Captain's Welcome

I would like to say how honoured and excited I am at being selected as the captain of BPGC for 2025. From day one of joining the club, I have been made to feel very welcome, this has been very much appreciated, and I believe we have the friendliest club in the area with a great mix of members.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the departing captains, Paul, Stuart, Sue and Harris, for their excellent year in office and, at the same time, welcome my fellow incoming captains, Linda Welsh, Tom Parker and George Gray, I wish you all the best for your year in office, please let me know if I can assist you in any way.

I would also like to thank Bob Balcam for his time as President and Alan Riley as Club Secretary, both have served the club diligently over the years and hold the club dear in their hearts. Although they will be sorely missed, both deserve time to relax and focus on their golf.
With Bob and Alan leaving it creates opportunities for others to step up and I would like to wish Andy Bemrose (President) and Jeremy Wilkinson (Secretary) all the best in their new roles; I am sure both will do an excellent job.

Lady Captain and I have decided to choose the same charity for our year in office and the charity we have chosen is the Ella Dawson Foundation. The charity was set up to provide young people with, and recovering from, cancer to come to terms with their diagnosis and to assist them and their families in their recovery. Please support the charity whenever possible and let’s make a difference to these young people’s lives.

Lastly, to all the members, I wish you every success in achieving your golfing goals for 2025. Let’s hope the weather is fair and we have a long and successful season

I am honoured and thrilled to step into the role of Rabbit Captain at Bradley Park Golf Club. I look forward to a fantastic year of golf, camaraderie, and continued success for our club, and particularly the Rabbits Section.

2024 saw our club enhance its reputation in the area through:
• A rapidly improving course for which we have our Head Greenkeeper and his whole team to thank.
• A successful set of Open Competitions attended by golfers near and far.
• The Rabbits League Team narrowly missed out by 1 point on being crowned League Champions. I wish our 2025 Team every success and hopefully we’ll go one better!
• The Club was honoured to have been selected to host the Presidency this year, and our esteemed Phil Smith has now been inaugurated as the President of the Halifax, Huddersfield & District Rabbits Golf Association (HHDRGA). A great honour for the club.
The club will therefore be hosting several events this year culminating in the HHDRGA Finals Day in September and we obviously will be competing hard to be well represented. The Club and Rabbits Section have an opportunity to shine.
Let’s not forget our Annual “Scraps” with the Women’s, Tigers and Seniors. We won one last year so let’s try and at least double our tally in 2025!!

I encourage all members to get involved, whether through participating in club events, volunteering, or simply enjoying a round of golf with fellow members. Together, we can make this year truly special.

Finally, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Captain, Stuart, for his leadership and dedication in 2024. It was an honour and a pleasure to be his Vice-Captain. I also thank Ian Edwards for agreeing to be my Vice-Captain this year. I am sure he will do a splendid job standing in for me when necessary and have a wonderful year next year when he assumes the Captaincy. I also wish to thank the Rabbits Committee for the support they have given and am sure will continue to give during my captaincy.

A final request from me to all members, please support us on Rabbit Captains Day (24th May) where we hope to raise a sizeable amount for my chosen charity “Pancreatic Cancer UK”.

Here's to a year of great golf, wonderful friendships, and memorable experiences.

Tom Parker
Rabbit Captain

When I joined the Club, a mere 2 years ago, I never imagined that I would be asked to take on the role of Captaincy of the Women’s section. I’d been a member at Dewsbury GC for 15 years so moving to a new club was a bit daunting, however, I felt at home very quickly by the warmth of the members and this club's inclusiveness in competitions.

I have been on the Women's Committee for the last year and know that I am part of a great team, I will do everything I can to make sure I carry on the excellent work of previous Women Captains.

To the outgoing Club President Bob Balcam and Secretary Alan Riley thank you for your hard work and diligence, it's now time for you both to take it easy and enjoy your golf. To all the leaving Captains, Sue Renshaw, Paul Walton, Stuart Hirst and Harris Barnes thank you for having shown such commitment in your year.

A special mention to our Competition Secretary, Linda Bemrose, who is a true asset at Bradley Park, Linda’s knowledge and fair-minded management of the competitions must be commended.
I look forward to working this year with the Club Captain Ian Welsh and Rabbit Captain Tom Parker and Junior Captain George Gray, I hope you all have a great year.
Congratulations to our incoming Club President, Andy Bemrose and Secretary, Jeremy Wilkinson, their skills and experience will help carry this club forward in the future.

My chosen charity is Ella Dawson Foundation. Mr. Captain and I have decided to work together to raise as much money as we can for this charity.

Lastly, I am excited about the year ahead and looking forward to having a game of golf with you and also to welcoming and meeting new members, be it on or off the course.

Good luck to everyone this season, most of all I wish you good health and enjoy your golf. There is nothing quite like the feeling of sinking a long putt or hitting a perfect drive, it’s pure joy.

Linda Welsh
Lady Captain 2025-26