Ripon’s Yorkshire cricketer John Waring dies aged 81

A Ripon cricketer who opened the bowling for Yorkshire with Fred Trueman has died on his 81st birthday.

John Waring was taken ill on Saturday morning while playing golf at Ripon City Golf Club. He died at Harrogate District Hospital the following morning  — his 81st birthday.

Fast-medium pace bowler John played 29 first-class matches for Yorkshire from 1963 to 1966. He took 55 wickets at an average of 22.74.

The highlight of his career came in the championship-winning season of 1966 when he returned incredible match figures of 10 wickets for 63 runs in a Roses fixture against Lancashire, out-performing even the great Trueman.

John made one appearance for Warwickshire and later played minor counties cricket for Cumberland and was the club professional at Darlington. He also played for Leeds, Harrogate, Scarborough and Bingley.

A talented golfer, he was the youngest ever captain at Ripon City Golf Club and later became club president. He was also president of the Harrogate and District Union of Golf Clubs.

John married Jean in 1964 and they lived in Scarborough before moving to Dishforth in 1972.

He is survived by Jean and their son Jonathan, who lives in Thirsk with wife Zoe.

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The golfer championing Knaresborough on the world stage

With the PGA tour in full swing and the Ryder Cup around the corner, the likes of Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and Scottie Sheffler are prime time viewing.

But Knaresborough has its own claim to fame when it comes to golfers on the world stage.

John Parry picked up his first club when he was six years old.

The 36-year-old spent most of his early career training at Harrogate Golf Club, where he cut his teeth as a teenager, before going onto to compete around the globe.

These days, John competes on the professional tours and finished joint fourth at the World Invitational 2023 in Northern Ireland last weekend.

We sat down with him at Knaresborough Golf Club on a morning fit for a tee-off on the first hole to find out how his uncle helped him pick up a set of clubs as a boy and how he went on to line up alongside Tiger Woods some three decades later.

Picking up the clubs

It was in Birmingham where John first set eyes on a golf ball and clubs.

Just six years old, his uncle introduced him to the sport as something to do with his brothers.

“He just got us a lesson and we played a little bit. Then we moved back up to Harrogate from Birmingham.

“We just sort of took it from there and played on par three courses. Then we eventually joined Harrogate Golf Club.”

John grew up in Knaresborough and attended King James’s School.

John teeing off at Knaresborough Golf Course.

However, he had little interest in anything other than golf. In fact, aged just 10, he was picked to go on a regional coaching course.

The Yorkshire coaching made him realise that he had something that other boys his age didn’t.

“I think when I went there, I remember I was doing certain things better than most kids that were doing it.

“You realise that ‘I must be reasonably good’.”

John worked his way up through the ranks through to England under 16s.

At this stage, he says he started to figure out what standard he was at as he started to compete in tougher competitions, such as county championships.

But, despite testing himself against higher standard players, he still felt he needed to improve.

“For me, when I was that old, it was about hitting the ball further and growing a little more because I was so small.

“It only really happened once I got to 17 and 18, then I started playing in national events.”

Making the green was one of John’s aims as he was working his way through the different age groups.

For him, being able to hit the ball long complemented his ability to make the put. This then helped him to win national tournaments once he was in the under 18s age group.

Working on his shots helped him make up ground on older players, he says.

“You see the opposite of this. Lads can be unbelievable when they’re in the under 14s or under 16s and they’re six foot tall.

“But then when everyone starts catching them up physically, it flips round because they maybe have not developed other skills that you need.”

Starting from the bottom

John turned professional in 2007.

Prior to turning pro, he was picked for the Walker Cup – the equivalent of the Ryder Cup for amateur golfers.

But turning professional meant rising up through the rankings again. He uses the analogy of a football team being promoted up the divisions to the Premier League.

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In his first year, he played the Euro Tour which offers a first prize of £10,000.

For John, turning professional took some getting used to. In particular, the difference in standard of courses.

“That took a bit of adapting, because the courses are different from amateur golf.

“In amateur golf, you tend to play links golf courses that are keep it in play, shoot level par because the conditions are hard.

“Whereas, in pro golf, the courses are longer and you needed to make a lot more birdies to shoot lower scores. That took a little bit of adapting to.”

