Club Spotlight: Blackburn Golf Club

Posted on 21st April 2015 by Adam Ellis in In the Golf Paper | 0 Comments

Blackburn Golf Club is delighted to be part of the inaugural publication of The Golf Paper, launched this week to coincide with the first Major of 2015.

Ninety-nine players will tee it up at Augusta National on Thursday morning hoping to win the coveted Green Jacket and a first prize of over £1m. At the same time, some 3,984 miles away in Lancashire, a group of seniors from Blackburn Golf Club will be starting their weekly Thursday 18-hole stableford competition with the winner collecting a share of the £1.00 entry sweep which will finance that day’s tea and toast.

On the face of it, the two tournaments illustrate the extremes of golf with young men (yes, that includes you Woosie) pitching their skills against fellow competitors who will be hitting a variety of drives, irons, chips and putts that are as close to perfection as is humanly possible whilst at the same time playing under the most extreme pressure watched by millions of TV viewers across the globe.

OK, some of the shots during Thursday’s seniors’ ‘Chuck Up’ might not be of quite the same standard but the effort that goes into striking the ball to the best of one’s ability is indistinguishable. Anyone who witnesses the beaming smile of Thursday’s champion golfer will find it hard to differentiate between that and the emotions demonstrated by Bubba as he sank the winning putt in 2014.

It is not only the senior members at Blackburn Golf Club who enjoy their golf. The gents, ladies and junior sections have a reputation for being among the friendliest and most competitive in the region while playing golf the way it should be played, with honesty and integrity but always with a smile.

In 2013, the club’s mixed team won the prestigious Archie Preston foursomes while last year the gents won the Manchester Alliance Men’s Foursomes. Both competitions are open to all the 114 affiliated clubs in the Manchester region.

Blackburn was once described by Peter Alliss as “a delightful course ready to welcome you”. We has seen a significant number of improvements during the last ten years, including the re-draining of all the greens. This has enabled the club to achieve its objectives of providing a test for golfers whatever their ability.

Away from the course, the ‘smiling folk from Blackburn’ are this year majoring on having fun in the clubhouse. The new club steward and his lovely wife are here six days a week and provide a hearty menu at very reasonable prices. Blackburn Golf Club also has an excellent function room which can cater for up to 120 guests.

All in all, the club appears to have got it ‘just reet’ with a testing 18-hole course of 6,144 yards, a first-class professional service supported by cutting-edge technology, a competitive golf membership and a clubhouse where golfers know how to have fun and welcome visitors.