Now aged 76, Smith is perhaps best remembered for his chairmanship during the mid 70's - helping steer the Association through a period of great upheaval in which the tournament division split from the PGA, eventually paving the way for the creation of the European Tour in 1984.

"I was probably the last chairman who covered the tournament and club professional side," reflects Smith.

"During my reign both sides went in different directions. It was a period of great change but it was the right move for both parties."

The PGA has gone on to forge a reputation for producing highly qualified club professionals and coaches and Smith played a crucial part in the development of PGA training and education when in 1970 he helped to implement a training programme based at Lilleshall, along with other stalwarts such as Reg Cox, Sid Collins, Eddie Mustey, Eddie Whitcombe, Alex Hay and John Stirling.

His work with the PGA Training Academy remains one of his proudest achievements.

"I'm very proud to have worked with the four founding fathers of the training programme - Whitcombe, Mustey, Cox, and Collins and developing that programme subsequently with Keith Hockey and others," he said.

"The PGA has become a much more professional organisation and one of the ways it has improved is its education programme which in my view is the star part of the PGA in respect of what it does for members."

Current PGA Chairman Phil Weaver paid this tribute to Smith: "At a time of great change during the fledgling development of the European Tour as we know it today, Doug Smith, as chairman of the PGA, was a steady hand on the rudder and instrumental in helping to make that transition as smooth as possible.

"He did it in a quiet un-fussed way, and has always been a PGA man through and through with the Association's interests at heart.

"Doug was also one of the founders of modern training as we know it today, picking up the baton from Eddie Whitcombe and Reg Cox and helping make the training academy what it is today."

Although a talented artist as a boy, Smith was always destined to be a golfer - as well as his dad, his uncle Andy was also a pro.

After leaving the RAF, his first club pro job was at Oldham's Werneth Golf Club in 1950. Other clubs on his CV include Wilpshire, Worsley, Dunham Forest and Harpenden Golf Club where he is an honorary member and still lives and plays today.

In 1981 he captained both the Association and the PGA Cup team at Turnberry Isle Country Club in Florida, where his team earned a 10?-10? draw.

The current list of PGA Life Members features Keith Hockey, Geoff Cotton, Tony Jacklin, Bernard Hunt, John Panton, Peter Alliss, John Stirling, John Jacobs, Derek Nash and Dave Thomas.