Hintlesham Golf Club has become the headquarters of Suffolk men’s golf for 2018.

They will host two of the three Anglian League first team matches against Cambridgeshire on June 3 and against Norfolk on July 1. Suffolk’s other home first team match will be against Leicestershire at Stowmarket on September 2.

Suffolk’s two away Anglian League matches will be against champions Lincolnshire at Spalding on May 13 and against Northants at Wellingborough on August 5.

Hintlesham will also be the venue for the four Suffolk men’s winter coaching sessions on January 7, February 4, March 18 and April 15 when Suffolk head coach Keith Preston and Joe Cardy will be working together.

Suffolk captain Jack Cardy is anxious to halt the sequence of county defeats and hopes that getting used to Hintlesham as a home venue will lead to better results.

It could also be that he will be able to call on Sam Debenham, a Hintlesham member and Suffolk Open winner in 2016, in the coming season.

Debenham played his first county match for many years against Lincolnshire at Newton Green in September and won his singles.

Joe Cardy has invested in a Trackman launch monitor which he will be using to help the county players.

Trackman is used by 90% of the world’s leading professionals.

This month Cardy has attended a Trackman seminar at Sand Martins Golf Club in Berkshire to keep up to date with new developments.

Cardy said: “This piece of equipment should be very helpful to the county squad. Every shot can be analysed and mistakes can be ironed out.”

Felixstowe Ferry’s 19-year-old Adam Sheldrake made a winning singles debut for Suffolk’s second team against Lincolnshire at Woodhall Spa in September.

Last week he had a session with Cardy and the Trackman in advance of the coming county coaching which he will miss if he competes in South Africa in the New Year.

Sheldrake, who plays regularly with Paul Waring at Felixstowe, felt that the Trackman experience has boosted his confidence.

Sheldrake was a junior member of Kloof Country Club near Durban when he held a plus handicap. CONGU do not accept South African or American handicaps.

The use of advanced technology can work wonders for the golf swing of ordinary club players as well as low handicappers.

Joe Cardy captains the Suffolk second team whose fixtures are: May 13: Lincolnshire at Diss. June 3: Cambridgeshire at Saffron Walden. July 1: Norfolk at Caldecott Hall. August 5: Northants at Diss. September 2: Leicestershire at Market Harborough.

None of the trio of Suffolk players reached Stage Three of the PGA European Tour School in Spain.

Jamie Abbott (Ipswich) came closest. He started well with rounds of 68 and 66 at Las Colinas in Stage Two. Then 73 and 74 left him in a play-off with only two from 10 getting through. Just a single birdie in his final round would have been enough.

Sam Forgan (Stowmarket) enjoyed a purple patch on the first day at Desert Springs.

An eagle and two birdies in five holes at the start of his second nine kept his dreams alive. He started his round on the 10th. Then two rounds of 75 put the final stage out of reach before a final round of 70. He had four doubles and three eagles in his four rounds.

James Allan of Chelmsford also missed out.

Hugo Dobson (Woodbridge) was lying joint eighth in his first round at El Saler.

He had four birdies and two dropped shots.

He was still going well with level par 72 in the second round but 76 on Sunday was costly and 77 on the final day killed off all hope.

Paul Maddy (Gog Magog) carries the East of England flag into Stage Three at Lumine.

The opposition includes Simon Khan, Tom Lewis, Richard McEvoy, Simon Dyson and Nathan Kimsey among the England players battling for cards.

Suffolk Golf Union is to be sponsored for the first time in its history.

Ipswich-based insurance providers Woodward Markwell will support the men’s county teams (first, second and seniors) for three years. Their logo will appear on county shirts.

Managing director Andrew Johnson is a keen golfer and member at Purdis Heath.