Jim Long, the director of golf professional relations at Golfbreaks.com, died on December 24 after a short battle with cancer.
The 65-year-old enjoyed a wide-ranging career in golf, which began when he played for England’s youth team as an amateur. He progressed to the professional ranks, and played four years on tour in Europe and Africa, including an appearance in the PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Long branched out into golf tourism, founding Longshot Golf Holidays, and among his numerous achievements, he helped organise more than 150 pro-am tournaments around the world, including events in America, Portugal, Spain, Hong Kong, South Africa, Mexico, Dubai and Thailand.
His expertise and knowledge led to consultancy roles with TWA, TrustHouse Forte, Dom Pedro Hotels and Sand Martins Golf Club.
More recently, Long was a familiar figure at Windsor-based golf holiday company Golfbreaks.com, where he was instrumental in helping fellow PGA pros develop golf tuition breaks and visits overseas.