FINALISTS
13 feb
THE MIDLAND HOTEL
MANCHESTER
Congratulations to the finalists. We are looking forward to celebrating with you and revealing the winners as part of the England Golf Centenary Dinner & Awards evening of 13 February at The Midland Hotel Manchester.
In keeping with tradition, there is no shortlist for the Lifetime Service Award which will be presented to one worthy recipient on the night.
CLUB OF THE YEAR
Bedfordshire Golf Club
Through a range of media, the club engages with residents in the area and now has a vibrant junior section, welcoming golfers of all levels, starting from 6 years up to 17, with handicaps from 1 upwards, and individuals playing club competitions and regularly representing the county. The club also hosts the County Junior/Academy Programme, Schools’ Scratch Championships and a Rookie Schools event. They have also run Girls Golf Rocks for several years and now run Women on Par. The club has integrated new members and encouraged parental involvement, while catering for members of all ages. Graded subscriptions have allowed golf to be more affordable and the club has had planning approval received for a reservoir as they continue to show their commitment to becoming a more sustainable golf club.
Royal Ascot Golf Club (Berkshire)
The club established a junior academy which now has over 85 members from the local area, while a ‘New to Golf’ Academy has on average 45 adult members at any point in time. Its Young Adult section has increased by 50 per cent which has been helped by changes to dress codes, clubhouse workspace and social events. It has developed closer ties with local schools, sports clubs and businesses to improve collaboration and enjoys a varied calendar of social events to bring members together. To keep golf affordable and attainable, it has kept fee increases to below inflation. The club has seen its profile of membership change and now has a more diverse, younger and engaged membership than at any time in its recent history.
Blacknest Golf & Country Club (Hampshire)
The club has approached local schools for taster sessions and welcomes over 80 children each week. Its PGA Professional offers free sessions to SEN schools and for children who have severe learning difficulties. New memberships have been introduced to make golf more affordable. The installation of a new driving range offers golf to a wider audience with free club hire offered to all. The club offers family activity packages that encompass footgolf, disc golf, driving range use and par-3 golf course use.
Sponsored by:
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire was one of the first counties to successfully engage in the Girls Golf Rocks programme and continues to promote its very strong talent pathway for juniors. Pre-handicap girls are offered basic coaching and fun skills challenges at various venues and with a County Junior Organiser, Junior Committee and dedicated County Coach, girls can then move onto ability-related coaching and competitions. The county also offers ‘Rules’ workshops to any club that requests them. Having qualified for the Women’s County Finals nine years out of the past 10, Bucks were finally crowned champions this year at King’s Lynn GC.
Devon
Devon Golf have worked closely with leading development programmes such as Golf Access, supporting 20 clubs (50 per cent of the county) with products to deliver to junior and beginner golfers completely free. Within the Devon Golf pathway, with the help of an incredible volunteer network, Devon has established two thriving development squads for boys and girls. The girls’ development squad sees girls as young as eight involved with a group of 20-plus enjoying their golfing journey together. Devon offers a free county card to all of its affiliated members as part of its affiliated member benefit package. Subsequently, four county card events have been set up each year which is inclusive of all handicaps, attracting over 1000 different golfers to these events. Devon are quickly becoming ambassadors of change to help grow the game of golf by demonstrating the many benefits that come from unification. Devon were the first county nationally to adopt the ED&I policy at county level.
Hertfordshire
The Hertfordshire Development Group is represented by various partners who support the 53 clubs in the county and seven Artisan clubs. The Development Group has overseen the pioneering Girl Guides project which has gone from strength to strength in 2023, with over 150 Girl Guides making a start at obtaining their Girls Golf Challenge badge. Currently Letchworth, Berkhamsted and The Hertsmere Golf Clubs all run sessions with the Girl Guides and the feedback has been really positive, with some girls signing up to additional golf sessions at the clubs. Working with local Stroke Associations and Parkinson’s organisations, the county has run weekly sessions at Chesfield Downs and Letchworth for those who have survived a stroke or have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. All who have taken part in these sessions have had a positive change to their lives including being active regularly and taking part in a sport that some of them thought they would never get back into.
Sponsored by:
COUNTY OF THE YEAR
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION CHAMPION
Alastair Spink, love.golf (Fynn Valley GC, Suffolk)
Alastair is driven to create the most inclusive environment for golf, making golf truly accessible to all. He is driven by a deep understanding of how to make our great game, even better. Alastair has an innovative approach which has achieved unrivalled success in positively growing our sport through means which have even made it commercially viable to PGA Professionals and trainees. His success by collaborating with The Muslim Golf Association makes him a true role model within our sport. The full extent of the programme built by Alastair will be felt by individuals and golf clubs for a long time to come.
