The 77th Annual General Meeting of The East Riding Union of Golf Clubs took place on Thursday 3rd April at Beverley & East Riding Golf Club.
Dave Greenwood of Beverley & East Riding Golf Club was elected 2025 ERUGC President and thanked outgoing President Jonty Hall of Hornsea GC for an excellent year in post as he was presented with his blazer and chain of office.
Alan Hutchinson of Cottingham Parks GC was voted in as President Elect, with Trevor Loten introduced as the Deputy President Elect. In 2027 when he takes over from Alan, Trevor will become the first ERUGC President from the KP Club.
[pictured below left to right are: Jonty Hall and Dave Greenwood]
ERUGC Secretary John Illingworth gave a detailed and, at times, humerous report to the meeting centred around the championship winners and the success of the ERUGC Mens and Junior sides during 2024. He paid tribute to all those who give their time to the Union and gave special mention to 2016 President Howard Palmer who has given decades of support to the Union, especially to the two time YIDU title winners over recent years. Jonty is pictured below with a shocked Howard (right) who was completely surprised and humbled by the honour of being named as the ERUGC's latest Honarary Life Vice-President.
1997 President Edward Clark paid tribute to Men's Team Captain Andy Lockwood's inspirational leadership of the side over the last five years. Andy has now stepped down leaving the strong squad into the safe hands of Hornsea's Rees Brown. Ganton's Sunil Mukerjea has also ended his stewardship of the Junior side, who finished second twice in the YIDU League, and has handed over to his clubmate Stuart Russell.
2025 Beverley & East Riding Golf Club Captain and golf historian Paul Fowler (below right) presented the incoming president with a framed photograph of the inaugral meeting of the East Riding Union of Golf Clubs.
Whilst researching the East Riding, Paul (also the editor of the fascinating Golfing Herald www.golfingherald.com) chanced upon a photograph of Mr T. R. Leak and the representatives of East Riding Union of Golf Clubs.
Shortly after the Second World War, Mr T R Leak, the Chairman of the Board at Hull Golf Club, was the driving force behind a specially convened meeting held on 7th May, 1947 at Kirk Ella. The meeting should have been held three months earlier, but the heavy snow of the infamous 1947 winter disrupted plans.
Mr T. R. Leak made several strong claims for the necessity of the ERUGC, the strongest being his allegation that the East Riding had never had a fair crack of the whip in the selection of players for the Yorkshire County Team, declaring that there were many young men in the East Riding who deserved county recognition. Mr T. R. Leak would have been smiling down on the Union at last week’s Annual Dinner at the Mercure Hotel, at which the Union acknowledged the many players from the East Riding Union who are now continuing to represent Yorkshire on a regular basis at all age levels, Junior through to Senior.
The formation of the ERUGC was also the catalyst for inter-union matches (YIDU ). East Riding’s first match was against the Leeds Union played at Moortown GC on 13th July 1947. Despite losing 11-5 with 2 matches halved, the Union was up and running.
Since those humble beginnings in 1947, the ERUGC has gone from strength to strength as illustrated by this evening’s AGM and we are sure that the Union will continue to flourish for many years to come.
Paul is also leading a new Heritage Working Group. The group’s aim is to highlight the rich history of Beverley & East Riding Golf Club and to properly archive and catalogue items of historical significance.
To support this effort, the club is reaching out to members or past members who may have photos, memorabilia, historical items or stories and events related to the club that you would be willing to donate or share. We would love to hear from you to ensure they become part of the club’s documented history. Please contact the club if you have anything of interest.
Full list of Officials and Executive Members
Jonathan Clark
Junior League Secretary
