The Golf Business

The Golf Trust has secured funding from The National Lottery to deliver the Els for Autism structured 12-session #GameON Autism™ golf programme to people across the capital later this year. The Golf Trust has been working with Els for Autism since 2017, when it became the country’s first delivery partner for the charity set up by Ernie Els and wife Liezel back in 2009. Aswell as delivering the programme to individuals, The Golf Trust has trained 110 sports coaches using Els4Autism Game on Framework, including 75 PGA Members. This joined up approach has significantly increased access to golf programmes for people with autism. “Having a programme that has been specifically designed for those on the autistic spectrum is incredibly important,” comments founder of The Golf Trust, Cae Menai-Davis. “Around 700,000 individuals in the UK are affected by autism – that’s more than 1 in 100 who can really benefit from having access to golf. We will be delivering 12 courses of 12 sessions from September thanks to this funding. We are really delighted that our work has been recognised and we are able to continue with this fantastic programme.” The first National Lottery funded programme will take place at The Shire London, The West London Golf Centre and The Pavilion in Stonebridge in September. As well as 12 golf sessions there will be additional Autism clinic days which will cover a number of topics including sleep, diet and behaviour. These sessions will be run in conjunction with Autism Clinic London a consultant-led service for providing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostic assessments and post-diagnostic support. 

As the countdown to the 153rd Open in Royal Portrush next year begins, the new five-star hotel Dunluce Lodge has just released new drone footage which showcases the progress of the build, and the captivating views guests will enjoy upon their visit once the hotel opens

Teams of male and female golfers came together at Little Aston Golf Club last week to compete in the inaugural Prostate Cancer UK Mixed Pairs Invitational. The new event celebrated some of the charity’s female fundraisers and highlighted the role that women play in supporting men who are impacted by the most common cancer in men.  It also marked the launch of the Mixed Pairs format as part of the impressive programme of golf events that Prostate Cancer UK supports. Teams from the media, industry, existing supporters and future fundraisers all took to the fairways to compete in a Mixed Pairs stableford better ball. The winners were Angela and Matthew Harrison from Walmley Golf Club , scoring an impressive score of 46, with Jilly Cosgrove and Ant Fawcett coming in a point behind. Prizes for the winners were provided by women’s apparel specialist Famara and rangefinder brand Bushnell, with BIG MAX awarding bags for the runners up. “This has been a truly inspiring day to be part of,” commented winner Angela Harrison. “Through the day we’ve heard incredible stories of men and women supporting each other through a prostate cancer diagnosis, which has made the mixed pair format feel very special. Prostate cancer touches many families, including our own, and today has inspired all the attendees to work together in golf clubs around the country to support this fantastic cause.” The new format will be rolled out to golf clubs across the country later this year, forming a new part of an already significant golf programme from Prostate Cancer UK. In the last ten years, £6 million has been raised through the charity’s tailored support for golf club captains, golfers wishing to hold golf days and more recently through The Big Golf Race, the charity’s flagship golf fundraiser that asks golfers to play 36, 72 or 100 holes in day and has raised over £3.4m since 2020. Seren Evans, Head of Community and Events Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “This new event format will further boost Prostate Cancer UK’s presence in the golf community; golf club members and societies want to come together to raise awareness of prostate cancer risk and raise funds to aid research to find better tests and treatments to save men’s lives. “A mixed event is the perfect way to engage the whole golf community, and it was fantastic to see so many golfers supporting us at our inaugural event at Little Aston. We thank everyone involved, and hope this will kick-start a movement of more mixed events in support of Prostate Cancer UK in the future.” Golfers wishing to set up their own Mixed Pairs event to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK in 2025 can expect expert support from the charity’s golfing team, including a golf fundraising pack including golf balls, tees, health information and branded merchandise as well as tailored support and advice on the best practise ways to set up and organise the events.

A Welsh golf club is to site 44 containers at its venue as part of the diversification of its business to secure its future https://lnkd.in/ee3SqRkG

The Manor House Golf Club has continued its drive toward sustainable golf course operations by rolling out a series of new initiatives to help lower its environmental footprint.   Fresh from receiving GEO Certification, the club is distributing bag tags made from wood found on the course to all new members and is replacing Perspex signage with wooden signage and installing recycling bins across the course.   The club continues to work closely alongside Wiltshire Wildlife Trust to gain a greater understanding of the wildlife that live within the acclaimed par-72 parkland layout’s natural habitats, while work is also continuing on a long-term course bunkering project, with technology being installed on the majority of the 80 bunkers to improve sand retention on the steep slopes.   Golf club manager, Andy Ryan, said: “Despite recently receiving GEO Certification, the team refuse to take their foot off the pedal and continue to go above and beyond to ensure the golf club is operated in the most sustainable way.   “This is something that as a B-Corp company we strive to achieve and would not be possible without the continued efforts of each and every member of staff.”

A sports tournament organised by several Ascot clubs to celebrate the Olympic summer will swing into action as part of a collective effort to bring communities together. Royal Ascot Golf Club has teamed up with neighbours Ascot United FC, Ascot Racecourse, and Royal Ascot Cricket Club to compete for the bragging rights of the best sports team locally. Each team will host an eight-aside competition of their respective sport on club grounds with eight participants on each team. Residents will be invited to learn more about each venue and how they serve the community. A tournament at Ascot United FC on Friday, August 2, will kick things off before teams play a one-day cricket tournament on August 14. Focus will switch to the world-famous racecourse five days later with the staging of a traditional sports day in the absence of horsepower before a round of golf concludes the tournament on August 23. The multi-sport tournament is the brainchild of the golf, football, and cricket clubs – who last year organised a pilot competition with a view to expanding its fixture base year-on-year. Stephen Nicholson, general manager of Royal Ascot Golf Club, said: “Ascot is privileged to be home to several high-profile sports venues, which combined serve a key purpose to people on a local, national, and international scale. “Our pilot multi-sport festival last year was a huge success and strengthened the existing ties we had with our neighbours. Following another successful staging of the Royal meeting, we’re pleased to add Ascot Racecourse to this year’s list of teams and invite other sports teams locally to get involved. “This is our way of placing Royal Ascot Golf Club at the heart of its community and creating meaningful relationships with neighbours and residents. We’re looking forward to the football arm of the tournament – may the best club win!” The golf tournament to round off this year’s competition follows a busy programme of events at Royal Ascot Golf Club, including its recent Club Championships and a PGA Legends Tour qualifier. Jacqui Greet, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Ascot Racecourse, said, "The sports tournament is a fantastic initiative that will strengthen our bonds with our sporting neighbours, their staff and members all while enjoying some healthy, competitive fun. I’d like to extend my sincerest thanks to Royal Ascot Golf Club for organising the event. We can’t wait to get started.”

Champion Jon Rahm celebrates winning LIV Golf United Kingdom by JCB with his caddie, Adam Hayes, next to second place finisher Joaquín Niemann and third place finisher Cameron Smith

The St Andrews Trophy has been won by the Continent of Europe after they defeated Great Britain and Ireland 16-9 at Royal Porthcawl

Toptracer, the global leader in ball-tracking technology, has announced a groundbreaking level of engagement during the Open Championship, following the brand’s recent partnership with The R&A https://lnkd.in/eptdihiS

Bryson DeChambeau said that his viral YouTube challenge view with former President Donald Trump took just three days to coordinate and that he’s already looking forward to the next video with other influential figures https://lnkd.in/ef-BJNQa