Next up is the Founder & Tournament Director of the Northern Junior Golf Tour; Jason Budd. Here’s what Jason had to say about the Tour which is going from strength to strength.
Next up is the Founder & Tournament Director of the Northern Junior Golf Tour; Jason Budd. Here’s what Jason had to say about the Tour which is going from strength to strength.
Name: Jason Budd
Role: Founder / Tournament Director
Biography: I have been working in the Golf industry for over 11 years as a Regional Manager for England Golf. My main role is to drive the England Golf strategy at a local level supporting clubs around Strategic & Business Planning, Governance, and managing a team of Club Support Officers to drive more players, more members and create stronger clubs.
In my spare time I’m currently training for the Edinburgh Marathon so when I’m not outside clocking up the mile’s you’ll find me on the course at Bishop Auckland Golf Club where I’m a member or at Hunwick Cricket Club where I’m part of a team of coaches to help drive our Junior section that was recognised as “Sports Club of the Year” in 2017.
How did the Northern Junior Golf Tour start?
I had just started working for England Golf in 2007 and when I was visiting clubs it was becoming evident that there was a lack of opportunities across the region for juniors to play in a series of structured events over 9 holes. The number of Junior members across the Country is approximately 7% of total membership with Junior Girls only around 1% so I wanted to develop something that could contribute towards the growth of Junior Golf in the region that I was responsible for.
In 2009 we decided to launch a series of events focusing on Under 12’s, taking place over 9 holes, with various playing abilities on forward tees. The launch took place in County Durham at Cocken Lodge Golf Club which is a fantastic short course for all abilities. We had a great response which spurred on the creation of a regional tour which is growing year on year.
It’s so encouraging to see so many young people playing in our events, making new friends and enjoying this amazing game. It provides a great platform from school and club all the way through to county events. Some of the best juniors in the region have played on our Junior Tour such as Matty Lamb & Caitlin Whitehead who both represent England. It really offers something for everyone and is a great day out for all the family.
We now have 4 counties involved with over 200 juniors taking place in 2018 and have some exciting plans for 2019 and beyond so watch this space.
Finally, I have to thank all of the County and Club volunteers who have been a huge part of this success and helped shape it to what it is today. Without your dedication to Junior Golf and giving up countless hours we really wouldn’t be able to achieve this. It’s amazing to celebrate a decade of the Junior Tour so here’s to the next 10 years.
Dream 4 Ball: Seve Ballesteros, Freddie Flintoff, and Samuel L Jackson.
Why I LOVE Junior Golf: When I started playing Golf at the age of 10 years old there was nothing like this around. It provides a fantastic opportunity for Juniors to play different courses, meet like minded people, test out your skills but most of all have some FUN. Juniors are the FUTURE of our clubs so the more Juniors we can encourage into the game the stronger the sport will become in years to come.
