Former Ryder Cup player and multiple European Tour winner, David Howell, has welcomed 60 youngsters to The Grove’s inaugural Junior Open.
Howell, The Grove’s first golf ambassador, was on hand to greet all of the children and took time with each of them during a putting clinic to impart some tips and advice on how to putt like a European Tour professional.
Underlining The Grove’s commitment to attracting more children to take up golf, the amateur competition, sponsored by Cobra Golf and Max Golf Protein, was staged on the Kyle Phillips-designed championship golf course and was open to all juniors with an official handicap under the age of 18.
David Howell said: “I am passionate about getting children excited about golf and the fun, family-friendly environment at The Grove is ideally suited to help stimulate a young golfer’s appetite for the game.
“It is great to see so many juniors taking part in this competition and enjoying the experience of playing one of England’s finest courses under tournament condition.”
Both Howell and The Grove share the ideal of bringing more young players to the game and see the tournament as a perfect opportunity to do this.
“Following the success of this inaugural competition we now aim to establish this event as one of the UK’s leading junior competitions over the coming years,” added Anna Darnell, Director of Golf & Resort Experiences at The Grove.
“For all visiting golfers there is no formal dress code for the course and no requirement for a handicap certificate to be able to play, making The Grove the ideal venue for juniors taking their first steps into golf and hopefully we will be able to help develop one of the next golfing greats.”
The Junior Open attracted a high-calibre field, with Jack Kelly coming out on top with a Gross 70 (-2) to win the scratch competition and Sam Hadley (9 handicap), claiming the handicap prize, with a nett score of 64 (-8).
The Grove, host venue of the 2016 British Masters, has established itself as one of the UK’s leading venues for amateur open golf tournaments, including its annual Ladies Open and the ‘Back on Black’ series, which provides entrants with the opportunity to experience the course as it was set up for the 2006 WGC-American Express Championship, won by Tiger Woods.
Sitting alongside the championship golf course, The Grove offers luxury accommodation in 26 historic Mansion House suites, as well as 189 rooms within the contemporary West Wing, close to the Sequoia Spa where guests can indulge in a variety of treatments and therapies.
The Grove www.thegrove.co.uk