Magna Vitae (Lincolnshire)
Magna Vitae have been engaging children and young people with golf through their HAF (Holiday Activity and Food) programme, GAME programme (supporting teenage mental health), and their home education physical activity group. The children and young people attending these programmes are from lower socio-economic areas, and approximately 30 per cent of those attending have identified additional needs, including physical needs, sensory needs and mental health needs. They have been introduced to golf as a fun way to stay active, which has progressed into a passion for the game.
Nicola Bennett (Bush Hill Park GC, Hertfordshire)
As a qualified PGA Professional Coach at Bush Hill Park GC and Golf Foundation Ambassador, Nicola has been delivering golf in 15 North London primary and SEN schools, as well as community groups, for the past three years. She also goes above and beyond her local remit, attending community golf festivals in Birmingham and central London. In the past year, of the 224 pupils she coached, 61 per cent were from an ethnically diverse community, 56 per cent were girls, and 13 per cent had a disability. Working with the local School Games Organiser, she has introduced the pupils to a golf club for the first time by hosting two primary school festivals at Bush Hill Park GC and accommodating 16 schools and over 200 pupils. In addition, she runs four regular women's coaching groups at the golf club and has 153 in her golf group. She has also run classes for the Muslim Women's Sports Association. Nicola is passionate about inspiring more young people from all backgrounds, particularly girls, into the sport. She makes the introduction fun, safe and calm.
Sponsored by:
Alastair Spink, love.golf (Fynn Valley GC, Suffolk)
Alastair created the love.golf programme which has introduced thousands of women to golf since it began. His partnership with the Muslim Golf Association has introduced over 1000 Muslim women to golf and at last year’s awards, Amir Malik spoke of Alastair in his speech, stating he could not have done it without him. Not only that, but the partnership which Alastair created with Syngenta enabled his highly researched initiative to grow with a strong funding and research partner. Together they have produced further research on how to reach and retain more women. Alastair is also in the process of completing another research project, having interviewed almost 100 Muslim women about their golf experiences. This year love.golf also started its work with the Jewish Golf Initiative (part of Maccabi GB).
Alex MacGregor (Addington Court GC, Surrey)
Alex is dedicated to creating golf opportunities to everyone in the community of South London. Activities this year have included engaging with over 20 schools and community groups in delivering to hundreds of children, and hosting the Croydon Borough Primary Golf Festival for 90 children and training 16 young leaders in the process, collaborating with Deshi Golf to give young people from an Asian background their first golf experience. He has also trained staff as Activators to support and host their first on-course experiences. Alex has taken golf to the Canary Wharf Football Academy Community session, building a strong relationship with the local Muslim Centre and delivering golf to family and junior groups. Over 65 per cent of the people Alex has coached this year have been from ethnic minority backgrounds and 60 per cent have been female, which has had an extraordinary impact on the complexion of the golf club. He has developed a pathway into golf at Addington Court that is as much about creating a relaxed, social environment as it is about delivering engaging group activities. Alex delivers year-round sessions to around 100 women, 120 juniors and 40 seniors, including golfers with dementia and long covid, as well as putting on social events for golfers.
Paul Creamer (Blacknest G&CC, Hampshire)
Paul has liaised with several local schools to bring new golfers to Blacknest. Weydon, Edgeborough, St. Peter’s, More House, Frensham Heights, Amesbury and Lord Wandsworth all have regular tuition and visits to Blacknest. As the Golf Foundation Golf Sixes Manager, Paul has run a successful team, coming 2nd in the East Hampshire League. He also offers groups sessions with a free trial to new lady golfers and has also delivered sessions to school pupils with severe learning difficulties. This will continue to bring in a new demographic of golfer to the community. Paul has written, designed and implemented the Blacknest Academy workbook for juniors, beginners and pathway members to utilise. The workbook comprehensively covers all aspects of golf, as well as allowing children and beginners to gain confidence and be ready to play on the main course. It encourages pupils to improve at their own pace and lets them chart their own progress. Paul also runs junior holiday camps, being games-led. Paul runs the Ladies Academy, which feeds into the club’s Pathway Membership.
PARTICIPATION AND DEVELOPMENT COACH OF THE YEAR
PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Charlotte Heath
Charlotte was the winner of the Smyth Salver (the best score from an amateur at the Women’s British Open), and also represented GB&I in the Vagliano Trophy, represented the Rest of the World v USA in the Arnold Palmer Cup, and was a member of the England Women’s Team which gained a silver medal at the European Women’s Team Championship.
