KEIGHLEY Golf Club has its first-ever female president.

Haworth woman Elaine Pearson took-up the post at the club's annual general meeting.

She said she was "thrilled to bits" to be appointed.

"It is a tremendous honour and I am extremely proud," said Mrs Pearson, 52.

"It was quite nerve-wracking when I found out a year ago that I was being offered the role, but in some ways I'm less nervous now – I've had time to get my head round it!

"I'm excited about the year ahead and really looking forward to it."

During her term in office, Mrs Pearson will represent the 111-year-old club at events, organise activities and act as a figurehead.

And one of her aims is to attract young new members, particularly women.

"Like other golf clubs we are suffering from an ageing membership and have relatively low numbers in the women's section," said Mrs Pearson, who works with her husband David in a management consultancy business.

"Sadly this situation is a national trend.

"Younger females are not taking up the game but we want to get across the message that golf is lovely to play and we have a fantastic membership structure.

"Keighley is a forward-thinking club, which embraced equal rights legislation. There must be young professional ladies who would like to play ."

She pays tribute to the outgoing president, Jamaica-born retired army captain Ripton Neil Wilson.

"Ripton has done a great job raising the feelgood factor through major social events he has organised," said Mrs Pearson, who joined the Keighley club when she was 18.

"It's not just about golf – it's about keeping members happy too."

Mrs Pearson, who plays off a handicap of seven, regularly competes for the Yorkshire Veteran Ladies' Golf Association.

Before she took up the game, her main sporting passion was tennis – she was a county player and a Lawn Tennis Association assistant professional.

She entered banking as a career and was the Yorkshire Bank's youngest female manager in 1990, but later became disillusioned with the industry.

As well as working with her husband, she serves as the clerk and responsible financial officer of Oxenhope Parish Council.