Winners of Women in Golf awards

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Winners of Women in Golf awards: A sparkle of women – and men – came together at Foxhills on Thursday night to celebrate a year of incredible achievements by women in the golf industry at the 2024 Women in Golf Awards. Now in its third year, the awards showcase the work of women from across all sectors of the industry and provide an important platform that inspires more women to consider a career in golf. 

As part of its mission to promote women in golf, the awards organisers announced an exciting  new collaboration with Colt McKenzie McNair and Bernhard Academy.  All of the finalists and sponsors will come together in spring 2025 for a networking and educational day hosted at PING HQ that will elevate and inspire their continued progress in the industry.

Winners of Women in Golf awards

Winners of Women in Golf awards

“Many of the barriers that faced me and my predecessors have been demolished, so now is a great time to start to better understand what our future leaders need,” commented awards founder Nicole Wheatley. “This educational day will work both ways.  We want to provide the 24 finalists with valuable leadership training, but also find out how they think golf can attract more talented women, like them, to work in the industry.”

On the night, BBC sport presented Katherine Downes presented awards in 10 categories, spanning all areas of the industry. The 2024 winners were:

Unsung Hero, sponsored by England Golf – Di Stock, Chief Referee Hampshire Ladies Golf

Di’s selfless commitment to women’s golf within Hampshire over the past 36 years, amassing a conservative estimate of 550 voluntary days refereeing alone is astounding.  She has been County Handicap Advisor since 1988, ran the County Inter-Club knock-out competitions for 5 years; was County President for 3 years and for 27 years she has selflessley given her time to referee at county and other national amateur events, including the Curtis Cup.

Brand of the Year, sponsored by the BGIA – The Grove

The Grove has developed a culture and brand that values women.  Over 49% of its workforce are women, with 75% of the senior leadership team being female.  From hosting the Rose Series to its golf recruitment campaigns, the investment the brand makes in women, both on and off the course, has created an inclusive culture that enables more women and girls to maximise their potential at all levels of the industry and through the sport itself.

International Woman, sponsored by Perry Ellis – Karen Lunn, CEO WPGA Tour Australasia and Chair of Australian Golf Industry Council

From Tour player to CEO of the WPGA – golf around the world owes huge gratitude and respect to Karen.  As CEO of the WPGA Tour of Australasia, Karen has significantly raised the profile of Australasian women’s professional golf, while also fostering golf at every level in the country.  Notable career highlights include steering the then Australian Ladies Professional Golf to a collaborative alliance with the PGA of Australia,  creating the Women’s Professional Golf Tour Australasia which offered more opportunities for fledging and developmental players.  In 2022 Karen became the first woman to chair the Australian Golf Industry Council, a forum to help organisations and businesses throughout the golf industry unite on initiatives, strategy and policy.

Women’s Initiative, sponsored by PING – Bishop’s Stortford Golf Club ‘Blue Course’, Barbara Tucker

When Barbara Tucker was Lady Captain in 2014, she created The ‘Blue Course’ programme as an innovate solution to address the myriad of issues which prevented & discouraged women from learning golf and joining the golf club.  The ‘blue course’ has significantly shorter tees, provides group lessons, gives free use of facilities, and hosts social events as well as rules seminars alongside experienced golfers.  10 years later, Barbara’s Blue Course can be credited with providing an influx of new members which has ensured the ladies section continues to thrive.  The current Ladies section Treasurer, Secretary, Competitions Secretary and Lady Captain are all Blue Course alumni.

Women in Turfcare, sponsored by BIGGA – Anna Nilsson, Deputy Head Greenkeeper of the Brabazon Golf Course at The Belfry

Anna is an extremely talented greenkeeper whose course bears testament to her unwavering dedication, expertise and passion all of which has helped to secure the return of the British Masters to The Belfry in 2025.  Anna is also dedicated to inspiring future greenkeepers, coaching students and visiting schools to talk to children about working in the industry.  Anna’s encouragement is making a huge impact on everyone she meets and her success is inspiring young women to take up a career in Turfcare.

Women PGA Professional, sponsored by TGI Golf Partnership – Sarah Bennett

Sarah Bennett is one of the most recognised figures in women’s golf in the UK.  Sarah has dedicated herself to golf’s growth throughout her 34-year pro career, focusing on inclusion and bringing more women into the game.  Sarah has been Essex Girls Head Coach since 2012, worked in a voluntary capacity for the WPGA and on the PGA Executive Committee and was recently PGA Captain, becoming only the second woman to hold that post.  She is a familiar sight at The Open where she has delivered coaching in the SwingZone for over 10 years.

