Douglas Park members get rare honour

John Telfer and John Watson received the accolade at Douglas Park Golf Club’s annual general meeting last week.

Honorary memberships are only offered on rare occasions at the historic club - just 27 have been awarded at Douglas Park in the last 119 years.

However both were deemed by the club committee to be worthy of the honour in recognition of their outstanding work on behalf of the club.

John Telfer has been in charge of junior development at Douglas Park for the past 18 years and in that time he has acted as junior convener and team manager.

Club captain Brian Thistle explained: “He has provided great commitment and encouragement to the younger members by arranging inter-club golf matches, team selection and helping these younger members to progress.

“For the past 14 years he has also been match secretary of the local under-15 league.

“His work has helped to give Douglas Park an enviable reputation as a leading club when it comes to junior golf development.”

Brian said that John Watson OBE had been a Douglas Park member for over 55 years and, like John Telfer, has shown great devotion to the club.

He added: “His family have been strong supporters of the club over many decades with his late father and mother also being honorary members.

“In the past John has made a number of donations to the club, including the Centenary Gazebo in 1997 to mark Douglas Park’s first 100 years, an electric caddy car shed and most recently the new ‘practice facility’.

He also gifted significant funds in late 2014 for substantial infrastructure improvements to the iconic and much-admired clubhouse and surrounding parkland and pathways.”

Douglas Park said it was delighted to announce the honorary memberships to two members who had “contributed substantially to the success of the club and its members both young and old”.

The names of both men now join those on the Roll of Honorary Members Board in the clubhouse at Douglas Park.

Brian added: “This is the highest honour the club can bestow on any of its members.

“In presenting John Telfer and John Watson with honorary membership we are recognising their deep commitment to the club.”