MEASURING THE TRUE COST OF VALUE

With the clocks about to spring forward, and the days getting longer and ever so slightly warmer, golf feels very much like it is about to click back into full swing as we emerge from our various caves like hibernating bears looking for the first signs of a thaw.

‘Full Swing’ has been on a lot of golfers’ minds in recent weeks, well, it has for those of us golf nerds who have Netflix, whose eight-part documentary series dropped on the streaming platform a few weeks ago. Some of you will, like me, have binge-watched the whole thing, which ran to about four hours viewing, in a couple of sittings, while some never started or, like my wife, lost interest after the Brooks Koepka episode, which, for those that haven’t watched it, features a grown man with many millions in the bank huffing and puffing around his massive Florida mansion – with speedboat parked by the jetty outside – after missing the cut at last year’s Masters. ‘Check your privilege, man baby!’ we all shouted from the sofa.

While the series failed to reveal very much about anything, apart from the fact that Tony Finau loves his kids, Dustin Johnson isn’t quite the full shilling, and Rory McIlroy isn’t sending Christmas cards to Patrick Reed any time soon, it did show, through the endless scenes filmed on private jets, the ever-widening gulf that exists between the professional game’s top players and those operating at every other level of the sport. That gap, of course, has been further widened by the dizzying sums of cash currently being thrown about by LIV Golf, and as a direct consequence, also by the PGA Tour.

Once a professional tournament gets under way, most of us distant onlookers are able to forget about the pay cheques on offer and focus on the competition, but even then money never seems to be very far removed from the conversation, in a way that it isn’t in any other sport you may care to think of. That, more than anything, was my abiding takeaway from the Full Swing series. Everything seems to revolve around the folding stuff. Money lists, prize funds, Player Impact Programmes, appearance incentives – it’s all about the money, honey.

McIlroy, the lead spokesperson for maintaining golf’s status quo [not the band], had it about right when he was caught by the Netflix cameras telling a PGA Tour bigwig that PGA Tour players had ‘gone a bit soft’ when it came to deciding where and when they should play, given that with the exception of tennis players, there were very few other professional sportspeople who got to decide their own schedule. But then again, that’s easy to say for a man who had just pocketed $18m for winning the FedEx Cup.

Closer to home, money, or lack of it, may also have been dominating the conversation in your household in recent months, as the cost-of-living crisis begins to take hold and winter heating bills hit the doormat. Value for money is something that we’re all searching for these days, and there’s no reason why that shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to deciding what golf club you join and where you choose to pay and play.

While most golfers I know would happily swing their clubs in a ploughed field and still derive some sort of enjoyment, what makes one golf course value for money and another not, is many respects, subjective. But as membership rates and green fees rise, it’s something that many golfers will be considering when they come to renew their subs or book their next tee time, whether it be a £25 round at the local muni or that a £200-plus round at an Open Championship venue. Both can offer poor value or represent the best money ever spent, depending on your experience on the day.

Some of my most enjoyable golf outings in the UK have been on golf courses that wouldn’t rank in the top 1,000, let alone the top 100, while I’ve also had some very forgettable rounds – and not purely on the basis of my score – on courses that have held professional tournaments. That, at its very essence, is what makes golf so appealing to so many of us. The journey into the unknown, or to the very familiar, can yield similar and also very different results, while it’s also game that can be enjoyed in the company of friends or among a group of complete strangers. What you paid to be there bares little or no relation to the fun that there is to be had. So here’s to cherishing the value of everything and the cost of nothing.

In the meantime, enjoy this issue – which happens to be our 300th – and here’s to many more to come. Time flies when you’re having fun…. or so I’m told!

The world of golf lost one of its most popular figures when Barry Lane, a Ryder Cup player, five-time European Tour winner and eight-time Legends Tour winner, died on December 31, at the age of 62 following a short illness.

Lane made 693 starts on the European Tour – now known as the DP World Tour – and is fourth on the Tour’s all-time appearance list.

Born in Hayes, Middlesex in 1960, Lane first took up golf at the age of 14. Two years later, aged 16, he joined the Downshire Golf Club near Bracknell as an assistant professional, where he worked for eight years. He first joined the European Tour in 1982, following three failed attempts at getting through Qualifying School. The first of his 20 career professional successes coming in the 1987 Equity & Law Challenge in 1987, an approved special event held at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. His first official win came the following year when he he won the 1988 Scottish Open at Gleneagles.

Lane’s next victory came at the 1992 German Masters, which was the catalyst for a run of form which saw him finish no lower than 11th place on the European Tour Order of Merit between 1992-95. Victory at the 1993 European Masters preceded his Ryder Cup appearance at The Belfry as one of four rookies in Bernard Gallacher’s side and his fourth Tour success came the following year at the Turespaña Open de Baleares. He would then have to wait more than ten years for his fifth and final European Tour victory when he triumphed at the British Masters at Forest of Arden in 2004.

Additionally, Lane won the first edition of the World Championship of Golf in 1995, the precursor of the WGC Match Play event now played annually played in Texas. He also won a $1million first prize after defeating South African David Frost in the final.

As a team player he represented England four times at the Dunhill Cup and twice at the World Cup, and also played for the Rest of the World side in the UBS Cup three times.His one and only Ryder Cup appearance came in Europe’s defeat at The Belfry in 1993, where he lost all three of his matches.

After turning 50 in 2010, Lane found immediate success on the then-European Seniors Tour. Just as he did on the European Tour, he won his first event in Scotland at the Scottish Senior Open, which he successfully defended in 2011. He finished runner up on the Senior Tour Order of

Luton Hoo launches bid to host Ryder Cup

Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa is bidding to end the almost 30-year absence of the Ryder Cup from England after launching a bid to host the biennial matches in 2031 or 2035.

