The League allows Golf Clubs in and around Manchester, to bring a more competitive element into their inter-club Seniors/Veterans/Elderly Golfers Golf Society fixtures.
To minimise travelling times, the League is currently organised into two geographic Zones, with Clubs playing on a home and away basis against other Clubs in the Zone. The Zones may be adjusted from time to time to try to achieve a balance between the Zones.
League matches comprise 4 pairs per Club playing in a 4 BBB Match Play format. 14. WHS handicaps must be used, to a maximum Handicap Index of 28.0. Players with Handicap Indexes over 28.0 may play using 28.0 as their Handicap Index.
Teams submit League Match Results to the League's Secretary, who publishes the results along with updated League Tables on the League's website, www.mdslgolf.org.uk
At the end of the season, the top teams in each Zone compete on Finals Day in September in a 4BBB Stableford format to find the League Champion.
The minimum age for players is 55 on the day of the match.
In addition, Clubs usually play a Social Match comprising up to another 4 pairs in the same format. The number of Pairs and maximum playing handicaps to be mutually agreed between the Clubs involved.
Courtesy of the course is offered to visiting teams for both League and associated Social Matches. Typically, Clubs agree to start matches between 9am and 10am, often off 2 tees.
Clubs are encouraged to provide refreshments (usually pre-match coffee/tea, and 2 course lunch served as pairs finish) for their opponents, with the style and funding to be agreed by the Clubs involved.
The League expects respect from Clubs and Players but does not set rules or standards on how Clubs conduct their affairs with each other.
Click here for the latest League Rules.
Manchester & District Seniors Golf League
Website: www.mdslgolf.org.uk
Further information: contact@mdslgolf.org.uk
The league was formed in 2002 following a meeting of the representatives of senior sections of several golf clubs within the Manchester Area. Many of these clubs had traditional social fixtures with other clubs and the league was formed to introduce a more competitive element into these existing social inter-club fixtures.
A set of rules was drawn up which still forms the basis of the organisation of the league.
These inter-club matches have a league section and a social section played as an inter-club fixture. Typically each club provides 8 pairs of players per fixture; 4 pairs are the league team and 4 the social team. League participants must possess a WHS Handicap Index (previously a CDH/ CONGU Active Competition Handicap ) and to play in the play-off finals must have played in at least two League fixtures during the season.
Since the clubs within the league are geographically spread across the Manchester area and not all the clubs have fixtures with all other league clubs, fixtures are arranged on a home and away basis between three other league clubs. (From 2014, this has been increased to four clubs and from 2015 the MDSL has been split into 3 Zones, North, Central and South). Points are awarded for the 4 league games played in each fixture, with 2 points for a win and 1 point each for a tied game. Toward the end of the season, the six clubs (two from each of the three zones) who have scored the most points for the season in each zone qualify for the play-off final.
The MDSL League Champion is determined by the results of this play-off final. Finals Day is played on a different course each year and each of the 6 qualifying clubs plays a better-ball Pairs Stableford scoring competition consisting of 4 pairs per club with the best three scores from 4 aggregated to give a total. The club with the best aggregate total becomes the League Champion.
In 2014, the 16 clubs in the league were:
Avro GC, Blackley CC, Brookdale GC, Dukinfield GC, Fairfield GC, Glossop GC, Houldsworth GC, Macclesfield GC, Marple GC, Mellor & Townscliffe GC, New Mills GC, Reddish Vale GC, Shrigley Hall GC, Styal GC, Tytherington GC and Whitefield CC.
In 2015, Whitefield GC was replaced by Cheadle GC.
In 2015 Zones were introduced to minimise travelling and the League comprised:
Zone North: Blackley GC, Brookdale GC, Dukinfield GC, Fairfield GC & Houldsworth GC
Zone Central: Glossop GC, Marple GC, Mellor & Townscliffe GC, New Mills GC & Reddish Vale GC
Zone South: Avro GC, Cheadle GC, Macclesfield GC, Shrigley Hall GC, Styal GC& Tytherington GC
In late 2016, Fairfield GC withdrew from the league and the North Zone played all the fixtures in 2017 using a non-league club to make up the fixture list (Rule 17).
In 2017, Tytherington withdrew from the league, and Rochdale joined the league in Zone North.
In 2019, Denton joined Zone North and the League comprised:
Zone North: Blackley, Brookdale, Denton, Dukinfield, Fairfield and Houldsworth.
Zone Central: Glossop, Marple, Mellor & Townscliffe, New Mills, Reddish Vale and Werneth Low.
Zone South: AVRO, Cheadle, Shrigley Hall, Styal, Macclesfield.
In 2020, there were no League Fixtures because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Rochdale and Whitefield re-joined the League and Stamford joined.
These Clubs joined Zone North and an interim organisation was put in place for Zone North.
Zone North: Blackley, Brookdale, Denton, Dukinfield, Fairfield, Houldsworth, Rochdale, Stamford and Whitefield.
Zone Central: Glossop, Marple, Mellor & Townscliffe, New Mills, Reddish Vale and Werneth Low.
Zone South: AVRO, Cheadle, Shrigley Hall, Styal, Macclesfield.
In 2022, Ashton under Lyne joined the League and the interim organisation remained in place for Zone North for 2022.
North Zone: Ashton under Lyne, Blackley, Brookdale, Denton, Dukinfield, Fairfield, Houldsworth, Rochdale, Stamford
and Whitefield.
Central Zone: Glossop, Marple, Mellor & Townscliffe, New Mills, Reddish Vale and Werneth Low.
South Zone: AVRO, Cheadle, Shrigley Hall, Styal, Macclesfield.