Willesley Park captain donates £4,000 to Greenkeepers Benevolent Fund

Willesley Park’s outgoing men’s captain marked the end of his term with a £4,000 donation to the Greenkeepers Benevolent Fund, declaring greenkeepers do not get the recognition they deserve.

 

The men’s and ladies’ captains at the Ashby-de-la-Zouch club select their charities at the start of each captaincy year, with the funds – raised through a series of events culminating in the club’s annual charity day – split between the two.

Bob Bissell identified the fund as his charity of choice as he wanted to support the people who sit at the heart of every golf club’s success. Explaining his decision, Bob said: “I had plenty of charities I could have chosen, including some close to my heart, but when you’re representing a golf club as captain your focus should be on doing the best for the club. “The course is only as good as the people who maintain it, and greenkeepers can sometimes be overlooked.

Most golfers who don’t know the job imagine a greenkeeper on a sunny day riding a mower back and forth. They don’t see the reality: nine months of the year in all weathers, often in darkness for half the year. I wouldn’t do it this time of year, put it that way!”

The response among fellow members and past captains reinforced the feeling that he had made the right call. “When I mentioned the Benevolent Fund to past captains and playing partners, every single one thought it was a great idea,” he said. “Some of the bigger charities naturally attract attention, but if your focus is the golf club itself, it’s the greenkeepers who create and maintain the conditions golfers invest in and I wanted to do something for them.”

Bob now hopes captains at clubs across the country will look at the Benevolent Fund as a worthy cause to support. “Think about who’s actually generating the charity money,” he said. “At a private members’ club, it’s the members themselves, and the reaction I had from choosing a charity directly connected to the club was overwhelmingly positive. “It’s worth incoming captains considering charities that are close to the heart of their own clubs.” Course Manager Chris Taylor added: “I think it’s great. Because it’s a lesser known charity, Bob donating that amount through his fund has been hugely positive. Like Bob says, maybe more clubs should do the same.