Mark. Many thanks for raising South Staffs. At one time it had a number of distinguished members (as of course did Penn, from whence came the legendary Chas Stowe), including Pat Marston (Oxford Captain v Henry Longhurst for Cambridge). Vardon, Braid, Colt and Donald Steel have all worked there as architects, apparently, so the pedigree is strong, but I suspect its regional primacy has indeed been usurped. We used to see a lot of good amateurs from South Staffs, Shifnal, Enville etc playing at Harlech (and Aberdovey), and still do, to an extent, but not on the scale of old. South Staffs hosts the English Senior Womens' Amateur in 2017. In this context, anybody know much about Sandwell Park (and apologies if it has been a thread before)? It was one of Darwin's top inland courses in his 'famous courses' essay for the Lonsdale Library volume, but I had heard that it - as with others in the region - was having a hardish time financially. That may have just been evil rumour.
And likewise sorry to hear that the game itself has given you up.