Pair’s service to golf honoured

Golfers Hugh Bay and June Maslin insist they had no input whatsoever in each of them receiving life memberships to the Marlborough Golf Club.

On the contrary both say they were ‘‘conned’’ into accepting the coveted honour when it was awarded at a committee meeting at the Fairhall course clubhouse in November.

‘‘I had nothing to do with it,’’ says June, who cut her teeth in the game playing at Gore, before joining the Marlborough Golf Club in 2001, but that’s another story. ‘‘I got conned into it,’’ she says. Hugh has a different tack, based on threats from his wife that if he didn’t accept the life membership he would be doing a lifetime of vacuuming and house- hold chores instead. Both have been recognised for their long years of dedication and voluntary work at the club.

Hugh has spent 17 years on the club committee, filling every position except treasurer, during his 32 years as a member.

June spends three nights a week at the club, outside her day job at a vineyard, coaching and mentoring young golfers on the game’s basics.

Now on a 15 handicap she has won the women’s club championship three times, been a committee member for many years, and achieved three holes-in-one.

Before Hugh took up the game he was more adept at handling a tree pruner at his Old Renwick Rd apple orchard than a driving iron.

‘‘I started playing when I was 35 years old, I’d never played before although my father-in-law and brother-in-law were keen golfers,’’ he says.

‘‘It was pleasant relief to play a game of golf after being tied down by work commitments on the orchard.’’

Hugh now plays off a 18 handicap, but has been down to a 10 handicap.

He has two holes-in-one on the Fairhall course to his name, on the third and 16th holes, both par three’s.

‘‘The third is now a par four so that makes it even more impressive,’’ he laughs.

It didn’t come without some amount of sacrifice either, he says.

‘‘It was during a tournament and I ended up shouting the clubhouse but did win a box of wine from the sponsors.’’

Neither of them seem set to hang up the clubs just yet.

PHOTO: RICKY WILSON/FAIRFAX NZ Marlborough Golf Club life members June Maslin, left, and Hugh Bay, have given many years of voluntary work to the club, as well as enjoying playing the game.