GOLF: BRIAN TAKES ON A FRESH CHALLENGE AS 2019 CAPTAIN AT TENTERDEN GC

Brian Cochrane has become captain of Tenterden Golf Club – which he joined 40 years ago – and will be leading his drive-in event at the club on Sunday.

He took up golf aged eight, under the watchful eye of his grandfather who guided him round Craigentinny, a municipal course in Edinburgh. Later on he was able to ‘unofficially’ use Turnhouse GC’s practice area adjoining the farm where his father worked.

Having a good measure of natural golfing ability, Brian later became a member at Turnhouse, near Edinburgh, and progressed well. As a young man he was also proficient in rugby and football.

“Over the years, I never dreamt I would become captain one day,” he said. “I was delighted to be asked and I am proud and honoured to be the 2019 captain. I feel the club is very special as it genuinely welcomes players of all abilities and has playing groups to suit everyone.”

Brian acknowledges the recent hard work of the club’s green-keeping staff.

He added: “In the 40 years I’ve played at Tenterden, the course has never been in better condition.”

Brian, who lives in Tenterden, trained as a draughtsman and became an expert in quality assurance. His career took him to South Africa in 1974 for three and a half years and he married Hilary, who was a nurse and from Kent, in Cape Town in 1976.

Once back in the UK, Brian worked in Norris’s greengrocers in Tenterden High Street – the business was owned by Hilary’s father – before taking up quality assurance roles. He retired in September 2017.

During his captaincy year, Brian is supporting a local charity from High Halden, Team Ben Hammond, which raises funds and awareness for local heart screening events for young people between the ages of 14 and 35.

Working closely with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), Team Ben Hammond has set up an account in memory of local teenager Ben Hammond who was 15 when he died from an undiagnosed heart condition. Funds from this account go towards paying for screening days which are carried out by CRY.