Lancaster Golf Club shortlisted for national honour

It is one of four venues bidding to win the club of the year honour at the ceremony in March.

Also looking to take home the prize are Derbyshire-based Brailsford Golf Course, Hertfordshire’s Letchworth Golf Club and Seckford Golf Club in Suffolk.

Outlining Lancaster’s place in the final four, organisers said: “Home to a thriving women’s section with over 150 members, the club has also formed a new committee to represent their junior section.

“Enjoyed a membership retention rate of 93 per cent in 2022 and implemented a complete club rebrand.

“Recently, the club partnered with the Lancaster and District Chamber of Commerce to increase their growing and modernising profile.”

The Brailsford club was nominated for its efforts in introducing primary school pupils to golf, setting up a new youth team, organising open days for members to show visitors around and a sustainability project.

Letchworth’s place on the shortlist comes after offering monthly gender neutral, mixed and single sex competitions to cater for members’ demands, alongside working with the Jewish Golf Initiative in introducing new players to the game.

The club’s Mike Amos Golf Foundation also raised funds via a golf day for a local special educational needs school to buy a new minibus.

As for Seckford, membership has grown from 400 to more than 1,000 in three years with participation in the junior programme up by 60 per cent.

The women’s section has grown greatly, a third of the non-executive directors are women, while solar panels are being installed to help move towards a sustainable future.

This year’s ceremony, hosted by broadcaster Clare Balding, is back as an in-person event for the first time since 2019 and takes place at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate on Thursday, March 2.

A panel of 39 judges, including England Golf staff as well as ambassadors Tommy Fleetwood and Bronte Law, narrowed down the potential winners from the initial longlists.

Jeremy Tomlinson, the England Golf CEO, said: “We cannot wait to get together with the finalists, our clubs, counties, members and stakeholders to celebrate the significant and exceptional contributions and accomplishments of the amateur game, as well as the exciting developments at grassroots level.”