Two golf clubs receive £150k grant from Sport England

Two Hertfordshire golf clubs are receiving nearly £150,000 between them to spend on refurbishments and improvements thanks to grants from Sport England.

Harpenden Golf Club is getting £75,000 and Welwyn Garden City Golf Club is receiving more than £70,000.

Harpenden Golf Club will be using the money to extend its clubhouse and provide new disability access.

A spokesman said it will bring the club up to date, the leaking windows and roof will be fixed and proper insulation will be fitted to make the club more energy efficient.

Welwyn Garden City Golf Club will install three new Astroturf greens on the club’s existing practice ground and a cover over the existing practice tee in September. The former will provide targets for members using the facility in its current format but will also be utilised as a short par three course when club professional, Stuart Mason, and his team are giving group lessons to beginners and juniors. Access to the area will also be improved.

Sport England property director, Charles Johnston, said: “Since 2011 we’ve invested £102 million into more than 1,920 projects to improve and refurbish sports clubs and transform non-sporting venues into vibrant community sports clubs.

“It’s great to see Welwyn Garden City Golf Club join the long list of successful clubs to benefit from this fund.”

“We would like to thank Sport England for awarding us this £70,000 grant,” said Welwyn Garden City captain, Tony Smith. “It’s fantastic news for the club and the wider community as a whole.

“Over the last few years, Welwyn Garden City Golf Club has spent a good deal of time and effort endeavouring to attract new members and we see the development of our practice ground as the latest step in this process.

“However, it’s also important on another level because it will also enable the club and our head professional, Stuart Mason, to reach out into the local community and that is something we’re all very keen to do.

“It’s a win-win situation, really.”

“Stuart already teaches a large number of beginners but he will be able to do a lot more thanks to the grant from Sport England,” said Welwyn Garden City’s lady captain, Carol Pomroy.

“I know he wants to attract men, women, juniors, the disabled, school groups and other groups who want to try the game but are not confident enough to play on a full size course and our new facility will help him to do that.”