The weather on this day could not have been any worse. The wind was nearly blowing them off their feet and with the rain hammering down this made their shots near impossible.
Despite the horrendous conditions however, all three managed to hit their drives straight down the middle to great applause from the many spectators who bravely supported them. Needless to say, as soon as the last drive was hit everyone rushed inside to dry off from the monsoon conditions.
Club Captain Nigel has been a member of Crowborough Beacon Golf Club for more than 30 years and represents the club regularly in matches, and the various knockout teams. He first started playing at age 12 and has been obsessed ever since,
Born in Tunbridge Wells, he was educated at King Edward VI School Southampton and at London University, where he studied History and later did research in Social Legal Studies. Nigel retired in 2019 after 40 years in the Travel Industry working in IT. He is married to Melinda, and they have two grown up children - Lauren and Nick.
His charity this year is Asthma and Lung UK. Lung conditions are the 3rd biggest killer in the UK and 1 in 5 people will have a lung condition in their lifetime. Yet lung health is often sidelined, under-treated and under resourced. Nigel is proud to be Club Captain of this historic, traditional Members Club in the wonderful heathland setting of Crowborough in our 130th year.
Lady Captain Jan Stuart-Menteath started her sporting career playing squash for Ely City. After 25 years of squash Jan and some of her friends decided to seek another sport to take up as they got older. One of the group found a local female professional and seven of them booked to have group lessons. A year later they all joined Ely City Golf Club and started to play this addictive game. Out of the seven that started six are still playing and three have become Ladies’ Captains. Jan moved to Crowborough nine years and has been a member at Crowborough Golf Club ever since.
Jan has chosen Chailey Heritage School as her Charity to support this year. Her great Nephew Elliot is a pupil at the school so Jan sees at first hand the amazing work that is carried out to provide these children & young people the specialist care & education that they need. Jan is delighted to be Lady Captain in 2025 and is looking forward to a good year ahead.
Junior Captain Tyler told me: “I got into golf through my Dad taking me to the driving range at a young age and then progressing onto painstakingly long rounds on the golf course. I’ve been playing for four years properly and ‘it became my obsession’ is probably the best phrase I could use!.
"After my A levels this summer my aim is to become a golf pro and coach. What I’ve enjoyed about my time at Crowborough is the amazing support I’ve received from the junior set up.
"With the help of Jo Osborn, Mark Pattern and Dennis who without their support and encouragement I wouldn’t be in the position I am today, I’ve been fortunate to represent our club in competitions which even included a team win for Crowborough in the junior Downland League and being able to play for the scratch team was a personal highlight."
In just four years since taking up the sport Tyler has reduced his handicap to 3.3
