Golf Club Managers Association  - South West (Originally the Association of Golf Club Secretaries)

The Inaugural Meeting

It was on 17 th July 1956 when Donald Hood-Wright, the secretary of WSM GC arranged a meeting for some 18 local Secretaries.  At that time there were only 3 other regions formed:

Scottish Region

North Eastern Region

Midlands Region

The South West region held a further meeting at Burnham later that year.

From that date it would appear that meetings were held in the Spring and Autumn during most years.

Regional Secretaries

It is perceived from the first meeting in 1956 that Donald Hood-Wright arranged the meetings for the period upto the middle of the 1960’s. Philip Day Dewdney (Minehead) then took over and during his time as the Regional Secretary, he was nominated for the National Captains role, which he accepted and served his term of office in 1968.

In 1973 he handed over the reigns of the Regional Secretary to John Wilcock of Saltford Golf Club who continued in this position until 1982. On his retirement from the role, he was replaced at the Autumn meeting held at Shirehampton Golf Club by one of the great servants of the Association, Ray Burniston of Long Ashton Golf Club, and in 1986 Ray was elected to the post of National Captain.  By the late eighties Ray Burniston was continuing in both posts of Club and Regional Secretary and when the post of National Secretary became available, he applied for the position and was the successful applicant. 

Ray continued to serve the Association in the post of National Secretary until his retirement in 2002.  Since Ray vacated the position in January 1990 there have been four other individuals whom have held the post of Regional Secretary, Derek Holloway on two occasions with five years service, Barry Long who remained for a three year period, Doug Daniell who served four years until his untimely death in 2001 and since 2001 the incumbent has been Brian Rimes.

Roll of Honour

REGIONAL SECRETARIES

REGIONAL MANAGERS

2015/          Karen Drake               Burnham and Berrow Golf Club      

Regional Captains

It is difficult to ascertain whom or whether there was a Regional Captain in the early years. Sometime during the 1960’s Gerry Noble became Regional Captain until he gave up around 1979.

CAPTAINS

PRESIDENTS

NATIONAL CAPTAINS