RICHARD PALMER TAKES OVER AS EGU PRESIDENT
 Richard
Palmer, former Chairman of the Championship Committee, has
been installed as President of The English Golf Union at its
Annual General Meeting at Woodhall Spa.
Palmer (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward), who
succeeds course designer and former Sunday Telegraph golf
writer Donald Steel, returns to the sharp end of EGU life
after a year away. He spent the previous five years as Chairman
of the Championship Committee overseeing all the EGU’s
on-course activity.
And it is partly because of this work that Palmer regards
etiquette and the spirit of the game to be key elements of
his year at the helm.
“I have not come into office with a theme in mind but
those who know me know how strongly I feel about these facets
of this great game,” he says.
“When we updated the rule book a few years ago I was
involved as one of the chairmen of the R&A’s Etiquette
Sub-Committee and we rewrote the etiquette section. Golf is
unlike many sports in that it relies for the most part on
integrity with little supervision.
“Players rule themselves in a disciplined manner with
courtesy and sportsmanship. This is what we call the spirit
of the game and is something I hold dear. I will expect to
see a lot of it this year.”
However, he is also determined to watch a lot of good golf
without the pressures of being in control of all EGU championships
and tournaments.
“I’m really looking forward to the events following
on to my involvement as a referee and as championship chairman,”
he adds. “My great joy will be to watch great golf from
all ages, from the under 14s to the over 55s.
“I shall be at everything I can be but I’m particularly
looking forward to attending my first US Masters and to be
at the Walker Cup in Ireland. They will be two of many highlights
of this special year.”
The son of an army officer, Richard was born in Crowborough,
Sussex, in 1943, but spent much of his childhood at various
locations because of his father’s postings. However,
after preparatory school in Crowborough, he went to Radley
College where he played cricket, tennis, hockey and particularly
fives. He became a member of the MCC at the age of 19.
His pre-occupation with other team sports meant that golf
took a back seat in his early years. Although he took up the
game at the age of seven, he admits to retiring at eight and
rarely played again for ten years.
After deciding not to follow his father into the Services,
he joined Lloyds Bank in 1962 in Bristol and spent 33 years
with the company. He filled many postings in the South of
England such as Guildford, Sevenoaks, the Isle of Wight and
London before his final destination at Folkestone as senior
manager of a group of branches.
It was then that he adopted Kent as his base, moving to his
present home at Sandwich Bay alongside the Royal St George’s
course where he has been for 14 years.
His nomadic life as a banker meant he has been a member of
several clubs such as Bristol & Clifton, Shanklin &
Sandown, and Knole Park. But it was when he joined Royal Ashdown
Forest in Sussex in 1968 that he really got bitten by the
golfing bug and the other sports were discarded. It was also
the start of life in golf administration as he was elected
to the club’s committee almost immediately and became
their youngest captain in 1977-78.
Still a member after almost 40 years, Richard got down to
one handicap despite admitting to never having a lesson, and
played county golf for Sussex for six years. He also saw action
in the Brabazon Trophy and the English Amateur Championship,
tournaments he has overseen in recent years.
He served on the Sussex County Committee in the mid-1970s
then became their representative on the EGU for 30 years.
He was Sussex captain in 1987-89 and president for three years
from 1997-99, including their centenary year.
He became a member of the R&A in 1982, served on its
Championship Committee from 1992-95 and on its Rules Committee
from 1999-2002. He has been a member of the Tournament Panel
since 1992 and has refereed in eight Open Championships and
a number of European Tour events.
Richard has been a member of the EGU’s Executive for
almost 25 years. He is also now involved with the European
Golf Association and during last year ran several of its championships
on the Continent.
These days, his commitments mean his own golf is generally
confined to the winter months while his handicap has risen
to six. However, he has played for Radley in the Halford Hewitt
for over 30 years and was its playing captain when the school
won the title for its only time in 1996.
He has also been a member of the Moles Golfing Society for
many years including 23 as Honorary Secretary and is a past
captain, and has run the Old Radleians GS for 35 years.
Outside of the game he involves himself with charity work
and is practising churchman, being the treasurer of his local
church, St Clements, for the last 12 years.
He is the first EGU President from Sussex since Frank Pennink
in 1967, who was his proposer for membership of the R&A.
A bachelor, Richard is one of four children. His elder sister
is deceased but he has two younger sisters.
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