Get out and play ‑ and bring the family too!

The month of May has been busy for men's professional golf with the recent European Tour flagship event, the BMW PGA Championships, taking place at Wentworth in Surrey. The tournaments winner was Sweden's Alex Noren, who shot a stunning last round and set a new course record of 61, which saw him jump from 30th to 1st in the final round. Alex Noren seems to enjoy playing on English soil as he also won the British Masters last year at The Grove. Could he make it a hat-trick of wins in England at The Open Championships at Birkdale, Liverpool in July?

The fine weather we've enjoyed locally recently has been great for the game, with plenty of golfers taking to the course and enjoying the outdoors. Most people don't necessarily think golf is a strenuous sport; however there are actually huge fitness benefits from getting out there and playing. In fact, playing a full round of golf is equivalent to doing a 3 to 4 mile run or a 5 to 6 mile walk. You will typically burn 2000 calories and this can be doubled if you decide to carry your golf bag, rather than using a trolley. Not bad for hitting a little white ball around a field!

But how hard can golf be? If you haven't tried golf before or you're looking to further your skills, we are offering free golf lessons for juniors, ladies and men at our Academy Open Day on Saturday 24 June. As well as the taster sessions, we will be having fun activities such as face painting for children and also mini golf challenges with fantastic prizes. Its a terrific chance to introduce the whole family to the sport and it's always a really sociable occasion.

June is also Women’s Golf Month and to celebrate we are hosting a ‘This Girl Golfs’ event on Tuesday 6 June at our Park course and Academy. On the day there will be complimentary golf lessons for all women, for which you don't need to be a golfer or a member, as the Golf At Goodwood Park Course and Academy will be open to everyone.