Sunday 24th March at 03:15, was the moment that Shirley Park Golf Club officially welcomed their 100th Captain, Hitesh B Patel.
It was a memorable occasion as former Captain Bill Rookes putted out his last stoke as the 2022-23 Skipper, and handed over the reigns to the 68-year old, who landed his drive from the first tee and onto the fairway.
A great father, a good husband, and now a proud Captain, there is no doubt that 2024-25 is going to be some ride.
HB became a member in September 2000, and has made hundreds of friends along the way, as well as racking up the cabinet with tonnes of silverware.
He has made all sorts of donations from the club to different charities and schools, including St Giles, which is a school in Croydon for students with physical and learning disabilities.
All friends and family of HB came to embrace this special occasion, and to congratulate him on this historic feat.
For those who aren't familiar with the place, Shirley Park Golf Club is a private golf club, available to a small number of people.
As always, it is always a great privilege for anyone to be Captain on a golf club, and I'm sure that HB will make a great leader.
There will be a lot of challenges coming up in the year ahead i'e the Captain's Lunch, and the Captain's away day, but he is the sort of person who will cherish organizing those events.
HB and his family faced difficult end to 2023, due to his beloved mother, who sadly passed away in December 2023.
She was a strong minded woman, who wanted us to keep going and make the most out of life, which is what we are attempting to do.
And with HB now being Captain, perhaps this could lead to even greater things in life for the family?
Amongst his many interests such as being a big supporter of Crystal Palace, golf still remains one of his most passionate interests, which he will never stop talking about.
It even drives his wife mad lol!
But we all know that he is a humble guy that always likes to help people and make new friends, and we love him just the way he is.
