Our names are Mike and Pauline Branigan and we have been married for 43 years and members of Helsby Golf Club for a combined total of 48 years.
We have 4 daughters and 6 grandchildren (all boys) and have lived in the local area for almost 45 years.
During our time at Helsby Golf Club between us we have served on various committees, such as, the Management Committee, Greens, Match and Handicap, Board of Directors, House and the Ladies Committee. Being a part of these committees gives you a better understanding of how the golf club runs.
We would encourage any member wanting to know more about how the golf club runs to join one of the committees or come and have an informal chat with us. We are more than happy to point you in the right direction if required.
We are both very proud of the way Helsby Golf Club donates time and effort into charitable events and hope this continues for the forthcoming golf year. The Captains’ charity for 2024/25 will be ‘Claire House Childrens Hospice’ and the Lady Captain’s charity will be ‘The Alzheimers Society’ both of these charities are very worthy causes and are very close to our hearts.
We are very much looking forward to the 2024 golfing season and attending as many Social Events as we can. In addition, we intend to make every effort to play golf with as many members as we possibly can during our year of office. We are hoping for a great year of golf with some good weather too!
Have a great golfing year!
Captain Mike Branigan
Lady Captain Pauline Branigan
I started playing golf through my late husband, Derek, who was a member and who thought I should take the plunge. It was more a case of if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Here I am many years later still trying to get the hang of the game and, sometimes, actually quite enjoying it. Golf is a very sociable game and is a wonderful way of getting to know people as we all know only too well.
Over a long period of time, I have been active within the Club. Helsby Golf club has been an important part of my life and I have very much enjoyed sitting on several committees and making good friends along the way. For many years I was involved in House Committee and was, in fact, very proud to have sat on the Centenary Committee helping to organise the Centenary celebrations, which was a momentous occasion for our Club. I have, also, sat on Management Committee and was delighted when in 2011 Captain David Fletcher asked me to take on the role as Chair of House, a position I held for many years.
Outside of the Club I have also been on several committees associated with golf and was honoured to be asked to be Cheshire County Senior Ladies’ Captain and then President and was especially pleased that I could ask Kathleeen Wilkinson to play for Cheshire on several occasions in my year as Captain.
I have aways enjoyed travelling both for business and pleasure and still enjoy the odd escape away, chasing the sun. I’m known as quite a social animal with a varied social life, and one of my great joys is entertaining family and friends. I also enjoy the odd lunch out and could easily fall into the category of ‘ladies who lunch’.
I am, however, more than delighted to have been invited by the Past Captains to take on the role as President for the forthcoming year, following in the footsteps of my, husband, Kathleen Wilkinson our first Lady President and all the other Presidents before me. I look forward to supporting Mike and Pauline during their special year as Captain and Lady Captain and wish them a happy, successful and memorable year. Incidentally, I shared the captaincy with my husband as Mike and Pauline are doing.
Golf has evolved through the years as, when I first joined, it was very traditional and now less so, but we have to accept that times are changing. It is good that since Covid, golf has once again become a more popular sport and as a Club we have attracted so many new members.
As I said before, I have many friends in the Club and I hope to get to know the newer members during my year and look forward to meeting many of them on President’s Day and at the various social events throughout the year.
I hope it is a good year for us all with good golf played in the usual friendly spirit and, dare I say, in good weather!!!
Let’s remember the past, celebrate the present and look forward to the future.
Barbara Leigh.
President.