SALE Golf Club’s new captain David Booth, a former head of human resources and development for the BBC in Manchester, is keen to broadcast a great year ahead for the club where he has been a member for 16 years with a handicap varying between 11-15.

Booth said: “Major work on the course during the winter has resulted in a huge improvement in the course that golfers across the region will enjoy this summer.

“We are also making improvements to the clubhouse which will make Sale ‘the place to be’ for weddings and other social events and playing-wise our men’s and ladies' teams both had outstanding successes in 2015 that we will be looking to build on.

“We have some great holes at Sale but if I was pushed I would say our fourth hole is my favourite given it has an out of bounds very close to the green which is surrounded by bunkers.

"Any time you come away with a par gives a real boost for the rest of the round.

“I have played the famous Old Course at St Andrews but the most visually appealing I have played is a difficult choice between Killspindie and Banburgh.

“I play around four times a week and was a keen squash player for more than 30 years and still have the odd game together with racketball once a week.

“My own personal highlights at Sale were winning the ‘Golfer of the Year’ in 2004 and getting two holes-in-one on the 11th hole in 2005 and 2011.

“My chosen people to join me in a fourball would be Richard Burton – who was the club professional at Sale and the last club pro to win the Open Championship. It would be fantastic to chat about his memories of Sale and see at first-hand how good a player he was.

Secondly, I would pick Peter Allis who I have encountered in my BBC career and who was a colleague of Richard in the 1930 Ryder Cup.

He could provide a reservoir of funny golfing moments in his career and could also reminisce with Richard.

Lastly I would choose Phil Mickelson – a great player and somebody who could show me how to get out of tricky bunkers and get the ball within six inches of the hole.”