England Golf has published a list of the 328 golf clubs that have received more than £2.5 million between them of coronavirus support.
Since August, England Golf has carried out an assessment process on all submissions to the Covid-19 Support Fund before distributing the money, provided by The R&A, to the 328 golf clubs and facilities all across England.
The publication comes as up to £500,000 of new Covid-19 funding to support some of the nearly 450 English golf clubs that narrowly missed out on the grant earlier has also been announced.
Nearly 800 English golf clubs applied for support this summer, but more than half of them were unsuccessful. Clubs which were able to demonstrate both a financial need and a well-structured plan designed to assist business resilience and promote future sustainability, have each received funding of up to £10,000 in the last month.
Clubs in the south east to receive the maximum £10,000 grant included Addington Court, Brokenhurst Manor, Bush Hill Park, Canterbury, Chigwell, Dorking, Hurtmore, Lydd, Newbury & Crookham, Paultons Golf Centre, Puttenham, Stoneham, Temple, Theydon Bois, Waterlooville, Wickham Park and Wrag Barn.
Most clubs received sums between £5,000 and £9,500, with the smallest amount being the £1,493 awarded to Westonbirt Golf Club in Gloucestershire and the £1,700 awarded to RAF Coningsby Golf Club in Lincolnshire.
However, with 775 applicants to the original support fund and these applications totalling over £7.2 million, England Golf was unable to satisfy all requests.
England Golf chief executive officer, Jeremy Tomlinson, commented: “I hope this will help to make a real difference to clubs and facilities who have shown amazing resilience and resourcefulness in a year of unprecedented disruption. It was clear to us that if we could dedicate money to invest in sustainable projects at clubs in the short-term, then the long-term benefits could be substantial for our game. Throughout the pandemic we have communicated regularly with our clubs, counties and golfers and provided advice, guidance and practical help where we could. We have also listened to our clubs and worked with them for the good of the game. Sometimes, though, clubs simply need money to bring projects to life.
He added: “I would like to thank the England Golf Board for sanctioning this additional investment on top of the money we gratefully received from The R&A and which has already been distributed to 328 clubs. This not only demonstrates the faith we have in our golf clubs as they build for the future, but also reaffirms our total commitment to driving the development of the amateur game in England.”
In accordance with England Golf’s policy of widening the appeal and improving the overall health of the game, clubs and facilities applying to the fund have also made a firm commitment to safeguarding and equality. Those clubs and facilities which stand to benefit from the increased investment have been contacted with a view to grants being distributed during November.
For a full list of clubs to benefit from the England Golf Covid Support Fund, click here.