A terrific honour for myself and the club

Jan 26 2008 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

PHILIP WALTON will become only the fourth Meltham member to serve as president of the Halifax, Huddersfield Union when he takes office in 2009.

A past captain at Thick Hollins Hall, in 2000, and also at his former club Longley Park, he will step up as the president-elect at the Union’s annual meeting at Halifax on March 4 when Ogden’s Steve Wild succeeds Outlane’s Allan Woodhead as president.

Walton, 72, a former engineering lecturer at Wakefield College, said the invitation from the Union to be president-elect came out of the blue.

“It was a nice surprise as it was something I hadn’t sought, but it is a great honour and I am sure it will be an enjoyable time over the next two years,” he said.

“It’s also a honour for Meltham, a great club where I have lots of friends.”

It was at Outlane where Walton, who lives at Lascelles Hall, took up golf.

He was a member there for two years, moving in 1978 to Longley Park where, in 1985, he served as captain.

For two years he was a dual member at Longley and Meltham before making the latter his permanent base.

At the time he played off a handicap of 10 which, over the years, has increased to 15. It was an ambition to play off single figures and he said: “I almost made it, getting to 9.7, but unfortunately I got no lower.”

Foursomes golf has been his forte.

Before joining Meltham he won the club’s invitation mixed foursomes with wife Pat, also a Meltham member who plays off 21.

Last season they completed a hat-trick in the club’s mixed foursomes while Philip has claimed the Victory Cup and Seniors Cup, and with pal Keith Collier, he has won the foursomes knockout.

After taking early retirement from Wakefield College, he busied himself for a time working at a family horticultural business his wife was involved in but is now fully retired, though he is chairman of a charitable education organisation for Over 50s.

And while he has been match secretary of the Lawrence Batley Seniors League, a post he has had for 10 years, the past two years have been a busy time for him as he is chairman of Meltham’s centenary committee.

The founding of the club was celebrated last Saturday at an inaugural dinner when John Wild, a past English Golf Union president from Wigan, was the guest speaker.

Of the many special events coming off this year a highlight will be home and away matches with the Holme Hall club, near Scunthorpe, who also are celebrating 100 years.