The 10th hole on the Brabazon Course at The Belfry has seen plenty of drama in both European Tour and Ryder Cups.
THE owners of regular Ryder Cup venue The Belfry have pledged to donate to chairty their entire green fees from the first day it is able to reopen after the COVID-19 lockdown ends.
The golf course near Birmingham – which has three different courses including the Brabazon, which staged four Ryder Cups between 1985 and 2001 – was set to host more than 30 charity golf days during 2020.
But due to the coronavirus pandemic, fundraising activities and other planned donations have been cancelled or postponed.
The donations from the resort’s green fees will be given to a variety of good causes.
The charities that will benefit from the generous gesture include cancer research, heart, kidney and Parkinson’s, plus children’s charities, hospitals and hospices.
Trusts that support ex-sportsmen will also benefit along with The Belfry’s own two nominated charities for 2020 – the Matt Hampson Foundation and LoveBrum.
Belfry sales director Katie Niland said: “We want to share some positivity and support during what is an exceptionally challenging time for many charities, who rely on donations to survive and show our support for the amazing work they do.
“At The Belfry, we have the pleasure to host many charity golf days a year, so we want to take this opportunity to give something back so they can continue to help those who need it most.
“We therefore really want the first day we open the courses to count.
“The Brabazon, PGA National and The Derby will all be available to play and there will be some fun opportunities out on the courses to donate further, so whether you are a beginner, amateur or pro golfer, it’s sure to be a great day for some truly fantastic causes.”
The 54-hole complex at Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, could host hundreds of golfers and has packages for 36 holes, including one night’s stay at the on-course hotel priced from £119.
As well the Brabazon, which also hosted the last four B&H International tournaments on the European Tour, the Dave Thomas-designed PGA National, which opened in 1997, has staged the PGA Seniors Championship on the European Seniors Tour twice.
As well as the newer inland links styled PGA National, the other course at The Belfry is the Derby – a more gentle parkland layout, which was designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, and opened in 1977.
A good turn out on the first day of golf after the lockdown ends, could raises thousands for the charities chosen by The Belfry team, who won English Golf Resort of the Year at the World Travel Awards, in 2018.
•To find out more about green fees and golf packages visit the The Belfry website.
Europe’s Ryder Cup-winning team at The Belfry in 2002 with captain Sam Torrance holding the famous trophy after beating the USA. Picture by STUART FLETCHER
