Alford Golf Club’s 40th anniversary celebrations will take on extra significance as club steward Frances Fowlie celebrates her 40 years with the club this year.
Fowlie has been with the club since day one when the first tee shot at the then nine-hole course opened on May 15 1982.
The opening of the club was cause for celebration in itself following eight years of negotiation with various council departments and local landowners as well as substantial fundraising by members required to meet the costs of building and opening the club.
As Fowlie recalls, the early days of the club were very different from the club she works for today.
She said: “The club put out an advert for someone to do the catering so I started doing the catering, the bar and the cleaning for the first few years.
“We were working out of a portacabin which we had got from Aboyne school initially so things have changed quite a bit when you think we’ve grown from a nine-hole course to a full 18 hole set-up today and of course we now have our clubhouse.”
1990s a decade of development at Alford
The opening of the extended 18-hole course in May 1992 was when Fowlie’s role at Alford evolved into the position she still holds 30 years later.
She said: “In 1992 I gave up the catering to take on the role of club steward. It involved taking care of the day-to-day running of the club from staff rotas, office work, collecting green fees and organising golf outings.
“It’s an administrative role although there is a manager above me.”
The opening of the new clubhouse followed on April 1 1994 but despite the growth of the club to what it is today, Fowlie has fond memories of the early days.
She said: “I’ve dealt with lots of captains, committees and members so there have been all sorts of colourful characters along the way.
“In the 1980s Sandy Middleton, our greenkeeper at the time who has now sadly passed away, used to come in for his bacon roll and he helped butter the bread for the sandwiches.
“Prior to that he had mowed all the greens and tees and done the watering by hand. There are some very fond memories of the good old days.
“We’ve had everything from bus parties and outings to flooding. We had many golf outings who came year after year and some still come to this day although they are wee bit older now though.
“Working at a golf club involves many different roles and it’s certainly been an interesting and enjoyable job.
“I didn’t imagine when I started that I’d still be here 40 years later but here we are.”
Members will have chance to play original nine-hole course next weekend
Next weekend’s 40th celebrations will be marked by a family fun weekend when members can play the original nine-hole course.
Fowlie is winding down her long association with the club but it clear not only will her family retain its involvement in their local club but the chances of her walking away completely seem slim.
After all, when you see the course in front of you every day it is hard to ignore.
She said: “We live beside the club. It used to be the first tee but the course expanded and the holes were changed so we now live by the 10th tee. We’re about a minute’s walk.
“My daughter Karen has been here a fair few years too so she is going to be taking over.
“I’ve really enjoyed the job so much and made so many friends because of the golf club.
“The plan is to wind down slowly but I’ll probably still stay in the background somewhere.”