Captain Jerry of Gay Hill Golf Club
By Joan Cunningham

Bob Peoples, Jerry Walsh (Captain), Mike Flanagan and John Hedigan, all regular players at Gay Hill Golf Club

Deciding to swap the country way of life in County Kerry for the hustle and bustle of Birmingham back in 1957 was a vast decision for Jerry Walsh but he admits it was one of the best decisions of his life. It was Birmingham that initiated the meeting of his wife of 42 years, Diane, back in 1959 and Birmingham that allowed him to continue his love of golf.
His fondness for the game encouraged him to join Gay Hill Golf Club and todate, he is coming to the end of a year as captain of the club.
He says: “Being chosen to act as captain of the club this past year has been an honour for me. It’s been a wonderful experience and it’s something I’ll always look back on with great affection. Mind you, I’ll be glad of a rest as the role is very intense and warrants being involved with an array of issues concerning the club.”
Gay Hill Golf Club, for those of you unfamiliar with the club, sits snugly on Hollywood Lane in Hollywood, (the south of Birmingham Hollywood that is!) and I’m told is a well-organised and efficient golf club. With 400 full members, 80 restricted members 70 female members and 40 juniors, Gay Hill Golf Club relies on its competent staff to aid the smooth running of the place.
The club itself was first established in 1913 and transferred to its current location back in 1921. It’s listed in the English Golf Courses Complete Guide which suggests that the course is possibly for the more competent golf player due to some tight, tree lined fairways and well appointed streams to catch the odd wayward drive.
That’s no problem for Jerry who currently has a decent handicap but feels he could be better with a bit more practice. No doubt he’ll be brushing up his strokes now that the captaincy role will be handed over to the next proficient member.
So where did his passion for golf come from?
He enlightens me: “My six brothers and three sisters and myself were lucky enough to have been brought up around the corner from Ballybunnion golf course. It was heaven for us when we were children having such a venue on the doorstep. I started playing golf at the age of seven and would act as a caddy for the players at every opportunity I got.
“It’s great to go back home every so often and have a round of golf there as it really is a spectacular course. It’s a crazy place in the summer with visitors from all over the world but come the winter there’s a hushed stillness about the place. I’ve been too long in Birmingham now and enjoy the city way of life so I don’t think I could ever go back to live there, as do most of my siblings.”
Ballybunnion sounds impressive and I reckon I’ll pay a visit one of the days. It’s captured the heart of golfer Tom Watson who describes the course as one of the best and most beautiful courses he’s ever competed on.
I ask Jerry are there any budding Tiger Woods in the Walsh family?
He says: “It’s a fine profession to get into but my three children haven’t succumbed to the golf bug. Mind you, there’s the next generation to work on with my four grandchildren so who knows.”
So is golf all he does with his life?
He says: “Of course not. I fit in the occasional visit to the local and enjoy popping down to Digbeth once in a while. I’m looking forward to the future Irish quarter currently underway and no doubt when it’s completed I’ll be mingling with the rest of the crowds and enjoying the benefit of the revamp. I also enjoy the football and cricket so I’d say I’m a generic sportsman.”
Jerry appears very content with his lot. He no longer works having retired from Land Rover after twelve years of service so fitting in a round of golf is more often than not at the top of his agenda. He has the backing of a fine woman, who incidentally, is also a keen and rather decent player. It would appear Jerry lives for his family and golf – in that order, of course! He admits that golf plays a huge part in his life but puts his excellent health down to the sport also.
He says: “Fitting in a round of golf gets the heart going, in fact, gets everything going so maybe that’s why I play such a lot of golf”
It’d be great to excel at golf. Unfortunately, I’ve tried it and let’s just say I didn’t excel. Maybe I just needed a good mentor, someone patient and calm, someone whose been playing the game for years. Jerry, what you doing next week?!”
For further information about Gay Hill Golf Club visit their website, www.ghgc.org.uk or alternatively contact 0121 430 8544.