From the Clubhouse: My year as captain begins here
My first shot as captain has been hit and regular readers will know exactly what happened. You can watch the video here. Go on, I’ll wait…
It’s been my stock effort off the first tee for more than two months now so there was little chance it would be any different with a crowd to encourage/heckle.
Regardless of how my drive-in went, my term as captain of Sandburn Hall, my club in York, is now underway and so is a frenetic year.
I’ve had 14 months to think about what I want to get out of my time in the chair. It’s thrilled and worried me in equal measure, kept me awake at night but also filled me with optimism.
I’ve managed to narrow it down to a handy three thoughts and, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to take you through them…
1. Raise a boat load of cash
There’s a lot of standing about, gassing and looking vaguely important when you’re the skipper but getting stuck in and raising money for your chosen charity is the one really significant mark you can make in your 12 months. It’s not all about attending dinners and accepting hospitality.
Bloodwise, formerly known as Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, are my pick. To be honest, it’s personal. A close family member has been battling an acute form of the disease and I’m pretty motivated to get people to dig deep. I’ve got lots of stuff planned – including a big end-of-season ball.
2. Get about the membership
I’ve been a member at Sandburn for about a decade and, while I’d like to think I know a lot of people there, there are also plenty I don’t. I may be proved very wrong about this but I feel a captain should be a visible presence around the club. I’m looking forward to making myself known.
3. Get on the board
No, I don’t have designs on a takeover. This year is still about golf. On the course, getting down to single figures and winning a board competition are aims.
Played by NCG: Parkstone
My week in golf: Meet your April fool…
This club is famous for… the Hitler tree
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
