BIGGA have reported that George Brown, who was their National Chairman in 2003, has sadly passed away aged 77.

George, who was 77, was former Course Manager at Turnberry, the legendary links facility in South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Hailing from Kent, George was immersed in golf from an early age as a caddie, greenkeeper and also extremely talented golfer who played to County standard.

He was appointed Course Manager at Turnberry in 1985 and worked on three Open Championships – 1986, 1994 and 2009, as well as countless other tournaments and events. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association in 2009.

The Scotsman quotes former Turnberry general manager Stewart Selbie, saying, "George was a unique character who for me will always be synonymous with Turnberry. He absolutely loved Turnberry and will go down in the history of the resort as a very special and important part of it.”

The paper also quotes Ricky Hall, Turnberry’s director of golf, who worked with George for ten years. He says, “There is hardly a day that his name isn’t mentioned at Turnberry. George was an incredible custodian of our fine links, with a great relationship and true understanding of mother nature.”

George passed away in the early hours of September 17.

George featured in a video previewing The 2009 Open where he spoke passionately about his love for Turnberry, course changes, the weather and Turnberry's rich history. Watch it below.