

A token for 50 balls is just £3.90 and the driving range is open until 8pm Monday to Friday and 6pm at the weekend. For more information see www.chichestergolf.com or call 01243 528999.

COWDRAY PARK

Dismal conditions greeted qualifiers for Cowdray Park seniors’ championship.

Thirty had qualified by finishing in the top two in competitions throughout the year.

After 24 hours of heavy rain the course was soft but playable.

Early starters faced the worst of the conditions, but it did not prevent Dave Hirons, off his eight handicap, posting a handy score of 70.

Last year’s seniors’ captain Wally Mitchell returned to his early-season form to take the lead with 69.

However this score was soon trumped by current vice-captain Bill Hummerston, who recorded 67.

After four holes he was five over par, but a solid series of ten gross pars and a birdie on the testing par-four 14th put him under par, and he held his game together until he reached the clubhouse.