Hampshire-based Huxley Golf, the PGA’s official supplier for all-weather golf surfaces, has announced the appointment of a new distributor in Russia. This ground-breaking partnership signals a major opportunity to extend the sport’s reach in this vast nation. Huxley Golf Russia will be led by Ostap Lukyanov the Co-Owner of the business and his Managing Director Dmitriy Mordasov.
Unlike many sports, golf is not one often associated with Russia. Indeed, despite the first 18-hole course opening there nearly twenty years ago in 1994, there remain few courses in the country. And yet, interest, it seems, is increasing, not least because golf is now an Olympic sport.
Barriers to extending a golf culture in Russia have been reported as being primarily driven by a lack of training facilities as well as adverse natural conditions which have, until now, required clever course design and significant investment.
Speaking enthusiastically about the opportunity, Mr Lukyanov said: “Golf in Russia and across Eastern Europe is relatively new but it’s a game that Russians are really beginning to take to. Russian’s natural determination in all that they do means that they are more than willing to put in the hard work to improve and excel at any sport.”
He continued: “The trouble is that for half the year snow coverage renders unusable the majority of the few golf practice facilities available there. All-season surfaces therefore offer significant advantages in terms of fostering a golfing culture, developing youth training and potentially luring lucrative golf tourism to the region. I’m extremely proud to be bringing the prestigious Huxley Golf brand toRussia.”
Paul Huxley, Director of Huxley Golf, which has a growing network of distributors in the UK and abroad, said: “Ostap is the right man to help develop Russia’s budding golfing industry. Having trained in Switzerland and Spain, he is extremely knowledgeable and is dedicated to advancing the sport. His natural flair for turning ideas into reality will enable him to demonstrate how world-renowned Open Championship courses like St Andrews, Gleneagles and Celtic Manor have benefited from world-class Huxley Golf all-weather surfaces and how this experience might be replicated in Russia for the benefit of all involved in the game there.”
Huxley Golf Russia will offer the full range of Huxley Golf surfaces including course tees, practice tees, greens, indoor and outdoor putting greens, pathways, lawns, mats and practice nets; with hotel, golf clubs, teaching academies, and private clients all targets areas for development. The design and installation of a practice and demonstration ground inGeorgiais already underway.
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