Features

Two of the three men who have owned Strathmore Golf Centre in Scotland for the last two decades are now set to retire, and they have placed the venue up for sale. They talk about their hopes for the future of the facility.

Ian Melham, Head of Membership Services at Foremost Golf, shares why the structure of the fitting journey is just as crucial as the fitting session itself.

Why a planning change could be a lifeline for club owners, writes Ian Barnett, Group Land and Development Director, LRG.

Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club in Cumbria has launched a new coaching programme which aims to help players of all ages and abilities. It is being led by new full-time head teaching professional Ellie Broome, who has just returned to her home-town club for a second spell. “From the beginner to established single-figure players we are…

Here’s three stories from the first month of 2026 that tell us a lot about the state of the golf industry in the UK at the moment.

A golf and country club near Horsham in West Sussex has announced that eight-year-old British junior champion golfer Billy Stott has become its first official young golf ambassador.

After enjoying his first ever hole-in-one at his home club, Overstone Park (Northamptonshire), disabled golfer Patrick ‘Pat’ Duke has revealed that golf saved his life.

Golf tournaments are a big part of club life.

The general manager of SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort Hotel in Spain, Stéphane Menou, shares how the launch of The Alto Club, a modern golf facility, is building on the venue’s legacy of its established golf clubs such as Real Club Valderrama, Real Club Sotogrande and La Reserva Club.

Nelli Kovanen grew up next to Finland’s first golf course, then worked at Carnoustie and, for the last three years, has been part of the team at The R&A. She’s now joined this magazine as the key contact for the golf industry.

Michael Walker, the CEO of SYNLawn UK, the leading supplier of custom-fit sustainable artificial turf solutions to both the commercial and private sectors, brings a fresh perspective to golf’s evolving challenges.

The current captain of the PGA, David Scott, is the general manager of Dumbarnie Links in Scotland, widely considered one of the world’s leading new courses. Here he talks about the five years since the venue opened and how he uses golf to help soldiers suffering with PTSD.

How inclusive practices and innovative research are shaping the future of golf accessibility.

Richard Smith, the head professional at Rookery Park Golf Club in Suffolk, talks about adapting to change in the modern golf industry, building a thriving junior and membership pathway, embracing – and even personally funding – technology, and why his approach to business fits perfectly with the TGI Golf Partnership’s.

From Royal Dornoch’s spectacular new clubhouse to concerns about the impact the cost of living crisis is having on the golf industry, 2025 ended with another month of contrasting stories.

Brothers Andrea and Francesco Scrofani, along with Mario Paoluzi, own Picciolo Etna Golf Resort, a golf course that lies on the slopes of Mount Etna in Italy. They’re investing £14 million in the resort, which they talk about here.

Abbey Hill Golf Centre has reaffirmed its commitment to sustainability through a series of new initiatives that connect the club more closely with the Milton Keynes community.

Fairmont St Andrews’ director of golf, Callum Nicol, explains how the resort is evolving with shifting golfer demographics, new technology and the rise of content-driven travel.

A survey of UK golf club members has found a significant number might not renew in 2026 while an industry expert warns that more clubs will close because costs are too high.

At Robinhood Golf Club in Solihull, head professional Jamie Carney has built more than just a thriving golf business — he’s created a family enterprise rooted in hard work, trust and togetherness.

By Ian Melham, Head of Membership Services, Foremost Golf.

From booking tee times to your club’s social events and its own accounting, intelligentgolf’s integrated system is helping golf clubs run more efficiently than ever, helping you deliver a better experience for members and visitors.

In 2013 Strathmore Golf Club set up a club hire scheme in which children pay just £25 per year and in return can hire golf clubs. This has led to a boom in participation at the club, as its junior convenor, Iain Butchart, details.

Every golfer knows that success on the course means making smart choices and thinking carefully about risk.

This summer, Paultons Golf Centre in Hampshire welcomed a field of the best golfers with disabilities from across the UK and Europe for two events. Here, we speak to Hampshire Golf’s county secretary, Richard Arnold, and Paultons’ general manager, Molly Pavey, about the collaboration that successfully delivered these inclusive events.

The trio reveal interesting information about the state of the British and Irish golf industries at this time.

Slinfold Golf & Country Club’s general manager, Luke Blacker, talks about a decade of transformation at the West Sussex club — from multimillion-pound course and driving range improvements to expanding junior and female participation, and building strong community ties through sport and charity.