A SKIPTON Golf Club member has set a new course record, bettering the one he already held.

Gavin Stocker shot a superb score of four under par, 67 in the club’s June medal competition, beating his previous record, which he set last summer, by one stroke.

Stocker first joined the club aged 14 and has regularly represented the junior, senior and scratch teams.

The new record was set on Skipton’s extended and remodelled par 71, 18 hole course, first launched in August 2018, which also included the two new par four holes.

Stocker’s achievement was even more remarkable, as weather conditions were extremely tough and testing.

Playing off the white tee's, the 34-year-old, father of two from Barnoldswick, shot a 36 on the front nine, including a brace of birdies, six pars and only firing a single one-over par bogey on one of the most difficult holes on the course.

He was on fire on the back nine, carding a 31, with no less than four birdies. 

This included two’s on the par three 12th and signature 16th, four pars, and again just a single one-over par bogey on the par four 11th, one of the new holes.

Unsurprisingly, the new record holder won Skipton’s monthly medal in his division and saw his handicap cut to plus one.

Speaking to the Craven Herald, Stocker is glad his golfing efforts are putting the club on the map and hopes the sport can grow in the area.

He said: "All members have been congratulating me so it has been nice to get the club in the paper. 

"It was great. I was nervous towards the end. It is my fourth course record. There is better to come through the year.

"It was tough conditions to start with so I wasn’t expecting a lot.The first nine holes it was really windy. In those situations you just have to defend your score and when the weather gets better you can attack a bit more. 

"We teed off later in the day so the weather had started easing off. I had a good finish to the round. It was certainly easier on the back nine.

"I got my handicap down which was the aim. I was happy to get my name and photo in the clubhouse. 

"Hopefully it gets a few more people interested in golf then it will be well worth it." 

Stocker, who was born in Skipton and attended Aireville School, has played the sport as long as he can remember, following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great grandfather.

A fifth generation of the Stocker family looks destined to follow suit, as Stocker’s two sons – six-year-old Freddie and two-year-old Arthur - are both keen golfers.

Men’s captain Ian Sewell was delighted for his teammate.

He added: “It was an amazing achievement. The course was so difficult to play in the strong wind.

“Only two players in the first division beat par, even when handicaps were taken into account, and Gav plays off scratch.”