The 2024 Golf Course Awards for Great Britain & Ireland crowned 12 inaugural winners across a diverse range of categories in London last week.
Last week, I headed down to London for the inaugural Golf Course Awards. As a judge I got a front row seat at the ceremony that was held at The Shangri-La in the iconic Shard. As well as attending, I got to present Scotland Course of the Year and take part in a panel discussion.
The Golf Course Awards unveiled the winners of their inaugural edition, celebrating excellence across a diverse range of categories. The Golf Course Awards seek to recognise courses and organisations from right across the golfing ecosystem, challenging existing interpretations of excellence, by focusing on innovation, sustainability and accessibility, alongside design, conditioning and aesthetic beauty.
Great Britain & Ireland's Course of the Year 2024
Worplesdon (pictured top) were awarded England Course of the Year, as well as the flagship award; Great Britain & Ireland’s Golf Course of the Year 2024. Worplesdon’s secretary Chris Lomas collected the award, and reflected on what it meant to the club:
“I can’t tell you how much this means to everyone at Worplesdon. To have a credible awards programme, one that is independent and without agenda is exactly what the golf industry needs.”
The Golf Course Awards judging panel reflected on Worplesdon’s success:
“They are a course that has had an undoubtedly exceptional year, but also one whose success reflects a commitment to drive the club forward, both on and off the course. It’s particularly inspiring to see a relatively small, traditional club operating at such a high level across so many areas.”
This year’s winners were presented at a prestigious ceremony hosted by Sky Sports Presenter Nick Dougherty at the Shangri-La in The Shard. All 50 finalists were able to point towards exceptionally successful years, having each delivered a range of incredible initiatives and programmes, as well as innovative on and off course improvements. Chosen by a distinguished panel, Chair of Judges Nick Dougherty reflected on the judging process:
“As judges we looked for courses that met every criteria point - courses that have recently improved the playing experience, as well as the overall property, but also courses and clubs that sought a role in their local communities and ran programmes and initiatives to create a more inclusive environment.”
The 2024 Golf Course Awards categories and winners:
GB & Ireland Golf Course of the Year: Worplesdon
“Worplesdon is a course that has had an undoubtedly exceptional year, but also one whose success is built on a commitment to running a thriving golf club in every department. They met every criteria point, with a strategic vision focused firmly on the future - an outstanding course, a progressive club, and a fully deserving winner of Great Britain & Ireland’s Golf Course of the Year 2024.” The Golf Course Awards Judging Panel
England: Golf Course of the Year: Worplesdon
“It’s inspiring to see a relatively small traditional club operating at such a high level across so many areas – clearly set on driving forward on and off the course, they are running outstanding junior and women’s programmes, and are a worthy winner of England Golf Course of the Year 2024.” David Jones, Golf Course Awards Judge
Wales: Golf Course of the Year: Pyle & Kenfig
“Pyle & Kenfig is a club and a course on the rise – they have carried out some wonderful course improvements, and are doing a huge amount of work off the course, with sustainability and inclusion initiatives making a positive impact on the environment and within their community – a deserving winner of Wales Golf Course of the Year 2024.” Nick Dougherty, Golf Course Awards Judge
Scotland: Golf Course of the Year: Old Course at St Andrews
“As the home of golf, you wouldn’t be surprised if they occasionally got complacent, but the Old Course and St. Andrews take their responsibilities to their community and to the sport of golf incredibly seriously, never more so than over the last 12 months.
The AIG Women’s Open felt like a seminal moment for Women’s Golf, with young girls truly embracing the opportunity to experience the Old Course with a twist, in what truly did feel like a festival of golf.” Emma Ballard, Golf Course Awards Judge
Ireland: Golf Course of the Year: The Colt Championship Links at County Sligo
“County Sligo is a truly welcoming club, running great inclusivity and sustainability initiatives. Recent course improvements have bedded in brilliantly, and the academy is growing and excelling – a worthy winner of Ireland Golf Course of the Year 2024” The Golf Course Awards Judging Panel
Emerging Course of the Year: Dumbarnie Links
“A modern style links with one of the best clubhouses, it’s only been around for a few years, and it looks like it’s been bedded in over a hundred years. The veteran programme for the caddies is a stand-out initiative, and really does save lives – a worthy winner without a doubt.” Inci Mehmet, Golf Course Awards Judge
Short Course of the Year: Sunningdale Heath
“Sunningdale Heath are a truly inclusive club, led by an inspirational team with clear vision – one built on supporting the next generation, on engendering a real community spirit, and on providing a course that can be enjoyed by all. Intergenerational and mixed-ability golf works perfectly at this special course.
