Vale Dean “Deano” Jones
All Members of Romsey Golf Club are deeply saddened by the sudden death of long-term member Dean Jones OA. Dean joined our club in the early 1990s and, from the very beginning, was a keen competitor in all club events. He was runner-up in the 2000 club championship losing on the 18th hole but he returned triumphantly to win the 2006/07/08 and 2017 Club Championship. Always a keen competitor Dean was a regular member of the RGC Pennant teams winning Division Two Scratch DDGA Pennant Shields; 2002 and 2010.
We will all miss Dean’s competitiveness, his passion, enthusiasm, generosity, willingness to encourage young players and positive attitude to our plans and works to improve both the course and Romsey Park.
“Deano” spent time on the Australian Seniors’ Golf Tour and said that he was grateful to many of those older professional golfers for all their assistance which helped to improve his game. In recent years Deano was regularly off a handicap of 1, 2 or 3.
Players recall Dean:
- Walking across a couple of fairways to tell a joke.
- The ideas man – always on the look-out for something to assist the club.
- Rolling up to twilight golf on Friday evenings, often playing match-play with Freebie and usually not winning
- Calling in to the club rooms on Saturday evenings for a chat, a quiet drink and to see if one of his raffle tickets might just be a winner.
- Providing many impromptu golf lessons on the course.
- Watching a very young Michael McCarten play a few shots and realising Michael was a left hander using right hand clubs. Michael soon went from playing off 29 down to 9. (good catch Deano!)
Dean loved playing cricket (next to golf & The Blues) he also got great enjoyment from coaching and commentating on the game. His work for Carlton & Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Hampshire, in India and Pakistan and as coach of teams in Afghanistan meant he was well known, and much loved, all around the world.
He was a great bloke who was full of ideas and was always supportive of those who were prepared to work hard to improve whatever we had.
Our deepest condolences to Jane, Phoebe and Isabella
2017 RGC Club Champions, Kath Jekabsons & Deano.