North East: First woman president takes Keighley role
Keighley has appointed a female president for the first time in the club’s 111-year history.
Elaine Pearson, 52, hopes to use her role to encourage more women to take up the sport.
She was appointed at the club’s annual general meeting, and Pearson said: “It is a tremendous honour and I am extremely proud. It was quite nerve-wracking when I found out a year ago that I was being offered the role, but in some ways I’m less nervous now – I’ve had time to get my head around it.”
‘I’m excited about the year ahead’ Pearson explained how Keighley mirrors many other golf clubs in having an ageing membership, with relatively low numbers in the women’s section.
She added: “Sadly this is a national trend. We want to get across the message that golf is lovely to play and has a fantastic membership structure.”
Pearson, who works in a management consultancy business, paid tribute to outgoing president Ripton Neil Wilson, a Jamaican-born retired army captain.
“Ripton has done a great job raising the feel good factor through major social events,” she said. “It’s not just about golf, it’s about keeping members happy too.”
Pearson has been a member at Keighley since she was 18 and plays off a handicap of seven. She regularly competes for the Yorkshire Veteran Ladies’ Golf Association and is a former tennis county player and assistant professional.
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