This is a very special year for Minchinhampton Golf Club.

They are celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the opening of their Avening course, celebrations that are particularly poignant for club captain Chris Fisher because his dad Paul was in charge of its construction.

This year also marks the 30^th anniversary of their Cherington course – the construction was led by Geoff Clay – so it’s easy to see why there is so much excitement in and around the club.

Fisher, who is 69, has been involved with the club pretty much all his life.

“I had golf clubs in my hand by the age of five, I’ve grown up around the sport,” he told The Local Answer.

“I was born in Minchinhampton and I’ve been very lucky, I’ve worked all around the world but I’ve always lived around here.”

His dad was president of the English Golf Union back in the day and was a good golfer, something that rubbed off on Fisher junior who, at his best, played off four.

That was around 40 years ago – he plays off 16 these days – and he may have gone even lower than four had the one-time Wycliffe College pupil not played so much cricket.

That was his number one sport back then and he was a good enough batsman to play for Gloucestershire Under-19s, as well as Stroud and Malmesbury.

Golf is very much his number one sport now, of course, which is a good thing because it is taking up a lot of his time.

Both the Avening and Cherington courses have been used as Open qualifiers in recent times and Fisher said: “We’ve got a big three days of celebrations starting on Thursday 19^th June.

“We’re holding a competition on the Avening course which will involve 160 to 180 players and then on the Friday we’re holding a competition on the Cherington course which will also be for 160 to 180 players.

“The Saturday is Captain’s Day when we’ll be using both courses, we’ll have up to 400 players taking part that day.”

There will also be a drinks party for all the club’s many volunteers on the Thursday evening and on the Saturday there will be the Captain’s Ball which is expected to attract some 150 people.

That’s a lot of people descending on a club that was actually formed way back in 1889.

“The club played on the common, although anecdotally golf was played on the common before the club were formed,” said Fisher, who lives in Box.

“We’re the seventh oldest club in England. My dad was a member of Minchinhampton Old Course and that’s where I used to play.

“I still play on the common, I love it.”

Minchinhampton has three courses and two clubhouses and Fisher continued: “We’re one club, we’ve got just under 2,000 members, we’ve got the largest registration of members in England.”

Fisher was club treasurer for a good number of years and he was also treasurer of the Gloucestershire Golf Union for a time.

“Being involved in golf, it’s like being part of a community,” said Fisher, who was chief financial officer for a couple of global firms in years gone by.

“It allows you to meet a vast range of people, at Minchinhampton we have people from all backgrounds.

“And the game itself is a fascination, it grabs you, it’s like a bug. You don’t have to be good at it to enjoy it because the handicap system works as an equaliser.”

Fisher’s two children, Harriet and Robert, both play and they are just two of the many, many thousands who have special memories of the club.

And some of those who have been involved with the club over the years have been very good golfers.

“Stuart Little still coaches at the golf course, he’s a wonderful chap,” added Fisher. “He was a fabulous golfer, one of the best strikers of the ball on the European Tour.

“Chris Steele retired as our professional a couple of years ago after about 40 years and our current pro Nick Haile is doing a great job.

“There are so many people who help to make a club good, I’d like to thank the board and the committee for all the time they put it.

“There are so many volunteers, you can’t name them all, but they do so much.”