Edgar Knowles
A message from Vinny Marcroft about the late Edgar Knowles:
Edgar was a long standing member of Heaton Park Golf Club having joined in 1954. In the years of his membership, he was a long serving member of the committee and was the Handicap Chairman for many years. I think the current system of handicapping would be anathema to him, as he came from the old school where your handicap was calculated based on your best round, not by a computer. Even the change in 1983 to the Australian system was something he disliked, as it was taking away the human element and many a time, when asked why he had reduced someone’s’ handicap, his reply would be, “Because I know how you can play!” There were no bandits or false handicaps with Edgar, I can assure you! I think he would recoil in horror at the current WHS method.
Besides being an excellent committee member, Edgar was also an excellent golfer, playing off 2 handicap at his peak. In fact, me and my partner at the time, Pete Law, were playing him and Malc Truman in a winter knock-out when he holed his second shot at the 3rd hole, now the 2nd. In those days though, it used to be a par 4, not a 5, as now. Edgar is also the only member to have holed-in-one at all the par 3’s and there is a plaque to commemorate this fact, located at the side of the original main honour board near the entrance.
Attached is an email I received from his daughter and it includes a video of him talking about his scores over 40 years, his lowest score on each hole which he reckons amounts to an eclectic score of 39. Can you ask whoever administers the club website if they can upload a link to this video for all to view please? (Please find link below)
Anyone that knew Edgar will tell you how much he loved Heaton Park Golf Club and he always kept an interest, and would be delighted each year to recieve a phone call from the new Captain.
Another character from Heaton Park Golf Club passes away, but his work on committee during his membership contributed to the continuation and success of the club and everyone that knew him will tell you what a fantastic person he was. I’ll miss him, for sure.
RIP Edgar Knowles.
Thanks. Vinny.