Nick Dougherty to meet grassroots golf heroes at BMW PGA Championship
The Golf Foundation is calling on the golfing world to nominate those who deserve recognition in 2025 and earn the chance to meet its inspirational President, Nick Dougherty. The annual President’s Awards will be hosted by Dougherty at the BMW PGA Championship and celebrate golf clubs, coaches, volunteers and juniors who have made a difference to the game – and nominations are being welcomed up until 23rd July this year.
You can submit your nominations here.
The popular President’s Awards return to Wentworth Club in September once again, being hosted in the clubhouse on the evening of the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am thanks to the support of the DP World Tour. There, Golf Foundation President Nick Dougherty will hand out awards and celebrate the impact being had by the Golf Foundation and by individuals and groups who are carrying out incredible work across the game.
This year’s awards come as part of a week where the Golf Foundation continues to grow its relationship with BMW and the DP World Tour. The Golf Foundation is making its debut as the nominated charity of the event, as well as once again working with BMW to raise money through the Eagles For Education initiative. In addition, the three winners of its Unleash Your Drive Competition will play in the Pro Am.
The President’s Awards is always a highlight in the Golf Foundation’s calendar, and this year it is sure to be bigger than ever before.
“There have been so many amazing stories of impact this year,” Dougherty said after last year’s event. “And the significance of celebrating these incredible people is that they’re choosing to use their time to make a difference, but also showcasing exactly what we’re about which is using this great game of ours as a vehicle to make lives better for children. We’ve had a great time here celebrating the people that are doing just that, helping to express the message we are trying to tell. We’ve seen huge growth in exposure and some great results over the last year, and these are the people at the forefront of doing just that.”
Head of School Andy Lewis said: “I’m delighted that all our children and staff have had a great time learning golf with the Golf Foundation. To see youngsters in Week One struggling to hold a club to now hitting good shots is remarkable; it’s been lovely to see some children, who don’t consider themselves as sporty, excelling at golf, and being complimented by the others as they score a three or a four. There is more to this than just golf: learning to concentrate on your own performance, being self-reflective, while through play they’re learning the etiquette of the game, learning to take turns, and respect each other.
“One of our children with some quite complicated additional needs hit one of the best shots we’d seen and scored a two, and the whole field just stopped and applauded him. This child might never have experienced that in a PE lesson before. If we can get this right, these children have got a game for life here. They could be playing until they’re 60, 70 years old, so the second phase of this is really important, to get these children feeling comfortable on a driving range, on the putting green and around the golf club, and they will then hopefully join that club. This would be fantastic, and it’s also a great opportunity for our school to create a really good link with the local club.”
For the children and parents, their golf session at the school was much enjoyed, despite heavy rain at times, and there was an air of looking forward to the golf club experience.
Ally, one of the parents who came to watch her son play golf for the first time, said: “My son has had a brilliant time today, the children are all loving it. I’ve seen him taking the time to plan and prepare and he’s calming himself down before taking the next shot. He doesn’t often do calm! It’s great to see the children helping each other with the scores, real teamwork.”
Year 6 pupil Emilia said: “We can work well together because if one of us does a bad shot, we make sure they don’t get upset and tell them it’s okay. You have to focus on the ball and when you’re learning in class you have to focus on the work too. I want to carry on with golf lessons and try to get better as I grow. You can carry on doing personal bests because each year you can develop and then you’ll get better each year.”
Year 6 pupil Josh said: “So when you are stepping up, it’s quite nerve wracking, so you have to try and calm down and get your focus on. If I do a bad shot, I just make sure the next one’s a good shot, trying to get better as an individual.” Josh says he can use his skills in other lessons and next wants to play at the golf club. “Yes maybe in a test in class. For 30 seconds you just need to calm down and get the question done. Breathing. Just clear your mind and try and answer the question or do the shot. We take a big breath in and then you exhale it in five seconds. So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I want to go to the golf club to try and get better and see where I can end up with golf.”
PGA Teaching Professional at Gloucester Golf Club Tom Hodgson said: “I’m really looking forward to hosting the pupils at Gloucester Golf Club and it’s great to work with the local school in continuing the kids on their golfing journey. The new Unleash Your Drive in Clubs resources from the Golf Foundation look fantastic and are really helpful.
“The structure of the programme is brilliant and offers a steady plan with plenty of freedom for the coach. The pathway from first swings to a fully fledged golfer is laid out in an excellent way.”
Golf Foundation CEO Brendon Pyle said: “We were delighted we were able to support everyone at Upton St Leonards, who have shown what can be achieved through Unleash Your Drive to help young people equip themselves with valuable life skills while learning a new game in which they can thrive. This new pilot project can explore stronger links between schools and golf clubs which can benefit everyone, so we would like to thank everyone in the British Golf Industry Association for their fantastic support to make this happen. During National School Sports Week our charity team also reflects on the wonderful work of the team at the Youth Sport Trust who work so hard to make a positive difference for young people.”
BGIA Chair, Martin Wild, said: “This is exactly the kind of experience that can spark a lifelong interest in golf. We know that when young children are given the chance to pick up a club and have fun in a supportive environment, they quickly discover how rewarding and enjoyable the game can be. It’s fantastic to see so many pupils taking part, and we’re proud to support this initiative which gives children such a positive and joyful first step into golf.”