Royal Ascot’s professional experience

At this year’s club championships at Royal Ascot Golf Club, 120 golfers enjoyed live scoring, PA announcements across the course and branding hubs on selected tees.

Royal Ascot Golf Club members were whisked into the professional limelight like never before during the 56th staging of the course’s annual club championships this summer.

The Berkshire course invited 120 members to participate in the historic two-day competition which was first staged in 1967 with players competing to win the Derek Lane Trophy.

For the first time, the tournament featured a mix of live scoring, player PA announcements and major branding boards around selected tees to give a professional tour feel to the club’s premiere members event.

Members, guests and visitors then celebrated players’ achievements in the clubhouse afterwards with an all-welcome barbecue with music as part of the club’s community ethos.

Stephen Nicholson, general manager at Royal Ascot Golf Club, said: “The club championships is a real highlight among our growing membership base.

“It’s an opportunity for members to secure the bragging rights for the year while enjoying an event which has sat at the heart of our social calendar for more than 50 years.

“Conditions across the two days were challenging, but the course held up really well and remains in fantastic order before we invest further in our drainage and bunker renovations plus the surrounding landscape.

“We were especially pleased to bring in additional elements to this year’s championship such as PA announcements, live scoring and additional branding boards which really added to the atmosphere on both days.

“Events of this kind epitomise how we intend to drive our long-term vision to being an inclusive, friendly, social and welcoming club while being committed to the development and awareness of golf locally.”

After the initial field was cut to 60 following a day’s play, Tom Webb won the men’s competition via a four-hole play-off with Gordon Barr while Gayle Kennedy was triumphant in the women’s event by a staggering 16 shots. Meanwhile the nett winners – after handicap – across the two days were Gordon Barr and Antoinette Marx.