BRIGG BLOG UPDATE FROM ELSHAM GOLF CLUB'S NEW PRESS OFFICER

Brigg Blog was pleased to learn that Peter Thompson - well known as a teacher, journalist and hockey umpire in Brigg - is now the press officer for Elsham Golf Club.
He has kindly supplied the following update, and we are looking forward to posting further news from this renowned sporting venue in the weeks ahead.

FROM PETER THOMPSON

Head Greenkeeper at Elsham Golf Club, Colin Hopper (pictured above) is to be part of the team working at this summer’s Solheim Cup. The event takes place in September at the world famous Gleneagles Golf Club in Scotland. Last year Colin was on the team that staged the Ryder Cup and also at the French Open. This year's event presents Colin with another great opportunity for him to learn more about tournament golf set up, network with other greenkeeping skills and bring back some ideas back to Elsham.  
Zane Paxman, also on the greenkeeping staff at Elsham, is to take Colin’s place at Le Golf National in October to be on the support team for the French Open.
The Solheim Cup is the pinnacle of women’s golf, with the best golfers from Europe and the USA going head-to-head in the most exciting, competitive format in golf, and the 16th edition of the event promises to be the biggest UK golf event of 2019. The event takes place from September 9th-15th  and will be watched by millions around the world as the biennial contest re-visits Scotland, the ‘Home of Golf’ for the first time since 2000.
Colin said: “It will be another great experience. It will be such a major event. Here at Elsham we don’t have all the resources  that they have at Gleneagles but obviously we hope that being there we can bring at least a little bit of what they do reach their standards back here, and so everyone benefits including the club. I am really looking forward to it.”

Elsham Golf Club, in association with Holme Hall Golf Club, is to host the 2019 English Senior Men’s Open Championship.
It will be the first time that the prestigious event will have been held locally.
The format is a 54-hole stroke play competition. Handicap limit is 9.4 and the event will allow for up to a maximum of 280 players. After 36 holes, the leading 80 competitors and ties shall play a further 18 holes on the final day at Holme Hall.
Elsham is hosting Rounds 1 and 2 on the 5th and 6th June, the final being at Holme Hall on the 7th June.
Official Practice days will be Monday the 3rd and Tuesday 4th June.
Elsham will be closed on both practice days and both competition days, that is from Monday 3rd June to Thursday 6th June. Elsham Members will be helping to run the event.
Robert Taylor, Chairman of Elsham Golf club, said: “This is a major step forward in the development of the Elsham Golf Club, increasing our profile, broadcasting our facilities and underpinning our status as a Quality Golf Course. We look forward to our involvement.”