BOURNEMOUTH golfing legend John Sharkey died peacefully at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital on May 18, aged 77, just a few weeks after a special day was held in his honour at Canford Magna Golf Club where he spent his final 10 years coaching youngsters.

A former European Tour player, he played four rounds in The Open at Muirfield in 1959 - venue of Gary Player’s first Open victory - and was a member of the British PGA Cup team against the United States in 1976, a contest he considered the highlight of his career.

He was best known as club professional at Queen’s Park, one of the two council-owned courses in Bournemouth, where he spent most of his career.

Following four years at Whittington Barracks, and a brief stretch as the pro at Bramley, Surrey, Mr Sharkey started at Queen’s Park in 1968, succeeding Don Curtis.

He took home some 200 trophies from smaller tours, and later in his career began to work as a course designer.

He co-designed Bulbury Woods at Lytchett Minster in 1988 - the first 18-hole circuit to be built in Dorset to address the shortage of courses in the east of the county during that boom period - and became co-owner until it was sold seven years later.

Despite a couple of set-backs in the 1980s - a car crash at the start of the decade and an accident while repairing a golf club in 1987 which lost him much of the vision in his right eye - he went on to spend 10 years alongside the other professionals at Canford Magna, where hundreds of children were introduced to golf through the weekend Canford Kids coaching programme.

He retired earlier this year.

The president of the Bournemouth Professional Golfers’ Alliance for 25 years until 2009, Mr Sharkey also played a prominent role with the Dorset PGA.

David Cooper, Canford’s head professional, dedicated his professionals’ day as a tribute to Mr Sharkey this year.

Paul Barrington performed his trick show and former Tour man Bill Longmuir and amateur international Georgia Hall joined the 46 teams of members who attended a free day where prizes valued at £1,000 were offered.

Georgia Hall, the star ex-Canford Kids pupil who is the British women’s champion and 11th-ranked amateur in the world, is now preparing for a professional career.

Two separate competitions were held on the Parkland and Riverside courses. The two winning teams then competed for the new annual Sharkey Trophy in a putting competition.

He leaves his wife Margaret, daughter Fenya and grandchildren Mathias, Lettice, Mollie and StJohn.

A funeral service is being held at Bournemouth Crematorium on Thursday, June 5, at 2pm, followed by a gathering at Canford Magna Golf Club.