Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa has seen a 77% surge in memberships and enrolments since Europe’s historic Ryder Cup win in the summer, in what the resort is calling the ‘Tommy Fleetwood Effect’.
On the back of the continuing golf boom, the Lancashire venue has also had a 20% year-on-year increase in footfall to its Toptracer driving range and a 43% increase in rounds played on its Woodhey Dunes course. Sales at the club shop are up 9% with golfers keen to invest in new equipment.
Tommy Fleetwood grew up in Southport and learned to play as a young boy at Formby Hall. He has deep roots at the club today and chose to open his first Tommy Fleetwood Academy at the club – the TFA Formby Hall – in 2019 under the leadership of his junior coach Norman Marshall.
The Fleetwood connection has also led to a surge in interest from young golfers, with junior enrolment up by 28% compared with pre–Ryder Cup levels. Calls to the Tommy Fleetwood Academy to find out more are up 200% and website visits are up by 219%.
Mark Williams, Golf Manager & Head Professional at Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa, said: “Formby Hall has been associated with golf’s elite since we opened in 1996. Having such strong links to one of the world’s best golfers in Tommy Fleetwood is a privilege.
“You can’t help but feel inspired by Tommy’s performance in Rome, and to see him secure the winning point for team Europe in his Sunday singles match was amazing. It’s fantastic to see how his achievements have inspired junior and adult golfers to take up golf, we’ve had everything from complete novices to experts get in touch with us since the Ryder Cup.”
Fleetwood won Formby Hall’s junior champion title in 2003 and made his first hole-in-one on the 16th hole at just 12 years of age. At the TFA Formby Hall, Marshall uses his decades of experience and time with Fleetwood to create structured coaching programmes that include the games and drills that his star pupil used as a developing golfer.
Marshall says: “Golf is a powerful sport that teaches many life lessons. The peak in interest in the TFA just goes to show what a role model and inspiration Tommy is. We have a range of coaching programmes with one-to-one lessons and group coaching for men, women and juniors and it’s the demand from new juniors that we’ve seen a real increase post-Ryder cup.
“Our programmes incorporate life skills and lessons that extend far beyond the golf course and into our daily lives – things like resilience, hard-work and belief, which is especially powerful for young people. We have juniors and their parents who tell us that the skills acquired at the TFA help them to manage difficult times in their lives and have built up their confidence – that’s something me and Tommy are incredibly proud of.”
