Outstanding Players
Over the years many famous golfers, both amateur and professional, have been associated with Parkstone. Among the amateurs was the 1952 English Champion and Walker Cup player, Ernest Millward. Well-known ladies include former English Ladies' Champions Jeanne Bisgood and Barbara Dixon, together with Curtis Cup Captain and President of the Curtis Cup Society Maureen Garrett. Professionals to the Club include the 1938 Open Champion Reg Whitcombe, whose championship medal is on display in the Parkstone clubhouse, Ryder Cup player and well-known television commentator Peter Alliss, together with Bill Shankland, former Rugby League star and twice third in the Open Championship.
Reg Whitcombe
Professional from 1926 until his death in 1956, helped to put Parkstone on the map with his wonderful record in professional tournaments. He was runner-up in the Open at Carnoustie to Henry Cotton in 1937 and winner of the Open during the howling gale at Royal St George's, Sandwich, in 1938.
In 1935 his appearance in the Ryder Cup set a precedent which his successor Peter Alliss was to continue from 1953-1969.
His championship medal is on display in Parkstone's Clubhouse
Peter Alliss
Professional from 1957 to 1970, Peter had superb natural talents and a swing of classical grace and power. He won a host of tournaments in Britain and Open championships in Europe; in 1958 winning the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese Opens in successive weeks. He appeared in eight Ryder Cup matches and ten World Cup matches. His appearances in the Ryder Cup created a record in that he and his father, Percy, were the only father and son to have played in the competition.
Peter’s illustrious playing career has been matched by his second career as a golf commentator and programme maker on both sides of the Atlantic, as an author and as a golf architect.
Bill Shankland
Bill Shankland swam, boxed and played both rugby union and rugby league for Australia, touring England with the Wallabies in 1928. He joined Warrington where he played for eight seasons captaining the side in three rugby league Wembley cup finals.
During the summer he played professional golf, becoming pro at Haydock Park and later succeeding Percy Alliss at Templenewsam, Leeds, in 1938.
In 1939 he was Third in the Open to Dick Burton and in the 1947 Open he again finished third, two shots behind the winner Fred Daly. In 1950 he moved to Potters Bar, among his assistants being Tony Jacklin, who owed much of his success to the training and advice he received from Bill. He retired to Parkstone becoming a highly revered and popular member and died in 1998 aged 91
Jeanne Bisgood
Jeanne Bisgood enjoyed a prolonged run of success at all levels of golf throughout the 1940’s and 50’s
She won the Daily Graphic Cup in 1945 and 1951, was South Eastern champion in 1950and 1952, won the Roehampton Gold Cup in 1951 and 1953, and was Surrey champion in 1951, 1953 and 1969. On the international stage she was English Champion 1951, 1953 and 1957, Swedish Champion 1952, German champion and Italian champion in 1953, Portuguese champion in 1954, Norwegian champion in 1955 and played in the Curtis Cup in 1950, 1952 and 1954. She captained the Curtis Cup team in 1970.
Jeanne qualified as a barrister and practiced from 1948 to 1953 and, after her golf career at the highest level, had a distinguished career in civic service as a councillor, member and chairman of Education Committees, a Chairman of the Bench of Magistrates. She was a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and was appointed CBE in 1982.
In 2001 Jeanne became President of Parkstone as her father, Bertram Bisgood, was before her from 1949 to 1969.
Maureen Garrett
Maureen Garrett made an early impact on the game, winning the Middlesex Championship at the age of sixteen. In the period following the Second World War, Maureen enjoyed a long period of success. She won the French Open in 1946 and was the first British lady golfer to play in tournaments in the USA after the war, playing in the Curtis Cup in 1948. She played four times for England between 1947 and 1953 and in the early 50’s was, at plus 3, the lowest handicapped lady golfer in Europe. She was captain of the Curtis Cup and Vagliano Trophy teams in 1960.
After her illustrious playing career Maureen went on to become President of Ladies Golf Union from 1982 to 1984 and a Vice-President of the LGU from 1986 and President of the Curtis Cup Society. In 1983 she was honoured with the Bobby Jones Award from the USGA for distinguished sportsmanship in golf, the first non-American women and only the sixth woman to achieve the distinction.