Quite simply, we felt it embodied everything a short course should be, and was an incredibly deserving winner.” Nick Dougherty, Golf Course Awards Judge
Sustainability Award: Carnoustie
“Carnoustie have built in sustainability considerations to literally everything they do, the scale and breadth of their initiatives are market leading across the board, and without doubt, deserve to be the inaugural champions of the The Sustainability Award.” Scott Macpherson, Golf Course Awards Judge
Junior Golf Programme of the Year: Close House
“We all felt that juniors were absolutely central to the club, and given prominence in a way you rarely see at a course of this standard.
Growing golf in the North-East of England, especially for juniors, is at the core of everything Close House do. The instruction is first rate and Juniors are encouraged to get out on the courses as early and as often as possible – they are worthy winners of Junior Golf Programme of the Year.” Dan Walker, Golf Course Awards Judge
Golf Resort of the Year: Adare Manor
“Adare Manor is a bucket list destination for most people, but we just felt that with the benefits the Ryder Cup will bring to the local community, and recent improvements to the already world-beating experience offered to all guests, they deserved to win Resort Course of the Year 2024.
If you only visit one golf resort in the world, Adare Manor should be that one resort.” David Jones, Golf Course Awards Judge
Practice Facility of the Year: Sigmoid HQ
“World class coaching and tech set-up, as well as an incredible variety of programmes and initiatives. I loved finding out that Sigmoid HQ also focus on the nutritional, physio and mental side of golf practice, not just the technical side of the game.” Nick Dougherty, Golf Course Awards Judge
Inclusivity Award: Golf It! Glasgow
“Golf It! Glasgow have made incredible strides in a short space of time. Inclusivity is in their DNA, and are a true trailblazer in every sense – we are delighted to recognise Golf It! Glasgow as our inaugural Inclusivity Award winner.” The Golf Course Awards Judging Panel
Highly Commended Golf Courses
The judging panel were so impressed by the quality of the finalists that on four occasions, they decided to also highly commend a course, where they felt the gap between first and second was sufficiently small.
The four highly commended courses are as follows:
Junior Golf Programme of the Year: Sunningdale Heath
England: Golf Course of the Year: The Grove
Short Course of the Year: Repton 6 Hole Short Course
Golf Resort of the Year: Mount Juliet Estate
The winners were chosen by the esteemed Golf Course Awards Judging Academy, which this year featured a panel of renowned judges: Nick Dougherty, Eimear McManus, Dan Walker, David Jones, Emma Ballard, Scott Macpherson, Inci Mehmet, and Andrew Cotter. Finalists were identified following the submissions process, selected by the evaluations of a team of expert reviewers, the awards administrators with input from the 2024 judging panel.
Golf Course Awards - Bigger and better in 2025
Golf Course Awards Co-Founder & MD of AGILE Luke Giles, reflected on a successful inaugural year and on plans for the future:
“We’re delighted to have delivered a campaign and event that has been so well received by Great Britain & Ireland’s outstanding golf courses, clubs & facilities. We’re here to recognise and platform excellence from right across the industry, and we’re delighted to see such a breadth of inaugural winners, as chosen by our fantastically committed judging panel.
AGILE have been running independent and inclusive awards programmes for 20+ years, and are known for turning successful industry events into high-profile consumer campaigns. Our inaugural year has laid the foundations to deliver exponential growth over the coming years - the awards ambition is to secure national cut-through with golf consumers, as well as sustained cross-national media coverage, and to become known by ALL golf enthusiasts as a trusted tool for selecting their next course.”
With further events planned in the Spring, the Golf Course Awards is set to be bigger and better in 2025. Submissions will open in March, so make sure to follow online via social media and head to their website to sign up to their mailing list to keep up with upcoming announcements.
For further details on the judging process and panellists, please visit golfcourseawards.com.
