A GOLF club has marked its centenary with a dinner at which sporting legend Sir Ian Botham was made a life member.

Darlington Golf Club, whose current course shares the same designer as Augusta, Georgia, the venue for last weekend's US Masters, is in its 100th year.

On Friday the club launched its centenary celebrations with a sportsman's dinner when Sir Ian was given life membership of the club. He was joined by a fellow former England cricketer, Geoff Miller, who was the main speaker.

The dinner also raised money for Leukaemia Research, of which Sir Ian is president.

Sir Ian, a former England and Durham County all-rounder who lives in Ravensworth, was given the honour because he is already a member of the club.

Club president George Storey said: "When the club was first founded in 1908 as Darlington Town Golf Club, the first president was Sir E D Walker. A hundred years on and we have another knight of the realm."

The dinner was the first of a series of events on the club's 2008 calendar.

In June, there will be two events with members of other North-East clubs founded in 1908 - Middlesbrough Brass Castle, Houghton le Spring, Chester le Street and Ripon.

In September, a second sportsman's dinner will be held. The main celebration will be on November 23, which is the date the club was founded, when golfing and local dignitaries will be invited to the club.

Mr Storey has spent the last 31/2 years completing a book chronicling the history of the club, entitled A Condensed History of 100 Years of Golf in Darlington.

He said: "The club was inaugurated on November 23, 1908, and it started out with some well-meaning gentlemen of the town who decided to have a golf club near a tram terminus.

"They suggested Harrowgate Hill, where the trams used to turn round."

He said there had been another club called Darlington Golf Club at High Coniscliffe, founded in 1895. However, members had to walk from a train stop at Piercebridge and the club ceased after 20 years.

The new club originally played on land at Skerningham Farm, Harrowgate Hill. In 1913, the club bought the current site at Haughton Grange for £3,000.

It was originally a nine-hole course until it was extended in the 1930s. The course's designer was famous golf architect Dr Alister MacKenzie, whose courses include Augusta National Golf Club, in America, home of the annual Masters tournament.

Mr Storey added: "That is our affiliation with Augusta. We have rolling greens like them. It is quite evident as MacKenzie's design."

For more details about the book or the club's events, ring 01325-355324.