PGA award for coaching golfers with a disability

Gary Bason, a PGA Professional working at Stonelees Golf Centre in Kent, has been presented with the PGA South Region Toby Sunderland Award in recognition for the work and coaching he has done with people with a disability, including the Kent Golf Approved Disability Academy.

“It is always nice to receive some recognition from the PGA for doing some-thing I love doing,” said Gary. “I thoroughly enjoy the coaching sessions with the Kent Golf Disability Academy, they are always good fun, and it’s nice to know that I am helping the juniors enjoy an opportunity they may not have otherwise had. Seeing the smiles on the faces of the children makes it all worthwhile and a very rewarding experience for me.

He added: ”A massive thank you should go to Kent Golf, and especially Kim Brusadelli for her initial vision and tireless work in organising the Disability Academy sessions. I’m sure I speak on behalf of all the children and parents when I say that she has definitely made a difference to their perception of what golf has to offer.

“Without Kent Golf and Kim I wouldn’t have been nominated for this award, so I see this as a joint victory, and I’m sure the Disability Academy will continue to grow and go from strength to strength over the next few years.” memberships are also falling, with just 17% of clubs in our survey having 100 or more social members.

“It comes at a time when costs are rising. The average wage spend of clubs has increased from £154,000 in 2021 to £198,000 in 2022. It will come as no surprise, therefore, that 92% of clubs say they plan on increasing membership fees in 2023 alongside the cost of a round of golf.”

Yet there continue to be positive signs that golf remains as popular now as it was during the pandemic, with the number of rounds played in clubs contributing to this survey having increased slightly to 29,500 in 2022. Clubs, too, are on a firmer financial footing, with 19% of participating clubs having reserves of £1m or more.

Hever scoops sustainability award

Hever Castle Golf & Wellbeing in Kent has won the Sustainable Project of the Year Award at the 2023 Golf Environment Awards, which were held during the British Turf Management Exhibition in Harrogate.

The golf club, which is located a mile down the road from the historic Hever Castle & Gardens, beat competition from St Andrews Links, Royal Mid-Surrey and Pannal golf clubs to win the award in a category which is designed to recognise clubs who have successfully put in place a sustainable project to ensure a better environment, with clear goals and objectives.

The winning of the award is largely down to the efforts of Hever Head Greenkeeper Rob Peers, who sought to sustainably access an extra water supply during increasingly drought-hit summers whilst providing a wonderful habit for flora and fauna. Peers has created lagoons to recycle waste water, boosting water supply and also habitats.

Last year Hever was a runner-up in Environmental Golf Course of the Year award and a finalist in Outstanding Environmental Project of the year award for its work creating an area conductive to wildlife. Worn tyres from mowers used on the greens were used to create a bug web and more fertiliser drums were transformed into a snake chamber. The club also undertook several other sustainable initiatives including installing solar panels, the use of hybrid mowers and the recycling of waste water.