Inclusivity, collaboration and clarity of purpose have been central Marton Meadows’ award-winning efforts.
Marton Meadows Assistant Manager Lisa Harrop says making golf inclusive and welcoming for all is central to the club’s ethos.
For the Cheshire club, inclusivity is not a strapline or a marketing exercise, but a practical, day-to-day operating principle that shapes facilities, programming and staff culture.
That philosophy was given national recognition when the 9-hole proprietary club was named Team of the Year at the GCMA Awards, a result that underlined how smaller venues deliver best practice through clarity of purpose and collective effort.
For Marton Meadows, the honour reflected years of collaborative work across departments, driven by a shared belief in community engagement and a commitment to ‘golf for all’.
“Making golf inclusive, not exclusive, is our primary goal, with ‘golf for all’ our ethos,” said Lisa. “We are committed to introducing as many players as possible to the game and are keen ambassadors of technology.”
She continued: “Our club was originally a farm and we have transformed a former potato shed into a twin-bay, state-of-the-art golf simulator, even mapping our own course into the system so that golfers can play Marton Meadows in the virtual world as well as the real one. We have also repurposed former grazing land to build a 10-bay Toptracer practice range.”
Participation pathways are a keen focus, and the club works with its local primary school, offering free weekly sessions, while junior academy programmes, ladies’ groups and open competitions are designed to encourage interaction and integration. Equipment hire is kept deliberately affordable, with free clubs available on the range to help first-time golfers take their initial steps into the game.
“We work with our local primary school, hosting free weekly sessions to help younger children get into golf, and we work with our pros to offer complimentary golf clinics for all players,” Lisa said. “We provide free clubs for use on our range to help encourage those new to golf, and our equipment hire costs are nominal for the same reason.”
Social inclusion is treated with equal importance. Food and beverage provision, outdoor seating and integrated AV systems help ensure the club remains a social hub, while open competitions — including the popular Greenkeepers’ Revenge and Nite Golf events — reinforce the message that golf at Marton Meadows is for everyone.
“At Marton Meadows everyone plays together, irrespective of age, gender or ability,” Lisa explained. “We’ve created our own club handicap system to level the playing field, with divisions created to give everyone a fair chance of winning.”
Communication, visibility from management and shared accountability are embedded across the operation, with clear structures in place to keep staff aligned.
“Communication is key,” Lisa said of how the team works together so effectively. “We are a small team, so we are inevitably in daily contact, but we also have designated team leads to help share information across departments.
“The General Manager and Assistant General Manager personally provide regular updates and progress reports, work alongside the team and ensure the best possible customer experience or project outcome is delivered.
“We are big believers in transparency and empowerment — if there’s a problem we share it, and if there’s a success we celebrate it together.”
Key takeaways
- Inclusivity must be operational, not aspirational
Marton Meadows’ ‘golf for all’ ethos is embedded into pricing, programming, facilities and competition formats — not treated as a marketing message.
- Smart investment can outperform scale
Repurposing existing assets into simulators, ranges and social spaces has expanded participation without overreaching financially.
- Team alignment drives consistency
Clear communication, visible leadership and shared accountability ensure every department works towards the same experience and outcomes.
