The 2004 Warwickshire Juniors Team, which to Brian Fish, Chairman of Junior Golf are Brian thinks ‘The best squad of Juniors in the Midlands’, continued their unbeaten run of team matches that stretches back into 2002, when the likes of Chris Evans was playing, with a, 8.5-5.5 win over Derbyshire at Burton-on Trent Golf Club on Sunday 11th September.

This month warskgolf is just as full of features as it is during the Golf season – which in the case of 2004 was very successful for both the Warwickshire Union and the Warwickshire County Ladies Association. Reviews of some of the best performances during the year will be posted during the Christmas to New Year week but in the run up to the festive season, there are 25 new features for you to read and coming next week an exclusive interview with Peter McEvoy.

Nick Lewis, a partner at law firm Kippax Beaumont Lewis, asks why less than 2% of the clubs representing Britain’s main sports have taken advantage of a Government initiative intended to plough tens of millions of pounds into the engine room of amateur sport – and provides some informed answers.

The way Luke Donald managed to take apart the Seve Ballesteros course at Crans-sur-Sierre this week might have left one wondering why so many of the other players had so much trouble. Donald cruised to a relaxed five-stroke victory which mirrored perfectly his approach to the event, which was to keep it low key and try to have as much fun as possible. The result was a four-day performance comprising rounds of 67-67-65-66 for a 19-under-par total of 265 that was almost as splendid as the weather at this spectacular resort normally given over to alpine skiing.

Nuneaton GC – Sunday 5th September – Match 4 in the Midland League for our 1sts Team against Derbyshire. It’s a great time of his life for 1sts Captain Andy Kearns, after the arrival of his first child, Max, a few days after the win away against Notts. With a 9-6 win today against Derbys, His Team can take the Midland League title with a win away against Worcs on the first Sunday of next month, so repeating the triumph of two years ago.

The Warwickshire Open 2004 – Olton GC – Wednesday 1st September Olton was playing tough for the 40 competitors for the 2004 Warwickshire Open, despite one of the best days weather for golf this Summer. Our Amateurs found the par of 69 very difficult, through some tough pins and fast greens. The Professionals, who only qualified from their Championship last week, faired a little better and the two first round leaders were Russell Smith (Sutton Coldfield) and Craig Phillips (Nuneaton) on 68 (-1).

With a storming round of 29 over the Lea Marston Par 3 course, Nathan Ray held off the challenge of three girls to take the Warwickshire Schools U11s by two points using the specially modified stableford system for this competition. It was excellent golf from the inform Maxstoke Junior who shot a 79 nett 65 at the Kenilworth Junior Open just last week.