Clive Cole has been breaking county golfing records for six decades - but he'll enjoy his proudest moment on Thursday when he becomes president of the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Union.

"Everything I have done in golf, I've done off my own bat," says Cole. "The county presidency is an honour given by other people, and for me that tops everything."

Cole (pictured below) is president elect to succeed John Nettell at Thursday's annual meeting, and says: "John has done superb work on various committees and has been instrumental in getting seniors golf up and running.

"I could never hope to emulate that. What would give me a lot of pleasure as president would be to see Hampshire winning the County Championship again.

"I played in four County Championship finals and finished on the losing team each time. Hampshire only won the title once a few years ago, and I believe we have the playing resources to win it again.

"It's the high spot of county golf as is the Champion of Champions event in which we have been runners-up a couple of times. That would be a nice one to win, too."

Cole (with Matthew Blackey) was one of those runners-up. As a golfer Cole had few peers in the early 1960s when he won the county title three times in four years.

It seemed inevitable that he would aspire to some stature in sport because his father Ron, who died recently at 93, was a terrific all rounder. "Dad captained Southampton Boys at football and cricket, was a five-handicap golfer and used to regularly reel off 100 breaks on the snooker table."

Clive Cole himself began playing golf as an 11-year-old at Southampton Municipal, where he learned fast from ther much revered professional Fred Bowdrey. By the time he was 13, Cole had won the first of two county boys and youths' titles.

Now nearly 50 years on he looks back on an extraordinary career in county golf. He played for the full Hampshire team between 1954 and 1994 (no-one has made more appearances) and created a new landmark at the Royal Jersey Club in May when he qualified for the matchplay stages of the county championship.

"It meant I had qualified over six decades. John Nettell, I think, did the same but not all for the same county. He started at Sussex."

Cole was selected by England at boys and youths level but never for the full England side. "It was my biggest regret," he says, "because I was a reserve for a couple of years."

His best performance at national level was a fifth place in the Brabazon Trophy, the English Strokeplay Championship.

At 61 he still has ambitions. "I haven't won the Hampshire Seniors title," he says, "but after finishing runner-up a couple of times, including this year, I haven't given up on that one yet."

Cole, who has just retired after a long career in the fuel trade, is married to Barbara, has two grown up sons, Jamie and Gavin, and lives in Hedge End. He has been a member of the Stoneham Club for 47 years, winning their club championship eight times and holding the course record (with 69 67 66) three times.

He plays off four and this year proved he can still beat the best at Stoneham by winning the scratch knock out cup.

As county golf president Clive Cole will lead by example...