Despite the difference in courses, John says there was not a huge difference in the standard of golfers.

However, there is more pressure – which is key to those that do well.

“You could almost say that the amateur league is better than the bottom of the pro-league.

“But then there is a lot more pressure, because now it’s your livelihood.”

Making a living for golfers is about performance and the tour that they are competing in.

The higher up the ladder, the more money there is to win.

By 2009, John had seen a few promotions up the rankings and found himself on the European Tour.

At this stage, aged 23, he is playing in front of crowds and television cameras as there is more attention on the competition and those competing in it.

“When you’re that young, you don’t really think about it.

“You’re just like: ‘this is good’. I was living at home still and it was something that I always wanted to do. You just get on with it.

“Plus, within reason, I had done it from such a young age and I had done a little bit of travelling. It just becomes normality.”

Starting again after covid

But John’s career has not always been an upward trajectory.

In the year before the covid pandemic, he was relegated down the rankings twice.

He had to start from the bottom league, where it’s difficult for golfers to make ends meet.

“First of all you have got to find your form. That’s the hard bit, because you know how hard it is to get all the way back up.

“But the hardest bit was the year I was going to play on the bottom tour again covid hit and they cancelled the tour.”

During the pandemic, John was forced to play in one-day events to make a living. 

The competitions were pay to enter and sometimes saw 30 players competing for prize money – which in some cases was as little as £1,000.

“It was a real grind.”

The pandemic showed how a lot of golfers have to perform in order to make a living.

John makes the comparison with professional footballers, where most are under contract – although they can see their wages drop if they are relegated.

“The difference with golf is you have to perform, because no one is paying you. You have to do well. You’re not under a contract, unless you get a sponsorship, so you are always having to play well to earn a living.”

Competing in the Open

Perhaps John’s biggest achievements are making it into two US Opens and a British Open.

The latter, which took place last year, saw him go up against the likes of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau.

The major was John’s first British Open where he competed to make the cut to play at St Andrews in Scotland.

Golfer John Parry

John going through his final Open preparation at St Andrews. Pic: Harrogate Gold Club

For John, the tournament was a chance to test his metal against the big names.

The major was an eye opener, particularly witnessing the likes of Woods playing on the same course.

He described watching top golfers apply their trade as like “playing a tournament like a practice round” as they “didn’t care about the outcome of each shot”.

“For me, it’s the mentality of them. I think you could say that for most sports.

“You could look at how professional they are and if they do anything to look a lot better, but for me it’s got to be the mentality.”

The experience playing alongside big name golfers was a milestone for John.

The journey from being six years old and chipping it around a local golf course to competing to make the cut against multiple major winners is one to tell the grandkids about.

Some golfers may see playing alongside Tiger Woods as a chance to compete against their idols.

But Woods doesn’t even factor into John’s role models.

Instead, he points to Spanish two-time major winner Jose Maria Olazabal and his golf coach Mark Moore as among those who helped him.

John remembers watching Olazabal win the 1994 Masters, which has stuck with him to this day.

But perhaps his biggest inspiration was his brother, who is now a professional golf coach in Australia.

“I think the best thing for me growing up was having an older brother who is four years older than me.

“When you first start out, you think: ‘he’s better than me’. That was one of the big things for me. There’s nothing worse than losing to your brother.”

If you have any local sporting heroes who you think should be featured in Sporting Spotlight, contact calvin@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Harrogate care home opens nine-hole putting green

A Harrogate care home has opened a nine-hole putting green within its grounds on the recommendation of a 93-year-old resident.

Alistair Scott moved into 115-bedroom Harcourt Gardens, which provides residential, dementia, respite and palliative care, in 2021 following at heart attack.

Mr Scott, a keen gardener, started helping the onsite gardener and spotted a gap in the grounds for a putting green.

Graeme Lee, chief executive of Springfield Healthcare, which owns Harcourt Gardens, said:

“I was so impressed with Alistair’s knowledge and enthusiasm for gardening that I instantly appointed him ‘head gardener’ of Harcourt Gardens.

“Alistair then made a very smart suggestion to develop a nine-hole putting green as there are many residents at the home who were keen golfers throughout their lives.

