Jane Nield is absolutely delighted with her early birthday present.
She has been awarded the accolade of honorary ladies’ president of Outlane Golf Club at the ripe old age of 99 – and a half.
Jane, who lives at Marsh, first took up a golf club more than 70 years ago and is one of the very few women to become a president at a golf club.
There was huge applause at the recent Outlane Golf Club annual ladies’ dinner when lady captain Anne Day proudly bestowed the honour and presented the specially commissioned commemorative badge.
Jane, a retired Huddersfield police sergeant, said: “I’m very pleased and quite overwhelmed.
“Outlane is a very friendly club and it is an honour to be the first lady president.”
She no longer plays golf following a fall on the beach several years ago but regularly visits the club for Thursday lunch and Outlane’s ladies’ events.
Jane was a police sergeant based in the old Peel Street police station, now the site of the Market Hall, from 1953 to 1972.
She was in charge of the women police officers in Huddersfield and worked shifts, leaving little time for golf, but managed a round a week.
Following her retirement, she took up the game more seriously but admitted: “My best handicap was 33, so I wouldn’t call myself an expert golfer. Table tennis was more my game.
“I travelled all over playing and was the Yorkshire Police table tennis champion for about seven years.
“When I broke my hip in Blackpool that put paid to me playing golf but I still like to go up to the club.”
Jane is looking forward to her 100th birthday on May 28 and has already provisionally booked the Outlane club for a big celebration.
The only cloud on the horizon is worrying whether, with a capacity of 100, the club will be big enough for all the guests.
“I might have to have two,” she added.
