AGW Golfer of the Year
There were a significant number of early votes accompanied with the words “Rory will win so I’ll vote for …” which for a brief period promised the delicious prospect of Rory not winning for the wrong reasons. In a year of worldwide poll frenzy, however, this conclusion was by far the least heated and, ultimately, McIlroy emerged triumphant.
It is worthy of note that he is the first individual to claim the award five times (breaking a tie with Lee Westwood). You should have received the press release earlier today – please contact me if you have not.
AGW Golf
AGW golf captain Adrian Milledge reports that the annual match against the Golf Foundation is scheduled for West Byfleet GC on Monday 12th May with a first tee time of 10.30am. Seven players are needed to complete the team. Please let Adrian know if you want to play. He is also in the process of confirming the rest of the 2025 fixtures and these should be finalised early in the New Year.
As a little added note, the entire AGW membership thanks Adrian for his endeavours this year. Captaincy of our collected attempts to clatter a ball in the rough direction of the hole is rewarding but also demanding. It requires a lot of administration and significant journeying up and down the country. Please remember Adrian’s voluntary efforts when responding to events and results
Alan Hedley
Alan Hedley has been in touch to thank the many members who have been in touch to check on his health this year. He has very much appreciated all the good wishes and would like everyone to know that “the good news is I’m well on the road to recovery after a double stent heart op and it looks like the NHS have saved me for a second time – they did it 30-plus years ago with a double heart bypass and this latest
tidy up job seems to have worked a treat. Please let the guys and gals know I’m okay and that I thank them for their messages of support.” Terrific news, Alan.
Jeff Babineau
Jeff Babineau with The King
Earlier today news of the passing of Jeff Babineau, an old friend of so many members, was released. GWAA President Gary D’Amato wrote: “It’s with great sadness that I pass on this news: Jeff Babineau, our secretary, past president and a longtime GWAA member, died earlier today of natural causes.
“Jeff was a superb writer and editor and was well-liked among our members and at Tour stops everywhere. He was a level-headed mentor to many of us, always quick with a smile and an encouraging word.
“Jeff cared deeply about golf journalism and about the GWAA. He covered more than 100 majors and 12 Ryder Cups and wrote eloquently about them, but more importantly, he was a caring friend.
“We are going to miss him deeply. I encourage you to keep Jeff’s family in your thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.”
We will put together a more considered response to this dreadful news later this week. Please feel free, as always, to contribute your memories of Jeff.
Royal Portrush – next year’s Open venue
This information was emailed recently but a reminder that Deric Henderson has been in touch regarding next year’s Open at Royal Portrush GC. Deric is the media contact for the club and he would like all AGW members to know that he will be available to assist and facilitate us in any way required ahead of next July.
Contact details:
Mobile +44 7802175350
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Pick Your Pro
Congratulations to Robert Green for winning this year’s Pick Your Pro competition. The 2022 winner Martin Dempster was a close second and Brian Creighton came in third. Everyone who took part would like to pass on their thanks to Mark Garrod who was once again the diligent organiser and reporter of our (mostly) collective stabs in the dark.
The Loop
After 21 years as editor and content director of Golf Monthly, Mike Harris is joining forces with fellow AGW member Alex Narey to set up a new content and creative agency – ‘The Loop’.
Representing brands, travel destinations and content creators in the golf space, The Loop will also be producing its own in-house content, headlined by a high-end quarterly print journal with a focus on standout stories around people, places and products.
The first edition will be launched ahead of the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, and Mike and Alex are on the hunt for story ideas that will help make the journal a unique offering within the print golf media landscape. While pitches on stories from the professional tours are welcome,
‘The Loop’ journal will focus on exclusive and long-form features, with writing that gets to the heart of
the game we love.
If you have a story pitch for the launch issue please send it to Alex, The Loop’s editorial director. Email: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Mike can be reached at email hidden; JavaScript is required
Martin Dempster’s new book
Congratulations to our past chairman Martin Dempster who has added to the Black & White Publishing’s ‘The Art of’ series with ‘The Art of Scottish Golf’.
The book features a mix of golfing lore, history, iconic Scottish courses, anecdotes from players and caddies past and present, all alongside a sensational collection of images.
James Corrigan came up with a good line on X: “They say you should never judge a book by its cover – but this is an exception. Excellent cover, excellent book by the excellent Martin Dempster.”
Joan Wilson
Finally, many thanks to Mitchell Platts for the following report from the funeral of Joan Wilson along with a copy of his eulogy.
