Golf events and development initiatives in countries ranging from Uganda to St Kitts to Venezuela are set to benefit from a series of grants announced by The R&A. These include international amateur team events in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and South America.
In announcing the latest awards, Duncan Weir, the R&A’s director of golf development, said, “The R&A is committed to promoting and developing golf both nationally and internationally through funding derived entirely from the annual surplus generated by The Open Championship. This aim will continue as we seek to encourage the expansion of the game’s playing throughout our sphere of governance.”
The list of grants is as follows
Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation:
£25,000 towards the 2005 Nomura Cup being played in Japan in September. This is the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation’s biennial men’s international amateur team championship
British Amputee & Les Autres Sports Association:
£3,000 towards 2005 Championship
Caribbean Golf Association:
$35,000 US towards 2005 Junior and Amateur Team Championships being played in the Dominican Republic and St Kitts.
Colombian Golf Federation:
£10,000 towards the construction of the first public driving range in Bogota.
Cyprus Golf Federation:
£5,000 towards junior coaching for each of the next three years
English Golf Union:
£15,000 towards the 2005 European Men’s Amateur Team Championship being played at Hillside, Lancashire.
Faldo Series:
£15,000 towards existing European activities and an additional £15,000 towards the Series‘ 2005 expansion into Asia
Ladies‘ Golf Union:
£130,000 towards the playing of the 2004 Curtis Cup match at Formby, Lancashire and £10,000 towards the Great Britain and Ireland team playing against the Continent of Europe in the 2005 Vagliano Trophy match at Chantilly, France in July.
New Zealand Golf Association:
£10,000 towards natural disaster fund. 50% to go to Te Marua Golf Club hit badly by landslides.
Scottish Blind Golf Society:
£4,000 towards 2005 events.
St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association:
£10,000 towards ongoing programme
Uganda Golf Union:
£5,000 towards the 2004 East African Golf Challenge
Venezuela Golf Federation:
£10,000 towards the 2005 Simon Bolivar Men’s International Amateur Team event and $5,000 US towards the 2005 South American Junior Team Championship
The R&A works closely with many of golf’s national governing bodies around the world and is pleased to announce that the National Federation of Golf of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the most recent addition to its list of affiliates.
The total annual budget available to The R&A Golf Development Committee and Training Panel is £4 million.
The R&A www.RandA.org