Cecil Hugh Hayward

CECIL HUGH HAYWARD

Cecil Hugh Hayward was the first secretary of the RAF Golf Society, a position he held for 30 years and he can be justly described as the Father of RAF Golf. Not only did he excel in administration but he won the Challenge Cup at the Society’s Championship Meeting no less than 13 times in the first 15 years of the Society’s existence.

Cecil also won the first 4 RAF Individual Championships, a competition which runs to the present day. He was losing finalist in the English Amateur Championship in 1926 and played for England in 1925 and 1928, when he was captain. Cecil retired from the Air Force as a wing commander.

Cecil’s daughter, Pru, followed him into the Air Force (WAAF) and also proved to be an exceptionally talented golfer and administrator. As a child, Pru remembers her father playing against Henry Cotton.

A member of the Ladies Section of Royal Ashdown, Prue Riddiford has achieved a prolific record of golfing accomplishments and continues to play for the club today:

· British Seniors Ladies Open Champion: 1982, 1986 (runner-up 1983, 1984, 1985)

· Southern England Veteran Champion: 1975, 1978, 1981, 1987, 1992:

· Captain of Sussex Ladies team: 1983

· Manager of Sussex Ladies team: 1984

· Sussex Ladies Champion: 1953, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1974

· Winner Sussex Scratch Medal: 1952 (as Miss Hayward), 1953, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974

· Sussex Veteran Ladies Champion: on a record 10 occasions