Yorkshire golf club wins 2018 England Golf Awards

Leeds Golf Centre said it has made considerable progress over the last five years

The centre won the accolade after impressing the judges with its "infectious enthusiasm for developing the game across all ages and abilities".

The club fought-off finalists Burghill Valley Golf Club (Herefordshire), Styal Golf Club (Cheshire) and fellow Yorkshire club, Garforth Golf Club, to win the national award.

The organisers said the awards recognise leading professionals, elite amateurs, top coaches and the stars of club and county golf who do so much to inspire people to play the game.

Leeds Golf Centre said it has made considerable progress over the last five years, with significant investment made by its owner, The Parklane Group, to establish the centre as the go-to destination for both beginners and professional golfers.

This has included the launch of the annual Up to Scratch Challenge, which encourages beginners to take up the sport and promises to turn them from a beginner into a proficient player in just eight weeks.

Leeds Golf Centre said it welcomes golfers of all abilities, ages and genders with an all-inclusive, relaxed atmosphere throughout the club.

Last year the club hosted the Leeds Senior Masters, an event for golfing professionals over the age of 48. This was the first time Leeds has played host to such a high-key professional event since the Ryder Cup reunion in 2009.

The club has partnered with David Leadbetter, one of the most recognised names in golf tuition, confirming its status as the UK headquarters of The Leadbetter Golf Academy.

The team has also committed a significant amount of time to the local community, teaching youngsters the game of golf, both outside and in the club environment.

The centre has started an application process to extend its existing facility into a multi-million-pound golf complex, complete with accommodation lodges, spa, fitness facilities and driving range expansion, with work scheduled to being in this autumn with estimated completion in 2020.

Naveen Ahmed, managing director of The Parklane Group, owner of the Leeds Golf Centre, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for our club and we are delighted to win this celebrated award.

"We took over the club when it was on the verge of bankruptcy and members were leaving at a rapid rate. Our experience is property, so our first challenge was to get our staff and existing members to believe in our vision for Leeds Golf Centre – which was to make golf at our club accessible to everyone.

“I’d like to say a special thanks to Nigel Sweet, our operations manager, and his team who have worked tirelessly to create the 'Club of the Year', a well-deserved recognition of hard work, dedicated and passion that has made everyone proud of our club in Leeds. Having this recognition by England Golf means the world to all of us.”