Six Derbyshire golf clubs join forces

Six Derbyshire golf clubs have set up a group so they can work together to attract people to join and visit their clubs.

Despite being rival clubs, the six have followed a trend set by several clubs in recent years, by forming the High Peak Golf Development Group. The theory is that together that are even better suited to deliver a range of activities to make it easy to give golf a go.

The clubs that form the group, Buxton High Peak, Cavendish, Glossop, New Mills, Chapel en le Frith and Hope, have even collectively received £8,600 from Sport England for developing golf. The money will allow the group to raise its profile.

Cavendish Golf Club

A community golf coach will be engaged to take the sport away from the established clubs and out into local parks, schools, organisations and businesses with the help of a new inflatable and portable net, which means someone can try swinging a golf club and hitting a ball away from the traditional greens and fairways of a course.

Nigel Furniss, development officer for the Derbyshire Golf Partnership, said: “It is really encouraging to see these clubs coming together and working in partnership to try and develop the game of golf.

“All clubs are facing the challenge of recruiting and retaining members and it is easy to take an individual approach to the problem.

“But this group has recognised the potential of strength in numbers and of pooling ideas and resources to the benefit of the sport and also their own clubs.

“The additional funding will help the group progress further and we are indebted to Sport England for their support.

“Our target now is to introduce 800 people to golf and hopefully excite them to want to continue in the game and hopefully join a club, but more importantly become a lifelong participant in a sport which brings so many health and social benefits.”

This is also the second golf group Cavendish GC has joined this year, after it helped form the Cavendish MacKenzie Trail with eight other golf courses all designed by legendary course architect Alister MacKenzie.