PGA North flagship event heads to Carus Green

Graham Curtin never forgot the day his dad Mike was refused membership at an “exclusive” Cumbria golf club.

“He desperately wanted to play but was considered unsuitable because he only ran a sandwich bar for a living,” he recalled.

“Our whole family was upset by the incident. He later joined Sedbergh and that’s where I took up the game.”

Fast forward to today and you are likely to find the ebullient Curtin conducting a business meeting, raking a bunker or uprooting a tree at Carus Green Golf Club which he owns and is a few well struck drivers away from Kendal town centre.

It’s his hands-on approach that has seen it evolve from a pretty parkland course into one of the most popular venues in the county, almost unrecognisable since it opened as a pay-and-play resort in 1996, and boast more than 600 members.

The final stage of a two-year £2m revamp, which includes new tees and greens and a 500-yard overall extension, is almost complete and next year it will become the home of the PGA North Region Championship.

“It’s fantastic for us to host such a prestigious flagship tournament,” enthused Curtin, who also revealed the Carus Green Cumbria Open will be staged this summer as a precursor to the event.

A curtain-raising pro-am on September 12 will be followed by 36 holes over the next two days with PGA North Order of Merit ranking points at stake.

“We are also inviting five of the county’s top amateurs to play,” said Curtin who announced that European Senior Tour winner Gary Wolstenholme (above), the world’s most capped amateur who represents the club, will compete in the tournament.

“The new course can’t be described as a monster but it will be a fair test off the back tees and I’m looking forward to see how the players tackle it.

“They’ll get plenty of birdie chances on some holes but they must be prepared to cope with some tougher ones.”

PGA North secretary Graham Maly said: “It's a fantastic facility with state-of-the-art practice facilities and amazing on-site accommodation.

“The picturesque course will provide a great test for our members. The 18th is a risk and reward hole and will ensure an exciting climax to the event.

“We look forward to our three-year relationship with the club and the staging of this year's event and PGA North Region Championship over the next two seasons.

“It’s great to establish an Order of Merit event in Cumbria (PGA in the North East/North West) and we hope to grow our relationship with the club.”