TRIBUTES have been paid to former Woodsome Hall professional and PGA captain Charles E Hughes who died at the age of 93 at Southport Hospital.

Hughes, who served Woodsome Hall as head professional for a remarkable 27 years, received the ultimate accolade for a pro, when he was chosen as the Professional Golf Association’s captain in 1986.

He followed on from some of the golfing greats like Henry Cotton and Dai Rees, while Peter Alliss was Hughes’s vice-captain during his year in office.

The two were to become great friends, and Alliss, the BBC’s voice of golf, described Hughes as a credit to the association.

“Charles captained the PGA in times of great change and handled it all very well. He was a lovely man and gentle person,” said Alliss.

“He was head pro at Woodsome Hall, a delightful old club and Charles was a very old school pro, always wore a collar and tie and was a credit to the association.”

Hughes began his career as an assistant to his uncle Archie Earl (hence the Earl in his name) at Lincoln Golf Club before the Second World War, when his golfing career was temporarily put on hold after joining the Army and being commissioned with the rank of captain.

After the war he took his first head pro’s job at Bulwell Forest with further posts at Hartsbourne Golf Club and The Hallamshire.

During that time he got a taste of the tournament circuit, but was later to admit: “It was a case of man know thyself. I realised I was not going to make the grade tournament-wise and the opportunity at Woodsome came up. I had an interview and was accepted.”

That was in 1958, when as a 38-year-old he became only the third professional in the club’s history, taking over from Jack Nield.

That didn’t stop him playing in tournaments however, as that year he played in the Open at Lytham with Bobby Locke (who was then the Open champion) and who, whenever he came up to Horbury to visit the Slazengers factory, contacted Hughes and visited Woodsome for a game.

Hughes also played in the 1960 Open at St Andrews, and the following year he got his name on the county honours board when he won the Yorkshire Open at Fulford beating Bryan Hutchinson in an 18-hole play-off.

Hughes retired in 1985 but is still fondly remembered by the club, as commercial manager Richard Holt acknowledged.

“Charles was an honorary life member and he was very much respected by club members who held him in tremendous esteem.”

Away from Woodsome he was twice president of the Yorkshire PGA (the only man ever to do that), and he also held the presidency of the West Yorkshire Alliance and the Halifax, Huddersfield Alliance.

After his retirement he also became a familiar face at Huddersfield Golf Club as the Fixby club’s former head professional Paul Carman remembers.

“I was the PGA professional at Huddersfield when Charles came to the club as chief starter after being at Woodsome Hall,” he said.

“Charles was a really nice guy and I got on with him really well.

“He did the role for seven or eight years and between us we’d keep the place running. I am sorry to hear about his passing.”

Following a private family cremation in Southport, his family are holding a church service to celebrate his life at St Lucius Church, Farnley Tyas, at 2pm today, and afterwards at Woodsome Hall Golf Club.

The family requested no flowers, but donations to the Alzheimer’s Association would be much appreciated.