Cornwall Golf Union
Junior Golf Update - March 2025
[From Andrew Kevern, Head of Junior Golf, Cornwall)
Cornwall Golf Union - Junior Update - March 2025
With lots of changes happening recently to junior golf in Cornwall, I write to provide a few updates as to what the new structure of county junior golf will look like moving forwards.
Firstly, the county-run ‘Junior Tour’ (previously known as the ‘Mini Tour’) will be administered and run once again in 2025 by County Development Officer, Richard Bunch. Changes to this year’s format will see 0-28 handicapped golfers playing 18 holes at each of the six events, whilst those with a handicap of 29+ and Golf Access Juniors will play 9 holes. As well as prizes for each event, there will an overall Order of Merit for the Junior Tour. The Cornwall Golf Union is very grateful to Gareth May at Jewson for their very generous sponsorship of the Junior Tour – for the second year running. Juniors can enter all six events for £90.00, or pay £15 to enter individual events.
The Junior Tour dates for 2025 are
Bowood Park 21st April - Cape Cornwall 25th May - Launceston 15th June - Trethorne 3rd August - Mullion 28th September and West Cornwall 19th October.
Richard Sadler (PGA Professional, Perranporth) will once again run the County Junior Academy. Richard has enlisted the services of some of Cornwall’s best professional coaches in Nic Brewaeys (West Cornwall), Adam Curtis (Bude & North Cornwall), Chris Gill (Perranporth) and Phil Brookes (The Point at Polzeath). I’m pleased to announce that all juniors who applied for a place have been successful and have already received notification of the training schedule.
I’m pleased that some of last year’s county team managers have moved up to the next age group with their squad of players to ensure continuity and we welcome Becky Williams (CLCGA Girls, Carlyon Bay) and Tim Faull (U14 Boys, St Mellion) as managers.
U18 Manager: Mark Wallwork (Tehidy Park)
U16 Manager: Steve Chapman (St Enodoc)
U14 Manager – Tim Faull (St Mellion)
U12 Manager – Matt Hudson (West Cornwall
CLCGA Girls – Becky Williams (Carlyon Bay)
For juniors wishing to gain selection to represent one of these age-group teams, playing in Junior Open competitions and CGU run competitions are the best way to show your abilities and ambition.
Over the course of the season, the U18s will play in the South West Four Counties (15th – 17th April at Clevedon, Somerset), The SWCGA Boys Championship (9th – 10th July at Perranporth) and the Roy Greenaway League with matches against Devon (29th July at Perranporth), Somerset (5th August at Mendip Spring) and Dorset (28th August at Bude).
The U16s will play in the SWCGA U16/U14 Championship (29th May at Yeovil) and the Ben Enoch League with matches against Devon (7th April at Yelverton), Dorset (25th July at Wareham) and Somerset (12th August at St Enodoc, Holywell).
The U14s will play in the SWCGA U16/U14 Championship (29th May at Yeovil) and the Jack Roberts League with matches against Devon (7th April at Yelverton), Wiltshire (22nd June at Trethorne) Dorset (25th July at Wareham) and Somerset (12th August at St Enodoc, Holywell).
The U12s will play in a new Four Counties competition (20th August at Fosseway, Somerset) and the South West Five Counties Championships (21st September at Perranporth) where we are the defending champions.
There are County Junior Order of Merit events again this year – the Junior Spring Meeting at West Cornwall on Sunday 30th March, the Junior County Championships at Launceston on 30th July and the Junior Autumn Meeting at Truro on 5th October. Bookings for these competitions are or will be available on the county website.
The England Golf Junior Champion Club qualifier will take place at Bowood Park GC on 8th May 2025.
Whilst we have the disrupted 2024 George Bolitho and Kernow Cup finals to resolve these two competitions will once more take place in 2025 as will the Brian Gripe Knockout.
The traditional CGU ‘County Week’ takes place at Trevose G&CC from 27th April to 3rd May with the Amateur Championship 36-hole qualifier on Wednesday 30th April. Bookings for this competition is available on the county website.
The Cornish Closed Championship which incorporates the U21 Championship is at Bowood Park GC in 27th July, Again booking will be available on the website.
Here are the Junior Opens we have been made aware of to date for 2025
Perranporth 16th April - Falmouth 18th May - Lanhydrock 27th May - St Austell 6th July - Carlyon Bay 20th July - Tehidy Park 7th August - St Mellion 26th August - Launceston 29th August, West Cornwall 31st August and St Enodoc 12th October.
Over the past decade, Cornwall Golf Union has produced a fine crop of very talented players. Harry Hall (West Cornwall) as we all know, is firmly established as a rising star on the PGA Tour in America, while Emily Toy (Carlyon Bay) had a fine amateur career culminating in winning the Women’s Amateur Championships in 2019. More locally, Joe Cruse (Bowood Park) has established himself as one of the South West’s leading professional players on the SW Pro Circuit. Similarly, players such as Tom Stephens (Truro) and George Leigh (Trevose) are forging careers in golf ‘across the pond’ in the United States. Importantly, all these golfers came through the county system, with Harry especially acknowledging how important county junior golf was in his development and providing the playing opportunities needed to progress to the next level.
You should by now have heard about unification of the Men’s County Union with the Ladies Association and this will, subject to necessary approvals, take place in early 2026. Whilst our juniors have played together in competition for many years, we hope the unified approach will lead to better support of and better opportunities for junior golf in the county.
Finally, working together, we aim to provide equal opportunities to players of all abilities; from those wishing to just enjoy playing with friends, to those juniors who, like those mentioned above, forge a possible career in golf. I firmly believe that the structures we have put in place will enable all juniors who demonstrate desire, commitment and ambition to achieve their goals.
Andrew Kevern (West Cornwall)
Head of Junior Golf in Cornwall
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