GOLF IN KENT EMBRACES OPEN CHANGES

Though the golf industry is facing challenging times at present, Golf in Kent has embraced the recent news that The 149th Open will be held at Royal St George’s in 2021 following the cancellation of the event in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Partnership, which is comprised of some of the finest golf clubs in the county and Visit Kent, has spent the last year gearing up to stage the prestigious major but despite the disappointment of the cancellation, it is keen to look to the future and focus on the positive aspects of hosting The Open next year from 11 to 18 July instead of this July. “We are of course disappointed about the cancellation of The Open at Royal St George’s (pictured below) this year, but it was the right decision given the current circumstances,” said Tim Checketts, Secretary at Royal St George’s Golf Club, a member of the Golf in Kent Partnership. “However, we now have an opportunity to build on the huge amount of work already in place, to ensure that The 149th Open at Royal St George’s will be the biggest and best yet and a true celebration of the return of major golf to this country.”

The Kent clubs and Visit Kent are indeed looking forward to ensuring The 149th Open is a huge success after its absence of a year and to continuing to encourage golfers to come, stay and play in Kent in the run-up to the Championship. After all the county, recognised as one of England’s premier golf destinations, has a wide range of good quality courses for golfers to enjoy. “We are determined to use the fact that Kent will now host The 149th Open in 2021 as a positive and build on the excellent preparation we have undertaken over the past nine months to deliver the very best Open possible in our county next year,” advised Deirdre Wells, chief executive of Visit Kent. “We look forward to welcoming golfers from all over the world to enjoy our golf courses and all the other wonderful attractions and activities that Kent has to offer. The 149th

Open will be an excellent opportunity to support both the clubs and Kent businesses and support them in rebuilding the visitor economy, which is worth nearly £4 billion to the county.” Indeed, Kent’s rich variety of off-course attractions, such as its iconic castles, historic cathedrals, world-renowned gardens and miles of stunning coastline including the White Cliffs of Dover, has been attracting golfers to the county for over a 100 years.

The county has more recently developed a reputation as a gastronomic destination thanks to the array of local produce such as Dover Sole and Whitstable oysters and its plethora of Michelin-starred restaurants and gastropubs. Kent is also home to Britain’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, and the Wine Garden of England which produces some of the country’s finest wines. For more on Golf in Kent, go to www. golfinkent.co.uk and follow us on @ GolfInKent.