Jodie Kidd will be bringing a touch of style and glamour to Brocket Hall Golf Club after agreeing to become the new ambassador for the historic venue’s ladies section.
A self-confessed golf nut, the former supermodel has swapped the catwalk for the fairways and will be at the forefront of the future development of ladies and junior girls’ golf at the prestigious Hertfordshire club.
As part of her role, Kidd, 34, will help promote and expand Brocket Hall’s growing female membership, which already includes rising England international Gabriella Cowley and professional Tara Dayer-Smith, a winner on the Jamega Tour this season.
Cowley, who plays off a +3.3 handicap, announced herself as a star of the future after qualifying for last month’s Ricoh Women’s British Open at the age of just 17, while Dayer-Smith is forging a successful career for herself in golf after taking a ten-year break from the game and plans to combine playing with a future coaching role at Brocket Hall.
Kidd said: “I’ve loved playing golf ever since I first tried it after my father bought me a lesson as a Christmas present as a child, and there are few grander or more beautiful places to play at than Brocket Hall.
“It is a stunning location and the club has everything that a golfer could want with some outstanding facilities. It’s a great honour to have been asked to join the club’s ambassador programme and promote it to a female wider audience.”
Dayer-Smith added: “I’m extremely proud to be representing Brocket Hall and will be working hard to promote the estate at every opportunity. I’m going to be starting my coaching qualifications this year so hope to help develop women’s golf at the club as well as bringing new ladies in to experience the estate.”
Kidd is the latest star name to join Brocket Hall’s new team of ambassadors after European Tour star Simon Khan and 2013 World Matchplay and European Long Driving champion Joe Miller were unveiled earlier this summer and is further evidence of the club’s long-term commitment to safeguarding and developing the game at a grass roots level.
David Griffin, club manager at Brocket Hall Golf Club, said: “We are dedicated to the future growth of the women’s game at Brocket Hall and across Hertfordshire, both in increasing participation and in elite development. We are delighted to have Jodie on board to lead this and encourage women to enjoy their golf at Brocket Hall and develop all aspects of their game.”
Set within 543 acres of stunning 18th century parkland, Brocket Hall boasts some of the finest golf facilities in England, with its two 18-hole championship courses famously named after the prime ministers who once resided there, Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston.
Opened in 1992, the par-72 Melbourne Course is set in magnificent surroundings, crossing the River Lea several times before a memorable finish in front of the hall after a short ferry ride to the 18th green.
In contrast, the Palmerston Course – designed by Donald Steel – is a challenging par-73 woodland layout, with rare Hornbeam, Scots and Corsican pine and 300-year-old oak trees creating a memorable test for professionals and amateurs alike, and was ranked 86th in the latest ‘Top 100 Golf Courses in England’ poll.
In addition, golfers can hone their skills at the renowned PalmerstonGolfAcademy, and no visit to Brocket Hall is complete without indulging in five-star dining at its award-winning restaurant, Auberge du Lac, a more laid-back meal in Watershyppes Restaurant or a stay in the recently-refurbished Melbourne Lodge.
Brocket Hall Golf Club www.brocket-hall.co.uk