The PGA is saddened to report that Alan Ashmead, a member for more than a half a century who mixed with golfing ‘royalty’ as a toddler, has passed away at the age of 80.
Alan joined the PGA in 1957 and was elected to membership six years later. His introduction to the game came much earlier, however.
Alan’s father was a keen golfer and World War II was heading to its conclusion when his mother used to leave her young son in the care of Jack Padgham in the pro shop at Warley Woods Golf Club, Birmingham.
Padgham was the father of Alf, a three-time Ryder Cup player who was PGA Captain when he won the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in 1936 and a regular visitor to Warley Woods.
Sir Henry Cotton and Bobby Locke, who was making his debut in a major championship, were also in the field at Royal Liverpool and Alan encountered them both during his career.
He worked as an assistant for the former and played with the latter, as he did Peter Alliss and other leading golfers in the late 1950s and 60s. Later in his career, Alan was a familiar figure in celebrity pro-ams playing in the company of sports stars such as Sir Ian Botham.
Despite being raised in the Midlands, Alan spent most of his career in South Wales, working at Pennard and Swansea Bay Golf Clubs and then Wernddu Golf Club, Abergavenny, from 1992 to 2003.
“His mantra as a coach was teaching the person not the swing,” recalled Anthony Ashmead, one of Alan’s two sons. “It was all about the hands and kinetic energy."
Alan was also very interested in course design: he designed several courses, including Raglan Parc near Abergavenny, and he was responsible for the additional nine holes that were created at Wernddu when he was there.
On leaving Wernddu, Alan crossed the border into Herefordshire and spent two years at Dymock Golf Centre, near Ledbury, before retiring and spending more time with Beverly, his wife of 43 years, and enjoying his cherished collection of classic sports cars.
The PGA extends heartfelt condolences to Beverly and Alan’s two sons, Anthony and Alexander, on their loss.
PHOTO CAPTION: Alan Ashmead (left) with the Ryder Cup when he attended a celebration at The Belfry for PGA pros who had been members for 50 years. His son Anthony is on the right.
