Billy Casper Cup

Meltham Golf Club is celebrating the 40th anniversary year of the visit to the Club of the three times Major winner and at the time reigning US Masters Champion Billy Casper.

Casper played an exhibition match at the Thick Hollins Club on 27th September 1970 setting a new professional course record.

On the Saturday of this year’s US Masters (10th April) Meltham GC is launching a new major competition for their members, The Billy Casper Cup.

To mark the occasion the Captain of Meltham, David Thorpe, will unveil a commemorative plaque with a life-size bust of Billy Casper who has been made Lifetime Honorary President of Meltham Golf Club. A permanent display of memorabilia of the 1970 visit and Casper’s US Masters win will also be unveiled.

To mark the 40th anniversary year an anniversary Dinner will be held at Meltham where the Billy Casper Cup will be presented to the winner of the day. Throughout the 40th Anniversary year all members and visitors to the club beating a net -1 par score will receive a commemorative “I beat Billy Casper (off my handicap)” memento.

The man who initially brought about Casper’s visit was Wilf Charlton who at the time owned a Newsagents in Milnsbridge, Wilf recalls: “a friendly customer , Dennis Livesey, popped into the shop each day for a paper, over time I got to know that he was the head of the Mormon Church at Birchencliffe, and had said that Billy Casper’s Manager Ed Barner was to spend some time helping to build the new church. I cheekily asked him if he could persuade Billy Casper to play in the Huddersfield district. “

On September the 26th 1970 Billy Casper found himself sat next to Wilf on a eight seat aircraft winging its way from the Dalmahoy Wills tournament in Edinburgh Scotland to Yeadon Airport, arriving at Meltham in time for Casper to present the Major trophy prizes at a social event, receiving a standing ovation on his entrance to the club house. Meltham members recall Billy as being an amenable man who signed countless autographs and chatted to everyone.

The following day Mr Casper was back at Meltham for his scheduled Golf clinic and exhibition match. Playing with British Ryder Cup player Alex Caygill, and amateurs Warren Humphreys and Mike Kelly the former Yorkshire Champion. Casper managed to set a new professional course record of one under par 69. Casper was at the peak of his powers at the time, winning the US Masters in the April and voted as PGA player of the year later that year, and was expected to take the course apart. Long serving member Barrie Donkin recalls that Casper said of Meltham “this is a no fool’s course” recounting that Casper struggled to read the subtle borrows on Meltham’s greens.

Casper was reported by the local paper to say at the time “I have enjoyed my round at Meltham, It is a harder course than members give it credit for.”

Meltham members will no doubt be reminded of this when competing in the Inaugural Billy Casper Cup.