Richard Salter has played golf all around the world.

He reckons he has played on more than 100 courses over the years, even though he has been a big supporter of what is now Cleeve Hill Golf Club for the best part of four decades.

Richard is in his mid-70s and took up the sport when he started playing at the pitch and putt at Pittville Park in Cheltenham with his two sons, James and Mark, back in the 80s.

He lives just a good tee shot from Pittville Park today, but it’s fair to say his golf has come a long way since those early days.

So where has he played?

“I’ve played in Portugal and in Turkey,” he said. “I’ve played two or three times in California including the nine-hole course at Pebble Beach, the 18-hole course was fully booked.”

When he spoke to The Local Answer he’d just come back from France where he’d played with the Gloucestershire Golf Captains Association.

“I was captain of Cleeve Cloud in 1995,” he said. “The great thing about golf is it gives you an excuse to go to all these different places.”

He’s played on a good number of courses in the UK, most notably in Scotland.

“I’ve played at Brora and Golspie, they’re both north of Inverness,” he said.

He’s also played at St Andrew’s, the home of golf.

“I’ve played on all the main courses,” he said. “I played on the Old Course with my boys, they can’t have been much more than 10.

“I thought we were going to get thrown off the course by the ranger but there was a group of Japanese ahead of us and they really weren’t very good.

“They kept losing their balls and the boys then found them, it was a good day.”

Born in Evesham, Richard was a keen rower in his formative years.

He also played a bit of squash and rugby, playing in the back row for Evesham and Dowty for a number of years.

But he readily admits he wished he’d taken up golf sooner. Ask him what he plays off and he says “too many”, adding: “I came to golf a bit late which was a bit of setback because the body doesn’t work as well as when you are younger.

“Both my kids are much better golfers than me, James got down to five and Mark played off 13 and would have been just as good if he’d played more.

“I’ve never been a great golfer. I did play off 16 but I’m playing off 21 now.

“I’m suffering at the moment, I’ve lost some of my distance. I need a lesson to hopefully get some distance back.”

Richard is still enjoying his golf, of course, and he’s certainly been a major player off the course over the years.

He’s on the Gloucestershire Golf Union’s executive committee and has has held a whole host of positions at Cleeve.

“As well as captain, I’ve been president, secretary, treasurer and junior organiser,” he said. “I’ve been seniors’ captain and seniors’ secretary too.”

He’s also a qualified golf referee which means he can officiate at county championships.

And that’s not all because he helps out with course ratings, adding: “I like putting a bit back into the game.”

He was a member at Lilley Brook for 20 years but it’s fair to say that Cleeve, the club he joined right at the start of his golfing journey, has always been his first love. 

And despite all the courses he has played it remains his favourite.

“On a good day you get some superb views,” he said. “The course is always changing because the direction of the wind makes such a difference.

“If it’s against you it can be very difficult.”

That’s part of what makes Cleeve so appealing, of course, and Richard wouldn’t have it any other way!