“It made sense to create a safe space where residents and their friends and family could enjoy a round of golf together.”

The opening of the putting green.

Debbie Daniels, care home manager at the site, said:

“I’ve worked in care for many years, and this is the first time I’ve seen, or even heard of a putting green being developed at a care home – it’s quite unique.

“From the minute Alistair was appointed head gardener he has taken the role very seriously directing the gardeners as to what should go where.

Graeme Lee and Alistair Scott

Mr Scott, who got a hole in one on the day of the official opening of the putting green, said:

“I didn’t play golf until later in life during my retirement – in my day it was classed as a rich man’s sport, but I’m really enjoying it now.”

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Teenage Ripon golfer to complete 100 holes in a day

Ripon Grammar School sixth former Samuel Cann is aiming to complete 100 holes of golf in a day for charity this week.

The teenage golf fan, who only started took up golf two years ago, estimates the five-and-a-half rounds will take about 16 hours to complete.

He therefore plans to tee-off at Ripon City Golf Club at 4am on Wednesday and finish by 8pm this Wednesday, June 21.

Sam, 18, who will raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, said:

“I am undertaking this challenge in support of friends and members at the golf club who are suffering or impacted by someone suffering from prostate cancer.

“Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with around 143 men diagnosed every day, and 1 in 8 men being diagnosed in their lifetime.”

The charity’s Big Golf Race, which has been running since 2020, challenges golfers to take on either 36, 72 or — new for 2023 — the ultra marathon 100 holes in a day.

Sam will be supported by other Ripon City Golf Club members who will join him for a round during the challenge, which he hopes will raise up to £500.

Sam, from Sharow, hopes to study aerospace engineering at the Manchester University after completing his A-levels.

There is a JustGiving page for the event, which you can find here.

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Automated golf range now open seven days a week

The story is sponsored by Ripon Golf Range.

Golf enthusiasts can practice swinging the irons every day of the year following an overhaul of facilities at Ripon Golf Range. 

Until recently, the range, behind Ripon City Golf Club, was only open at irregular times and was closed on Mondays, but a new management team has turned it into a fully automated seven-day-a-week facility, open from 8am to 8pm every day. 

Photo of female golfer lining up a shot from one of the outside bays at Ripon Golf Range, with a green basket of golf balls in the foreground.

The range has both covered and outdoor bays.

There are nine floodlit covered bays, so you stay dry and comfortable even if it starts raining, plus seven outdoor bays, where you can pitch to three separate greens at different distances. 

A new machine has also been installed, which takes all debit and credit cards, as well accepting digital payment from phones or watches. 

Balls cost £3 for 30, £6 for 60, £8 for 90, or just £10 for 120, and a loyalty card scheme offers 25% discount. 

Anyone wanting to practise can simply turn up, pay for however many balls they want – and drive and chip away. 

Sawley resident Simon G is so impressed with the new arrangements that he’s become a regular customer. He said: 

“I’m very happy with the extended opening hours, and with the ease of being able to practise at my convenience.” 

Players who really want to fine-tune their skills can even opt for tuition from a PGA qualified coach who is on site on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. One-to-one lessons costs £35 for a 30-minute session, or £175 for six sessions. Junior clinics on Sunday afternoons are available at £7 per session. 

Find out more:

For full details of what’s on offer at Ripon Golf Range or to book a sessions with a PGA qualified coach, go to www.ripongolfrange.com.

 

Last chance for Knaresborough Golf Club’s incredible taster offer

Logo of Knaresborough Golf Club.

This story is sponsored by Knaresborough Golf Club.

One of the Harrogate district’s best golf clubs is urging newcomers to take up its winter taster membership before an expected influx of new members in the spring. 

Throughout the winter, Knaresborough Golf Club has been offering a discounted membership rate which is now £125 from February until the end of March.

Anyone taking up the offer who then renews their membership in April, gets the fee discounted from their annual subscription.

The club has three tiers of membership – Gold, Silver and Bronze – which determine when members may play. 

For example, the Bronze annual membership which allows play seven days a week after 12.30pm starts at just £270 for 19 to 23 year olds!