Kris Kim
Kris won the British Boys’ Amateur Championship, the McGregor Trophy and the Fairhaven Trophy, as well as picking up a bronze medal at the European Boys’ Team Championship with England. He was also a member of Europe’s winning Junior Ryder Cup team.
John Gough
John won the Master of the Amateurs (Australia) and the Irish Open Amateur Championship in 2023, before representing GB&I in the Walker Cup and also representing Europe in the Bonallack Trophy.
Sponsored by:
Colmworth GC (Bedfordshire)
Located in rural north Bedfordshire and surrounded by acres of rural habitat, Colmworth provides the surrounding wildlife with sanctuaries dotted around the course. They also plant a tree for every couple who get married at their wedding venue on top of the many trees they already plant. They made the move to using organic TurfCare – massively reducing their use of pesticides and fungicides, while the course drains into its lakes which in turn supplies its irrigation. All of its ponds are healthy and are home to many fish and a vast array of wildlife including kingfisher. The club has its own honey bees and sells the honey in its shop, as well as recycled aluminium water bottles with a refill station on the 13th tee. From utilising reclaimed materials, providing bamboo-only tees, or moving to solar panels, Colmworth is doing all it can to become a sustainable golf club.
Heswall GC, Cheshire
Heswall is a golf course that backs on to a SSSI site along the Dee Estuary. The club has done incredible work along with local wildlife trusts and volunteer groups to improve the overall sustainability of the golf course. It has local bird groups that have helped to install bird boxes and now monitor populations of birds such as barn owls and kestrels. Initiatives that involve the community, such as boundary hedgerow planting using native species such as hawthorn, have been implemented and much to the delight of local volunteer wildlife groups. Species reports and habitat recognition have been drawn, written up and monitored to help further develop eco-systems and habitats. The creation of wild grasslands, wildflower meadows and areas around new tee complexes have been a crucial part of improving their on-site eco-system, while they have a vast array of plant and animal species on-site.
Nik Fox, Junior Organiser at Kenwick Park GC, Lincolnshire
With somewhat limited greenkeeping knowledge, and the club’s greenkeeping equipment, Nik has created a beautifully-maintained nine-hole par-3 course on unused land at his club. Recycling old driving range mats, flags, poles and hole cups, the course started to take shape. An old eight-seater bench left abandoned was given to an adult disability centre who brought it back to life, and it now takes centre stage in the elevated viewing area where parents relax whilst watching their children play the course. A water storage system, the tank recycled from a local farmer, harvesting water from the greenkeepers’ sheds, has been built to store water for the summer months. Bark and wood chips from trees felled on the course have been used to make a reception area and path through the woods to the entrance of the course. Initially, Nik did all the work, but he was soon joined by juniors and members keen to help, and they got stuck into clearing ditches and scrub and there is now a dedicated volunteer-led rota for cutting the greens through the summer months. Topsoil has been donated by local companies allowing Nik to build banks and bunkers, so the course has a variety of challenges. As the project took shape, club members have come forward to sponsor the holes and additional donations now help to further course developments. The grasses reach a good height in the summer which allows the natural habitat to thrive whilst creating a visually stunning but often tricky course.
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT OF THE YEAR
TOURNAMENT VENUE
Moor Park GC – hosted the Carris Trophy
Moor Park celebrated its centenary year with an unrelenting year of celebrations in the schedule, yet the club still managed to host a brilliant Carris Trophy (Boys’ U18 Championship). Amber Rees, Golf Manager, was thoroughly organised, skilful and had every detail sorted, while Vice Captain Nick O’Byrne was influential all week, particularly in organising the AmAm of past winners, which was a huge success for about 20 teams including some of this year’s Carris Trophy entrants. Volunteer Co-ordinator Penny Cawood was outstanding in co-ordinating around 80 club volunteers, while the course set-up was spot on each day, with Head Greenkeeper Stuart Bertram having done it for decades but still as enthusiastic and committed as ever to make this a great championship.
The Caversham – hosted the English U18 Girls Championship
The Caversham members were incredibly supportive, both in terms of number and attitude towards the event. On top of fulfilling all volunteer requirements, they still had additional ‘floating’ volunteers each day which enabled the team to react to different areas where additional support was required. All of the staff went above and beyond, despite them all getting used to new surroundings as the clubhouse had only opened after major refurbishment around two weeks prior. As an example, the Pro Shop took it upon themselves to watch the charge of the referees’ buggies and, any time they got low, drove out to meet and replace them. Their new clubhouse also has a fitness suite, which allowed the England Girls’ Squad to work with the S&C team on-site during the championship. They also used their own contacts to get local radio down during the event.
