ONE of York’s most accomplished female players has been honoured by York Golf Club.

Joy Hunter was granted honorary life membership of the Strensall-based club in recognition of her lifelong contribution to the sport.

As a youngster Hunter starred at international level for both Great Britain and Ireland and England.

She then excelled in senior county golf for Yorkshire for close on three decades retiring in 1990. She was the county champion in 1970.

Playing success continued in the Yorkshire County veterans team. She reigned as northern counties vets champion no fewer than four times between 1996 and 2000 and was also a member of the victorious White Rose team that lifted the Northern Counties vets title in 1997.

Hunter captained Yorkshire in 1996 and her expertise in running the team led her to becoming the county’s coach, a post she held for 12 years until 2009.

Yorkshire prospered under her stewardship winning the English County Championships nine times.

Hunter has also been a tower of strength administratively.

She has represented England Ladies on both the Ladies Golf Union scratch score and training committees for many years, as well as chairing both of these England committees.

In 2003 she became the chairman of the English Ladies Golf Association.

England Golf awarded her their inaugural Volunteer of the Year award for services to golf in 2008, while last November she became president of the Yorkshire Ladies County Golf Association.

She currently serves on the CONGU Scratch Score sub-committee – serving as Yorkshire’s scratch score assessor since 1990 – and has been invited to be on the new handicapping and scratch score committee of the merged England Golf.

Her vast experience of administering the scratch score to all the clubs in England is invaluable.