Chris Langford makes history at Thorpeness, Suffolk - first female professional at club

Former player and founder member of the Ladies European Tour, Chris Langford, has become the first women professional at Thorpeness Golf Club in the 93 year history of the Suffolk club.

Chris, aged 58, took over recently as senior professional from Frank Hill, aged 72 ,who has just retired after 20 years at the club. The club was founded in 1922.

“I am delighted to be making history as the club’s first woman professional and am honoured to be following in the footsteps of Frank. Suffolk is a wonderful place to live and Thorpeness is a very special part of the county, I feel very privileged to have been asked to take on this role,” she said.

For the last 18 months, Chris has been able to get to know Thorpeness and Suffolk as she has been using the course as her UK base for her golf schools and coaching.
Whilst her area of expertise is very much in women's game, she does teach a number of men and she will be joining forces with Frank Hill to offer a unique golfing masterclass for couples, a two- day coaching and playing experience with some marriage guidance thrown in for good measure.
Chris has an impressive golfing CV to take into her new role. Amongst many accolades she was a founder member of the Ladies European Tour (LET ) and won five tournaments as well as having served as chairman of the tour, the women's PGA and on the board of the PGA.
In addition she has run her own coaching and golf school business since 1994, she was National Coach to the Welsh Ladies' Golf Union from 2001-2008. She is currently a Golf Ambassador for the Bermuda Tourist Authority where she hosts two golf events every year. The Women and Golf Bermuda Trophy has become the biggest non-US based golf tourism event on the island.
Chris was the first woman to be appointed at a committee run/private members club, Clevedon in Somerset. and among other places has worked as head professional at Desert Springs, Spain and Abbotsley in Cambridgeshire.
In 2005 she was the first woman professional to be awarded Advanced Fellow of the PGA
Chris will be organising a full programme of events for golfers of all ages and stages at Thorpeness in 2016 , particularly women golfers! Including the Thorpeness Team Trophy in August which was started this year.