My holiday abroad last week was interrupted when I received news of the passing of Roger Heap, and it seems appropriate to offer a tribute to one of the local golfing scene's most well known and best loved figures.

Roger's death is especially sad as it comes just weeks after that of John Crawshaw, a similarly prominent figure in Calderdale golf.

While John's long and successful career on the fairways centred largely on his achievements with the Halifax and Huddersfield Union, Roger will be best remembered for his many years piloting the Alliance through many successful winters of golf.

At every Alliance event, Roger has been there at the crack of dawn, sometimes as early as 6am, setting up his paperwork in time to welcome the first starters.

And he has still been there as darkness falls, collating the results and officiating at the presentation ceremony and sometimes even having to stay still later in the evening if Alliance meetings are scheduled to follow the on course events.

That despite suffering continuing ill health which forced his early retirement and which worsened in the last few months.

A stickler for correctness and old style decorum and etiquette, Alliance events under Roger were run very much in the traditional manner, but I always found him courteous, helpful, and always willing to go out of his way to ensure the Courier was aware of all events as soon as they were organised, and starting times as soon as they were fixed.

He said last year as he celebrated 15 years at the reins that winning the organisation's blue riband event the Page Trophy just prior to him taking over as Alliance secretary was probably his proudest golfing moment.

So it was perhaps appropriate that the final event he presided over was the 2008 Page Trophy on a breezy spring day at Crosland Heath.

It was a marvellous day's play, well attended and very competitive, and is as good a lasting tribute as any to a man who offered countless hours unpaid service over many years.

Roger will be sadly missed.