New Mills Golf Club

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Peter and Pat Chadwick change course 

After 10 years as Steward and Stewardess of New Mills Golf Club, Peter and Pat Chadwick retired in December 2010.

During their spell at the club Peter and Pat have witnessed many exciting changes. Firstly in 2001, the existing nine hole course was extended with the creation of an additional nine holes on the other side of the clubhouse. Then in 2007, the clubhouse was modernised and completely re-furbished to provide an attractive venue for members and visiting golf societies.

Peter, served in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards for 23 years, much of the time as Sergeant Major and then worked as a driver for Mini-Gears an engineering company based in New Mills. Pat worked for local firm, Swizzels, in the works canteen before moving to the golf club.

Over the years they’ve seen the club grow and develop with more and more societies coming back year after year to enjoy the ambiance and the challenging and well maintained course.

Asked what they would most miss about the club both Peter and Pat said unequivocally, the people. As Peter said’ We’ve made a great deal of friends over the last 10 years and we’re going to miss the daily chats and jokes with members’ However, he added ‘At least there’ll only be one person telling me what I should do now instead of 300’. Pat and Peter will however, continue their links with the club as social members.

With four young grandchildren living locally they’re both looking forward to being able to spend more quality time with them as well as hopefully being able to take a few more holidays with a cruise planned in the New Year.

Obviously, living and working in an elevated place above New Mills brings its problems as well as its rewards. The stunning views of Kinder and the surrounding hills has been a definite plus although on occasion especially when winters have been bad there have been the odd problems such as the one New year’s Eve when Pat had to trek down into the village to buy food for the New Year’s Eve party only to be rescued by a club member in his 4 wheel drive and one of the grounds men with one of the green keeping machines.

There have been other interesting moments to contend with not least the occasion when a problem with the Calor gas heating system meant that Peter had to scour all the fish and chip shops in New Mills to feed 130 hungry golfers from a visiting society. Needless to say it didn’t stop them coming back year after year –though fish and chips weren’t on the menu after that!

As a parting gift to the club, Peter and Pat have presented a trophy to be known simply as the Peter and Pat trophy and to be awarded to the winner of a junior competition annually.

Peter and Pat will be succeeded in the New Year by a new steward and stewardess John and Liz Longworth who currently run the ‘Devonshire Arms’ in Mellor.