Golf club wins top award for facilities

A Staffordshire golf course has won a top award for excellent facilities, developing players and serving its community.

The 3 Hammers Golf Complex in Coven, near Wolverhampton, was named Golf Facility of the Year at the England Golf Awards on Wednesday evening.

More than 30 people who have started at the club have gone on to secure jobs in golf, including tour players and internationally recognised coaches, the club said.

Owner Ian Bonser said he was very proud of the club and thanked his staff for their hard work.

"I am very proud of the facilities we have at 3 Hammers, but this award goes to our incredible staff who deliver the welcoming, personal, inclusive experience that the judges recognised," he said.

The five team members who attended the awards ceremony in Manchester have worked at the club for a combined 148 years "which shows how much our team love the venue and everything it stands for", he added.

The award recognises the inclusive, welcoming and diverse nature of the venue, the role it plays in the local community, and its commitment to developing golf and golfers.

The club said it had built a reputation as a "pioneering venue and industry leader", and offered different golf formats and non-golf activities.

It was involved in community outreach work with schools, underprivileged young people and disability groups.

The club was established in 1965, with its short course designed by renowned golf architect Sir Henry Cotton.

"Whilst golf is our business, our open-door policy means everyone is welcome," Mr Bonser added.

"We are home to regular walking groups, dementia meet-ups and school groups.

"Our golfers are aged from 18-months to 90 years old, so no day here looks the same here."

The venue said it also won a bronze award earlier this week in the new business category at the Staffordshire Tourism Awards.

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