25 YEARS after his first day at what he thought was a part-time summer job, Malton and Norton Golf Club's head greenkeeper, Richard Jacques, has celebrated a landmark anniversary.

The Ryedale club presented Richard with a landscape of his favourite view over the 27-hole layout – the scene down the 11th, 8th and 1st holes from up on the 2nd, to mark his 25 years with the club.

Richard explained how it all started.

“I’d been planning on doing a graphic design course at York College when I left school in 1997, but the former head greenkeeper, Malcolm Henderson, asked me to come down,” he said.

“I thought it was an end of summer thing and I could earn some money, so I snapped it up.”

In fact, Malcolm was in search of full-time help – and Richard was drawn to the challenge.

Instead of York College, Richard embarked on part-time sports turf management courses at Askham Bryan College, followed by a HNC qualification in Golf Course Management.

He then went on to the deputy job at Malton, before taking the top job in 2008.

READ MORE: Helmsley Post Office temporary solution cancelled

Richard says the highlight of his work came last summer when the club staged the England Girls’ Championship and was subsequently short-listed for the EG Tournament Venue of the Year.

“The amount of hours the team put in the month leading up to the tournament was extraordinary,” he said.

“And four of the staff were quite new. It was one of the proudest moments I’ve ever had.

“The board, the members, everyone was fantastic. We were really lucky with the weather that week, but I’m so proud of the team and the feedback we got was unbelievable.

“If I never have anything like that again, I can look back at that, proud of the course, the members, and the team.”

The Malton and Norton team has been busy in recent weeks making changes to the Derwent course.

On holes 19-27 a pond, which held 400 cubic metres of water, has been extended to over 2,000 cubic metres.

The pond is linked to the club’s irrigation system and hopes to make the club self-sufficient in future years.

In addition to this, a new road has been installed to link the main car park with the driving range.

“It’s funny, people who will walk seven miles round a course don’t fancy 400 yards to the range – but we’re seeing a lot more using it now, including me,” Richard added.

With a handicap once as low as 3.9, Richard now prefers to try clubs other than Malton and Norton when he plays.

“I enjoy playing other courses, mostly because I can have a look at what they’re doing,” he said.