After a turbulent year disrupted by the ongoing Covid pandemic, England Golf raised some celebration as they revealed the winners of their 2021 awards.
England Golf Reveal 2021 Award Winners
Being judged by a panel made up of England Golf staff, and industry and media colleagues, there were a total of seven awards up for grabs.
The event, hosted by TV Presenter and avid golfer Naga Munchetty, was being held virtually for the first time.
Avid golfer, Naga Munchetty, hosted the event.
Young Ambassador of the Year – Lily Walker
In the first award of the night, North Hants Golf Club member, Lily Walker, 18, claimed the ‘Young Ambassador of the Year.’
Having previously been the only junior girl at the club, North Hants now has six junior girl members, with more set to join thanks to Walker’s amazing dedication.
Walker is is also associated with the Young Ambassadors group – a forum for young people in golf operated by both England Golf and the Golf Foundation.
Setting up a junior committee at the club, Walker has also introduced a Junior Captain’s Day, as well as a Ryder Cup-style event which involves all sections of the golf club competing in the one competition.
County of the Year – Lincolnshire
The ‘County of the Year’ was awarded to Lincolnshire, thanks to their efforts in promoting junior and women’s golf.
Lincolnshire will run five GolfSixes leagues involving 264 juniors 130 of whom are girls in 2021.
Over 1000 new juniors took up the game in Lincolnshire, with 22 of the 45 clubs in the County signing up to The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter.
Sustainability Project of the Year – Whitsand Bay GC
Whitsand Bay GC in Cornwall claimed the ‘Sustainability Project of the Year.’ A brand new award for 2021.
Whitsand Bay – Rame Head from the 7th tee
Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Whitsand has adopted a biodynamic policy and is moving away from chemicals, insecticides and pesticides.
Amazingly, the club will also be showing a video at this year’s G7 summit, showcasing and speaking about their approach to agronomy.
Volunteer of the Year – Barry Sears
In the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ category, Faversham Golf Club’s Barry Sears was awarded the trophy, with his hard work and dedication seeing junior membership numbers rise from five, to 70, in only five years!
Sears initially agreed to lend a helping hand as an ‘interim’ volunteer at Faversham Golf Club.
Not only has junior membership risen, but the club runs regular meets for juniors, as well as providing a full set of blue tees for younger players, allowing them to play a shorter version of the full course.
Performance of the Year – Joe Long
Amateur Champion, Joe Long, claimed the ‘Performance of the Year’ over Annabell Fuller from Surrey and Yorkshire duo Ben Schmidt and Charlotte Heath.
Long poses with the trophy following his 4&3 victory at the Amateur Championship. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Defeating Joe Harvey in the Amateur Championship final, Long has gone onto appear at The Masters and is set to make his debut at both the US Open and Open Championship.
Club of the Year – Bush Hill Park Golf Club
The penultimate award of the evening saw Bush Hill Park Golf Club in London claim the ‘Club of the Year.’
The club has seen over 160 new members join in the last year, with Bush Hill Park becoming a signatory to the Women in Golf Charter.
Bush Hill Park Juniors
Not only has the club become a signatory to the Charter, but with a female chairman and PGA professional at the club, Bush Hill Park is fully committed to encouraging more women and girls to get into the game.
Lastly, in a time where community spirit is as important as ever, Bush Hill donated perishable food and drinks to a London homeless charity, while 100 food parcels were delivered to members who were forced to self-isolate and were unable to venture out for supermarket shopping.
Lifetime Service Award – Barbara Craven
The final category of the evening was the ‘Lifetime Service Award,’ which went to Barbara Craven, who has been involved at Chester GC for over 30 years.
Craven currently sits as Chair of the House and is Club Welfare Officer at Chester GC and said upon receiving the award: “It came a massive shock to me, but I’m extremely honoured to have been nominated and then picked up this award.
Barbara Craven with her Lifetime Service Award trophy
“It’s a great club and socially very active. The aim is now to encourage more youngsters to get involved in that side of things.
“Being at Chester Golf Club has been a huge part of my life and I’m thrilled to win this award.”
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