75th ANNIVERSARY - 2010
All the hard work of a dedicated group of members came to fruition on the long weekend of 30th July 2010 when the celebrations to mark the 75th anniversary of the club were held. Everyone involved has agreed it was a tremendous success.
The celebrations got off to a flying start with the dinner dance in the marquee on Friday 30th July. It was vastly over-subscribed and somehow we managed to squeeze 180 people into the marquee. Despite this; or indeed because of it; everyone had a thoroughly wonderful time. Indeed; and without in any denigrating the golf competitions held on Saturday and Sunday; in my opinion the dinner dance was the highlight of the weekend. I was a member during our silver jubilee celebrations and that was so successful that it has been talked about among the members ever since. Quite frankly I think we have surp
assed ourselves this year. While the jubilee celebrations were centred on a single event; the Pro-Am golf competition; this year involved both a golf competition and a dinner dance which allowed the lady members and our spouses to participate
The format of two scores out four team event for the golf competition to commemorate the 75th anniversary was
nspired. 
While being an individual scoring event, which all golfers prefer, it also combined a team element which helped to encourage camaraderie among each team members. An early starting team posted a score in the high 80's to set the bench mark and it wasn't until the very end that higher scores started to material
ize. It wasn't until Dick Turpin and his gang; Ray and Andy Leadbetter et.al; entered the penultimate score of 92 points that we thought we had a winning team.However the drama was not over as the very final team from Eastham Lodge GC posted a fantastic score of 95 points to snatch the winning prize from Ray's grasp.
To be involved in the planning of such an event is quite interesting in a technical sense. When one starts, four years before the event is to be held it seems a long way off and there is no need to make decisions quickly. However be warned, it will take at least a year to eliminate all the options and decide what format the event should take. It was quickly established that whatever we did the limit of our resources would be £10,000 and this virtually ruled out a Pro-Am event. A series of options were discussed and rudimentary costs attributed and over a period of a year an agreement was reached regarding the final series of events. It was only then that the really hard work began sourcing a marquee, tables and chairs, lighting, catering, decorations, the bar, bee
r pumps and chillers, health & safety requirements, toilets etc. In addition posters and entry forms were produced for the competition and sent out to all prospective participants. Sponsors were approached and persuaded to become involved.
However the planning did not make it a success but only established the infrastructure. It was you the members and many past members who remembering the jubilee celebrations rallied round to participate in a further 25 years of Brackenwood Golf Club. There wont be many of us around to celebration the club's centenary in 2035. Our job from now on is to ensure that the members who will be around are as interested and dedicated to Brackenwood Golf Club to ensure that the centenary celebrations are as successful as the previous two and worthy of Brackenwood Golf Club.
A video from the year is available for download/viewing by clicking here.