Women’s Leadership, sponsored by the GCMA – Becca Hembrough, England Golf Performance Manager (Female Golf)

Over the past 10 years, Becca has led England to become the most successful women’s golf team in Europe. In 2022/3 she championed the development of a new strategy for England Golf Performance, which is already bearing fruit.  In 2024 one of her players was ranked World no. 1 – a first for an English amateur golfer, all 3 female teams won a medal in the European Team Championships (gold for U18s) and 4 players were named for the Curtis Cup, who beat the USA.  Becca has also demonstrated leadership through the Project Ukraine programme, which has had a huge impact on the golf world.

Rising Star, sponsored by Club Car – Molly Pavey, Group General Manager Bramshaw Golf Club and Paultons Golf Centre

In 2 years, Molly has quickly risen through the ranks to become General Manager at Bramshaw Golf Club as well as sister venue Paultons Golf.  Molly has been instrumental in bringing Girls Golf Rocks and Golf Rookies to the group and both venues have signed the Women in Golf Charter under her stewardship this year.  Molly was one of only 3 recipients of the ECEF’s Young Managers Bursary in 2024, allowing her to continue to grow and learn.  Molly has also joined the Hampshire Ladies Board as Governance Director demonstrating her ongoing commitment to the game.

Special Award – Trailblazers – Fiona Womack and Sharon Eales

Fiona and Sharon have developed a scientific model that represents a paradigm shift in golf course design.  For so many women (and men) the shortest tees are still too long and often not in a great position.  This means that many women do not enjoy the same experience on the course as men.  Their model creates a scaled version of the courses that the architect wanted every golfer to play, incorporating all of the same experiences, using the same clubs for the same shots, tackling the same hazards, just with fewer yards involved.  This new approach has already attracted interest from leading golf course architects including Tom Mackenzie, the R&A’s Handicap Committee, the WHS Operations Committee and various governing bodies.

Special Award – Inspirational Achievement – Adele McLean, Managing Director TGI Golf

This year, nearly two decades after joining TGI Golf, Adele McLean accepted the role of Managing Director and looks to continue building on the success TGI Golf has enjoyed over the last 40 years.  Her journey from the driving range to heading up the UK  & Ireland’s leading golf retail services business is nothing short of inspirational.  Her appointment was celebrated far and wide by women and men across the industry who recognised the incredible impact she has had on the business and demonstrates to other women what can be achieved when there are no glass ceilings.

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Landcraft Secures Future for Employees and Operations

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Landcraft Secures Future for Employees and Operations: Inscapes is excited to announce the purchase of the business and assets of Landcraft Projects Ltd, a well-established name in the landscaping industry.

This marks a significant milestone in Inscapes’ growth, allowing us to expand our portfolio of services while maintaining the exceptional standards that clients of both companies have come to expect. With our shared values and commitment to quality, this partnership is built on a foundation of mutual respect and vision for the future.

Landcraft Secures Future for Employees and Operations

Landcraft Secures Future for Employees and Operations

Inscapes, with over 50 employees and more than 25 years of experience, specialises in designing and maintaining highly engineered sports grounds, creating new landscapes, protecting existing ones, drainage and irrigation design and installation. Its clients include Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace, Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Bristol Football Club, Eastleigh Football Club, The Vale Resort, The Celtic Manor, and numerous domestic and commercial properties across the UK.

Gareth Rees, Managing Director of Inscapes “We are very pleased to announce that we at Inscapes have taken the exciting step of agreeing the purchase of the business and assets of Landcraft Projects Ltd. This acquisition represents a significant step forward in enhancing the quality of service we provide our clients, whilst continuing to supply the same great service Barry, Tony and the team has provided over the years. With Landcraft’s esteemed reputation, we look forward to building on their success and expanding the hard landscaping side of our business. This will allow us to offer a comprehensive range of services including both hard and soft landscaping, the design and maintenance of natural and synthetic sports surfaces, the design and installation of drainage and irrigation systems, a full suite of arboriculture services and supplying specialist plant and equipment through our Hire division”.

Barry Upton, Managing Director of Landcraft “we’re really pleased that all our staff have been offered the opportunity to join Inscapes, once their time with Landcraft Projects Ltd comes to an end and so Tony Evans (Contracts Director) and James Law (Finance/Office Manager) will be taking things forward with Inscapes together with the majority of our workforce team members, operating out of our existing Cardiff premises. Inscapes will also acquire our vehicles, plant and specialist equipment and so moving forward it should be very much ‘business as usual’. We’re really pleased that through this agreement with Inscapes, we’ve been able to offer a secure future to all our staff and we hope that all our clients, suppliers and subcontractors will support us and Inscapes in this new venture”.

For more information visit: https://www.inscapes.org.uk/

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Makita provides soundtrack to your day

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Makita provides soundtrack to your day: Makita has launched a new cordless Bluetooth speaker designed for versatility and quality sound. Powered either by Makita’s 18V LXT or 40VMax XGT batteries, or AC mains power, the MR014G XGT/LXT Jobsite Speaker has been built to withstand the toughest work environments, offering professionals with a choice of music, podcasts, playlists, or even karaoke whatever the location.

