A Fairway Affair

Golf clubs are home to a diverse cast of characters united by their love for the game, but that’s where the similarities end. Among the members, you’ll find crooks and cops, accountants and bank managers, plumbers, pensioners, paupers, and multi-millionaires alike. Some are quiet, others are loud, and it’s often hard to tell who’s who. Beneath the surface, a few are cheats or adulterers – rarely murderers, though it’s not impossible, even in the most prestigious clubs. This is the story of some of those members. Despite their best-laid plans, life has a way of surprising them, and sometimes, even the bad guys get a lucky break.

Tony Mansfield was born in Dagenham in 1938 to a working-class family. His father was employed during the war, laying runways for the USAF and the RAF. It was normal during the war for children to be evacuated and moved to safe areas, but because his father was moving to different parts of England, he took Tony with him. Tony then attended junior schools in Wiltshire, Lancashire, Durham, as well as Dagenham. After his school years, Tony followed his father into the building trade and eventually into the property business. His interests include all sports, particularly golf and cricket. Tony is divorced but still friends with Gabrielle, and they have two grownup children and three grandchildren.