New captains appointed at popular golf club near Lancaster

They used a ceremonial hickory-shafted club to drive off the first tee at a special Captains’ Drive-in event which marked the launch of the new season.

The new club captain is Joe Bowman, 69, a retired software consultant and self-employed contractor in the telecoms industry, who lives at Barrows Green.

Joe has played golf for many years and has been a member of Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club for about five years.

“The club is on a good trajectory with membership increasing and visitor bookings strong,” he said.

"There is a programme of works planned for the course including reworking bunkers and tee improvements. During my year of office as captain it is a matter of us continuing to do what we have been doing so well.”

Joe sometimes plays for the club in the Lunesdale League, currently organises the Dales Trophy team and plays in the seniors’ team when he can.

Joe, who has taken over as club captain from John Sherlock, is also a volunteer with Fix the Fells, helps to run the Cumbria branch of the Dry Stone Walling Association and is a keen cyclist

The new lady captain is Julia Taylor, 65, who is retired and lives at Kirkby Lonsdale.

She started playing golf in around 2014. “We have an active ladies’ section at Kirkby Lonsdale with competitions throughout the season on Wednesdays and Saturdays and we also have three open competitions,” she said. “We are always looking for new ladies to come and join the club.”

Julia, who plays for Kirkby Lonsdale in the ladies’ bronze team, won the club’s Lady Captain’s Trophy in 2019 and has played for Cumbria Vets against Northumberland and Durham.

Over the past few years the lady captain has raised money during her year of office for a charity. “I chose MIND as my charity and so far I have organised a pre-loved golf clothes sale at the club which has raised £133,” said Julia.

Julia has taken over as lady captain from Lyn Bond.

The new seniors’ captain is Jack Waite, 62, a retired police officer, who still works as a contractor for the Pensions Regulator.

Jack, who lives at Storth, started playing golf in 1986 and was captain of the Greater Manchester Police A Division team for a year.

Jack plays for the seniors’ team which plays friendlies against neighbouring clubs in Cumbria.

“We have lots of senior members and I want to make sure everyone who wants to play in the team gets a game,” he said.

Jack has taken over as seniors’ captain from Nick Almond.

More than 80 members took part in the Captains’ Drive-in event.

Joe Bowman said it was a special day because it had a shotgun start so everyone started and finished at the same time and so met socially in the clubhouse afterwards.

The winner of the gents’ competition at the event was Adrian Dent, aged 12, who is one of the club’s up and coming young juniors and recently competed in the Faldo Futures competition. Shirley Morch won the ladies’ competition and Neale Perrins won the seniors’ competition.