“The funeral of Joan Wilson, the wife of the late Mark Wilson, AGW Chairman from 1982-84, took place at St Marylebone Crematorium on Thursday October 24. Joan died on October 7 – one day before her 97th birthday.
Patricia Davies was among the mourners, in addition to Judy Williams, wife of the late Michael Williams, AGW Chairman 1987-1992, Roddy Williams and Jennifer Laidlaw, sister of former AGW President, Chairman and Secretary Renton Laidlaw. Jacki and Lisa, the Wilson’s daughters, orchestrated a wonderful Order of Service for Joan with their own heartfelt speeches commencing an hour during which the love for their Mum shone through with an excellent selection of hymns and readings supported by a terrific choir who sang Jerusalem and Amazing Grace and then during the ‘Moment of Reflection’ a soloist sang A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square. Then it was back to The Bull in Highgate for the eulogy.
JOAN MARY WILSON (8 October 1927 – 7 October 2024)
STRICTLY SPEAKING IT STARTED ON A DANCE FLOOR IN SALISBURY…. ALTHOUGH GIVEN THE LAUGHTER AND CHAOS WHICH ENRICHED THEIR WONDERFUL LIVES TOGETHER…. ITS FAIR TO SAY THAT JOAN AND MARK WERE MORE….. LUCILLE BALL AND DESI ARNAZ…. THAN GINGER ROGERS AND FRED ASTAIRE……ANYWAY WHEN JOAN EDWARDS MET MARK WILSON – HE HAD BEEN EVACUATED TO SALISBURY FROM GOSPORT WHEN WAR BROKE OUT – THEY NOT ONLY BECAME BALLROOM BUDDIES BUT LIFETIME COMPANIONS……WALTZING THEIR WAY ALONG A SHIMMERING YELLOW BRICK ROAD WHICH BROUGHT HYSTERICS…. AND HAPPINESS….HUMOUR…. AND HULLABALOO…. EVERY STEP OF THE WAY…. NOT ONLY INTO THEIR LIVES BUT ALSO THE LIVES OF EVERYONE THEY MET.
JOAN WAS 15 WHEN SHE MET MARK ….AND FROM THE START SHE BROUGHT HER PASSION FOR LIFE….A VERY SPECIAL JOIE DE VEVRA!…..INTO A UNION WHICH BLOSSOMED IN THE BALLROOM…..BILLOWED WITH THE BIRTH OF JACQUELINE AND LISA….AND BROKE RECORDS WHEN IT CAME TO ENTERTAINING FRIENDS WITH THE EFFERVESCENT CHATTER OFF THE CHARTS…. AND THE FINEST CHAMPAGNE ALWAYS FLOWING.
FAMILY ALWAYS CAME FIRST TO JOAN…. WHO SHARED A WONDERFUL CHILDHOOD WITH HER YOUNGER SISTER MARGARET…… THEY WERE BORN TWO YEARS APART ALTHOUGH VIRTUALLY ON THE SAME DAY…. MARGARET’S BIRTHDAY BEING OCTOBER 7 AND JOAN’S ON THE 8TH …..AND WHEN MARGARET WAS ASKED WHAT SHE WANTED FOR HER NINTH BIRTHDAY…. JOAN RECALLED SHE QUICKLY DECLARED
“A NEW PAIR OF KNICKERS”…..FROM THAT DAY ON MARGARET NEVER HAD ANY…. HAND ME DOWNS…..MIND YOU THEY SHARED PLENTY OF THINGS TOGETHER INCLUDING…. BELIEVE IT OR NOT… A CARPET WHICH THEY WOULD ROLL UP AND CARRY ACROSS LONDON ON FOOT…. ON MY BUS….JOAN ALWAYS MAINTAINED THAT THIS WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL AND WHEN JACKI AND LISA CHALLENGED HER SHE
SIMPLY REPLIED …..“YOU HAVE TOO MUCH MONEY”…. AND ANYWAY “YOU DIDN’T LIVE THROUGH THE WAR.”
