Women & Golf headed to Manchester for the England Golf Awards - an inspiring evening with a lot to celebrate
After four years, the England Golf Awards returned to an in-person event and what an evening it was as the golf industry and clubs across England came together to celebrate the achievements of the past year.
Women & Golf were delighted to attend and see 11 England Golf Awards handed out at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate.
Broadcaster and presenter Clare Balding was a fabulous host and engaged so well with the 400 invited guests and award winners on the night. Highlighting her real passion for the sport, a sport she wished she had started playing sooner.
The awards are designed to recognise and reward individuals, teams, clubs and counties who have shone in the past year and made a positive contribution to the amateur game in this country.
England Golf Awards 2023: The Winners
In nine of the 11 categories, nominations were made by the public and a panel of 39 judges comprising experts from the golf industry, the media and England Golf staff had the unenviable task of picking one winner in each section.
The nominees for the Tournament Venue of the Year and Performance of the Year category were put forward and then judged by staff in the England Golf championships and performance departments respectively.
Each category winner receives an engraved glass trophy – supplied by Burridge London – to mark their achievement.
To find out more about each category winner, simply click on the links below:
- Young Volunteer of the Year – Emily Horsted (Woodhall Spa GC, Lincolnshire)
- Volunteer of the Year – Sonia McCarthy and Kirsty Joly (Sandown Park GC, Surrey)
- Participation and Development Coach of the Year – Mike Dodd (Sturminster Marshall GC, Dorset)
- Tournament Venue of the Year – Sherwood Forest GC (Nottinghamshire)
- Sustainability Project of the Year – Bigbury GC (Devon)
- County of the Year – Bedfordshire
- Women and Girls’ Trailblazer – Girl Guiding Project (Hertfordshire)
- Diversity and Inclusion Champion – Muslim Golf Association
- Club of the Year – Seckford GC (Suffolk)
- Performance of the Year – Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield GC, Yorkshire)
- Lifetime Service Award – David Phillips (Saltford GC, Somerset)
England Golf CEO, Jeremy Tomlinson, said:
"It has been an honour and privilege to welcome everyone to the Hilton Manchester Deansgate to celebrate the exceptional contributions of so many wonderful people to golf in England.
"We received some fantastic nominations for clubs, volunteers and individuals across the country and we'd like to congratulate all of our finalists, and of course, our winners.
"I would also like to extend my thanks to our wonderful host Clare Balding, whose warmth and enthusiasm radiated throughout the evening."
Speaking after the event, Clare Balding said:
"As a passionate golfer and someone who loves to play regularly, it was an absolute dream for me to host the England Golf Awards 2023.
"I had such a fantastic time hosting and huge congratulations to all our finalists and our winners. They are truly the people who make the game so enjoyable for players up and down the country."
If you want to find out more about the England Golf Awards - please visit the website here.