Club general manager Jason Thornton said: 

“We always see a spike in new members in the spring, so now is a good time come along before the rush – the offer only lasts a few more weeks.

“Golf is seeing renewed interest from female members, and we’ve also been getting more enquiries from younger people interested in playing.

“There’s been a real upswing in people joining since the end of lockdown – it’s a great way of exercising and socialising in a socially-distanced way.”

The club has three tiers of membership – Gold, Silver and Bronze – which determine when members may play.

Knaresborough Golf Club was founded in 1920 and for over 100 years has remained true to the original aim of a club run on “modest, unpretentious lines and devoid of class and clique distinction”. 

Its vibrant clubhouse hosts regular events, such as tribute nights, quizzes and games, and diners are drawn by the popular Sunday carveries and “Around the World” evenings, where members get a restaurant passport and “travel the world” through food. 

Jason said: 

“It’s notoriously difficult to get catering right at clubhouses, but now that we have, we are absolutely delighted. Our catering team, led by Gavin and Amie Farrar, do a fantastic job.”

Get that hole in one feeling with the membership taster offer.

Knaresborough Golf Club has recently been carrying out improvements to both its clubhouse and course – which includes one of the longest holes in Europe – all with sustainability in mind.

Single-use plastics are being phased out, new wildflower meadows will allow insect and bird life to flourish, and the club is working towards GEO certification, putting its environmental and social responsibility on a par with world-famous courses such as Gleneagles and St Andrews. 

Jason said: 

“We’ve got a stunning course, a fabulous clubhouse, and a range of affordable membership options.

“Whether you’re brand-new to the game or already smitten by it, the offer at Knaresborough Golf Club isn’t matched by any other club in the area.” 

Find out more:

If you’d like to try out Knaresborough Golf Club’s Winter Taster membership offer, or if you’re interested in annual membership options, visit the club’s website at www.knaresboroughgolfclub.co.uk or call 01423 862690.

 

Knaresborough golfer beating Tiger Woods at The Open

Knaresborough golfer John Parry is leading the likes of Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau after the first day at The Open Championship.

Parry, competing in his first Open, shot a three-under par 69 to end yesterday five shots off the lead.

If he posts another good round today he will make the cut for the weekend and play at St Andrews in Scotland alongside the biggest names in the sport.

Parry, who grew up in Knaresborough, is an honorary member of Harrogate Golf Club and still plays the course regularly.

The club, just off the A59, dates back to 1892 and is the oldest in Harrogate.

Club pros Sam Everson and Gary Stothard have known him since their junior days together and Mr Everson said everyone at the club was delighted to see him doing so well:

“He’s a local guy who has worked hard on his game. He’s never got above his station — guys turn up on the tee and he will have a game with them.”

Parry, 35, represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup before turning professional at the end of 2007.

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He has competed on the European Tour and even won a tour event but currently plays on the second-tier Challenge Tour.

Parry, who now lives in Leeds, has twice played at the US Open and made the cut on both occasions.

He needed to finish in the top four of the final qualifier to compete at St Andrews this week. He finished joint fourth and then won the play-off.

Mr Everson said:

“You could tell he was talented even at a young age. He had a natural swing and a very gifted short game.”

 

Kliniken’s pioneering stem cell procedure is a game-changer for knee pain

This article is sponsored by Kliniken.

Kliniken, Harrogate’s state-of-the-art day surgery clinic, is pioneering new stem cell treatment for a pain-free life.

The clinic has introduced a ground-breaking procedure that uses stem cells to help heal osteoarthritis in the knee to avoid painful knee replacement surgery.

Kliniken is owned and run by Mr Mallappa Kolar, the UK’s leading surgeon on stem cells, and his wife Karuna, and they are delighted to be bringing the life-changing procedure to Yorkshire.

Expertise and experience

Mr Kolar’s expertise in stem cell treatments has helped him pioneer the procedure in a UK-first, aiding patients with often crippling, painful osteoarthritis.

His understanding of how fat stem cells injected into the knee can help those suffering from arthritis has meant he can provide a solution to those in need.

The procedure gives people a chance to lead pain-free lives that seemed previously out of reach.

