Decades in the newspaper industry and more recently public relations have shown me there are usually two sorts of sport sponsors.

There are the disinterested ones who throw money at anything as long as it flags up the brand.

I have a funny memory of a brief stint as the athletics correspondent of the Birmingham Evening Mail in the 1970s and the national cross country

championships being sponsored by Findus.

They took us scribblers up in a hot air balloon for an aerial view of the course around Parliament Hill Field.

While we were up there the PR guy laconically told us we had a Birds Eye view of the course. Oh dear.

Then there is the sort of sponsor who has fallen into the welcoming arms of Congleton Golf Club this season in Steve Nicholson, the UK Sales Manager of Bilyana Golf Holidays.

Steve loves his golf so much he plays in what for four fifths of us less capable golfers is the La-La Land occupied by single figure handicappers (5.4 in his case).

A former member of Mottram Hall, he is in his second month as a Congleton GC member having moved house to Buglawton from Macclesfield.

Bilyana, a golf specialist tour operator, have become the shirt sponsors for the Congleton team who play in the North Staffs and District League.

They have also put up prizes of free four-night golf holidays in the Algarve - one for a club competition of the men's section's choosing and another for the ladies.

Bilyana's UK HQ is in Macclesfield and their association with Congleton stems from a successful meeting involving Steve, the club chairman Paul Bennett and secretary David Lancake.

Steve, a former King's School Macclesfield pupil, said: "There were two main objectives for me.

"Firstly, as a golfer, the priority was somewhere where I could play a quick nine holes, practice, enjoy my golf and the occasional comp and feel part of a club.

"Secondly, I enjoy an opportunity to network, promote the golf holidays business and give something back to the club at the same time. It's reciprocal, a two-way street.

"I enjoyed a very welcoming meeting indeed with the chairman and the secretary who I both found very open to ideas.

"Also, Congleton is such a warm and friendly club I have felt at home there right away."

Now this is a piece of journalism rather than advertising copy, so for the info you may need on Bilyana may I suggest you click here.

However, it is worth recording 42-year-old Steve has impressive experience having worked for Bilyana for seven years in Antalya, Turkey, before asking to front up the UK operation in Macclesfield five years ago.

The destinations Bilyana cover are Turkey, Morocco, Portugal and they will soon be adding the UK for domestic golf holidays.

Pre-pandemic, over 20,000 golfers travelling to Belek in Turkey booked with Bilyana in 2019, more than any other golf travel company in the world.

Bilyana have just moved into new offices at the Kathleen Roylance Buildings in the centre of Macclesfield, near the railway station.

Steve added: "We are very excited to be sponsoring Congleton Golf Club and we look forward to contributing to the all the fun of the enjoyable events for the members this year as we get back into the game we all love so much."

Club chairman Paul said: "Steve is a breath of fresh air, very accommodating and has become a valued member of the club."

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THE inaugural Harry Gannon Trophy at Astbury produced an exciting climax to a medal tournament which until this year was called the Flag Cup.

After 18 holes, Paul Agnew and Chris Clarke were each showing a nett 69 on their card with two shots left under the format of the event.

They returned to the first hole and Chris became the winner when his second shot finished seven yards from the flag with Paul's golf ball nine yards behind.

The tournament was renamed after Harry Gannon died following a long illness on March 13, his 83rd birthday.

He had given many years of distinguished service to his golf club in a variety of roles.

Chris, who lives a two-minute drive from the club in Moss Road, has become the first winner so his will be the first name on an honours board to be created for the new tournament in the clubhouse.

He joined Astbury as a 12-year-old so had known Harry for 46 years.

Chris said: "He was a great character and a good asset to the club which he loved dearly."

Five weeks ago, Congleton Nub News published a moving tribute to Harry, written on behalf of the golf club by one of the members, Dominic McAllister (Press and PR).

The Nub News site has 1,300 new readers following the arrival of this golf column a fortnight ago, so Dominic's tribute is repeated here for their benefit . . .

Astbury Golf Club recently lost a marvellous member.

Harry Gannon was a club character who joined the club in 1967. He was a four handicapper, a team player and organiser, he served as a director and captain and eventually became a life member.

He was always available to support the club and for as long as anyone can remember he had been the handicap secretary of the men's section.

Harry had his own style and would often (before it became non-PC) adjust a member's handicap where he felt that it was appropriate.

A good example being when Harry noticed that a player's scoring was regularly better than their handicap might suggest.

Harry reduced the player's handicap to reflect his standard of play more accurately.

The player approached Harry and bitterly complained. Harry suggested they write to the handicap committee to complain.

This was accepted until Harry disclosed that the committee was just one person, and that was Harry himself!

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the men's rollups, we could always rely on Harry to pass out the winnings fairly and accurately, keeping just a little bit back to fund the roll-up Christmas party or, as it was affectionately known, "Harry's Do".

I suspect that it will be remembered as "Harry's Do" for some years to come.

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NO self-respecting golf column could fail to flag up Phil Mickelson's achievement in becoming the first winner aged 50 or over in the history of men's golf majors.

There have been 456 winners going back 161 years and there may be members of Astbury and Congleton's senior sections who as yet do not know the secrets of Mickelson's longevity.

If so, I recommend they take a decaf coffee break and read here about his ditching junk food and his taking up of yoga and meditation, while bearing in mind Phil The Thrill can play a bit as well . . .

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FOR more information on the golf clubs this column covers every Saturday morning, visit Astbury and Congleton's websites.

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Tim Taylor of timmyteepr is a former national newspaper staff sports reporter and sub-editor who is now chief writer for the online golf magazine Exclusive Golf & Travel.

He is a member of the Association of Golf Writers, the Football Writers Association and the Cricket Writers Club.