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Mother and Daughters: Clare, Claudia and Isabel Ovens – Cotswold Hills Golf Club is their second home

All Areas > Sport > Golf

Author: Roger Jackson, Posted: Monday, 24th April 2017, 08:00, Tags: Mother & Daughter

Club champion Claudia with, from left, Isabel, mum Clare, grandad Charles, who has since sadly died, and dad Rob Club champion Claudia with, from left, Isabel, mum Clare, grandad Charles, who has since sadly died, and dad Rob

Some things in life are a given – David Beckham was always going to play football for England, Justin Bieber was always going to be the new king of pop and Leonardo DiCaprio was always going to win an Oscar at some stage of his career.

For Clare Ovens, it was almost inevitable that her two daughters would take up golf.

Clare, 49, started playing golf almost as soon as she could walk and talk.

Cotswold Hills Golf Club, the delightful 6,800-yard course set in the stunning hills around Ullenwood, has been her second home for most of her life and now daughters Claudia, 19, and Isabel, 17, are following in her footsteps.

It really has been a long-lasting love affair for the family because Clare’s husband Rob is the club’s manager and the girls’ grandads – John Brush and Charles Ovens – were also long-time members of the club.

Clare, who lives in Hatherley, is delighted her daughters have the same love for the sport that she does.

Clare had just returned to the clubhouse after completing a round at the course – “It was just a social game. I play off 11 but I played quite well and went round in about 80” – when she spoke to the Local Answer.

She explained: “It’s absolutely brilliant to see the girls enjoying their golf. Like me they went along to the club on Saturday mornings for a low-key junior group clinic with the golf professional.

“In my day it was with Noel Boland. Their clinics were with James Latham who is still at the club today.”

Claudia, in particular, has become an excellent golfer. She plays off three and was part of the Gloucestershire team that was crowned English Women’s County Champions for the first time last year. She is also club champion.

“I play with the girls quite a lot,” said Clare. “Nothing too competitive but there’s quite a bit of banter flying about. It’s great fun.

“Claudia can be very competitive but she’s not too bad with me because if she is, she knows she won’t get any dinner that night!”

Bournside School pupil Isabel does not spend quite as much time on the course as Claudia but still has a very respectable handicap of 22.

And when she played her sister in a knockout handicap a couple of years ago it was the younger sibling who triumphed.

“That was really nice for Isabel,” said Clare. “Fair play to Claudia she took it really well. There was no tantrums and she just said that Isabel played very well on the day.”

Isabel is currently the junior captain at Cotswold Hills – a position held by Claudia, who is now a student at Exeter University, a couple of years earlier.

Clare is a firm believer that more girls should take up sport at a young age.

“Nowadays a lot more women do play sport and in some cases they are on a par with the men,” she said.

“I think it’s so important and it’s been brilliant for our two girls. They’ve met so many different people from all walks of life. Education is very important but it’s so important to have a rounded personality. Sport has done so much for them.

Rob, 55, who plays off eight, believes Claudia’s handicap will get even lower.

“She’s always been a sportsperson,” he said. “She’s played football for the county and did plenty of athletics when she was at Bournside and is studying sports science at university.

“She’s focused on golf in the past of couple of years and it’s really starting to pay off.

“Isabel is a bit more arty and enjoys dancing as well. Neither of them were forced to play golf, they are self-motivated. They came along to the club with us when they were young and Claudia, in particular, took to it like a duck to water.

“It’s nice for Clare. She is a social rather than competitive golfer. It’s great for her to be able to play with her daughters.”

BLOB: The Gloucestershire team that was crowned county champions last year was captained by Claudia’s fellow Cotswold Hills team member Andra Knight.

Other Images

Mum Clare with daughters Claudia, left, and Isabel

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