STEPHEN Watkins holds the distinction of being the only golf club secretary in the country to have played in the Open.

And the man who has taken over at Bath Golf Club also plays off scratch and has been a member of the Professional Golfers' Association for around 30 years.

He played in the first two rounds of the 1988 championship at Royal Lytham St Anne's after winning a qualifying spot at North Shore.

"I didn't play particularly well but those were two memorable days although I wasn't paired with anyone well known," he recalled.

He also reached the semi-finals of the Sunningdale Foursomes the same year and subsequently won PGA events.

He was a full-time professional at the time and still remains a PGA card-holder playing off scratch, although he become virtually a full-time golf club administrator nine years ago.

His role at the Sham Castle course is purely as managing secretary and is his first job since passing the CMS club management correspondence course.

Watkins, aged 50, arrived from Kent where he was general manager at Romney Warren, a pay-and-play course operated by the Littlestone Trust.

He started as the club's professional 12 years ago but after three years became primarily an administrator.

Born in Surrey, he became an assistant with Keith MacDonald at Hankley Common for seven years before moving to Denmark. He remained on Jutland for a further seven years as teaching pro at two courses Viborg and Randers.

He speaks fluent Danish, although he has little chance to use it these days.

Although the winters were harsh, he kept busy teaching indoors. His wife gave birth to two daughters while abroad and they eventually returned to give them an English education.

So he was offered the professional's post at Ellesborough, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, where he remained until switching to Kent.

Although his initial hope was to remain in Kent, he seized the chance to step in when his predecessor Paul Ware moved to Burnham and Berrow.

"I am enjoying life here," he said. "This is a very good club. I am learning the system that Paul used to run and am just feeling my way for the time being. But I have plans for the future."