Peter James Golf Classic set for a thriller at The Dyke

The Peter James Golf Classic, one of the most popular events on The Dyke Golf Club’s competitive season, returns this autumn after a three-year absence caused by the pandemic.

The charity tournament, which was last held at the East Sussex-based club in 2019, is named in honour of bestselling crime novelist Peter James, whose books form the basis of hit ITV police drama Grace, which is set in Brighton.

James, who lives locally, is a keen supporter of the Martlets Hospice in Hove, to which all proceeds raised on the day are given.

James (pictured left) said: “Martlets is where my mother died in 1999, surrounded by love, laughter and the kindest imaginable care. I made a promise that, for the rest of my life, I would do all I could to help support this wonderful institution which is local to so many of us. It is a charity, so it depends on fundraising for its survival. I know so many of us in Sussex who have relatives and friends who have been given great support during immensely difficult and sad times by the truly dedicated and caring team at this hospice.”

To date, members at The Dyke have raised over £150,000 for this vitally important respite care home, which is celebrating its 25th year in 2023, and which club captain Kevin Wetherill and lady captain Mel Boyse have also named as their charity for their year in office.

The Peter James Golf Classic is being held on September 15. For details on how to enter a team, visit www.dykegolfclub.co.uk or call 01273 857296.

Walton Heath Golf Club, venue for the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, hosted its first Women In Golf Summit on March 31, with the gathering bringing together women from across the UK golf industry with four keynote speakers.

The summit, which was set up by Walton Heath Golf Club Chief Executive Officer Alex Woodward, was hailed a great success by more than 75 women who attended. Woodward said: “While the overall number of women in the golf industry is still too low, the number of leaders in our industry who just happen to be women is very healthy. This summit served to highlight these leaders, network and showcase them formally to as many more women as possible with the goal of facilitating a bigger wave of involvement in the future.”

In attendance were women from club management, event management, player management, TV & broadcasting, golf architecture, agronomy, greenkeeping, sales & marketing, sustainability, county governing bodies, national governing bodies, international governing bodies, golf tourism, golf professionals, golf fashion, golf club manufacturing, golf nutrition, insight collection, journalism, charities, professional tours and more.

Zoe Ridgway, R&A Championship Director of the AIG Women’s Open, was one of the summit’s keynote speakers. With a career spanning 20 years, Zoe shared stories about her time working in the golf industry, highlighting the importance of women progressing into senior leadership positions.

The audience also heard from Vicky Cuming, Vice-President and Head of Golf Clients at IMG EMEA; Sky Sports Golf presenter Inci Mehmet, and Nicole Wheatley, founder of marketing and public relations company Medi8 Golf, with the entire proceedings presented and hosted by The Jazzy Golfer. Ridgway said: “Walton Heath’s Women in Golf Summit was an excellent opportunity for women working across the golf industry to come together. It really highlighted what opportunities are possible within golf and I hope that it inspired those in attendance to continue to aspire towards long and successful careers.”

Vicky Cuming, who has guided the careers of Laura Davies, Catriona Matthew, Georgia Hall and Charley Hull, shared some of her experiences from managing professional golfers. She said: “Although there is a gradually increasing number of women working in the golf industry, we need to focus on attracting more, and then enable them to climb the ladder to become leaders. Everyone was keen to contribute and talk about how we keep the momentum going and how to set up a support network for women who work in the golf industry.”

The Women in Golf Summit is one of a number of initiatives Walton Heath Golf Club is delivering ahead of the AIG Women’s Open. The club has become the host club for the AIG Women’s Corporate Academy, and it has also instigated a formal invitation program to involve more professional female greenkeepers to help deliver the course during the AIG Women’s Open in conjunction with The R&A and BIGGA.