At Fulneck Golf Club we take pride in our club and in the achievements of our members both past and present.
Sir Len Hutton - The boy from Fulneck
It was February 1930, and not yet 14 years old, that Len Hutton received a letter from Norman Yardley, Chairman of Selectors and Captain of Yorkshire Cricket Club, inviting him to attend practice at Headingley Cricket Ground. That was the beginning for the boy from Fulneck.
On the 9th November 1935, Len Hutton was proposed and seconded as a junior member of Fulneck Golf Club.
Cricket was now taking up any spare time that young Len had, but even so, on the 11th January 1936 his handicap was adjusted from 18 to 15.
In 1938, Len Hutton as a member of the Test team at the Oval, scored his now famous 364 runs over a period of 2 and a half days. One can only admire his tenacity and concentration which secured him his place in cricketing history.
Fundraising for the Armed Forces during the war years was a major activity for Fulneck Golf Club. For example, a competition held to raise funds for the Red Cross on the 3rd January 1940, was won by L. Hutton and his partner, W.J. Waite.
It was not until the 10th November 1945, that Len Hutton was elected as a full member of the club, with a handicap of 12. A year later in 1946, Hutton and Washbrook opened the batting for England. On the 27th April the same year, Len Hutton's handicap was reduced to 8.
From 1946 to 1951 Len Hutton opened the batting for England until the next major change in his life. Norman Yardley, still Chairman of Selectors and Captain of Yorkshire, asked Len if he would captain England in the next test series. The offer was accepted, making Len the first professional cricketer to captain any English team overseas. Under his captaincy England never lost a test (Rubber).
In between all his cricket commitments, he was still able to find time to relax and play golf at Fulneck. The 9th of June 1956, saw the handicap committee adjust his handicap down to 5.
Although golf was now his secondary sport, he still managed to reduce his handicap until he was playing off scratch.
Due to his cricket and business commitments, Len Hutton moved from the Pudsey area, no longer being able to play golf at Fulneck he tended his resignation to the club in late 1956.
On the 17th January 1957, Len Hutton retired from first class cricket.
The final accolade came when, Her Majesty the Queen, bestowed upon him the honour of a knighthood, Sir Leonard Hutton.
Mr D. Loker
There are few dedicated club members who over the years felt that Fulneck Golf Club could strengthen all the aspects of golf in the Pudsey and District area; as indeed it has been proved over the years. One such gentleman is Mr D. Loker. A careful study will reveal the measure of his stature as a golfer, friend and custodian of the traditional values of the club.
Dennis joined the golf club in 1950. quickly becoming involved in the Rabbits Section. His talent for organising was quickly recognised by the other members of the club. Dennis took on the responsibility of the Rabbits Captain in 1964. He was then elected to the main Directors Committee, since then he has served on every sub-committee.
1974 saw Dennis take on the mantle of Club Captain, after his year of office as Captain, many members would have taken a well deserved rest, this was not the case. He brought his organisational and financial skills to work at the club as Secretary, and later as the Club Treasurer.
In 1981, for recognition for this loyalty and hard work over the years, Dennis was made a life member.
Steve Pullan
In the course of a golfers playing life he will dream of shooting a hole in one. Some golfers have achieved this feat, some golfers have done it more than once, but on different occasions, some never manage to do it at all. The odds on getting a hole in one are very high, but the odds on getting a hole in one on successive holes must be astronomical. This incredible feat was achieved by Steve Pullan, who on the 19th December 1989 shot the double. The golfing handbook records the first case of the double in Britain as being 1964, to our knowledge this achievement is only the second time to be recorded in the golfing annals. Steve's double ace was extra special in that he did it at the 12th and 13th holes each being more the 200 yards long, and that it was pouring with rain.
