Bryn Meadows win Welsh Golf Club of the Year
Gwent course Bryn Meadows has been named as the Welsh Golf Club of the Year at the Wales Golf Awards ceremony held in the 2010 Clubhouse in Celtic Manor.
They won the award after introducing new policies which resulted in junior membership going from a handful to more than 100, an extra 20 ladies in coaching schemes and playing the academy course, with six new families joining under a new coaching and membership scheme.
The ceremony was held in the Samuel Ryder Suite at the 2010 Clubhouse and was sponsored by One Golf Network, a marketing and distribution network for golf clubs.
Former Walker Cup player and captain Nigel Edwards, who represented Wales 15 times in the Home Internationals, was presented with a Special Achievement Award, while the Welsh Tour Professional of the Year went to Oliver Farr after he finished 7th on the Challenge Tour, including a win at the Foshan Open.
European Nations Cup winner Jack Davidson, both the individual award and leading Wales to the team title, was named the Welsh Amateur Golfer of the Year, while Mountain Ash were the Junior Golf Club of the Year with their junior membership having gone from 1-60 in 18 months.
Robin Hughes of North Wales won the Golf Development Wales PGA Professional of the Year, having had 10,000 people attend his sessions at the club and in the community, while Shauna Lyons made it a North Wales club double collecting the Volunteer of the Year award.
She is Junior Club captain at the Llandudno club and helps to run five junior sessions a week with players ranging from 4-17 years-old.
“It is always great to recognise some of the golfing work which goes on around Wales and the successes that brings at all levels,” said Wales golf chief executive Richard Dixon.
“That can be a 4-year-old enjoying a junior session in North Wales or Oliver Farr winning a Challenge Tour event and earning his place back on the European Tour, there is much to celebrate about Welsh golf.
“2017 saw the strongest ever set of applicants for the Welsh Golf Club of the Year with Abersoch, Cardigan, Clyne, Newport (Rogerstone), and North Wales being shortlisted along with former winners Langland Bay and Pyle and Kenfig.
“Bryn Meadows had submitted strong applications in the last two years, but 2017 saw many of their ongoing projects come to a successful fruition.
“They carried out surveys with their members which led to them tackling such areas as PGA staff, junior membership, female membership, member retention and improvements to the golf course.
“They now have more than 100 junior members, have achieved Wales Golf Coaching Centre status and become a Wales Golf Girls Hub with more than 200 girls taking part in weekly sessions.
“They have also improved female membership, family membership, 40 new 20-30-year-old members in an intermediate category, as well as improving facilities on and off the course.
“They are a great example that even in these difficult times, golf clubs can adapt and thrive.
“Presenting an award to Nigel Edwards was also a great honour as he has done so much for amateur golf in Wales. He also started at Bryn Meadows, so that is a neat coincidence of timing.
“Apart from his own playing record, rising to the number three ranked amateur in the world, and leading the Walker Cup team as captain three times, he was also the Golf Union of Wales director of performance before moving to pastures new in England.
“Oliver Farr and Jack Davidson had great seasons, both were in the winner’s circle and while Ollie regained his European Tour card we will hope to see Jack joining him there in the not too distant future.
“It was a well-deserved double for the North Wales club with Robin Hughes doing an outstanding job as one of the club professionals and Shauna Lyons thoroughly deserving the volunteer award.
“Mountain Ash have done a great job for junior golf and their award, along with Bryn Meadows, made it a great double for golf in the valleys of South Wales.”