Sussex golf, both amateur and professional, can count itself lucky to have such sterling back-up in terms of sponsorship.

Without support from the business community and a number of well-wishing individuals, golf in the county would remain a very low-key affair.

This is the time of year when money matters are being discussed and not a few counties are anxiously concerned about the immediate future.

But Sussex, while in no way complacent, can view the short-term optimistically. The County Union continues to enjoy the patronage of Davies & Tate, the Uckfield-based replacement windows firm. Since 1993, Phil Davies, the chairman and non-golfer, has seen his company plough £100,000 into running the Sussex Inter-Club Matchplay championship.

This popular competition captures the imagination of all Sussex clubs for six months throughout the season and it is difficult to envisage what the fixture list would be like without it.

A more recent sponsor, and on a smaller scale, is the Eastbourne law firm of Mayo and Perkins. They have been welcomed aboard by David Harmer, the county secretary. Last year, £2,750 from various sources, donations and sponsorships, figured in the SCGU total income of £134,115. Out of this sum, £95,808 went to the English Golf Union.

So we are not talking peanuts here and the same is true of the Sussex PGU celebrating its 91st year. Just over 100 professionals, assistants and trainees in the county, plus 100 vice-presidents and roughly 40 honorary members, make up the SPGU. A prospective vice-president has to be nominated by the professional at his club. Once elected he pays a £50 annual fee. That is also the sub for each pro which is cheap at half the price. Annual running costs are in the region of £20,000.

Cliff Pluck, the secretary, explained: "We run on a shoestring and it is an enormous help that loyal members put their private businesses at our disposal. We try to raise sufficient money so that the professionals have about £90,000 to play for a year. Fifty years ago the pot was not more than £100.

"We rely not on monetary value from sponsors but practical help." The SPGU is virtually a one-man band as Pluck runs the office from his Bexhill home. At tournaments the secretariat takes the road in the form of a caravan towed by the genial Cliff.

"Organised golf is quite expensive," he said. "A lot of counties would like the set-up we have here in Sussex and I know some are struggling financially. We really contribute to the golfing world as a whole insofar that we spend a lot of money with clubs at our various meetings by way of catering."

The SPGU's Mastercolour League is sponsored by Cliff Rusted's printing firm. The most important tourneys are funded by stalwarts Frank Shannon, Les Watts and Hilary Crowe. The friends of the SPGU who put their hands in their pockets runs into scores.

For the last 22 years the overseas pro-am in Portugal has been over-subscribed and there is similar enthusiasm for the Anglo-French junket in Dieppe. Next year there are no fewer than 27 SPGU fixtures in which the tab is picked up by a sponsor either individually or through a business connection.

"It gets harder every year to get the backing," said Pluck. "But I am lucky to have so many loyal people who rally round every time. We have a special community and to say the SPGU is close-knit would be a massive under statement. We stick together and stand together and that is our strength."