Fountain Jets In To Westerwood
C
allum Fountain is ready to share his thirst for golf knowledge with members at the Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort, as he makes his mark as new club professional at the popular venue.
A relatively late starter for a professional, Fountain, 24, began playing golf aged16, as he looked to out-do his brother. But once he saw the standard in the junior section at Callander GC, in the Trossachs, he was hooked and hasn’t looked back.
Eight years later, he still has to pinch himself to realise he’s managed to turn his obsession into a job – and he couldn’t be happier.
He said: “I loved the sense of competition at Callander and tried to push myself to be better than the rest of the juniors who had a head start on me. My goal was always to be able to play the sport professionally and after just three years of hard work and plenty of practice I turned pro at the age of 19. That allowed me to enrol with the PGA foundation degree.
“To think now, at the age of 24, I am have a degree and am a professional in a sport that I love – I wouldn’t have believed it if, at the beginning, I was told I would be in this position.”
The highlight of his playing career was winning the ClubGolf pro-am competition at Royal Dornoch, as a second-year professional. Now, however, he’s dedicating his time to helping other people improve their game.
He added: “Golf is a great sport; I believe it will never be mastered, so we are always striving to be better than our last round. Sometimes we are, sometimes we’re not, but if you put the work in then the results will come. I always loved working on aspects of my game that needed improving and now I’m in the wonderful position of being able to help others to improve – or even make a start.
“I’ve hit the ground running at the Westerwood and am thoroughly enjoying working with the members and visitors.”
Welcoming Fountain to the Westerwood, head of golf Daryn Cochrane said: “Callum is a very enthusiastic, pro-active young man and everybody warmed to him immediately. His passion for the sport of golf is clearly evident and he is displaying a wonderful ability to transfer that to his students.”
The Westerwood Hotel & Golf Resort – managed by Redefine|BDL Hotels (RBH), the UK’s leading hotel management company – is situated in acres of spectacular grounds, with a golf course co-designed by one of the world’s greatest golfers: Severiano Ballesteros.
Working with the equally revered golf designer Dave Thomas, the legendary Spaniard created a course that is as challenging as it is beautiful, as it meanders through silver birches, firs and heather, offering stunning views towards the picturesque Campsie Hills.
The signature hole, the par-three 15th – created by Ballesteros and known as the Waterfall hole – requires a tee-shot from an elevated tee to a green surrounded by a 60ft rock face. It’s not for the faint hearted and nor are the undulating moorland greens which test one’s mettle when standing over those nervy four-foot putts.
Yet with 148 spacious bedrooms, a large health club with a magnificent swimming pool and gym, a relaxing spa, fantastic bars and restaurants, guests may never leave the comfort of the hotel.
As the largest golf resort operator in the UK, RBH manages 10 championship and tournament golf courses across the UK, hosting events from the European Tour, European Seniors Tour, Ladies European Tour and the PGA.
www.qhotels.co.uk/our-locations/the-westerwood-hotel-golf-resort
