King crowned new captain at drive-in

King is the 89th captain of the club and has the honour of leading the anniversary celebrations. He is no stranger to the area, having attended Littlehampton School, before he joined the armed forces when he was 18 and served for 24 years, attaining the rank of Major.

After retiring in 2006, he relocated back to Rustington with his wife to join his two daughters and five grandsons who all live nearby.

In 1889, the area on the west bank of the river Arun where the golf course was to be laid out had the remains of a shingle quarry, an army firing range and a disused fort. For the first nine years, the only access to the course from Littlehampton was by ferry, until the swing bridge was built.

In an attempt to replicate history, King dressed in period golf attire, and, courtesy of the Commodore of Arun Yacht Club, was rowed across the river by yacht club member David Mayne.

The ceremony followed the usual pattern, with past captains introduced to the membership, before the new captain had the task of “driving-in” by striking a ball down the fairway.

Earlier in the day, the annual matchplay contest between teams led by the outgoing and incoming captains was a narrow 17-15 victory for Carl Stabler’s team.