WELL JOAN AND MARK DID LIVE THROUGH THE WAR….THEY WERE MARRIED SIX YEARS AFTER IT ENDED…..AND A LIFE IN JOURNALISM BEGAN WITH MARK MOVING FROM WAR CORRESPONDENT TO NIGHT EDITOR TO GOLF CORRESPONDENT …..JOAN….LIKE MANY OF US IN THE PRESS CENTRES OF YESTERYEAR…..WOULD SECRETLY CHUCKLE AT HOME WHEN MARK….THE MASTER OF THE WRITTEN WORD…..WOULD BE SAT IN HIS STUDY RIPPING ONE SHEET OF PAPER AFTER ANOTHER OUT OF HIS TYPEWRITER….SURROUNDING HIMSELF WITH A SEA OF ANDREX……IN HIS DEVOTION TO PRODUCE THE PERFECT INTRO ….WHEREAS JOAN ….. AS LISA POINTED OUT EARLIER WITH HER MUM’S BRILLIANT SUGGESTION TO USE FLOWER POTS AS LEG RAISERS IN HER HOSPITAL BED……WOULD QUIETLY FIND THE SOLUTION TO ALL HOUSEHOLD CHALLENGES…..POSSESSING THE MAGIC OF A MICHELANGELO TO TURN A BLANK CANVAS INTO A ENVIRONMENT THAT PAINTED A THOUSAND WORDS AND ALL OF THEM GREAT.
JOAN WAS ALSO A TERRIFIC HOUSE MOVER….WELL SHE HAD TO BE…..GEORGE O’GRADY…. WHO LIKE KEN SCHOFIELD SPENT THE BEST PART OF HIS WORKING CAREER AT THE EUROPEAN TOUR LINKED WITH MARK AND JOAN…. REMEMBERS LIVING IN KEW AT THE SAME TIME AS THE WILSONS…AND THAT MARK ALWAYS MANAGED TO BE AWAY AT A GOLF TOURNAMENT WHEN THEY MOVED HOME ….WHICH APPARENTL THEY DID 17 TIMES….THIS WAS A GOOD THING BECAUSE AS GEORGE SAYS…. “JOAN WAS SO INCREDIBLY WELL ORGANISED THAT EVERY MOVE
WENT SEAMLESSLY”….. AND GEORGE REGARDED JOAN AS SUPERWOMEN.
NEVERTHELESS I SUSPECT JACKI AND LISA WILL RECALL THE CONTINUOUS STREAM OF DISASTERS….THINGS LOST….MISLAID….BROKEN……FORGOTTEN…IN THE WILSON HOUSEHOLD WHICH WOULD LEAD TO THEIR DAD MARCHING FROM ROOM TO ROOM……CALLING…. JOAN….JOAN….JOAN….AND THEIR MUM CALMLY GLIDING THROUGH THE SITUATION WITH THE PATIENCE OF A SAINT…. THEN AGAIN IT DID WORK THE OTHER WAY…IT’S BEEN TOLD A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE….OF COURSE…..BUT ONE DAY WHEN THEY WERE LIVING IN SUNNINGDALE.
JOAN WENT TO DO A BIG SHOP AT THE WAITROSE 400 YARDS AWAY ….DOWN A STEEP HILL…..AN HOUR OR SO LATER SHE RETURNED… UP THAT STEEP HILL TO STAND ON THE DOORSTEP SURROUNDED BY SHOPPING……TIRED… PERSPIRING…..AND REGRETFUL…. AS SHE HUFFED AND PUFFED TO MARK ABOUT BEING EXHAUSTED… AFTER HAULING THIS HEAVY LOAD BACK HOME… AND WHY HAD SHE NOT HAD THE WISDOM TO TAKE HER CAR……MARK PAUSED….AS ONLY HE COULD…..BEFORE POINTING OUT….JOAN YOU DID TAKE THE CAR…….YOU’VE LEFT IT AT WAITROSE…. THIS WAS ALL PART OF LIFE’S RICH TAPESTRY IN THE WILSON HOUSEHOLD….AND AS JUDY WILLIAMS RECALLS THERE WAS A ANOTHER TIME OF TEMPORARY MEMOR
THERE WERE MANY ADVENTURES AT CHENISTON COURT IN SUNNINGDALE WHERE THEY LIVED FOR MANY YEARS…. NEXT TO RENTON AND…. WHERE JENNIFER REMEMBERS… A TIME WHEN JOAN AND MARK WERE HAVING SOME WORK DONE IN THE HOUSE WHICH BECAME….AS IT ONLY COULD FOR MARK….SOMETHING OF A DRAMA WITH IT TAKING MONTH AFTER MONTH BUT JOAN CALMLY ACCEPTED THE
SITUATION…. EMBRACING THE WORKMEN AS FAMILY….. SO MUCH SO THAT SHE WOULD MAKE BREAKFAST FOR THEM……QUITE SIMPLY EVERYONE WHO VISITEDTHE WILSONS AT ANY OF THEIR HOMES IMMEDIATELY BECAME FRIENDS….. AND AT CHENISTON THE LADIES WOULD GATHER ONE DAY A WEEK FOR DRINKS AT SIX IN THE EVENING….JOAN WAS PART OF THAT GROUP…. AND EVEN AFTER THEY MOVED TO ASCOT SHE WOULD RETURN EACH WEEK FOR A GLASS OF FIZZ AND A GOOD OLDFASHIONED NATTER….. AS JACKI HAS TOLD US JOAN WAS SIMPLY BRILLIANT IN MAKING A HOME….THE PERFECT MISS MONEYPENNY…AND THIS WAS FUNDAMENTAL IN JACKI AND LISA’S UPBRINGING….. MARK…OF COURSE…WAS LIKE MICHAEL WILLIAMS, JUDY’S HUSBAND, A BRILLIANT …..HIGHLY RESPECTED….. GLOBALLY RECOGNISED GOLF
WRITER….. BUT AS LITERARY GENIUSES THEY WERE ALSO GYPSIES TRAVELLING THE WORLD ….RETURNING AFTER WEEKS IN EXOTIC VENUES SUCH AS AUGUSTA….PEBBLE BEACH…ST ANDREWS…….
