BORN and raised in Collie, Rita Baldock moved to Yornup in 1953 and started to play golf just over 40 years ago.
“I went up to the Bridgetown Golf course to see what it was all about. When I got to the course, I picked up a stick, hit the ball and loved it, from then on I was hooked,” Baldock said.
“After a short time I decided to play in the Greenbushes Ladies Open, just on 40 years ago.
“Coming in as the runner up was a great memory for me, as was the fact that I had locked my keys in my car as well.
“40 years on in 2014, I played in the Ladies Open once again at Greenbushes, this time playing with Lorna Taylor, and once again I was the runner up. So it is obvious in 40 years I haven’t learnt a thing about golf,” she said.
“We used to have some really good times here at the clubhouse back when I first joined up, but over the years things change, members come and go, and the numbers in the club now are nowhere near those figures from the 1970s, but this happens in all types of club.”
Shortly after joining, Ms Baldock was elected onto the committee, and has been there ever since.
Ms Baldock has been Golfer of the year for 10 years in a row, won the championship nine times, the last time in 2002, and has managed to get her name on every board in the club house except one.
“I’ve still got to get a hole in one,” she said.
“My sporting life has been great in the time I have lived here, and I’ve had a lot of fun with different groups. I have my name on three championship boards around the town, there’s the Tennis club, the Bowls club and of course the Golf club.
“I also run the beginners group on Tuesday mornings, I’ve done that for the past 25 years,” she said. “So if anyone wants to come and learn how to play golf just turn up at about 8am on Tuesday mornings.
“I have given up a lot of the catering and instead I have taken on some of the gardening work around the club house, so I’m seen as the gardener and Tuesday co-ordinator.
“I’ll be back at the Greenbushes Open again next year, and I’m going to do my best to break my record as the perpetual runner up,” Baldock declared.
