WRAG Barn Golf Club celebrated a double success after their junior section won the Young Team of the Year award and their coach Richard Ward landed the Coach of the Year title.

Ward’s kids qualified for the International Final after finishing runner-up in the National Finals. His team became the first club in Wiltshire to achieve such a feat in the process, and for good measure they also won the county championships.

Wrag’s juniors saw off competition from fellow nominees Walcot Amateur Boxing Club, Swindon Cricket Club and Swindon Flames to secure the Young Team of the Year award.

Coach Ward’s willingness to give up large chunks of his time to help the young golfing starlets at Wrag Barn in their development earned him the Coach of the Year award.

Ward, known as ‘Clippy’ at the Highworth club due to the fact he is never seen without a clipboard in hand, has played a major role in the rapid rise of Wrag Barn’s junior section in recent years.

England Netball head coach Anna Mayes, the man who trained Kelvin Young to an IBO Inter-Continental title, Rich Farnan and the late, great Dave Turner were also nominated for the award.

Ward was incredibly modest in victory, however, crediting the children for making what he does worthwhile.

“It’s a very surreal situation, a very surreal feeling,” he said.

“Let alone to be nominated but to win the award is an amazing feeling. I’m over the moon.”

“Those guys are professional coaches, I’m a willing volunteer. I spend many hours but I’m a very willing volunteer.

“They make my job easy, they are wonderful children, very respectful, very hard working in the game and I like to give them my hours because they don’t waste their opportunities, they go out there and they take them.

“We’ve got some very talented players.

“They’ve all got so far to go, they really have.”

When questioned about his now famous clipboard, Ward said: “I feel naked without it. I’m not going to an iPad, I’m keeping the clipboard.”