A NEW episode in the history of the 114-year-old Hale Golf Club was marked by a celebratory, ribbon-cutting ceremony.

After four months and more than £500,000 spent the clubhouse at the nine-hole course tucked away in the Bollin Valley at the end of Rappax Road, Hale, was re-opened.

The honour of cutting the blue-ribbon went to the club’s two longest-serving members, Ian Harris who joined in 1948 and Sheila Gold whose membership began in 1951. Ian’s brother, Oliver, who also became a member in 1948, was unwell and could not join the others.

The club’s president, Andrew Pendleton, and captains Cliff Wright and Pat Jefferies, all spoke of the incredible amount of work that had gone towards extending the building to create extra space for the locker rooms, professional’s shop and other areas.

One member, Jonty Fallow, had been the architect of the changes along with work of a development committee members Andrew Gething (chairman), Mike Kirchin, Paul Gilbert, Ceri Hyde, David Smith, Robert Spark plus the steward’s wife, Heather Moran.

More than 200 members attended the ceremony leading to two-sittings for dining.

Mike Kirchin, chairman of the house committee, said: “It was a rewarding day at the end of a lot of work by good people. We have a clubhouse to be proud of on one of the finest nine-hole courses in the area.”