It was a night to remember for Stover Golf Club as the team won a major prize at the England Golf Awards.
Stover Golf Club was named Tournament Venue of the Year at the England Golf Awards, providing the “icing on the cake” that General Manager Simon Bawden was hoping for.
The club earned the honour after staging the English Women’s County Finals last September, with the Devon venue excelling in its role as hosts.
England Golf said the club “went above and beyond to create an exceptional tournament experience”, with players and spectators treated to a tremendous showpiece event.
“From the moment the six county finalists arrived, Stover provided first-class hospitality, adapting its facilities to accommodate the needs of players, teams, and visitors,” said England Golf.
“A dedicated marquee was set up to cater specifically for spectators, while the main lounge became a base for the competing teams, offering tailored catering and refreshments to support them through intense back-to-back matches.”
Accepting the award, Sarah Arnold, Lead Tournament Organiser, said: “We’re astonishingly proud as Stover is a small golf club and hadn’t hosted anything of this scale before. When we looked at other Devon clubs, such as Saunton, who have hosted the Brabazon Trophy for example, so we’re delighted to be in the same bracket as those.
“I have played women’s county golf in the past, so I understood the format and the tournament, and what it takes to make the players comfortable. We tried to take away all their concerns and have someone always there to answer questions they have, so to be able to gather such a great group of volunteers, who we could embed that ethos into, helped us pull off an event where everyone felt comfortable.”
Prior to the awards at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate, Simon, who moved to Stover from Thurlestone in February last year, expressed his pride in the team’s efforts, with particular praise for Sarah.
“The whole club bought into this opportunity, and it was apparent we needed an organising committee to liaise with England Golf Tournament Staff and the organising committee needed an experienced lead,” he explained. “In a previous life Sarah had overseen significant event management and had been involved first-hand at past women’s national finals.
“Although we had a raft of volunteers doing all sorts of tasks and staff worked really hard on delivery (during the week the Club’s F&B team produced just shy of 800 meals, through breakfast, lunch and dinner) it was really Sarah’s attention to detail which stood out as a highlight and was the driving force behind the very successful staging of this event.”
Simon also paid tribute to Course Manager Jason Brooks and his greenkeeping team for providing playing surfaces in keeping with the quality and prestige of the tournament.
“Two months out Jason started putting a programme together to ensure the course was presented in the best possible fashion,” he said. “Jason and his team worked tirelessly in the run-up to the event and this continued during the tournament week itself.
“On a reciprocal basis, Jason called on other local greenkeepers to assist during the week. Everyone said the course was a picture and was a real credit to Jason and his team.”
But the highlight for Simon was the overwhelmingly positive feedback Stover received from visiting dignitaries, players and spectators, who were united in their praise for the club.
“They all said how friendly the club came across,” he said. “It was a real pat on the back for everyone involved.”
