John Bardsley was a keen sportsman, playing golf, cricket and football in his home town of Sutton Coldfield
Golfer John Bardsley from Sutton Coldfield twice captain at Moor Hall Golf Club died at Knole Park Golf Club in Kent while taking part in the England Captains South Regional Final tournament
A much-loved Birmingham grandad died after collapsing on a golf course.
Keen golfer and all-round sportsman John Bardsley was a member at Moor Hall Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield. He was taking part in the England Captains South Regional Final at Knole Park Golf Club in Sevenoaks, Kent, on Wednesday, September 17.
Mr Bardsley was understood to have collapsed while playing the 16th hole at around 3pm. His playing partners raised the alarm and paramedics arrived at the scene within seven minutes.
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But nothing could be done to save the 62-year-old, who lived near Bassetts Pole.
A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “We were called at approximately 3pm on Wednesday, 17 September to reports that a person had collapsed at Knole Park Golf Club in Sevenoaks.
“Multiple crews, a critical care paramedic and The Air Ambulance Charity, Kent Surrey Sussex attended, however sadly the person died at the scene.”
Mr Bardsley was the captain at Moor Hall for two years, around five years ago, and had previously played for Sutton United FC, other football clubs and Four Oaks Saints Cricket Club.
The entrance to Moor Hall Hotel and its neighbouring golf club of the same name set within the grounds (Image: Google )
His son, Rob Bardsley, told BirminghamLive: “We were called at 4pm last Wednesday by England Golf to say dad had collapsed on the golf course.
“Me, mum and my brother jumped in a car and drove to Kent. Twenty minutes before we got there mum got a call from the police to say he had passed away.
“It was obviously not very nice. But we were all together.”
Rob said his dad’s cause of death had yet to be confirmed.
But he said he was thankful a playing partner had the What 3 Words app on his phone, allowing them to give the ambulance service exact details of where they were, enabling medics to arrive in seven minutes.
‘He probably would have qualified for the final this year’
Rob said after becoming a captain at Moor Hall, his father had qualified to pay in past captains events – something he relished.
His ambition was to play in the England Captains final.
Rob asked how well his dad had been doing during the Knole Park regional. The 35-year-old said: “He would go and play in all the regional qualifiers, after qualifying through the local qualifiers.
“He wanted to get to the final at Woodhall Spa [in Lincolnshire]. I asked what score he was on as I’d played with him the Saturday before and he was playing well.
“England Golf said he had a ‘good round of golf going’. He probably would have qualified for the final this year.”
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Rob described his dad as a ‘social golfer’. He was the current Mixed Captain at Moor Hall, where he had been a member for 15 years, joining his sons who were members before.
‘There’s not a person at Moor Hall that wouldn’t know my dad’
Rob said: “I have had 80 messages from Moor Hall members. He made a very big impact. He loved the social aspect of it. There’s not a person at Moor Hall that wouldn’t know my dad.
“He was 62 last month. He was a good footballer and played for Sutton United Football Club and cricket for Four Oaks Saints.”
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Asked what sort of person his dad was, Rob’s first answer was ‘very kind and thoughtful’.
He said: “All the messages and notes said the same about him being kind.
“One said ‘it’s rare you speak to someone and they make you feel you’re the only person in the room’.”
Rob was emotional and continued: “He was also funny. He was someone who honestly was kind and cared for people, the same as my mum.”
Mr Bardsley had two sons, Rob and Daniel, 38. He had two grandchildren, Archie, Rob’s son who is 17-months old and Arlo, his brother’s daughter aged three-and-a-half. Rob’s partner is due to give birth to their second child next month.
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He was born in Hingham in Norfolk and grew up in Sierra Leone until his family fled the country and came back to live in Bedford.
He went to Hodge Hill School were he met his wife, Rob and Daniel’s mum, Julie. They initially lived in Ward End before moving to Sutton 30 years ago.
Alongside his love of sports, Mr Bardsley was a mental health practitioner for 43 years who worked around the Midlands and had recently gone part-time.
He began his career at Highcroft Hospital but his passion was working in the community, in teams including crisis support, home treatment, safeguarding and latterly in primary care working with GP surgeries advising them how to treat mental health patients.
He also asked in his everyday life for advice and knowledge and was ‘always on hand to lend a calm, listening ear to anyone that needed it’, Rob said.
He was a ‘mad sports fan’ and had a three-week trip planned to this winter’s Ashes series in Australia and was also a keen follower of Wolves.
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Both Rob and Daniel took part in the English Men’s Champion Club tournament at The Oaks Golf Club in Aughton, York, last weekend in what Rob described as a poignant ‘synergy’.
When they first qualified for the tournament it had been held at Knole Park, where John had died. The brothers also won that tournament in 2022 when it had been played at Lilley Brook Golf Club in Cheltenham.
And while reluctant to play, Rob did so for his brother and in his dad’s memory. Playing alongside fellow Moor Hall golfer John Paul Banbury, the team fought from eight shots back to finish tied second in the event, just two behind the winners, Charlie Daughtrey, Lewis Hollingworth and Lucas Martin from Rotherham.
‘I was thinking of the happy memories I’d had playing golf with my dad’
Rob said: “If that was any other tournament we wouldn’t have considered playing.
“I didn’t want to play. The only reason we played is the first time we qualified for the Champions Club it was at Knole Park where my dad passed. There was some synergy.
“In 2022 we then qualified for the European Champions Club in Portugal and dad came out with us and we allocated him the team manager role.
“Last weekend I played well. It was a happy distraction from what happened to dad. My brother was very emotional on the first tee. We said ‘let’s just embrace it’.
“I was thinking of the happy memories I’d had playing golf with my dad.”
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England Golf also paid tribute to John and said: “England Golf is saddened to learn of the passing of John Bardsley at the England Captains Regional Final at Knole Park.
“John was a captain at Moor Hall, Warwickshire for two years, and made a huge impact on so many people through his time in golf and also in his profession as a mental health nurse.
“John was a big advocate of mixed golf and equality during his time as a Captain, and was a Mixed Team Captain and B Team Captain.
“His passion for the social side of golf was epitomised by the fact he won a number of team events during his golfing career, and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with John’s family and friends during this difficult time.”