Located just a short train ride from central London and a few minutes’ drive from the M1 and Luton Airport, the estate is set in over 1,000 acres of parkland, woods and lakes in Bedfordshire.

The estate is already home to an 18-hole championship course, but the Arora Group plans to build a completely new course as part of its bid to host the Ryder Cup.

Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of the Arora Group, which owns the venue, commented:

Merit in his first two full seasons, 2011 and 2012, winning three times. In 11 full seasons on Europe’s over-50s circuit, he finished seventh or higher on the season-long standings seven times, winning eight titles. His last victory came at the MCB Tour Championship in Madagascar in 2019.

Lane was in Mauritius in early December for the Legends Tour’s season-ending MCB Tour Championship, where he presented the renamed Barry Lane Rookie of the Year Trophy to Brazil’s Adilson Da Silva.

Keith Pelley, European Tour group chief executive, said: “We are deeply saddened at the passing of Barry Lane. To have seen such a level of success across both the European Tour and the now Legends Tour shows his dedication to the game of golf and he was a much-loved figure on both Tours. The renaming of the Legends Tour’s Rookie of the Year Trophy in his honour is a fitting tribute, and I’m delighted he had the opportunity to present it in December. The thoughts of everyone at the European Tour group are with his wife Camilla, the Lane family and his many friends throughout the golfing world.”

Ryan Howsam, chairman of the Legends Tour, said: “This is a very sad time for all at Legends Tour. Barry’s achievements throughout his impressive career are well documented, but on a personal level he was a wonderful man. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with Barry and Camilla over the last few years as Barry played Legends Tour events with Camilla often by his side as caddy, winning eight Legends Tour titles, most recently the Senior Italian Open and the MCB Tour Championship in Madagascar, both in 2019.”

Former dual major champion and Ryder Cup captain Tony Jacklin were among the many legends of the game to pay tribute to Lane on Twitter, writing: “Barry Lane was a prince of a guy. He will be missed. RIP”, while fellow Legends Tour player Simon Khan wrote: “So sad. Was lovely seeing him and Camilla in Mauritius. What a player and an even better guy. RIP Baz x.”

As he had once been a deputy professional who instructed members and repaired their clubs, Lane never took for granted being able to make a good living from the game, which took him all around the world. He once reflected: “There’s plenty of logistical hassle, the downtime is sometimes tricky to fill and it can just be bloody hard work sometimes. But it’s what I’ve always done, seeing the world, playing golf. What a wonderful way to live a life.”

“Our acquisition of Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa was always with the intention to curate a luxury leisure and hospitality experience on the existing estate. We want to continue building on the already rich history of Luton Hoo and to ensure that any future investment into the estate will bring economic benefit to Bedfordshire and surrounding areas.

“Hosting the Ryder Cup, potentially in either 2031 or 2035, would raise the profile of the area to a global audience and the opportunity to bid to host a Ryder Cup at Luton Hoo is a very real and realistic ambition.”

Cllr Richard Wenham, leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “The Ryder Cup is an iconic sporting event celebrated and enjoyed across the globe. Arora’s aspirational plans to take the superb Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa complex set in its beautiful surroundings to the next level, have the scope to put Bedfordshire on the world stage. Securing the Ryder Cup would be an enormous boost to our thriving economy, bringing many new tourists and supporting more new jobs.”

The Arora Group, the UK’s largest private hotel owner-operator, purchased Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa from Elite Hotels in December 2021. Its championship course previously hosted the Bridgestone Challenge 2017 and 2018, and the EuroPro Tour in 2017.

Originally known as a specialist airport hotel owner operator, the Arora Group also bought The Buckinghamshire Golf Club in 2018.

Luton Hoo’s Ryder Cup bid is likely to come up against a rival English bid from Hulton Park in Bolton, which has announced plans to build a new course to accommodate the matches, as part of a major new property development.

Gough’s a master Down Under!

England Men’s squad player John Gough has made history by becoming the first Englishman to win the prestigious Australian Master of the Amateurs title.

The 2021 English Amateur Champion produced a stellar performance across the four days at Southern Golf Club in south-east Melbourne to finish four shots clear of the field on 15 under par.

The competition has previously featured future stars such as Tommy Fleetwood, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler and Gough will now proudly wear the tournament’s famous green jacket following his outstanding success.

Still conditions on the first day in the Melbourne Sandbelt helped Gough to make the dream start as he shot a course record score of 64 (-8) in a round which included nine birdies.

An afternoon start in gale-force winds on day two proved tricky as The Berkshire golfer dropped back following a two over par round of 74 but that wasn’t to be the end of the story.

An impressive third round of 67 pushed Gough back to the top of the leaderboard as the heat intensified on and off the course and he held his nerve in the final round to shoot 68 and finish four shots clear of Scotsman Gregor Tait.

The commitment to make the journey to Melbourne was a big one for Gough but he was thrilled to get his rewards at the end of such a long trip.

“It was obviously great to come to the other side and get the win,” he said. “It was a challenge not only to travel as far as I did but to play in the conditions I did so I’m delighted to get the win over here.

“Before coming over here my dad said that you do see all four seasons in Melbourne and I can completely agree with that now!

“I managed to get sunburnt and windburnt and we’ve seen some rain as well but obviously to have a completely still day on the first day and to shoot the course record, I was delighted with that.

“Day two was a completely different day, I teed off at 1.30pm and with all the wind we had, it was absolutely brutal. I managed to battle the elements though and it turned out good.

“I know I can play good golf around the world and this is a long way from home so I can tick the box that I’ve come out here and played well.

“I’m most proud that I’ve managed to battle the golf courses and some outstanding players in the field in tough conditions - the only things we didn’t see were snow and kangaroos!”