This article appeared in the Spring 2007 edition of the Newsletter. It was written by John Douglass upon completion of his first year as Managing Secretary of Liphook He includes a brief description of the work done on the new Men's Locker Rooms.

November is never a good time to start a new job and this is especially true at a golf club. The course has been put to bed for the winter and the dark mornings and evenings can get you down. My move from Scotland had gone smoothly but I have to admit there were times when I missed North Berwick with its spectacular views and constant public attention. My main effort at this time was getting used to how the club operated, settling in a new Kitchen Manager and meeting the membership.

Between January and April my focus was on the “Blue Loo” (the temporary portaloo) and the new changing rooms. Looking back, the building work went relatively smoothly but there were times when things did not go according to plans. I remember once being called away from lunch to deal with a major flood in the portakabin. I managed to find the stopcock, but returned for my pudding soaking wet!  I now believe that we have got locker rooms to match the high standard of the course. When I used to come to the Club as a visitor I was always disappointed by the changing facilities. Now no one can complain!

Further disruption in the clubhouse was caused by Phil James’ heart attack in February. Phil’s illness obviously put additional strain on us all, but with the help of Betty and Carol and the recruitment of David Strike we were able to overcome most of the difficulties. I am glad to report that Phil has made steady progress and it is good to see his smiling face back behind the bar

The summer months have continued to be busy. The course has benefited from the wet summer.  In April, the fairways were very poor and I worried what they would be like if we experienced another prolonged dry and hot summer. I do take my hat off to David Murdoch and his team; the course throughout the summer has been in excellent condition. The Club has received many highly complimentary comments, both publicly and privately, about the state of the course.  As a player, I have been surprised at how difficult it is! It is a little short, but this is largely due to the fact that it has 5 par 3’s. Ideally, a course should have 4 par 3’s. However, when you examine these holes, they are all good and it would be difficult to decide which one should be sacrificed. Perhaps my only criticism of the layout of the course is that the last 6 holes, in particular 14 to 16, do not live up to the high standard of the rest. Having three relatively short doglegs in a row is, to me, repetitive and can make your round a bit of an anti-climax.

One of the idiosyncrasies of Liphook that has surprised me is how busy the course is during week days as opposed to week ends.  In my opinion, this is caused by an over-congested fixture list. There is also a number of roll-ups with sizeable turnouts. These groupings and the fixture list can make certain mornings (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) very busy and this has created problems. I have suggested to the Committee that the fixture list is reviewed.

The summer also means the school holidays. August has provided many opportunities for our Junior members to play in competitions and receive coaching. The Junior Section is one of the Club’s success stories. A number of Juniors have represented the Club in official matches and competitions. As Murray Abraham has reported on page 7, the Club’s recent victory in the Border League is largely due to the fact that three Juniors regularly play in the team. John Jeffrey and James Wardrobe do an outstanding job as Junior Co-ordinators and this is reflected in full Junior membership and a long waiting list. This all bodes well for the future of the Club.

Golf in England is going through difficult times. Many clubs have vacancies and waiting lists exist in only a few clubs. In many ways, Liphook is well placed to meet the challenges of the future. It has a good course in excellent condition that can rise to future challenges.   Its Junior section is flourishing and hopefully these youngsters can be encouraged to play their part in ensuring the Club’s long term future.

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#Location:Hampshire Records Office#
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#Author:John Douglass#
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