Castlecliff golfing icon and popular Wanganui Chronicle golf correspondent John Means died yesterday morning after a battle with cancer. There is very little that Means has not done at the Castlecliff Golf Club - greenkeeper (two stints), and professional, as well as running the pro shop in a couple of stints. "He'sbeen doing things at Castlecliff for donkey's years," said club president Gordon Munro. "As a professional, John was greatly respected for his coaching ability - and his selling ability was something else. There are not many customers who have left John's pro shops without buying something." "As a golf writer, John kept us informed with his articles. "His cheeky humour and banter was a huge part of his personality, with his ability to bring contentious issues into the open in an honest, well-balanced and fair way, always telling it as it is," Mr Munro said. As a player, he represented his country in the Sloan Morpeth tournament against Australia in 1965, and played in 15 Freyberg inter-provincial tournaments between 1959 and 1994, winning many matches against the toughest opponents. He also played and performed admirably in many professional tournaments while an amateur. Means first came to Castlecliff in 1964 as a 20-year-old, when he was headhunted by then president Fred Curry from Hawera. Since then there is barely a golfer in the Wanganui/Rangitikei area who hasn't had something to do with him in his stints at all three city clubs and also the Marton Golf Club. His funeral will be held at the Cleveland Funeral Home chapel, Ingestre St, at 10.30am on Monday.
