After 17 years as steward of Leighton Buzzard’s Plantation Road golf club, Jason Waddington is moving to pastures new.
Born in Burnley, Lancashire and brought up in Halifax, Yorkshire, Jason, 47, plans to remain in the Leighton area where he has made many friends during his years in the town.
Jason joined the Leighton club in March 2003 having previously been deputy manager of the Royal Jersey golf club in the Channel Islands.
His son Brandon is a single-handicap golfer and was a member of the Vandyke Upper school team that won the Bedfordshire Schools team championship three years ago.
Representing the County in the English Schools national finals at Woodall Spa, the home of English golf, Brandon and team mates Ed Stephenson and Andres Valentine returned to Leighton with the trophy after beating more than 30 county teams. Brandon is now in his first year studying sport and health activities at Edge Hill university near Ormskirk, Lancashire.
To mark his farewell, Jason was presented with various gifts from staff and club colleagues and thanked by Club President Brian Carter for his “excellent service.”
Pictured (left to right) are deputy head greenkeeper Ian Soper, Brian Carter, Course manager Paul Harris, Jason, office manager Kate Maynard, Avril Marshall, the longest serving member of Jason’s bar staff team, club Board member Liz Bagshaw and Ladies Captain Christine Rimmer.
Said Jason: “I’ve made many friends in my 17 years in Leighton and very much enjoyed the social atmosphere at the club. But the time has come for a new challenge.”
The Leighton club has more than 700 playing and social members and is benefitting from a major expenditure in a new course irrigation system. Established in 1925, the club currently preparing plans to celebrate its centenary in 2025.