Shifnal GC – hosted the English Girls’ U16/U14 Championship
The course was in immaculate condition and extra green staff came to help, while there were four course managers, three from other clubs, in attendance too. The club was faced with an emergency 999 situation but handled it brilliantly at the event, while they also urgently and expertly dealt with another instance of adversity when the septic tanks were blocked. Shifnal erected a temporary marquee, with temporary furniture at the back of the clubhouse, to accommodate the influx of people to their limited clubhouse space. A hut at the 10th tee is not a serviced hut, but they ensured it was operated by volunteers selling drinks and snacks while there was an additional tea and coffee station set up next to the practice putting green for people to grab and go. Over 60 volunteers helped deliver the event with two dedicated co-ordinators. Furthermore, the club made their own high-vis vests and their own lanyards to identify members as an official volunteer. Alex Peters, past winner of the U14s and member of Shifnal, spent long shifts volunteering at on-course scoring points, and offered constant encouragement as players went through her station. The club also produced a welcome sign at the entrance to the clubhouse, naming and welcoming each of the nations represented, while they managed to sell tee sponsorship for all 18 holes, which looked great and generated revenue for the club.
Sponsored by:
Abi Frodsham (Wallasey GC, Cheshire)
Abi has delivered golf in nine schools to over 500 children. As acting Junior Organiser at Wallasey, she marketed and delivered the Girls Golf Rocks programme and follow-on sessions. At Leasowe, Abi has supported community sessions for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and has volunteered with Liverpool Football Club Foundation at LJMU Game On girls’ campaign, inspiring young girls in Liverpool into sport. She was presented the Hero’s Handshake Award, presented by the Golf Foundation and England Golf Young Ambassadors, recognising her incredible volunteering activities. She has also developed lots of creative and innovative social media content helping promote a variety of local programmes.
Linda Green (Torquay GC, Devon)
Torquay Golf Club has always supported young players but since Linda’s arrival, the group has flourished exponentially. Two years ago, they had 10 juniors with handicaps but in 2023 there are 60 boys and 10 girls ranging from five to 17 years and the club has recently welcomed a Ukrainian boy and two young members with learning difficulties. Linda’s winter programme of fitness training, mentoring and team coaching has prepared its best players to produce sterling performances for South Devon Junior League and wins for players in the series of Regional Junior Opens. Six of their junior boys and girls have been selected for coaching and County representation. Following their success in Devon Team Championships, Torquay represented the County at Woodhall Spa National Finals in August, finishing a very creditable 14th from 32 teams. Whilst some years ago, members might have complained about the number of ‘juniors’, there has been a substantial change in attitude and culture. Linda has hosted inclusive fun events aimed at all members, with juniors supporting fundraising activities. Not only has this proved a successful method of covering costs, but the profile of the section has also grown significantly. Parents recognise the power of golf as a sport for their children, the confidence they build, and the bonds they make with their peer group.
Melissa Clapham (Romiley GC, Cheshire)
Having only taken up golf in 2020, Melissa took the lead on two Women and Girls’ Golf Taster Days which attracted 87 participants new to golf, with 55 then progressing into further coaching and trial memberships. In 2023, Romiley Golf Club hosted ‘Women on Par’ events, along with a number of coaching opportunities for women and girls and they have seen membership across all women and girls’ categories increase from 54 to 82, as of September 2023. Melissa assembled a team of volunteers to become “buddies”, supporting women and girls who are new to golf as they find their way into the game and ultimately club membership.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
YOUNG VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Freya Allen (Elsham GC, Lincolnshire)
Freya, 12, has helped weekly with junior coaching at the club and Girls Golf Rocks as a Young Helper. As a young golfer starting golf through Girls Golf Rocks in 2019, she was keen to be that 'Ambassador' and give back to younger golfers. Freya went on to support the club’s two Girls Golf Rocks taster sessions alongside supporting the Girls Golf Rocks coaching blocks. Freya supports around four hours of junior coaching and on-course activities weekly – in which she will proactively take registers, has come out of her comfort zone to deliver demonstrations, encourages and supports the juniors, and helps to pack away and tidy up. She also supported with taking videos and photos during a Girls Golf Rocks session which was used to help promote the activity. She holds excellent authority (particularly for her age), as well as fantastic communication skills whilst demonstrating amazing leadership and professionalism.
Maria-Tiffany Thompson (Brocton Hall GC, Staffordshire)
Brocton’s Girls Golf Rocks section is the most successful in the county and Maria-Tiffany is a Girls Golf Rocks Ambassador helping young girls to enjoy the game of golf. For the last three years, Maria-Tiffany organised a Christmas-themed charity competition in support of Birmingham Children's Hospital in memory of friend Charlie Mears who passed away at the age of 15 and who loved playing golf. Last year the competition raised over £2000. Maria-Tiffany has always welcomed and made all new junior members feel welcome, spending time and encouraging them to enjoy golf. As a county scratch player, she offers advice and recognises girls that have the qualities to make the team and passes the information to her organisers.