LOSS FOR JOAN. ….SHE COULDN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING…WHO SHE WAS….WHERE SHE LIVED….DATE OF BIRTH…….THEN MARK ASKED HER WHAT WAS HER BANK CARD… PIN NUMBER ….JOAN KNEW INSTANTLY ….WHICH MARK PUT DOWN TO THE FACT THAT SHE USED IT SO MUCH!!!!!! QUITE SIMPLY JOAN AND MARK WERE. ALWAYS FUN TO BE AROUND SHARING AN IMPISH SENSE OF HUMOUR AND KNOWING HOW TO LAUGH AT THEMSELVES.
TOM CLARKE WAS SPORTS EDITOR AT THE EVENING STANDARD WHEN MARK BECAME GOLF CORRESPONDENT AND REMEMBERS JOAN BRILLIANTLY SUPPORTING MARK EVERY INCH OF THE WAY AFTER MARK HAD MADE THE CHANGE TO GOLF WRITER FROM THE RATHER ROUTINE HOURS OF HIS JOB ON THE NEWS DESK…. A VERY DIFFERENT ROLE WHICH MEANT NOT BEING AT HOME FOR WEEKS ON
END….BUT THERE WAS A TIME WHEN TOM SUGGESTED MARK TOOK JOAN WITH HIM ON ONE AMERICAN TRIP…BY NOW MARK WAS GOOD FRIENDS WITH JACK NICKLAUS AND BEING IN JACK’S HOME TOWN OF NORTH PALM BEACH… FLORIDA …
HE ASKED JACK WHERE HE SHOULD TAKE JOAN FOR DINNER..THE TABLE WAS DULY BOOKED IN A PLUSH GLASS-FRONTED RESTAURANT OVERLOOKING THE SEA…MARK NOTED THE MAN IN A WHITE SUIT PLAYING A GRAND PIANO…SCANNED THE MENU….GULPED AT THE PRICES…AND QUIETLY SAID TO JOAN…WE WILL NOT HAVE A STARTER…WE WILL HAVE A GLASS OF WINE EACH…. NOT A BOTTLE…WE WILL
DISPENSE WITH DESERTS…AND WE WILL HAVE COFFEE BACK AT THE HOTEL….JOAN WAS NOT PARTICULARLY ENAMOURED BUT KIND OF UNDERSTOOD ….THEN MARK CALLED FOR THE BILL…..NO CHEQUE TONIGHT SIR…..SAID THE WAITER…YOU ARE THE GUESTS OF MR JACK NICKLAUS….
