Hughie Hamilton celebrates being appointed as captain at Seaton Carew Golf Club
HUGHIE HAMILTON is immensely proud to be the first reigning club champion to become captain in Seaton Carew Golf Club’s 150-year history.
And the 54-year-old would love to mark his 12 months in the role by winning the prestigious title this summer for the tenth time. However he will not be disappointed if he misses out.
That is because Hughie already considers it a real honour to be named honorary captain of the club where he has been a member since 1983.
To mark the start of his term more than 100 people turned out on the first tee to watch Hughie – along with ladies captain Melanie Downs and junior captain Oliver Hoey – hit the first drives of the year at the Captains Drive-in on New Year’s Day.
“It was a fantastic day, all quite relaxed on the tee, but it’s never easy because you want to make contact while you are being teased by the spectators,” said Hughie, who also had long-term caddie Nik Proctor with him sporting his Masters style boiler suit.
“It means so much to me to be captain of this amazing club. It is a wonderful honour. I will never take the role lightly and I am very proud to be following my best friend in golf and in life, Phil Cain, in the long list of proud captains.
“What was also so nice on the day was how the Drive-In has become a true Captains Drive-In over the years, with Melanie and Oliver also driving off.
“It’s wonderful now that the club – which has also had two ladies, Diane Wilson and Jane Longhorn, hold the position as club captain - has progressively embraced inclusivity, highlighted by the ladies captain and junior captain driving off with me.”
Hamilton's mum Yvonne, son Oliver and nephew Fin, who had flown in from New York, were on the tee box to see him drive 241 yards.
He was introduced to golf by his late father, Hughie Hamilton Snr, the former Hartlepool United footballer, on family holidays to Scotland during his childhood. He joined Seaton Carew 41 years ago.
His first club championship triumph was in 2001, he has won the Seaton Salver four times and was crowned Durham County champion in 2004.
As well as being Seaton Carew’s junior captain in 1989, he missed out on qualifying for The Open at Royal Birkdale in 1991 by a single shot.
Hamilton, whose late partner Mary is sadly missed by members at the club where she was at the heart, said: “All this because I happened to live in a village with a wonderful championship course like Seaton Carew that I had been unaware of. Back then my dad spoke to Pools legend Kenny Johnson, and he signed my forms to join, and I’ve been here ever since.
“Neither Phil nor I set out to be captain, but it’s an absolute honour. When the club championship comes around I’d love to win it a tenth time and retire on it, but it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t happen. I only ever wanted to win it once!”
Hamilton has chosen the PFC Trust’s Rare Dementia Fund – designed to support individuals and their families affected by the disease and was created following Lesley Connor’s passing last year – as the captain’s charity for 2025.
He said: “We have raised almost £1,000 already and I was keen to carry on the good work Phil did last year for the fund because of our links to Lesley and Tommy Connor, a good friend of ours.
“Over the next 12 months we’d like to do what we can to help. I’d also like to see the continued progression of this fantastic and historic golf club.
“Seaton Carew GC has gone from strength to strength and there has been a lot of investment in the club.
“We are one of the leading golf courses in the North of England and we are keen to keep improving. We have brilliant staff to achieve that.”
