Rose’s bloom in Rio is sure to give our sport a boost

For those countries that are developing the game of golf it is a real boost for them to have players there and hopefully it will encourage their governing bodies to invest more in the sport. Seeing players from South America and Asia competing for their nations on the global stage can only be of benefit to the game.

Golf At Goodwood Ambassador

From a UK perspective, it was particularly great to see Justin Rose – a former Golf At Goodwood ambassador – take the gold medal for Great Britain. Justin is a top bloke and you could see that he really embraced the Olympic spirit. He stayed in the Olympic village with the other GB athletes and showed huge emotion when he stepped onto the podium.

Tokyo 2020

For those golfers who chose not to compete at the Games, such as Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan Speith, I believe they will have to have a serious think about their position on the next Olympics in Tokyo 2020. It was a shame that they did not play this time and I hope they will be involved next time.

Growing the game 

Here at the Golf At Goodwood Academy, we have been busy holding our Summer Camps for juniors and we have another before the end of the school holidays. We are really keen to encourage young players to come and try the game and are delighted with the uptake we have had.

One thing that many people don’t realise is that golf doesn’t have to be formal or stuffy. We have a very relaxed approach, where families can come and enjoy the game together. We don’t have a dress code and you can even walk your dog on the course!

Both the Downs and Park courses are looking stunning at the moment as we are finally getting some long-overdue summer weather – long may it continue!

Looking ahead, I’m starting to get quite excited about the Ryder Cup next month, where the team from Europe will be hoping to retain their crown against the USA. It is always and enthralling contest and I’ll be back next month with my predictions.