The R&A has announced a series of grants totalling more than £1 million to recipients in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, the Caribbean and the Middle East.
These grants are in addition to the ongoing annual provision to developing countries of TaylorMade starter clubs for children, range balls provided by St Andrews Links Trust and reconditioned greenkeeping machinery.
In 2005 direct grant support for golf development was £2.3 million, a total that will be at least matched in 2006. The R&A’s stated ambition, to deliver more than £50 million of grant and other benefits to the game by the end of the decade remains on track.
Duncan Weir, director of golf development for The R&A said, “We are pleased to continue our support of golf throughout the world and hope that one day, top class golfers emerge from those nations where golf is still in its infancy.
“Many of these awards are as a result of approaches made by federations and other organisations and we remain committed to consider every request for funding, no matter how small.
“We are now targeting eastern Europe and next month I am going to Slovenia for the qualifying event for the 2007 European Men’s Amateur Team Championship. A number of Europe’s smaller countries are competing, some of whose officials we are inviting to The Open at Royal Liverpool.”
R&A www.RandA.org
The grants include the following awards:
Arab Golf Federation
£20,000 towards the 2006 Pan-Arab Championships being played in the Lebanon
Caribbean Golf Association
US $35,000 towards the 2006 Junior and Adult Championships being played in Puerto Rico and Jamaica
Chilean Golf Federation
US $5,000 towards the 2006 South American Junior Championship
Chinese Taipei Golf Association
£25,000 towards the 2007 Nomura Cup, the biennial Asia-Pacific men’s international amateur team championship
Colombian Golf Federation
US $5,000 towards the 2006 South American Pre-Junior Championship and £25,000 towards a public facility in Bogota
Ecuador Golf Federation
£7,000 towards coaching
Elmwood College China-Scotland Partnership
£400,000 over three years to continue greenkeeping/ management education programme first funded in 2000
French Golf Federation
£100,000 towards new academy facility near Paris
Hermitage Children’s Course
£25,000 towards facility enhancement in Edinburgh
Kenya Junior Golf Foundation
£1,500 towards junior recruitment campaign
Korean Golf Association
£5,000 towards 2006 Neighbours Trophy, an international men’s amateur team event played between Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei
Ladies Asian Golf Tour
US $10,000 towards refereeing expenses
Ladies European Tour
£75,000 towards operating costs
Malaysian Ladies Golf Association
£5,000 per annum for three years towards coaching
National Association of Public Golf Courses
£10,000 towards 2006 Championship plus £2,500 towards its junior equivalent
Peru Golf Federation
£28,000 towards the 2006 Copa Los Andes, the annual South American men’s and women’s international amateur team championship
Professional Golfers’ Association
£110,000 per annum for three years towards training programmes
Professional Golfers’ Associations of Europe
£50,000 towards 2006 activities
RAF Kinloss
£5,000 towards air force base driving range enhancement
Ruchill Community Golf Course
£25,000 towards re-introduction of public facility in Glasgow
Scottish Golf Union
£7,500 towards child protection initiatives
Sports Turf Research Institute
£400,000 loan and £100,000 grant towards facilities plan in Yorkshire
Sri Lanka Golf Union
£5,000 towards agronomic advice
Tunisian Golf Federation
£10,000 per annum for three years towards coaching
Venezuela Golf Federation
£10,000 towards 2007 Simon Bolivar Cup, a men’s international amateur team event
Virgin Islands Golf Federation
US $5,000 towards coaching
Zambia Ladies’ Golf Union
£28,000 towards the 2006 All-Africa Challenge Trophy
Zimbabwe Ladies’ Golf Union
£10,000 towards 2006 amateur international matches