THE Bradford Golf Union season is almost over, with just two finals weekends left.

There is a handicap matchplay and singles final at Baildon this weekend, while the same venue will host a foursomes showpiece to close out the campaign next weekend.

Union president Mark Buckley said: “I’ve enjoyed being in charge this season, but with some restrictions in place and things being hard for everyone worrying about their jobs and things like that, I’d say it’s not been a total success, but not a total waste of time either.

“Certain areas have been very enjoyable, the golf on show in particular.

“The season is very frenetic once it gets underway, but we have these finals at Baildon this weekend and next and that’s it.

“The reason the foursomes has to wait until next weekend is that some of the players in that are also in the singles final this weekend.

“These finals competitions are a nice way to round off the campaign.”

Buckley will be handing the reins back to Simon Tabel for 2022, and he said: “There’ll be an AGM and I’ll formally step down in February next year.

“The idea is that I’ll be there to offer help and advice to the new president, but Simon did it in 2020 too, so if anything, I’m the one who’s been asking him for guidance this year.”

Buckley is proud of his own club, Northcliffe, and they hosted a prestigious 2020protour event there as part of their centenary celebrations last month.

Buckley beamed: “It was fantastic, and we went the extra yard with it being our centenary, with things like a small, tented village set up.

“As for the golf itself, we had a nice finish as two guys ended up on the same score, so it went to a shootout.

“The top 12 played a nearest to the pin competition on the 18th too, and with the crowds there, that last hole was like an amphitheatre.

“There were some top pros there, like Nicholas Poppleton, John Parry and Ben Firth, but there were good amateurs too, like the Union’s Ben Rhodes.

“He’s turning pro, and he’s trying to qualify for the European Pro Tour soon. He finished as leading amateur in our event at Northcliffe, so that will only help him.”

Rhodes played in some of the Yorkshire Inter-District Union Team Championship matches this year, with Bradford finishing fourth after a final day defeat to East Riding earlier this month.

Buckley said: “I thought we did well. We played on some challenging courses, and though we had a big squad, people had holidays or wanted family time on certain weekends.

“If one other result had maybe gone our way, we would have been right up there fighting for the title.

“I’ve seen some fantastic golf in the competition over the year too, both from Bradford and the opposition.”