102-year old golfer is UK’s longest serving club member

A 102-year-old man who has been a continuous member of his golf club for 90 years is thought to be the longest serving golf club member in history.

Earlier this year Geoffrey Crosskill was certified by Guinness as a world record holder for the amount of time he has been at Eaton Golf Club in Norfolk – 82 years and 18 days.

But the Sunday Post has found Willie Cuthbert, who joined Kirkintilloch Golf Club in Scotland in 1926 for 10 shillings as a reward from his father for passing his 11-plus school exams.

Willie, a phone engineer before he retired, still plays with a rare handmade wooden driver bought before the Second World War for a guinea.

The driver has never even been re-gripped.

“I still play with the same pre-war handmade two wood I’ve had since 1938,” he said. “It can still hit a good shot.

“In those days it was a much sought after club. Younger people just don’t appreciate these sort of clubs now.”

By the time Willie was in his 30s he went on to gain a handicap of two.

Now, because of his age, he only plays one or two rounds a year. His membership is free.

Speaking to the newspaper at the club as he hit a few practice shots, the dad-of-one – who was married to wife May for 50 years before she died 10 years ago – added: “I was quite lucky, I could naturally swing a golf club very well from a very young age.

“In golf you get what you earn. When you miss-hit a shot at golf you get punished for it but it’s great when you have a good game.

“I was never much of a competitor, I’d only ever really play golf for fun.

“It’s a fantastic course here and you always notice something new every time you go.

“I’ve never seen it look as good as it did today.”

Willie’s niece Moira Forman, 64, a retired teacher and keen golfer herself, thinks that Willie would still have a good chance at beating her.

She said: “He would love to be at the golf course every day and play a round but it’s a lot trickier for him to get here now since he can no longer drive. You can see he’s still got it in his swing. He could probably still beat me, especially on his short game which is incredible for someone of his age.”

Hazel Cunningham, 65, the first ever female captain at Kirkintilloch Golf Club, said Willie is a huge inspiration to older players.

She said: “It’s been a great honour talking to him, and one of the highlights of my year hearing his stories of the club since he’s been a member. He’s a pleasure to be around.

“Willie is a font of knowledge and he had great stories to tell. We are so lucky that Willie is still around to pass this history on to us.

“He’s a huge inspiration to other older players to get out and play.”

A spokeswoman for Guinness World Records said: “This is an incredible story and what an achievement!

“We would invite Willie to make an application and submit his evidence in order for this to be ratified.”