Member Article

£50k Lottery cash funds new golf facility

A Teesside golf club is celebrating the announcement of £50,000 of National Lottery Funding from Sport England which gives the green light for a new all-weather practice area and coaching facility.

Stockton Council has worked with Billingham Golf Club to support the application process and now looks forward to supporting the development of the new facilities for use by the whole community.

Councillor Ken Dixon, Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture at Stockton Council, said: “The planned investment will provide a great new facility for use by all members of the community - encouraging young and old to enjoy the game of golf.”

Sport England Chair Nick Bitel added: “A year on from the Olympics, this National Lottery investment is helping us deliver a lasting sporting legacy in Billingham.”

The £50,000 grant will contribute to the provision of eight high-quality covered practice areas and academy facilities that will ensure golfers can enjoy year-round practice - encouraging more local people of all ages to take up the game of golf as a sport.

Importantly, the improvements will also realign the teeing areas and include new access paths - dramatically improving access for less mobile golfers.

Eric Martin, Chairman of Billingham Golf Club, said: “We are delighted to receive this important funding to help improve the facilities at Billingham Golf Club.

“Golf is a great sport – suitable for young and old, the mobile and the less mobile. We are always keen to welcome new guests and members to the Club and hope the planned new facilities will be used by the entire community and local schools.

Billingham Golf Club has recently been awarded the Golf Mark High Achiever status for junior golf which acknowledges the Club’s commitment to supporting the introduction and development of juniors to golf – the award recognises the Club’s commitment to coaching, playing, environment, child protection and duty of care.

The club worked with Stockton Council officers to submit the bid and received support from partners England Golf, Durham County Golf Partnership, Tees Valley Sport, Billingham Town Council, St Michael’s and Northfield Schools, Macmillan Academy, Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire and Rescue Service.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .