Widow donates prized book collection to Leighton Buzzard Golf Club

A prized collection of more than 300 books on golf has been donated to Leighton Buzzard Golf Club by a widow whose late husband was a much respected “perfectionist” in the sport.

West Yorkshire born Mark Appleyard trained as a textile designer before joining the RAF in 1958.

Twenty-two years later, during which time he had numerous postings in the UK and Europe, the Middle East and Asia, his base became RAF Stanbridge, settling in Leighton Buzzard on his retirement in 1980.

Although he was an all-round sports enthusiast and devoted Huddersfield Town soccer and Yorkshire cricket fan, Mark took his passion for golf so seriously that he accumulated a vast number of books, including biographies on the sports’ greats, to technical tomes and the psychological challenges that need to be addressed to be successful.

And Mark certainly enjoyed many years of success at Leighton Buzzard’s Plantation Road course, winning the club championship on two occasions and around a dozen other trophies.

Captain of the Bedfordshire Seniors team in 2004-5, Mark was crowned Bedfordshire seniors champion in 2005.

Much travelled during his service with the RAF and subsequently in retirement, Mark was an authority on the sport, its rules, regulations technique and etiquette, and believed every club house should have a good collection of books which members could read and learn.

Sadly, Mark died on the last day of 2017 after a lengthy illness aged 78. Now his widow Barbara, who he met on his return from a posting in Singapore and married in 1974, has donated his jumbo-collection of golfing books to the 600-member Leighton club where he spent so many happy years.

Says Barbara, a former library administrator who has a vast collection of other books at her Linslade home: “I’m delighted the Leighton club has kindly accepted Mark’s collection and that the books will be made available to club members on loan. They contain a wealth of information which helped Mark hone his golfing skills and become a very good golfer and a much respected authority on the sport. I feel they have gone to a very good home and hope club members enjoy the books as much as Mark did.”

Says Leighton Club Captain Simon Rossiter: “Mark’s golfing achievements are legendary at our club and we are very proud to have inherited his remarkable collection of works which will help the golfers of today to become the Mark Appleyard’s of tomorrow.”