Paul Galland started playing golf regularly in 2017, joined Brickhampton Court in 2018 and now he’s men’s captain at the club.

Galland, who will turn 70 in September, says he was very happy to take on the role.

“It’s a great honour, I’m delighted to do it,” he said. “I’ve had fantastic support from everyone.”

And while he’s obviously relishing the role, he admits it wasn’t something that he expected.

“The original plan was for me to be put forward for vice-captain of the seniors, so it’s been a bit of a circuitous route,” he said.

Galland, who lives about a two-mile drive away from the club in Down Hatherley, has, as you’d expect, become a big golf fan.

When he was younger he played a lot of football in the West Midlands, where he is originally from.

He moved to this part of the world in 1992 – he worked in Local Government - and he said: “I used to play up front, I was a 10. I used to play Saturdays and Sundays, I loved my football.”

He remains a big West Bromwich Albion supporter but says  golf is his number one sport these days.

And it’s a sport he’s pretty good at too. He says his short game is his strength and he was playing off 11.5 three years ago although, at the time of writing, his handicap had climbed to 16.5.

He had a knee replacement last year and said: “My handicap has just gone up. I think it’s age-related, at least that’s what I tell myself!”

But what is clear is that Galland will continue to enjoy the game whatever his handicap because golf has been very important to him over the past decade, helping him to get through some very difficult times.

His wife Debra died in 2017 and he said: “She was ill for a few years, I retired when I was 55 to care for her.

“In the year running up to her passing, some friends invited me to join them to play golf occasionally at Rodway and Forest Hills.

“I started playing golf seriously in 2018 and since Debra passed it’s been great for me socially, I’ve made a lot of good friends.

“Since joining Brickhampton it’s become a big part of my life.”

Galland, a dad-of-two and also a grandad, can remember playing golf a handful of times when he was younger.

“There was a 9-hole municipal course in Warley Woods where I lived,” he said. “I enjoyed playing there but for a long period after that I played golf only very rarely because we had a young family.”

He’s got plenty of time to play now, of course, and when he’s at Brickhampton he certainly likes what he sees.

“I think one of the strengths of Brickhampton is that it is such a friendly club,” he said.

“I took on the role as captain with a bit of trepidation because I hadn’t  been at the club too long but it’s been brilliant.

“We’ve got four fantastic sections – the men’s, the seniors, a very vibrant ladies’ section and an absolutely fantastic junior section.

“We’ve got some really good kids coming through; really good golfers and really rounded characters. It’s wonderful to see.”

Those juniors are the future of the club, of course, and Galland is determined to help them thrive at a club which was founded in 1994 and boasts two courses – an 18-hole course and a 9-hole course.