From Loch Lomond in Scotland to England’s south coast, the finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2022 showcase ingenuity, innovation and determination in the face of global turmoil and the British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) is proud to reveal the incredible greenkeeping teams who have been shortlisted for an award, to be presented at BTME 2022 later this month.
The BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition (BTME) will be taking place this March for the first time in its history, with a two-month delay caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of turf managers, greenkeepers, golf club owners and key industry decision makers are expected to take part in the industry’s premier exhibition and educational programme.
One of the highlights of BTME each year is the BIGGA Welcome Celebration, sponsored for the first time in 2022 by AMS Robotics. Taking place on the opening night of BTME and hosted by television broadcaster and golf enthusiast Naga Munchetty, the BIGGA Welcome Celebration feature the presentation of the prestigious BIGGA Awards 2022.
With incredible prizes up for grabs, the BIGGA Awards recognise that high standards of quality and dedication are vital to the success of any golf course or championship. They reward the innovation of BIGGA members who are at the cutting edge of their profession and any BIGGA member within the UK, regards of their golf facility’s size, age or reputation, can enter. The BIGGA Awards provide golf clubs with an opportunity to showcase a greenkeeping team’s success and celebrate their achievements.
The finalists of the BIGGA Awards 2022 are:
Championship Greenkeeping Performance of the Year sponsored by Origin Amenity Solutions
- Richard Ponsford and the team at Clevedon Golf Club for hosting the PGA EuroPro Tour’s Wright-Morgan Championship
- Simon Olver and the team at Ganton Golf Club for hosting The R&A Senior Amateur Championship and England Golf’s Brabazon Trophy
- Stuart Hogg MG and the team at The West Lancashire Golf Club for hosting The Rose Ladies Series and Regional and Final Qualifying for The Open
Greenkeeping Project of the Year sponsored by Baroness
- Darren Anderson MG and the team at Bromborough Golf Club for the ‘Leverhulme Project’ that saw the reconstruction of the 17th hole and various other course improvements
- David Cole MG and the team at Loch Lomond Golf Club for the complete reconstruction of the course, often described as the largest course redevelopment in UK golf history
- Matt Plested and the team at Stoneham Golf Club for the construction of the Stoneham Academy and various other course improvements
The winner of the Outstanding Contribution of the Year sponsored by Bernhard and Company will be revealed on the night.
More information about each of the finalists can be found on the BTME website at https://www.btme.org.uk/attendees/what-s-on/the-bigga-awards.html
BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “Much has happened since we last met in Harrogate at BTME 2020 and revealed the winners of the BIGGA Awards that year. Society has changed and together we have overcome some of the most difficult challenges any of us will face in our lifetime. Yet there have been bright moments along the way and I’m incredibly proud that BIGGA is today able to reveal the finalists of our annual awards, with six outstanding greenkeeping teams in with a shout of taking home the top prizes. It was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to these finalists and everyone who was nominated should be very proud of their efforts.
“When BTME returns this month, we’ll be kicking things off at Tuesday’s BIGGA Welcome Celebration and I can’t wait to unveil the winners of these awards. I look forward to seeing our friends and colleagues from across the industry in Harrogate for what promises to be a wonderful opening to our annual exhibition.”
BTME runs from Tuesday 22 March to Thursday 24 March 2022 with over 120 exhibitors taking part.
You can register online now for BTME or head to www.btme.org.uk for more information.
