Clevedon Golf Club celebrated its 130th anniversary in 2021. The Somerset venue had been awarded its second professional event in 2018, when the team learned they would be hosting the Wright-Morgan Championship on the PGA EuroPro Tour. After a successful staging, the club learned the Tour would be returning in 2020.
However, the coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of the event in 2020, but the team was given the chance to prove themselves the following year when it was announced the event would return in 2021.
BIGGA Members: Richard Ponsford (course manager), Ashley Darnley, Delwyn Pople, Joe Swift, Thomas Llewellyn, Tom Hicks.
In 2021 Clevedon hosted:
"If we were going to achieve this, what would we need?"
Clevedon is a modest club with a limited budget, but more machinery would be required as the ageing fleet was not up to the task
Volunteers were enlisted to help present the course during the week as there was limited time to work and split shifts were implemented
The home team would be required to work longer hours in the build up to the event
But mainly, there would need to be tremendous drive from the team to overcome the challenges and see how far they could go with the course and tools at their disposal
"This event clearly showed the skills of our greenkeeping team and the effort that is required to present a magnificent golf course. It should be noted that this level has been maintained for the membership moving forward."
Reece Miller, executive manager
Richard undertook meticulous planning to ensure everything he wanted to deliver could be achieved.
He effectively used the BIGGA network of resources to offer the opportunity to other greenkeeping staff to help out.
Richard also approached equipment supplier Toro for additional items to assist with the presentation.
The team work split schedules starting at 5am prior to the tournament and they would then return at 4pm each evening and work until dusk to get the course ready for the next day.
Following the event, Richard has undertaken a comprehensive overview of equipment and a 7-year rolling machinery schedule has been adopted with an investment of over £350,000 agreed with the club.
"Having competed on the PGA EuroPro Tour and various events, Clevedon has vastly improved its standard of golf course preparation and quality over the last 24 months. Talking to the other competitors that week, they couldn't believe the transformation and it was a delight to play."
Ashley Mansell, PGA Europro Tour player
"I wanted to pass on my thanks for all the work you did for all the work you did for us at Clevedon for the Wright-Morgan Championship. I can honestly say the course was the best presented venue of the year and you and your staff left no stone unturned to ensure the event went smoothly. The players were full of praise for the course condition and setup."
Ash Weller, lead tournament director, PGA Europro Tour