New Mills Golf Club

Sam Shaw, Junior Captain 2010

My name is Sam Shaw, I am 15 years old and have been playing golf for 5 years - now playing off a handicap of 12. I enjoy playing at New Mills Golf Club, and this year I am proud to have been chosen to be junior captain, especially because of it's promising junior section with mixed abilities of both boys and girls.

I also enjoy playing in the weekly competitions over summer, giving all the juniors chance to lower their handicap and an opportunity to beat all their friends to a trophy presented at the end of year presentation evening.

In my first 2 years of being a member at New Mills Golf Club I was part of a group called Young Masters Golf (YMG), a coaching course run by the club professional Carl Cross who is extremely supportive and a great golf teacher. The YMG enabled me to play in official YMG junior competitions all over the country which I thoroughly enjoyed, as I met lots of new people and experienced playing at other courses. In my third year of being a member I got my first official handicap of 18. As soon as I got this I was playing golf every week trying my hardest to get it down.

Joe Bowers is on top of his game

On Wednesday 27 May 2009, Joe Bowers entered the Junior Open at Matlock Golf Course.

Joe Bowers had never played at Matlock Golf Course before but as a developing talent from New Mills Golf Club he looked forward to the challenge. The context was the Matlock Junior Open, and with it being the Daily Telegraph qualifyer he wondered about everything he'd heard about this testing and demanding course.

Stepping up on the first tee, donning waterproof trousers and a fleece and with his jacket tucked into his bag, he actually finished the round with no waterproofs and in just a t-shirt, probably wishing he had worn shorts. 

The golf seemed to follow the weather - bad to good as he shot a ropey 3-over par, 37 on the front nine with the second nine being a much better 2-under par, 34. With an unfortunate double bogey on the left dogleg Hole 12, which involved him calling a penalty, and missing an 'easy' three footer. He had to redeem himself and make up the two lost shots, and with an eagle on the short 478 yard, par 5 Hole 13, which consisted of a big drive down the right, a muscled 8 iron to 9 foot, and an easy downhill right breaking putt, he thankfully did so.