Alresford celebrated 50 years of playing against the Hampshire county team on Sunday – with the man who helped create the annual fixture honoured in front of the 48 golfers who took part.

David Harrison was awarded the OBE in 2010 for services to golf.

The former Hampshire Golf Union president, who served as president of the English Golf Union back in 1992, turned out in the 50th match at the age of 86.

Current Alresford captain Simon Freemantle presented Mr Harrison with a 50-year-old bottle of vintage port to mark the occasion after Hampshire ran out winners by 8½-3½.

David, who played as a member at Stoneham during his stellar amateur career, brought the first Hampshire team to his adopted club in the early 1970s.

He explained: “I became county captain in 1970, and had married Gloria, who was an Alresford girl, and a member at the club.

“In those days Alresford was just a nine-hole course, so was not used for Hampshire matches or competitions.

“My wife and I were living in the village, but I played all my golf as a member at Stoneham, as I had from my junior days.

“I was talking to the club’s secretary Bob Hedges about ways in which we could improve links with the county during my captaincy.

“Back then the first game of the season was the Past, Present and Future match, at Hayling, which is still played today.

“That was the first opportunity the first-team squad and the juniors got to play some serious golf back in those days.

“There was not quite the winter training programmes the county now arranges back in the late 60s and early 70s.

“Bob suggested we could hold a pre-season match between the club and the county.

“Being based on chalk downland, the course has always drained well and had good winter greens.

“I agreed it was a good idea, so I contacted my squad and they were equally keen on the idea.

“The fixture went ahead in 1971 and I am very pleased to say it became an annual event.”

David, who won a record seven Courage Trophies at the Hampshire, IoW & CI Strokeplay Championship, gave up playing competitively for the county when he turned 40, devoting his time to developing the Hampshire’s junior golf development plan.

Alresford captain Simon Freemantle said: “It’s always a game that is played in great spirit with plenty of camaraderie and humour on both sides, and Sunday’s 50th anniversary match was no different.

“Being able to honour one of the game of golf’s great administrators from the UK, who is known and respected all around the world for his decades dedicated to the game, was a great privilege for me in my captaincy at Alresford.

“Our members were pleased we were able to honour David, and thank him for creating this annual event as one of the highlights in our club calendar.

“He still holds a number of Hampshire’s records in amateur golf, so if anyone was in any doubt, he could really play too.

“And he was still showing flashes of that brilliance playing at the weekend, even if the result went the county’s way.”

The county player was partnered by an Alresford member, who took on two other Alresford players in a betterball matchplay game, off scratch.