A FORWARD-THINKING team built on childhood friendships is bidding to drive The Wynyard Golf Club to fresh heights after adding a new wave of technology to the way they do things.

Hartlepool-born duo Chris Mounter and Andrew Betts, Wynyard’s director of golf and head professional, are working alongside James Harper and the latest equipment he has brought with him.

All three have known each other since their school days, when Mounter and Harper would hit the links at Seaton Carew to hone their skills while occasionally coming up against a talent from across town in Betts.

They are working in tandem at Wynyard to develop a state of the art fitting room in office space above the Wellington Suite in the clubhouse.

“Chris and I go back years,” said Harper, a professional who was playing on the PGA EuroPro Tour not too long ago. “It’s quite strange to be working together after all this time, and we also know Andrew from back then too even though we were at different clubs.

“I have been here since May last year and it’s been great. I had set up a lab at Seaton Carew’s Sports Domes before going on to do similar at Ramside Hall, which was a great opportunity for me.

“But then the chance came up to come to Wynyard, so there is less travelling for me, and it’s a really good set up we have here. Together we are looking to the future, it feels like a modern club looking to stay ahead with the latest things to stay with the trends.”

The fitting room includes digital video cameras, high definition display, video analysis software and a SAM PuttLab.

Harper uses his degree in engineering and his qualification as a Goldsmith Advanced Clubmaker/Clubfitter to ensure clients are suitably fitted and he is also only months away from becoming a fully-qualified PGA professional.

Betts said: “James has come along to concentrate on the custom fit side of things and brought the putting lab with him. He is popular and he has already had a lot of people through the doors, which has helped increase sales in the shop too, which is good.

“We felt like we were missing out on that side of things because golf has become more custom fit orientated in recent years. Clubs can be expensive anyway and I just think more golfers want fitting with them because of the price.”

There are plans to enhance what they offer in the future, which will further assist with custom fitting, and The Wynyard Club are already hold a key account with leading putting manufacturer Scotty Cameron.

“It is all part of the plan to help elevate a fantastic club even higher,” said Harper, 37. “It is a forward thinking club and I’m glad that I have been able to bring some new business and ideas to a club like Wynyard.

“I have found that clients have tended to come back to me over the years, so those that were with me in Hartlepool have then gone to Ramside and they are following me to Wynyard. It’s word of mouth as well because of the job we have done. It’s going well.”

Harper will use his indoor coaching studio featuring science and motion laboratory for putting, stroke and posture analysis. He aims to match a golfer’s swing with the ideal shaft options in irons, woods and works on a putter too.

“The only thing I’m not doing at the minute is playing much golf!” said Harper, who graduated from Teesside University and used to regularly attempt to qualify for the Open Championship.

“It’s been shelved for now. I'm aiming to play competitively again once I have got my final year as a trainee PGA Professional out of the way.

“I just don’t seem to have the time to get out and play with my studies, custom fitting and being a family man, but I am hoping to get out a bit more once I have finished by training.”

For further information or to book an appointment contact James Harper at the Wynyard pro shop on 01740 644399 (ext 22).