Tributes to popular golfer an club owner
A talented Shropshire golfer who realised his dream to build a golf course and club on his family farm has died.
Alan Strange ran the popular Brow Golf Club at Welsh Frankton near Ellesmere with his wife, Catherine, and four children. He collapsed at home and died at the weekend, age 59.
He was a student at Ellesmere Primary School before attending Oswestry Boys High School.
Mr Strange was a talented Shropshire golfer who was a regular on the European tour and competed with Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam in competitions from the UK to Africa.
He then became a golf professional in Chorley and Leicestershire before returning to Shropshire in 1994.
Together with his father Alf, the former village blacksmith and author, he realised his dream to establish a nine hole golf club at The Brow.
He drew up the course on farmland owned by his family since the 1960s, and his experience as a competitive golfer ensured that the course was testing for all.
It was build on 35 acres of beautiful countryside.
Over the years the course and the club evolved into one of the most popular venues in north Shropshire, not only for golf but for parties, Sunday lunches and celebration meals.
Oswestry Town Council clerk, David Preston, had been a friend of Mr Strange for 50 years.
He said: “Alan was an amazing golfer, teacher and a host at his golf club.
“He put everyone before himself and the Brow golf club was his extended family.”
