Flempton Golf Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Tom Lovett as its new head greenkeeper.
Tom joins the club from Middleton Hall Golf Club, bringing with him a wealth of experience, both in greenkeeping and at the highest levels of competitive golf.
Before moving into course management, Tom was a professional golfer in his native South Africa, competing on the Sunshine Tour.
Tom Lovett is the new head greenkeeper at Flempton Golf Club Picture: David Knight
Since his arrival, Tom has already made a noticeable impact. Despite a period of harsh winter weather, Flempton has predominantly remained open – a testament to both careful course management and the club’s naturally fast draining soil profile. Recent green speeds have been recorded at 9.6, reflecting excellent putting surfaces for the time of year.
Flempton’s course benefits from a combination of free-draining ground conditions and relatively light traffic, with a limited number of golfers helping to protect playing surfaces through the winter months.
This has allowed Tom and the greenkeeping team to focus on presentation and playability while maintaining the long-term health of the course.
The club’s distinctive cloverleaf nine-hole lay-out is another defining feature. From 1895, every third hole returns to the clubhouse, offering three starting holes and the flexibility to play a few holes at a time. This design supports a wide range of playing options and contributes to the welcoming and accessible nature of the club.
Speaking on his appointment, Tom has expressed his enthusiasm for the role and his ambition to continue building on the strengths of the course, working closely with members to ensure Flempton remains enjoyable, playable and well presented throughout the year.
Club manager Tom Huggins added: “Tom has settled into Flempton extremely well and has quickly shown the knowledge, energy and attention to detail we were looking for.
“His understanding of the game, combined with his greenkeeping experience, is already reflected in the condition of the course, and we are excited to see how things continue to develop under his guidance.”
On a personal note I wish Tom all the best. Flempton is one of my favourite courses in the area, and with plenty of personal history associated with the club, I will always wish it the success it deserves.
Moving on and from the success of a local club – and in keeping with the focus of last week’s article – let’s have a good look at the Women’s Major Championships we have to look forward to this coming year.
The 2026 schedule in women’s golf promises to be an exciting one at historic venues – and with fields being more competitive than ever, it will be difficult to predict winners.
The first event of the season is The Chevron Championship, which takes place across the Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas.
The event moves to this current PGA Tour lay-out in the heart of the city from April 23 to the 26.
Mao Saigo won her first Major title in a five-way play-off at Carlton Woods last year and as a player she is known for her consistent ball-striking, so she remains a player to watch.
Unfortunately, the new venue means the end of the tradition of the winning player, caddie and supporting team jumping into Poppy’s Pond, which was a big part of the tournament at the previous venue Mission Hills. With no water feature on the 18th at Memorial Park, this tradition will cease for the time being.
Then the tour will head to the U.S. Women’s Open at the iconic Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. The tournament runs from June 4-7.
Maja Stark secured the 2025 title, and will be keen to defend. Jeeno Thitikul, however. is favoured strongly after her consistently strong performances last year and she will be a contender this time around.
The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is next on the agenda, and another classic American course will host the event from June 25-28.
Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota features challenging small greens, narrow fairways, and water on half the holes.
If the Ryder Cup that has been staged here is anything to go by, this will be a keenly fought Major.
Australia’s Minjee Lee claimed her third career Major with a brilliant display of iron play. She will be a formidable presence again this year, but the challenging course lay-out could lead to a wide open battle among the top players.
July 9-12 sees the next Major – the Amundi Evian Championship – contested. The picturesque Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, continues its tradition of hosting.
Grace Kim won her first Major here in a play-off last year, while Lottie Woad, an English amateur who contended strongly in 2025, has since qualified for the LPGA Tour and is a rising talent to watch closely.
The final Major of the year is always the AIG Women’s Open, which Royal Lytham & St Annes in Lancashire, England, will host from July 30 to August 2. Japan’s Miyu Yamashita secured her first Major title at Royal Porthcawl, while Charley Hull is a strong local contender seeking her first Major win and is always a crowd favourite at the Open.
There are certainly some really cracking venues and tournaments to look forward to in the Women’s game this year.
The Suffolk GC
Meanwhile, the only competitive local golf to report on came once again from those hardy members of The Suffolk.
The Seniors section at The Suffolk played a Stableford competition, in which Andrew Rudd topped the leaderboard with 37 points. Alexander MacCormick was second on 32 and David Broster third on 31.
The mid-week Stableford saw Chris Carnaby win by a sizable margin, his 41 points being six clear of Barry Franklin in second on 35 and Andrew Red third on 34.
And there was just time for another Seniors Stableford, with Rudd again coming in first place on 33. Neil Mawson was second on 29 and MacCormick third with 20.