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Monthly Stableford Golf Competition 2026

Last Friday of the month Stableford Competition @ Aintree

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Cheap & Cheerful 2026

Weekly games of golf are organised on an 'ad hoc' basis.

Here is a list of courses we visit:

Sherdley Park	Hart Common
Mersey Valley	Haigh Hall
Duxbury	Allerton
Arrow Park	Frodsham
Fiddlers Ferry	Bootle
Kirkby Valley	Southport
The Laurels	Yarrow Valley
Porters Wood	Leisure Lakes

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18-Hole Golf 2026

These golf courses are private rather than municipal and as such will be a little more expensive than usual. The cost of these games will be restricted to no more than £40 (hopefully) and will be 18 holes of golf followed by refreshments.

DATE	VENUE	ORGANISER
April 24th	Ashon-in-Makerfield	Don
May 11th	Wigan	Mike
June 26th	Leyland	Don
July 14th	Mersey Valley	Barry
August 19th	Duxbury	Mark
September 24th	Hart Common	Mike

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Away Day Competition at Ashton-in-Makerfield (April 2026)

Friday 24th April. A day to remember. The day summer announced itself in Lancashire with a bold, sunlit flourish, temperatures climbing to a generous 24°C. The day the u3a golf group embarked on their first ‘away day’ at Ashton-in-Makerfield Golf Club—and, by all accounts, the day new golfing legends quietly began to write their stories.

This marked the opening chapter in a series of six carefully planned golfing occasions for 2026, each promising its own blend of competition, camaraderie, and discovery. These away days—‘Society Days’—offer something just a little elevated: the chance to step beyond familiar municipal fairways and onto the manicured, storied grounds of private clubs. Ashton proved a fitting debut.

Bathed in warm sunlight, the course revealed itself in stages—lush fairways stretching like green ribbons, bunkers placed with mischievous intent, and greens that demanded both respect and imagination. There was a sense, too, that the course was watching, quietly assessing each swing and putt, rewarding patience while punishing overconfidence.

Yet beyond the technical challenges lay the true heart of the day. Laughter carried across the tees, friendly rivalries sparked and settled within a few holes, and every well-struck shot—whether planned or gloriously accidental—was met with shared delight. For some, it was a day of personal triumphs; for others, a gentle reminder that golf, much like life, rarely unfolds exactly as expected.

As the rounds concluded and stories began to grow in the retelling, there lingered a quiet satisfaction. Not just from scores recorded, but from moments collected: a perfect drive under an open sky, a long putt dropping against the odds, the simple pleasure of good company in beautiful surroundings.

If this opening ‘away day’ is anything to go by, the 2026 series promises far more than golf. It offers a succession of days where sport, scenery, and shared experience come together—each one adding another layer to what may well become a legendary season in its own right.

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Golf Society Day Report – Wigan Golf Club (May 2026)

As we meandered our way down the single-track road towards Wigan Golf Club, we left behind the hustle and bustle of urban life and began to ease our way into the rural mindset. The hedgerows full of cow parsley and hawthorn blossom assaulted our senses, while a mosaic of fields peppered across the foothills of the Pennines let us know our destination was close by.

Unannounced, we found ourselves driving across the course itself. Fairways on either side of the road brought memories of previous visits flooding back.

“I think that’s the sixth on the left.”

“I think that’s the eleventh on the right.” I’d hoped I’d remembered to bring extra golf balls, as I recalled what happened last time.

Leaving the course behind, we entered dense woodland, tall trees forming a canopy high above while thick undergrowth strewn with vivid rhododendron bushes hid the ground from the sun.

As we passed through the barrier in the stone wall, we caught our first sight of Arley Hall, an impressive stately country house complete with its own moat.

Having assembled our golf paraphernalia, we made our way to the clubhouse. Passing over the bridge above the moat, I half expected a troll to appear demanding a fee. Instead, I saw the welcoming sight of staff in pristine uniforms waiting to greet our party.

Expecting a warm northern greeting — “Ey up chuck, want a cuppa?”

I actually heard, “Welcome. Tea and coffee are available in the trophy room.” I was delighted and disappointed in equal measure.

As I settled back in the leather-bound armchair, sipping tea, my eyes wandered to the impossibly high ceilings and solid oak panels emblazoned with names of past golfing heroes. I wondered if I could ever have my own name on one of those panels.

Nah, you’re not even a member here. Don’t be ridiculous.

Mike, our leader for the day, in well-rehearsed manner gave the notices to the members. Teams, rules of the day, prizes to be won, honours to be conferred.

Soon — too soon — it was time to make our way to the first tee.

The troll didn’t appear as we crossed the bridge.

Consulting the scorecard, I noted the details: 190 yards to the green, par 3. Easy, I thought. Green in two, down in two, one over par for me, three points for the team.

Soon it was my turn. I sauntered onto the tee, exhibiting external confidence.

I looked more closely.

The tall sentry trees down the right-hand side were now dwarfed by a line of small white posts marking out of bounds. To the left, trees and bushes extended over half the distance to the green. Beyond the trees, the fairway fell away, sloping down a gradient that could divert my ball even further from the green.

The green, which initially looked large, had now shrunk to the size of a postage stamp, while the bunker on its left had assumed Saharan dimensions.

I felt a tinge of trepidation.

The flag was not white — it was a vivid red, shouting defiance.

“So, you think you can play golf, do you?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Let’s play”.

GAME ON !.

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