David Melville, who was a PGA Member for more than 70 years, has passed away in Jersey at the age of 95.
Elected to membership in 1950, David’s career initially straddled the Pennines with posts at Fairhaven in Lancashire before he moved to Fulford and Ilkley Golf Clubs in Yorkshire. While at the latter, he won the Bradford and District Open in 1967 two years before becoming the head professional at La Moye Golf Club at St Brelade, Jersey.
He continued to play during his time at St Brelade and was a member of the UK MacGregor Club Pros team that took on their trans-Atlantic counterparts in the USA in 1973. He was also runner-up in the MacGregor Club Pros’ Championship in the same year during which he earned £487.50 in prize money – the equivalent of £5,000 today.
In addition to coaching and running the pro shop, David was in demand as a skilled club maker and repairer.
“David was very proud of the fact that golf pros in his early days used to make and repair clubs,” recalled John Poole, a St Brelade member who became a close friend.
“He said the way clubs are made these days it’s not possible for a golf pro to do much with them because they are constructed differently. He used to tell us how he used to change the loft and, depending on what people wanted, make alterations to clubs. It was very interesting.”
David served St Brelade for 24 years until retiring in 1993 when he was granted honorary membership by the PGA and the club.
He and his wife, Carol, who passed away last year, remained on Jersey for their rest of their lives and he is survived by a step-daughter, also named Carol.
