Who can provide shake-up?

WHAT constitutes a successful island championship fortnight in golf? Good weather. Close matches. The two best players reaching a final and slugging it out birdie for birdie?

Well, all those things help but, sadly, for local golf, it should be more than that.

For years now, both the men's and women's game have been sadly lacking in the one thing needed to keep the sport buzzing and heading in the right direction.

YOUTH.

This week has shown some encouraging signs on that front but, sadly, the truth is that the old boys, and girls, still prevail.

Of the last eight this week, two are within 18 months of their 50th birthday, three are in their mid-40s, two more are in their mid-30s and the other, Jamie Blondel, is within sight of his 30th birthday.

The same players will also dominate the island squad selection and for too long now there has been no serious and concentrated threat to their collective position at the top of the local game.

The Guernsey Junior Golf Club have long been aware of the situation and over several years have worked hard not only to introduce new talent in to the game but to develop it.

But, in the end, it's down to the players.

Do they want it enough? Over the past two decades the answer to that question has generally been no they don't.

This week three 15-year-olds won through at least one round, as did the promising 17-year-old, Sean Mills.

Another, the Guernsey Junior Club captain Emile Thom-pson, would no doubt have played, too, had the championships not clashed with important school exams.

There might also have been Jack Mitchell, who plays off two, went as far as the semi-finals last year and made the island team, but he cut his teeth outside the island and did not enter this year's championship as he discovers pushing on towards scratch is tough.

The youngsters have freshened up proceedings and give hope of a brighter future. Now it's up to them to work hard and chip away at that handicap and close in on scratch status, not just be satisfied with playing off four or five.

Bobby Eggo was never satisfied with his game and still works diligently on it.

Legend has it he spent hour upon hour under a street light chipping away.

It's not quite true, there was no street lamp, but back in the mid-70s he would spend summer evenings chipping onto empty greens.

He reached his first island final aged 21 at a time when a whole clutch of Peter Clarke developed juniors swept away the old guard.

One of them was Mick Marley who was just 16 when I covered his first island final against Roy Mahy in 1979.

It's high time we saw another junior go all the way, but he or she needs to be focused and determined.

Otherwise all the GJGC's hard work will continue to go unrewarded.