GOLF club members are being asked to chip in by paying more in subscriptions to back the Golf Foundation’s Commit to Junior Golf campaign.The foundation, a registered charity whose sole aim is the furtherance of junior golf, is urging all clubs to introduce an optional £2 donation into their annual members’ subscriptions.‘Commit to Junior Golf’ has already received heavyweight support from the Golf Club Manager’s Association, the R&A and the PGA.Of £1.3m the R&A will award in grants to golf organisations globally in 2008, £620,000 will go to the foundation.

Modern way

Members of the English Ladies’ Golf Association have voted for modernisation.They’ve backed various proposals which include the governing body of women’s golf in England, founded in 1952, undergoing a name change to the English Women’s Golf Association.It will be run by a management board with business skills while an operational board consisting of members from the counties will look after championships and tournaments, handicapping, course rating and selection of squads for training and England teams.Counties will be organised into six regions, each of which will be represented on the operational board.

Discount lessons

DARREN Rands, head teaching professional at Willow Valley and a PGA Level III coach with nine years’ experience of teaching golfers of all abilities, is offering discount vouchers for lessons at the club’s academy. They can be redeemed up the end of February and he can be contacted at the club.

Thomson’s ace

JOHN Thomson, seniors captain at Woodsome Hall, holed in one at the course’s 197yd third, where he used a five wood.He was playing with Mike Bateson and Richard Holden.A member at Woodsome for 11 years, it was his second ace.

Seven up for Lee

LEE Shepherd tied seventh in the PGA North Region Overseas Championship at Vilamoura on Portugal’s Algarve coast.The Willow Valley assistant shot rounds of 77, 72, 71, 76 in an event that produced a runaway winner in Richard Bean, a former MEN Manchester Open winner from Pryors Hayes.He posted a five-under-par 283 total to win by four strokes ahead of Welshmen Matthew Davies (Rhuddlan) and Matthew J Ellis (GPS).

Venue switch

THE annual meeting of the Halifax, Huddersfield Union on March 4 has been switched from Halifax to Bradley Park (8.00) due to the Ogden clubhouse being double booked with a charity event.