Alistair Dunsmuir

A former world champion boxer has called on a Nottinghamshire council to not close down a 120-year-old golf club in order to build hundreds of new homes.

Toptracer will trace every shot of The 154th Open’s global broadcast, offer fans live QR-code shot data on-site and power 20+ simulators across Royal Birkdale – including a new Global Challenge giving fans worldwide the chance to win tickets to The 155th Open at St Andrews.

A study testing four UK golf operators across AI platforms found the same club can rank strongly on one and vanish entirely on another – with operators having no visibility into how AI assistants are describing or recommending their venues to prospective golfers.

Matfen Hall opens its new 18-hole championship course, The Douglas.

The number of golf rounds played per course across Great Britain saw a large year-on-year decline in the opening quarter of 2026 according to new data, but it was still up on 2024 and participation levels are very strong at the moment.

The Professional Golfers’ Association of Great Britain & Ireland has appointed Nicholas Oakley as its next chief executive.

La Grande Mare in Guernsey has said it will open its redesigned 18-hole pay-and-play course in August, with greens built to the same specification as Adare Manor and green fees of £200 per round.

Duddingston Golf Club in the Lothians has appointed David MacMullen as its new head professional, and he will work alongside assistant professional Katie Graham.

Essex venue Golf Kingdom, which was acquired by Blackedge Golf and British Ensign Golf less than a year ago, has relaunched under the new name Whalebone Golf Club – positioning itself as a barrier-free, community-led club where dress codes and gatekeeping have no place.

In Great Britain and Ireland, membership of golf clubs dropped to a low of just over a million in 2019. That figure now stands at 1.35 million – the highest it’s been since 2010, according to new R&A figures.

One of the oldest golf clubs in England is to have its clubhouse demolished and housing will be built where it currently resides.  

The Belfry has unveiled a dramatic redesign of its Derby golf course, transforming it into a heathland layout with 60 new white sand bunkers, raised tees and three signature holes – completing a trio of distinct experiences alongside the Brabazon and PGA National.

A neuroscientist says new research shows the abdominal muscle movements involved in swinging a golf club drive cerebrospinal fluid flow in the brain, which, mixed with walking, could potentially protect against dementia.

A Dubai-based company, which recently acquired Old Thorns and Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has now taken on Breadsall Priory, St Pierre and Tudor Park in a major industry deal.

Prince’s Golf Club has unveiled The Laddie, a new championship composite course drawing the best holes from its three nines, named in honour of celebrated amateur golfer and RAF pilot P B “Laddie” Lucas.

The Mount Golf & Country Club has unveiled a premium four-court padel facility as part of a £500,000 investment, alongside £150,000 in drainage and £200,000 in changing facilities, as the Wolverhampton club pushes to become a leading Midlands leisure destination.

The 18-hole golf course at Gatton Manor Hotel & Country Club in Surrey is to permanently close after nearly six decades of uninterrupted play.

A comprehensive new report from The R&A has set out the strongest case yet for golf as a health-enhancing activity, citing evidence that golfers live on average five years longer than non-golfers and that the sport can help prevent and treat more than 40 major chronic diseases.

A new 12-hole golf venue featuring a driving range, padel and pickleball courts and modern hospitality with eco-cabin stays is to open in the South Downs this June.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has announced that Claire Dowling will serve as captain in 2026/27, the first time a woman has been appointed to the role since the club was founded in 1754.

Masters champion Ian Woosnam, Solheim Cup star Charley Hull and Walker Cup player Charlie Forster have officially opened the new Basingstoke Golf Club, marking the culmination of the club’s £20 million redevelopment.

A Russian oilman’s attempt to acquire a Lake District golf club sitting beside the only rail link to Britain’s nuclear submarine shipyard and Sellafield waste site has fallen apart following government intervention and questions from the Financial Times.

Ormskirk golfer Andrew Haswell won the Welsh Men’s Open Stroke Play Championship at Pyle & Kenfig — after a car smashed into his car, with him behind the wheel, outside the clubhouse.

Royal Lytham & St Annes has been named as the host of the 156th Open, to be played from July 30 to August 6, 2028. It will be the 12th time the Lancashire club has hosted the competition.