Cirencester club professional Peter Garratt has taken his first step up the executive ladder by joining the West Region PGA committee.

He was elected as Gloucestershire's representative at the annual meeting of the region at Exeter.

He succeeds Terry Mercer, the golf manager at Lansdown, who has stepped aside after ten years.

This year's captain of the Gloucester and Somerset PGA said: "As I am not from the area, it has taken me six or seven years to become involved with the county PGA.

"The county and the region needs supporting. Now I have become better known here and they wanted a representative I felt it was right to stand."

Manchester-born Garratt, aged 43, has been a professional since 1982.

"It is nice to see what goes on in the inner workings of the PGA. Most of us are outside but now I can become involved in decision-making. If you want to change things you must become involved.

"There are a lot of different opinions and I have only been to the annual meeting at the moment. I need to attend a couple more to get the feel of how things are run before I feel I can contribute."

"I believe it is important to see the direction the PGA is taking in the next 20 years, particularly over the training side. In the last ten years things have changed such a lot."

The role of a golf pro is changing all the time. He needs to be even more qualified to take on other aspects of golf. It's not a role for just selling things and running a golf shop. You have to be a businessman to make it work successfully.

The retail side is very hard. Professionals need to be educated the running of a golf club, which I believe many are.

"In future a managerial position is the role I envisage for some of us in future," he said.

Garratt spent six years in Menorca from1990-96 after working as a consultant for club manufacturers Petron in repairs and club fitting. Prior to that he was in France for 12 months.

His first job from 1982-87 was at the golf club situated in the centre of Warwick racecourse where he qualified as a professional.

He won a Gloucester and Somerset PGA medal at Burnham and Berrow last year and was second in an assistants' championship in his early days.

His greatest success was in the old State Express Trophy that has been superceded by the Lombard Trophy. He and his playing partner from Warwick won the Midland region at Kings Norton and played in the final in Kenya.

Mercer was presented with a framed and inscribed print of the closing hole at The Belfry as a parting gift by fellow committee members.

He said: "I have run my course and it's time for new blood. I am obviously less active in the playing department these days. Much of the decision-making in committee is on playing matters.

"This makes me less qualified than the rest of the guys to make judgements. I only plan to play twice this year with Graham Laing (North Wilts) in the White Hart fourball at Launceston as usual and in our Pro Am at Lansdown in July."

Ken Clarke, a nine-handicap member at North Wilts, now assists him as shop manager. He took early retirement from Hinton Motors in Bath.