JACKIE Hesketh says her year as captain of Cheshire County Ladies Golf Association could not be more timely.

The vice-chairman of Delamere Forest Golf Club is looking forward to fulfilling her new role.

“I am very fortunate to take over as captain at an exciting time for Cheshire golf," said Jackie, 69.

"We have such talent in the county, with several national players at both senior and junior level.

"It is a great pleasure for me that Cheshire is hosting the Northern Division county match week on June 27-29 at Heswall GC.

“I firmly believe we have the talent to win this year and go on to represent the North in the England Finals. I hope people will put the dates in the diary and come along to support the team.

“I am really looking forward to working with all the players, and starting the winter training programme with our county coaches.”

Jackie is a relative latecomer to the sport but has certainly made up for lost time.

“I was late to start golf, picking up a club when I was in my late 30s," said Jackie.

“The major playing success was winning the Coronation Foursomes at St Andrews in 2004 with Sue Dye.

“Peugeot invited us to play in one of their regional qualifiers and we won that, beating all the men and went on to Gleneagles, where nerves got the better of both of us!

"As winners of the Coronation Foursomes we played in the Pro-Am before the Weetabix Ladies Open at Royal Birkdale in 2005 with Laura Diaz, an American professional."

She has certainly been busy off the course as well as on it.

“I was secretary of the Golf Society of Great Britain for 11 years organising competitions all over the country," she said.

“My personal success is the development of the Delamere Comboy Scratch, which used to be a county competition, and while I was on the County Executive I ‘persuaded’ Delamere to run it as a national scratch open competition. In year two it became an Order of Merit competition and in year three a WAGR qualifying competition, linked with The Formby Leveret, to form the Comboy Leveret Scratch.

“I was on the county executive from 2011-2015, as competition secretary for the West of Cheshire and at Delamere Forest GC I was the centenary captain in 2010."

She acknowledges the important support for golf across Cheshire.

“I would like to thank the huge numbers of volunteers, both past and present, who give up their time so selflessly to assist with all the organisation of the county activities," she said.

“There are a wide variety of roles, and we have so many unsung heroes.

“I have made a huge number of friends in golf. I am indebted to them all for their friendship, especially over the past year following the sudden death of my wonderful husband Derek."