Sport with Roger Jackson
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Mike Slatter has been part of Tewkesbury Park for 46 years It was very much a case of right place, right time when Mike Slatter joined Tewkesbury Park Golf Club back in 1976. That was about the time that Slatter’s rugby career – he played for Tewkesbury and Cheltenham – was coming to a close and he admits he was looking around for something else to do. “I joined the club when it opened,” said Slatter, who has been Tewkesbury Park’s president since 2010. “I joined with my brother Brian, he’s a good golfer and plays off about 9. I’m more of a social golfer, he does the golf and I do the chatting!” Slatter, who was born in Dumbleton and has lived around these parts all his life, was a decent rugby player back in the day. He was a prop or second row and played alongside the likes of Maurice Hamlin and Adrian Drake at Cheltenham and Nigel Roberts, Chris Atwell, Roger Groves and Mike Hyde at Tewkesbury.
Mike Slatter with grandson Harry Vincent
He reckons he started playing golf more regularly around 1990 and these days plays a couple of times a week. “I was captain in 1998, I was a hacker captain,” he laughed. Slatter is an easy man to interview – he has a ready laugh – and at the age of 78 he still plays off a very respectable 22. He’s well-known in the club – he’s held the position of social chairman in the past – and it’s easy to see why he’s been president for so long since taking over from Peter Jones. Mike Slatter (right) with former men’s captain “I enjoy it,” he said. and fellow member Norman Macsween “You don’t have to do too much, just shake a few “She’s captain of the A team,” hands when there’s a special he said. “She’s a good golfer, occasion!” she plays off 15 or 16.” There’s obviously a bit more Slatter says they don’t play to it than that, of course, and against each other too often but Slatter is certainly keen to they certainly both enjoy champion everything that is playing at Tewkesbury Park. good about golf. “There’s plenty of fairway to “I enjoy the companionship,” aim at, you can really open your said Slatter, who also played a shoulders,” he said. bit of cricket when he was “The greens are very good younger. “I play all my sport so too, they run very well, and the that I can have a drink bunkers are in good order. afterwards. “It’s a lovely course, Paul “With golf you get a good Hathaway looks after it very walk, it’s a good sport.” well. And it’s a challenging one too, “We’ve also got a very good so what areas of his game pro in Mark Fenning, he’s a very would Slatter like to improve? busy man.” “We’d all like to drive better, Slatter clearly likes his golf so wouldn’t we,” he said. “Also if he had the chance, which my chipping, that could other course would he really improve, but my putting isn’t like to play? too bad.” “Augusta, that would be If Slatter needs any tips he really special,” he said. “Just to could always turn to his wife walk around it would be Glo who is a very decent golfer. something else.”
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