“We’re a presidential family,” said Jenny Clink with a laugh.

And in golfing terms, the Clink family most certainly are.

And at the top of the presidential tree is, quite appropriately, 77-year-old Jenny, who next year will become president of England Golf.

“It’s the biggest job in amateur golf in England,” said her son Tim, who himself will become president of the Gloucestershire Golf Union in 2020 and like his mum is a member at Lilley Brook.

And Jenny’s two other sons – John and Adam – also enjoy presidential status with oldest son John being president of Royal Navy Golf while youngest son Adam is president of Fleet Air Arm Golf.

Jenny is currently president-elect of England Golf before she takes over from Desmond Duffy in April.

She will be the fourth lady to take on the role and she said: “I’m thrilled to bits. I was amazed to be asked to do it, it’s such an honour. I will be joining some illustrious names such as Pam Benka and Marian Rae.”

And it’s an honour that is fully deserved by someone who has been playing golf for the “best part of 70 years” and who has given so much to the sport.

Born in Middlesex, she moved to Tenby in West Wales when she was young – “I’m an accidental Welsh woman,” she laughed – and soon followed in her mum’s footsteps by taking up the great game that is golf.

And it is something that has been a huge part of her life ever since.

“I met my husband Mike on a golf course,” she said. “In fact it was in a bunker… and he was on the wrong fairway!”

The course in question was Pinner Hill in Middlesex and Jenny laughs as she recalls that first meeting.

“I may have said something like ‘You’re in my way’ but we were happily married for 53-and-a-half years,” she said, “that’s not a bad record.”

Sadly, Mike died in March 2017, but not before he had helped pass on the family’s love of all things golf to their seven grandchildren.

“They can all swing a golf club,” said Jenny. “They all started young, just like the three boys.”

The Clink family moved to Gloucestershire in 1969 and Mike, who at his best played off six, joined Lilley Brook Golf Club, where his son Tim has been chairman for the past six years, soon after.

Jenny didn’t join immediately, however.

“I was expecting Adam,” she recalled. “When we lived in Middlesex we had a mother and mother-in-law close by to babysit. I joined the club in 1973.”

And she was obviously a very welcome addition to the club because at her best she played off nine.

She hasn’t played in recent times – “I think my handicap is probably 20-something now,” she admitted – but says she is keen to start playing again.

“Yes I am,” she said, “and I want to start playing again quite soon otherwise I might get too ancient!”

Jenny Clink has a good turn of phrase and is good fun to interview.

She loves everything about Lilley Brook – she lives within a mile of the club – and is grateful to the role they have played in helping her reach the pinnacle of the sport.

“They set me off,” she said. “I started off on the committee – I was ‘Lavatory Lil’, I made sure the locker rooms were tidy, that sort of thing.”

Pretty soon she was moving onwards and upwards and the one-time Lilley Brook captain took on a good number of regional and national roles which culminated with her being chairman of the English Ladies’ Golf Association.

She also captained the England girls and women’s teams with success in the Home Internationals and European team championships and looks back on that time of her life with great fondness.

“Keeping them in order was always rather fun!” she said.

Fun is something that is clearly very important to Jenny when it comes to golf.

Ask her why she enjoys golf so much and she doesn’t hesitate for a second.

“It’s the friendship,” she said. “It’s a great family game and can be played by people of any age and any ability. It gives you a common bond.

“And there’s a code of ethics – people don’t cheat.”

And while Jenny clearly plays for fun, like all good sportsmen and women she enjoys winning too.

“I’ve won club championships with my son Tim and we also won the national Family Foursomes at Burhill in Surrey,” she said. “I’ve done a lot of caddying for him as well which always looks a bit odd because he’s such a big man and I’m pulling his clubs!

“I caddied for him when he won the West of England Foursomes at Burnham and Berrow with Stuart Little.”

Little is a former European Tour player and these days is a professional at Minchinhampton Golf Club.

He is good friends with the Clink family and it could be that he will be getting a phone call from Jenny in the next few weeks if she does go back to playing golf.

“Yes, I may give him a call,” she said, “he’s a very good teacher.”

And if she does return to playing that will be on top of her duties as president-elect and president of England Golf.

“Yes it is a big commitment,” she said. “But I feel 25, perhaps 26… let’s be honest!”

England Golf surely couldn’t have found a better person to represent them than Jenny Clink.