The new, compact MR014G Bluetooth Speaker is packed with a range of notable features that provide crystal clear, high-quality sound with powerful deep bass, making it an ideal sound system companion on a busy jobsite. Offering 1.8x higher sound pressure levels compared to older models plus an equaliser to adjust levels to suit the choice of music, it includes a 140mm woofer and a 40mm tweeter to deliver 20W of high-quality sound and an impressive max volume of 99dB(A).

Makita provides soundtrack to your day

Makita provides soundtrack to your day

With a choice of AUX or Bluetooth connection – communicable up to 100 metres and guaranteed to 30 meters, it also includes True Wireless Stereo function enabling connection to a second MR014G Speaker to deliver stereo sound. In fact, it can connect with up to ten compatible units to boost the reach of the audio, which is ideal for large scale locations that require a wider coverage of synchronised sound.

Other useful features include a convenient carry handle which doubles as a smartphone stand and a built-in microphone amplifier ideal for making announcements, or even to use for a karaoke session! A USB port enables mobile charging for other devices and for added entertainment, a built-in LED decorative light can be set to blink in time to the music.

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK said: “We are known for our wide range of innovative power tools and cordless technology, and we continue to apply this expertise to a wider range of miscellaneous products that offer the same performance, quality, and convenience to jobsites in various ways. With this in mind, we are thrilled to launch our new cordless speaker that joins a growing line up of diverse products that complement our power tool range – spanning site lights, microwaves, kettles, heated jackets and more.”

To learn more about Makita’s new cordless jobsite speaker, visit: www.makitauk.com

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An Italian Japanese fusion

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An Italian Japanese fusion: Scott MacCallum joined the media pack on a visit to Italy.

It seems like a marriage made in heaven. Italian flair and imagination combined with Japanese efficiency and drive. That is exactly what has been achieved by the purchase of Gianni Ferrari by the Kubota company in 2022.

An Italian Japanese fusion

An Italian Japanese fusion

Even in that very short space of time the Japanese influence has been felt in the traditional and characterful, Gianni Ferrari factory in the outskirts of Bologne, and Kubota’s overall product portfolio has been significantly expanded, particularly through Gianni Ferrari’s excellent zero turn mower range and the launch of the XC3 and XC4 into the UK market.

The introduction of the new models like the FC2-221 and FC3- 221 has expanded the company’s portfolio for commercial users.

The Kubota power and influence now driving Gianni Ferrari is truly immense. Kubota is a 3 trillion yen company which, given the complication of so many zeros, makes my estimate of £15.6 billion open to some scrutiny. However, they operate in 120 countries and have sold 5.5 million tractors worldwide and 30 million engines so it is huge by any measure.

In buying Gianni Ferrari Kubota ensured that the gap in their offering for large sized ride on mowers was removed and means that as Kubota celebrates 50 years in the European market, it is strongly placed to build on the success started in 1974.

Since becoming Kubota Gianni Ferrari the company has introduced some efficiency solutions within the factory, removing one wall to make the production line less complex and bringing in light blue trolleys containing frequently required parts rather than the engineer having to return to a central point every time one was needed.

It is a common misunderstanding that Gianni Ferrari and Enzo Ferrari, of Formula 1 fame, are related in some way. As it happens Ferrari is the Italian form of Smith, and is a very common name on some areas of the country.

With the experience and support of Kubota globally, Kubota Gianni Ferrari have been working hard over the last two years to embrace the very best of the Japanese Kaizen approach to processes and manufacturing – which was evident in the streamlined approach to production visible during the factory tour.

In addition, Kubota’s advanced digital marketing has been used to communicate with Gianni Ferrari users about parts and service availability through Kubota dealers.

The assembled press, including all of the major industry titles in the UK, were also able to learn more about the current and ongoing developments within the product range such as the ‘conversion’ of the PG XPRO into the Kubota FC3- 261, and the FC4-501 which has become one of the most powerful, comfortable and operationally equipped mowers on the market.

While the unprecedented rainfall from the ironically named Storm Boris put paid to seeing the range in action, spirits were not dampened as all enjoyed gaining an insight into the approach – both now and that of the future – and the fascinating company ethos by speakers including Kosuke Ota, Vice President of Kubota Gianni Ferrari S.R.L.

Further presentations were also delivered by Henry Bredin, General Manager and Matt Wilson, Groundcare Product Manager, of Kubota (UK).

“It’s been fantastic to witness first-hand the enthusiasm and passion among the Kubota Gianni Ferrari team and to be able to share this with the media from the UK and Ireland was a real pleasure,” said Matt.

“All of us at Kubota are incredibly excited about the bright future we have with the FC range, not just in traditional groundcare applications, but also in other guises where it can also support the maintenance of artificial sports surfaces.”