Going for golf

WELCOMING the formation of a new organisation aimed at improving membership of golf clubs in the county, Terry Trude, President of the Hertfordshire Golf Union, speaking at the annual dinner of the union, said: "Rest assured, we are working to alleviate the problems for clubs seeking new members."

The Herts Golf Union, together with the ladies' association and the PGA, had formed the Herts Golf Partnership, he said, a unique organisation in the county, with the three bodies all working together for a common cause.

"The cause is to attract more people playing the game, more people becoming golf club members, more clubs achieving Golfmark status, more coaches, more support for volunteers, and more opportunities for players to improve," he said.

A step taken by the HGU was the promotion of the County Card, an opportunity for club members to play at other courses, which, he said, had been a resounding success.

He appealed to golf club members to let them know their views, and urged them to attend special forums to be held at Brickendon Grange (October 20), Porters Park (21) and Brookmans Park (22).

"With the efforts being made, membership of clubs should increase," he said.

Presiding at the annual dinner at Homestead Court Hotel, Welwyn Garden City, last Thursday, for the first time since his election as President, Terry Trude welcomed presidents from neighbouring counties and guests, who included the President of the English Golf Union Roy Case and, on his first visit to Herts, the chief executive of the EGU, John Petrie.

Also present were county team members, each standing as they were announced individually by county captain James York - Nick Holgate (Moor Park), Laurence Allen (Brookmans Park), Sam Claridge (Harpenden Common), Gordon Forster (Porters Park), Andrew Kay (Sandy Lodge), Ryan Newman (Brookmans Park), Glen Portelli (Brickendon Grange), Tom Shadbolt (Mid Herts), MartinWallace (Batchworth Park), and James Watts (East Herts).

James York also named his Player of the Year, "the one who makes the maximum contribution to the team, not necessarily the one who scores the most points", naming Andrew Kay. County ties were presented to Sam Claridge, Andrew Kay, Glen Portelli and Martin Wallace.

Announcing the winner of the season's Order of Merit, Terry Trude said 104 players scored performance points from April to October, with the closest finish, the title going to Sam Claridge, the youngest at 17, with 178 points to 175 by James Jankowski (Potters Bar) and 172 by John Ambridge (Moor Park).

EGU President Roy Case, former president of Nottinghamshire and EGU chairman of boys internationals, said Hertfordshire could feel pride in the success of Nick Faldo and his selection as captain of the Ryder Cup team at Valhalla, and Nottinghamshire, too, with Lee Westwood and Oliver Wilson as team members. All had benefited from the support of their clubs, county unions and the EGU during their learning years.

He paid tribute to Gilmour Jones, of Harpenden, former Herts president, for his service to the EGU over a number of years, from which he has retired. He was captain of Harpenden Golf Club in their centenary year in 1994 and from being a committee member of Herts Golf Union, became chairman of the South East Group, being on the EGU management committee for four years and the board of management for three years, as well as serving on other committees. He retains his committee membership of the Herts Golf Union as a life vice president.