THERE WERE TIMES WHEN WE WERE ONE BIG FAMILY AND NO PLACE BROUGHT US ALL TOGETHER MORE THAN PENINA IN PORTUGAL…. WHICH IS WHERE HILLIE AND I WERE FORTUNATE TO GROW OUR FRIENDSHIPS WITH MARK AND JOAN….MICHAEL AND JUDY WILLIAMS….MICHAEL AND MARGARET MCDONNELL…DAI AND PATRICIA DAVIES…..NORMAN AND LEWINE MAIR….PETER AND BETTY DOBEREINER….BILL AND VAL ELLIOTT …RICHARD AND MARGARET DODD…. GORDON AND AND RICHARDSON….RON AND KATIE MOSELEY….RENTON LAIDLAW…AND SO…SO MANY MORE AS WE WERE ROYALLY HOSTED BY THREE TIMES OPEN CHAMPION HENRY COTTON AND HIS WIFE TOOTS…. I’M SURE JUDY WOULD AGREE THAT AT PENINA ….WHEN IT CAME TO WELCOMING NEWCOMERS…. SUCH AS HILLIE AND VAL ELLIOTT WERE ONE YEAR…. THAT JOAN WAS AT THE FOREFRONT IN EXTENDING THE HAND OF FRIENDSHIP. …..JOAN WAS ALSO A STAR ON THE FAIRWAYS AND ON ONE OCCASION …ALSO THE STAGE AT PENINA …..ALTHOUGH IRONICALLY IT WAS ON THE PRACTICE RANGE THAT SHE SHARED TOP BILLING WITH …..SEAN CONNERY……. IN THOSE DAYS WHILE THE MEN TOOK TO THE COURSE SO HENRY WOULD GIVE A LESSON TO THE WIVES…..ONE OF THOSE WAS GETTING THEM TO HIT A RUBBER TYRE BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY ….ON THIS OCCASION EVERYONE WAS HAVING A GOOD LAUGH WHEN SEAN CONNERY CAME ALONG AND ASKED HENRY WHAT WAS GOING ON…… HENRY
IMMEDIATELY PUT THE WIVES ON THE SPOT BY ASKING THEM ALL TO HIT A SHOT FOR 007……. JOAN HAD A TIDY SWING AND SHE HIT AN ABSOLUTELY BEAUTY AFTER WHICH LEWINE MAIR STEPPED UP WITH HENRY WHISPERING TO SEAN “THIS ONE’S NOT BAD EITHER “ ……LEWINE HIT A VERY DECENT FIVE WOOD…. BUT SEAN SAID TO HER “DO IT AGAIN”….. WHEREUPON LEWINE UNFORTUNATELY HIT THE WORST SHOT OF THE LOT – A TOP…..SEAN IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT JOAN AND DECLARED “YOU ARE THE STAR OF THE SHOW.” SEAN WAS MISSING HOWEVER WHEN JOAN….. ASSISTED BY PETER DOBEREINER AND RON MOSELEY…. BRILLIANTLY PUT TOGETHER A CONCERT TO THANK HENRY AND TOOTS AND PENINA OWNERS JOHN AND SHEILA STILLWELL…..BUT WHEN IT CAME FOR JOAN TO CLOSE THE SHOW WITH A LITTLE SONG AND DANCE NUMBER ….. THE REST OF US NOTICED THAT TOOTS WAS FAST ASLEEP WHILE HENRY NODDED GENTLY BESIDE HER. ……NEVERTHELESS JOAN GIGGLED ALL THE WAY THROUGH HER SONG…. AS DID ALL OF US….. AND ONCE AGAIN JOAN WAS THE STAR OF THE SHOW…
SOME MIGHT WONDER HOW JOAN REMEMBERED ALL HER LINES GIVEN AS MICHAEL AND MARGARET MCDONNELL RECALL THEY ONCE RECEIVED A CHRISTMAS CARD SIGNED LOVE FROM JOAN…. AND WILSON……LEAVING MARK OUT OF THE EQUATION……BUT THEN AGAIN JOAN ALWAYS KNEW WHO SHE WAS……JUDY RECALLS JOAN TOOK HER TO A CAR BOOT SALE NEAR ASCOT BUT RATHER THAN GO THROUGH THE MAIN ENTRANCE JOAN DECIDED THAT SHE AND JUDY SHOULD NIP THROUGH THE BACK DOOR WHERE THERE WAS NO QUEUE…..UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE CHALLENGED BY SECURITY…… BUT JOAN SIMPLY SAID “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM.” WELL ….WE ALL KNEW WHO JOAN WAS….. NONE MORE SO OF COURSE THAN JACKI AND LISA….. WHO QUITE CORRECTLY HAVE SAID THAT THEIR MUM LIVED HER LIFE WITH GRACE AND GRATITUDE….YOU SEE WE WERE ALL CHARMED AND TOUCHED BY JOAN’S WARM WELCOME…HER CONSTANT SMILE…ALWAYS GAME FOR A LAUGH… LOYAL….STYLISH…..ELEGANT….AND FUN…….A SPECIAL LADY WHOM WE ALL LOVED AND ADORED…AND…QUITE SIMPLY….UNIQUE…..SO CAN I PLEASE ASK FOR YOU TO
ALL RAISE A GLASS…. TO JOAN AND TO MARK
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