HARWOOD Golf Club’s Head green-keeper, Martyn Durham, tied joint leader with 36 stableford points in the Campey Turf Care Company competition at Hart Common which was organised in conjunction with the Professional Golf Association.

41-year-old Durham was delighted when he produced a solid performance from his 2-handicap and was awarded £250 in vouchers toward greens equipment for his club by the Campey Company.

Durham started his green-keeping career at the age of 16 at Harwood and eventually became head green-keeper in 2003.

Harwood’s 1985 captain, Grahame Weatherall, said: “Martyn has given us a fantastic service over many years now and is a delightful guy to deal with and is an excellent golfer too.”

Durham started playing golf at the age of two and became quite efficient when later he was given an old seven-iron by his father and the young Durham began to hone his skills in St Annes School field.

As a ten year-old he became a member at Breightmet just yards from his eventual Harwood home and soon secured a 3-handicap over the next ten year period. Still as a junior, he moved to Harwood on a free membership ticket where he became one of the club’s top golfers.

He now regularly posts a 1-handicap and was Harwood’s club champion three years in a row in the mid-90s and is still hoping to claim the honour again.

As for his green-keeping, he said “It is a great life albeit with a long learning curve but now, with the additional and much improved equipment, life is much easier.”