THE Ladies Section of Okehampton Golf Club is celebrating its centenary in 2021.

On April 18, 1921, 13 lady golfers held a meeting to form a Ladies Section. Ladies had played golf since the formation of the main Club in 1913, but this was their first formal meeting.

The first Lady Captain was Mrs Dora Milner, wife of the Reverend FW Milner, Rector of Belstone.

Mrs Milner held the captaincy for the first five years and in 1925 also became Okehampton Golf Club’s first, and to-date only, lady Club Captain.

A handful of ladies continued playing throughout the Second World War, when the lower section of the course was made over to a potato crop.

Since those early days, the Ladies Section has gone from strength-to-strength, winning many County competitions and, in 2014, member Abby Turner became Devon County Champion.

The Club is proud to say that Mrs Doris Jewell is the current Club President, only the second lady to hold this position.

Plans are afoot for a year of celebrations.

Centenary Lady Captain Jane Warren said: "The ladies have been very supportive of each other throughout times of lockdown when they have been unable to play golf, but now that restrictions have been lifted we are able to play golf and remember the ladies who started the Section 100 years ago."

She went on to say that they would welcome ladies of all standards, especially beginners, to join them at this friendly club and learn to play golf.