Brookdale is fighting back

JIM DAVIES

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GOLF:

Meet the captains

NEW Brookdale captain Jim Davies has come out swinging in protest at rumours the club is on its way to closure.

“We are here to stay, I can assure you,” is the 67-year-old’s response. But his major difficult task this year is to boost club membership.

“We are improving as a club, there is no doubt,” said Jim. “We’re the first club in Lancashire to have a lady professional in Karen Heywood and that really is a major boost for us.”

The hope is that Karen’s work will help to boost junior and women memberss.

Jim, a former winner of the Winter Cup at Brookdale and a member since 1988, still plays around three times a week.

Invited to become captain two years ago, he will be raising money for muscular dystrophy, a condition affecting his young niece.

“I see the job simply as being a figurehead at the club,” he added. “We are doing our best to move

forward and that means looking after existing members as well as attracting fresh ones.”



ROY Cunningham is delighted to be captain of Stamford golf club - which he describes as “one of the friendliest in the area.”

Stamford has been Roy’s home club since 1975 - since he moved south from his native Scotland.

Roy reduced his handicap to a low of nine, but now plays off 15. He has won the Wood Bowl - a major at Stamford - twice, and also landed the Foursomes Club Matchplay trophy.

But the captaincy is at the forefront of his attention this year, with his two main aims boosting membership and raising money for his chosen charity, Reuben’s Retreat.

In common with other clubs struggling during challenging financial times, Stamford would ideally like more members, particularly women - to whom it is offering free lessons for first-timers.



LADY-captain Patricia Grant’s drive-in at Werneth featured a captain’s team taking on a side representing secretary Sheila Waterhouse.

But after Patricia was presented with a memento of her drive-in, it was Sheila’s team who came out on top. This was followed by a spring meeting three-ball alliance won by lady vice-captain Kay Broughton, Waterhouse and Marilyn Griffin with a net 66.

Runners-up were Brenda Martin, Vivien Leaver and Judith Wilkinson with 70.