Bill Waterhouse, who takes over as captain on February 27, is a man with a multi-sports background - having played soccer, cricket, badminton, table tennis, and Rugby Union before taking up golf eleven years ago.
Born and bred in Oldham, he played open-age soccer from the age of 14, representing both the Oldham Youth League and the Lancashire Youth League as a result of his sparkling displays on the right wing for local teams. "Mind you, I was only 10 stone in those days," he said.
With Hollinwood Old Boys, in the Manchester Amateur League, he won League Championship, Gosling Cup, and Pettit Cup medals in a single season when the team dropped only two league points. And he went on to win another championship with Block Lane, in the S.E.Lancs League.
As a wicketkeeper ("with the arthritis to prove it"), he spent his youth playing for Hope Congs, but between the ages of 32 and 49, he played for Ferranti in the S. Lancs League, with whom he won another championship medal in the early 80s, despite the fact that the team was the only one in the league without a professional. And between the ripe old ages of 39 and 46 he also played Rugby Union for Oldham College, initially as a centre and later as a full back.
Badminton with St Thomas's, Werneth, and table tennis with Hartford Youth Centre completed his sporting heritage.
Now golf is his passion - though top prizes have so far eluded him.
Married to Sheila, who is also a keen member, Bill is a nephew of the late James Waterhouse, whose name is commemorated by one of our major board competitions.
He recently retired, and sold his Oldham firm of insurance brokers, but has used his experience to make considerable savings for the club, of which he is a council member.
Things looked bleak for David Bielby and his 11-year-old grandson, Jonathan Wilde, when they reached the 17th tee two down to the formidable pairing of Bob Thompson and Paul Gough in a Winter League fixture.
But young Jonathan, who plays off 28, was not prepared to give up without a fight. Taking his driver, he blasted his ball as far as the 150-yard marker, and then pulled his 5-wood out of the bag. And his second shot sailed straight into the hole for a net one!
Though a temporary green was in operation at the time it was still a remarkable achievement - particularly for an 11-year-old.
Though Bob and Paul triumphed on the 18th, Jonathan will never forget his shot of a lifetime.
At their last monthly meeting, council confirmed that practising is NOT allowed when the course is closed - even on the practice ground. During the extremely wet weather, it would also be appreciated if members would: CARRY their clubs if possible
USE the semi-rough and rough as much as possible when walking and using trolleys
AVOID walking on the wettest areas even if this means leaving trolleys some yards away before playing a shot.
In order to prevent further confusion, it has been decided that the longer grass in front of the white trolley lines on the 6th hole is not to be regarded as fairway, and preferred lies do not apply.
The club has now purchased a state-of-the-art, self-contained fairway mower which should ensure much improved conditions this summer - including an end to so-called "fairway rough."
And work is now under way on constructing the compound alongside the 17th fairway for the storage of course materials.
First it was rain, then snow, followed by ice, and then fog which has played havoc with competitions. What next - and earthquake?
Only two pro's comps have been possible over the past month, and one of those was subject to an hour's suspension due to fog.
Alan Cowling, with 39pts, edged out Jack Cain on a CPO at the end of January, and Alan again figured in the fog-interrupted event in mid-February. His 36pts (the same as Grahame Holt's score), matched that of the winner, Peter Davies, and the runner-up, Brian Donnelly, but Peter's back-nine efforts proved decisive.
Unfortunately, several members with possibly better cards could not stay to complete their rounds when the fog lifted.
The ladies also suffered badly from the weather, managing to complete only three 12-hole Stableford competitions.
The first two winners were Betty Keating and Brenda Kingham (whose scores have been kept secret to avoid embarrassment!), and the third was won by Joan Hughes with 29pts - two more than Sheila Waterhouse, Pauline Day, and Noreen Butterworth.
Werneth Wedge's manhunt has reached the columns of Oldham's Evening Chronicle.Our search for photographs of two ex-captains, A. Greenwood (1923-24), and Tom Mercer (1945-46), was reported in the paper's Northern Scrapbook - unfortunately without any response from readers.
However, Doug Owen's wife, Ida, remembered a friend she used to work with many years ago who married an Edward Mercer, and thought they went to live in the Saddleworth area. Doug found a promising number in the telephone directory and passed on the information to Tom McNamara (the Wedge editor was on holiday).
He rang Mr Mercer, who said Tom Mercer was his late father's cousin, who had two daughters. He said he would try to track them down, and developments are now awaited.
But we are still seeking help in locating relatives of Mr Greenwood in the hope that we can fill in the two blank spaces on our ex-captains' photograph board.
As
Albert Kingham was leaving the club one Monday afternoon, he met two men trying
to get in.
One explained that his surname was Rose, and that he was on holiday from Guernsey. He had been evacuated to Oldham during the war and became a pupil at Hulme Grammar School.
He remembered that his father, Mr A.L. Rose, had won the vice-captain's prize in 1943 and wanted to take a photograph of the honours board - a wish promptly granted by Albert.
The Wedge celebrates its first anniversary this month, and can look back on a year of mixed fortunes.
We've reported plenty of on-course triumphs, including half a dozen holes in one, we've celebrated engagements, marriages, and births, and we've published some offbeat stories which have created considerable interest. But we have also had to report several illnesses and deaths.
The editor thanks all those who have helped him in so many ways.