He said:

“I feel privileged to be able to use my knowledge on fat stem cells to be able to help patients that are unable to live as active and mobile a life as they would love to, due to their arthritis, as the pain prevents this.“

The treatment avoids painful knee surgery.

How it works

Kliniken, is the only location within the UK to offer this specific type of stem cell procedure.

The procedure itself focuses on utilising fat and dental stem cells to aid regeneration within the area affected, through the use of targeted injections at the problem regions and joints.

This can help those suffering on the spectrum of pain. This can range from a mild ache all the way up to those who may be due to have knee replacements using metal, which is a far more invasive form of surgery.

Unlike other procedures available, this pioneering stem cell injection treatment means the body is healing the body, and it does not involve any metal insertion into the patient’s body.

Benefits and results

For those suffering from osteoarthritis, knee pain or perhaps struggling to keep up with hobbies like running or golf due to knee issues then stem cell treatment could be the right thing.

Unfortunately, knee replacements cannot be reversed and most younger people who have to get a replacement are more likely to need a revision later in life which is a major undertaking.

Mr Kolar added:

“Having travelled and worked in the United States and Europe over the years, where this procedure is popular due to its evident success, I am very excited to bring its benefits and results home with me.”

Alan Cryer and Mr Mallappa Kolar talking through the process.

Pain free and happy

64-year-old businessman Alan Cryer from Harrogate suffered from excruciating pain in both his knees. He said:

“I was told by the hospital that I would need two knee replacements in order to deal with the pain. At this point I was having to crawl up the stairs. The impact the pain was having on my life was huge.

“I did not want to go on like this, but I did not want metal knees, so I began to research – but struggled to find any alternatives within the UK.

“As fate would have it, Mallappa was right here in the UK, and on my doorstep too! After the surgery I had no pain whatsoever – I could literally have walked out of the theatre had I been allowed.”

Roughly a week after surgery Mr Cryer went look for his crutches and ended up walking the whole way through his house without them. He added:

“After two weeks walking, I did a walk I’ve done before and knew I’d normally be in pain so took a walking stick – which I didn’t need. By week three I was walking down slopes without any pain at all.

“I am now so confident, and even help my grandson off the floor when he falls! I could not be more grateful for the life I can now lead, pain free and happy.”

Alan has subsequently booked and undergone the same procedure for his other knee and is recovering well.

Please call us on 01423 206388 or visit our website at kliniken.co.uk for more information.

Harrogate Golf Club submits plan for driving range

Harrogate Golf Club on Knaresborough Road has submitted plans to build a covered driving range.

The club, which was formed in 1892 and is the oldest golf club in Harrogate, says it will allow members to practice during poor weather.

The proposals include six practice bays as well as a dedicated training bay for the club professionals.

There would also be a golf ball cleaner and dispenser housed in a small attached building.

Planning documents state the building would be similar to other driving ranges found throughout the country. The driving range would be on a part of the course that is currently used for members to practice longer shots.

Harrogate Borough Council will decide on the plans at a later date.

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Knaresborough memorial golf event raises £1,200 for hospital

An annual event held in remembrance of an avid golfer has raised over £1,200 for Harrogate District Hospital’s Intensive Treatment Unit.

Golfers from across the region descended on Knaresborough Golf Club to compete in the 12th annual Lee Flintoft Memorial Trophy Golf Event.

Mr Flintoft died after being stabbed aged 37 in 2009. He worked for SB Utilities in Knaresborough, which would hold frequent golf days to increase networking opportunities for the company.

Lee Flintoft (left)

Lee Flintoft (left), pictured in 2008 with Andrew Cooke and Robert Harris.

After his death, the corporate event became a charity fundraiser in his memory and has raised over £6,000 to date for local charities.

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This year’s competition was won by Gordon Dunn, who took home the coveted trophy.

Mr Flintoft’s sister, Tina Harris said:

“As a family, we think it is wonderful that everyone involved is fundraising for such a fantastic cause.

“Lee meant so much to his family and friends that they have continued to fundraise in his name for the last 12 years for the care he received at HDFT.

“This year we raised £1,200 at the golf day. Darren Swales, commercial manager at Knaresborough Golf Club, puts a lot of time and effort into this event every year and I would like to thank him for his help.”