WORSLEY Golf Club member Pat Jackson is the first lady to join the Balfour and Houldsworth Committee in its 122-year history.

The committee have run competitions for golfers in the Manchester area since 1897 when the organisation was founded by the Rt Hon AJ Balfour, who was the Prime Minister from 1902-1905, and Sir William Henry Houldsworth.

They have relied over the years on volunteers running the competitions and clubs in the area letting them use their courses for their competitions.

Now Jackson, a relative newcomer to golf, is delighted to join the other volunteers in organising and running the 2019 competitions.

She said: “I started learning to play golf in 2009 at the Marriott Worsley Park after a ladies' taster day – their professional David Screeton is a marvellous teacher.

“Not being a sporty person I didn’t find it easy to swing the club and hit that tiny ball.

“However, I stuck with the lessons for more than a year and joined Worsley in September 2010.

"I was encouraged by the ladies to enter a team-of-three competition in March 2011 and we won.

“The ladies were very friendly and complimentary towards me and I got the bug for golf.

"My first golf success away from Worsley was in March 2014 at Moseley Golf Club Birmingham.

“ My son-in-law Barnaby Schofield and I entered a mixed pairs competition and we won.

“My next success was a year later when I won a singles ladies' competition at The Mere Resort in which 90 ladies entered and the prize was an all-expenses paid golfing holiday to Madeira for two.

“I started at handicap 36 and currently play off 17.

"I reduced to 16 in the summer but have crept up to 16.5.

“When I joined Worsley I helped the chairman of house particularly with social events and I’ve stayed with this throughout and we now have a small social committee.

“I joined the ladies. committee in 2012 and was delighted to be lady captain in 2016/17.

“I was honoured to be asked to join the B and H committee who run four major competitions a year, one of which is a mixed pairs for the GS Lancashire Cup.

“I will get involved with promoting this competition and my intention is to fill the tee sheet at Stand Golf Club in July.

“I hope to attend all the competitions and help on the signing-in desk as well as meeting and greeting the players and host club officials on the day.

"For more details of the competitions and to enter check out the website at www.balfourandhouldsworth.co.uk.”