PGA coaches target top England Golf award

Four PGA Professionals who have taken the game to thousands of people across the country are in the running to be named England Golf Coach of the Year. 

Phil Akers (The Belfry), Aaron Lansberry (Hatchford Brook Golf Centre), Anders Mankert (Cosby Golf Club) and Matthew Turnock (Mottram Hall) have all made the four-person shortlist.

The winner will be announced at the sell-out England Golf Awards 2018 which are being held at London’s Royal Lancaster on Thursday (February 22).

Find our more about the finalists here: 

Phil Akers, The Belfry, Warwickshire 

Akers has introduced over 1,500 newcomers to golf since he joined The Belfry less than two years ago, and has helped develop thriving club sections for juniors, women, improvers and advanced players. 

He started by working with local schoolchildren and more than 70 have joined his junior programme. Half of them are now members at The Belfry – and many of their parents have also taken up the game. Akers plans to build on this with a new schools’ coaching programme for 2018. 

Last year the 29-year-old introduced a variety of other programmes, including the successful This Girl Can Golf, which has resulted in 20 women taking weekly coaching sessions, while his Start Golf programme attracted over 500 new players. 

Akers’ overall goal is to become a European Tour coach and his passion for growing the game has attracted talented young golfers who have helped The Belfry’s junior membership grow by 29 in the last year, six of whom now represent their county.

Aaron Lansberry, Hatchford Brook Golf Centre, Birmingham

Midlands-based Lansberry is a passionate full-time coach who concentrates on growing the grassroots game. He became a PGA Professional after graduating from Birmingham University with a degree in Applied Golf Management and launched his first junior sessions in 2011.

The 28-year-old started with eight juniors and now coaches 120 youngsters at the club and takes the game to schools, community and sports centres, where he involves both adults and children. He likes to encourage parents to join in, believing if more of the family play golf they are more likely to stay in the game.

Lansberry has been asked to train fellow professionals on best practice for juniors and recently he was involved with projects to get more adults from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds into the game, as well as people with visual impairments. 

Anders Mankert of Cosby Golf Club, Leicestershire 

Mankert, an Advanced Fellow of the PGA, is passionate about increasing accessibility to golf for disabled people. He has coached and supported blind and visually impaired golfers free of charge for over 20 years and they shower him with plaudits, telling how he has raised their confidence and changed their quality of life. 

At his club, Mankert, 44, encourages juniors with a scholarship scheme offering a year’s free coaching and mentoring. One now plays on the European Tour, another is a PGA Professional and another is in England training. He also makes himself available to all, teaching as early as 7am to fit in with work and family commitments. 

Matthew Turnock of Mottram Hall Golf Club, Cheshire 

Turnock has inspired thousands of children and adults to try golf and supports new players as they get into the game. 

Over the last eight years he has worked with 50 schools, providing TriGolf sessions to 2,000 children.

Turnock aims to get more adults into the game and his Get into Golf courses successfully attracted 44 new members last year. He is involved with the Stroke Association’s Get into Golf initiative, working with stroke survivors to assist their rehabilitation. He also gained funding for a programme with four local disability groups, which inspired 50 people to try the sport. 

Turnock, 46, is Mottram Hall’s junior organiser, running the new and rapidly growing junior section, and he is also the club’s competition manager, coming up with a range of formats to increase enjoyment and participation.  

Two other PGA Members who are in with a shout of winning an award on Thursday evening are Rob Macey and Paul Thornton, both of Norwood Park Golf Centre.

Macey, who is general manager of the Nottinghamshire-based club, and head professional Thornton, are hoping to come away with the Most Welcoming Golf Club accolade.

They face tough competition from Burghill Valley Golf Club in Herefordshire, Yorkshire's Garforth Golf Club and Golf at Goodwood in Sussex.

For more information about the England Golf Awards and for list of categories and sponsors click here.