Petersfield Golf Club has honoured one of its longest-serving members by giving her a life membership.
Petersfield resident Di Brooks (80) has been at the club – at the old course on the Heath and at Adhurst – for nearly 35 years and has represented the club in matches and held various roles on committees.
Di joined the club in September 1989 as a beginner with her golfing husband Paul, who later became club captain in 1993. Di became treasurer during the same year at a time when the development of the new course at Adhurst was underway.
Di said: “They were exciting times and a lot of us got involved in all sorts of ways such as weeding on our hands and knees the newly-sown greens. In 1997 we started playing the new course but had no clubhouse, so we had to go to the clubhouse on the Heath for match teas and social events.”
Di became ladies’ captain a year later, by when the new clubhouse was up and running. With better facilities, 80 to 90 members were able to enter mixed competitions, and there were two ladies’ invitations a year.
In June 1997 Di helped lead an official opening week, when each section of the club arranged a special competition and invited teams from other local clubs to join them. The ladies invited teams of three from local clubs to join one of the Petersfield ladies, with two scores to count out of four on each hole. The format is still played today annually as the Petersfield Ladies’ Open.
Di said: “It was a very busy and exciting year for the club. I was also on the main committee helping to organise the changeover, increase the membership and plan events.”
Di, whose name is on many of the club’s trophies, has represented Petersfield Golf Club in county competitions and taken part in Hampshire County Week each year.
Current Petersfield Golf Club ladies’ captain Heidi Oliver said: “Di has spent quite a few years on the ladies’ committee, including the role of ladies’ treasurer, and she joined the board of directors of Petersfield Golf Club Ltd a few years ago.
“We are grateful to Di for all the years she has been involved with the club and we are delighted that she has been awarded a life membership. It is thoroughly deserved.”
Di can no longer play because of a serious shoulder injury, but she is a regular visitor to the club and enjoys walking the course with the lady members. And there’ll be no putting her feet up, as she has agreed to be the Hampshire ladies’ golf county representative and will be helping ladies’ vice-captain Jackie Carter with the buddies’ scheme for new lady members.