Ryka Verma (South Staffordshire GC, Staffordshire)
Ryka has been promoting golf and the benefits it has on health and mental wellbeing. Ryka planned and delivered a golf day at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she generated funds for the England Golf and the Golf Foundation. Ryka made history by becoming the first female Junior Captain at South Staffordshire Golf Club, where she encourages peers to become well-rounded sports people. Ryka represents Staffordshire County in golf competitions, displaying her commitment to regional golf development and supports Afriyea - an African golf organisation - by providing support to their members in becoming better golfers. She also delivered a podcast with the Afriyea Ugandan academy, which gained recognition from We Women Golf Magazine, MyGolfWay in Barcelona, and being featured in Women & Golf. Whilst studying hard for her GCSEs, Ryka has authored two articles for Midlands Golfer, sharing her insight on topics from sustainability to goalsetting. As a Young Ambassador, she has left an indelible mark on many children's golf journeys through her positive influence and patience. Serving as the Junior Captain at South Staffordshire Golf Club, she has fostered a vibrant junior community, fostering strong connections with both the ladies and men at the club. Beyond her club, she extends her influence on other golfing communities, including the 3 Hammers Golf Complex. Motivated by gratitude for the sport that has shaped her character, she challenges conventional perceptions of golf. Whether at South Staffordshire Golf Club or within her school community, she has actively reshaped others' views of golf, demonstrating its inclusive nature beyond stereotypes.
Sponsored by:
Molly Moore, Girls Golf Excellence (Reigate Hill GC, Surrey)
Molly makes Girls Golf Excellence sessions fun and engaging, coaching mental and strategic thinking as much as technical. The small group sessions help build friendships which can allow the girls to play golf socially and competitively outside of the club. GGE has attracted a diverse range of ages and abilities of golfer and from a variety of backgrounds, which makes the club feel very independent and progressive. Molly has created a superb organisation which promotes golf to girls as a rewarding sport, both in the athletic and technical sense, as well as the social and team play sense. Through Molly’s tireless efforts, the group has gone from strength to strength. GGE is providing young women with the platform to not only develop into brilliant golfers, but to feel supported and listened to by Molly, about any issues that could be affecting or hindering their golf game and even personal lives. The girls are given their own sessions with personalised ideas and training sessions for each of them, which allows them to grow in confidence and change the stereotypes around golf clubs.
Jersey Ladies Golf Development Group
Three of the smaller clubs in Jersey - Les Mielles, Les Ormes and St Clements, were struggling to recruit new female members. Membership numbers were low and so they reached out for support. Two members from each club were invited to attend a workshop to discuss the situation. Clubs agreed that rather than all working separately, a working group would be formed to work together to create a programme to encourage new women to golf. The power of a working group would help increase visibility of the game and ‘Jersey Women in Golf Working Group’ was formed. The three clubs came together to host taster sessions to encourage non-golfers and returning golfers to the game. Each club hosted a taster session but promoted the programme as ‘one’ and supported each other with volunteering. Each club shared ideas and agreed on a format for sessions ensuring unity to the initiative. A total of 68 ladies attended the sold-out Taster Series and a total of 23 new members have joined the three clubs. Overall, there has been a nine per cent increase in women’s membership in 2023. All three focus on participation and inclusivity with items such as social evenings to nurture new friendships, golf rules nights, a buddy system, Texas Scrambles and other fun competitions making the ladies feel included.
Meghan Hopkins (3 Hammers Golf Academy, Staffordshire)
Since joining 3 Hammers, Meghan was handed the responsibility of introducing females into golf. This is divided into two areas, girls 3-18 and ladies up to retirement and beyond. She runs numerous groups, with the most successful being Girls Golf Rocks (GGR) and Ladies Love Golf (LLG), encouraging the development and progress of females into the world of golf. From these groups, she has accumulated and retained 15 girls from the GGR programme and holds two all-girl groups. At each session, parents produce video footage of their children practising their newfound skills, and their joy is rapidly being transferred to mothers, sisters and female relatives, who are now enquiring about the availability of lessons, and joining the Ladies Beginner Classes. The Ladies Love Golf programme is a more in-depth coaching platform which is co-coached with the LLG Director and offers the added benefit of coaching both in the UK and abroad, appealing to many of the ladies, allowing them to meet other ladies from all over the country.
Sponsored by:
