• The conference will share insights on the health benefits of golf, with golfers enjoying a reduction in over 40 major chronic diseases, better well-being and length of life

• Delegates will also learn about the mental fitness of Formula 1 drivers and leading golfers, and the challenges of competing at the highest level.

• Delegates will delve into key topics like injury prevention and management, adaptations for disabled golfers, nutrition, strength, and conditioning

The 3rd International Congress on Golf and Health is set to return to the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh on 31 March and 1st April.

The event celebrates the wide-reaching health and wellness benefits of golf with research from Finland, Sweden, and Scotland highlighting that:

• Golf can provide health enhancing physical activity for people of all ages
• This regular physical activity achieved through golf can help prevent and treat more than 40 major chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, depression, anxiety and dementia
• Golf also promotes mental well-being, social connections and connection with nature
• Golf has additional benefits compared to walking

Sport Minister at the Scottish Government Maree Todd said:

“Regular physical activity and participation in sport is one of the best things you can do for physical, mental and social health. The Congress is a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge and experience, to celebrate what golf is accomplishing, and to understand barriers to participation and how we can work to remove them.”

Dr Julia Kettinen, researcher and Golf Exercise Medicine Specialist, outlined:

“Our research highlights that golf can help people achieve the physical activity they need. Golf also kept senior golfers active during the pandemic and supported their quality of life. Even a single 18-hole round can offer significant cardiovascular and cognitive benefits, particularly for older adults, compared to regular walking. Globally, more and more people are playing golf—over 100 million now—which is great for both individuals and populations.”

Stephen Gallacher, 4x DP World Tour Winner, and founder of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation added: “Our mission is to help and encourage golfers to live a healthy life and enjoy their golf. This scientific Congress coming to Scotland is great as it helps us understand the health benefits, hear about how golf is even being prescribed now in Scotland and further afield, and also look at supporting the mental health of players.

“I have had some incredible highs like winning in Dubai, India and Scotland, and being on the winning side at the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, but life in professional sport can be lonely and tough, so the work on mental health is so important”.

Although there is compelling evidence of mental health and wellbeing benefit through golf and other sports, life as a professional athlete can be incredibly demanding, with pressure to perform, much time away from friends and family, and at times intense and unwanted scrutiny in social media and in the press.

The golfing industry has recognised these challenges, and conducted research with the players to implement mental health and well-being toolkits, emergency action plans, mind gyms, and a network of specialists for the players, collaborating with tennis and Formula 1 experts who also have intensive travel schedules.

Dr Phil Hopley, Consultant Psychiatrist at Cognacity, who has been instrumental as Mental Fitness Coach with the McLaren F1 Team on their journey from midfielders to World Champions shared:

“There are so many mental and physical benefits to participating in sport, and we know how important the mind is to being at your best, be that on the Formula 1 track, playing in the Champions League, playing in a Major or just in life in general. Cognacity are delighted to be working with The R&A and the DP World Tour providing psychology and mental fitness support to players, caddies and Tour staff.

“The untimely passing of top professional golfer Grayson Murray last year was a painful reminder of how challenging life on Tour can be. That is why the collaborative work that golf is prioritising with IOC mental health experts and the provision of industry leading facilities like the Mental Fitness Centre at the Dubai Desert Classic is so important.”

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Achilles V. Constantakopoulos, the Chairman of TEMES S.A. – developers of Costa Navarino, is the latest recipient of the CPG Special Recognition Award.

His enduring support of the CPG and its activities has earned him the Award that looks to acknowledge the help and support shown by individuals and organisations that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to assist the CPG and its Member Countries.

Constantakopoulos has continuously supported the organisation since Costa Navarino – the sustainably driven destination in Greece’s southwest Peloponnese – was launched. The destination has hosted and partnered with the CPG on events and activities, and has worked with the CPG on Costa Navarino’s own Pro-Am now in the form of the AEGEAN Messinia Pro-Am, whilst also playing a vital role in the development of the PGA of Greece, its Members and the sport overall in Greece.

“ I’m truly honoured to receive this award and deeply grateful to CPG for your support and our longstanding partnership in making Costa Navarino in Greece, a world renowned golf destination,” said Constantakopoulos during his acceptance speech at the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco.

“Our shared love for the game and common values have been the foundation of this enduring relationship with CPG and its Member Countries. We remain committed to investing in excellence, offering both professionals and amateurs an unparalleled experience that blends the unspoiled beauty of the Messinian landscape, warm hospitality, and world class facilities.

“Your contribution in putting Costa Navarino on the map as a premier golf destination has been great.”

Costa Navarino features 4 world class golf courses and has been named “World’s Best Golf Venue” at the World Golf Awards. The destination is also home to four 5* hotels: The Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino, The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, W Costa Navarino and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, while also featuring luxury private residences, and many year-round activities and authentic experiences.

The founder of Costa Navarino, Captain Vassilis Constantakopoulos and his best friend, founder of AEGEAN, Theodoros Vassilakis – also a recipient of the Special Recognition Award in 2015 – were able to create a lasting legacy for golf in Greece, which is something that Achilles V. Constantakopoulos has grasped and forged ahead with incredible dedication.

“As Theodore, Katia and the team at AEGEAN looked to further develop their fantastic Pro-Am and continue to put Greece on the golfing map, I was very fortunate to be introduced to Achilles and visit Costa Navarino with them all at the very beginning, and witness an amazing vision,” added CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell.

“Achilles has more than turned that vision into reality and we are so proud to be able to call them partners, but more importantly friends. What they have achieved is something extraordinary!”

CPG Member, the PGA of Greece, also continues to develop thanks in part at least to Costa Navarino’s creation/provision of opportunities for professionals to learn, work and compete.

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

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Past President of the PGA of Czech Republic, Petr Nitra, has etched his name into the history books becoming the latest PGA Professionals to earn the CPG’s 5-Star Professional Award.

“I would like to sincerely thank you for this prestigious and high honour that I have been awarded,” said Nitra on receiving his award at the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco.

“The news of my nomination for the award reached me whilst I was on vacation and surprised me greatly but has brought me immense joy…and for me to be a PGA Professional is really living my dream.

“I am proud of the Board of the Czech PGA who do a great job, they are very strong and we have many coaches, and their cooperation with the Federation is great now and I am pleased to have done everything I can to help this over the years.”

Since 1992, the 5-Star Professional Award has been acknowledging the efforts and excellent of golf professionals that truly exemplify what it is to be a PGA Pro. Nitra joins this elite and illustrious group of some 90 individuals from around the world.

Nitra has been involved in many facets of golf from coaching players of all levels of ability, owning and operating his own golf facility in Germany, to influencing the administration and development of the sport in his role with the PGA of Czech Republic.

Nitra took up golf in 1970 and at the time Czechoslovakia was the only communist country where golf could be played, with him relying on minoring countries or peoples’ rare trips abroad to access golf equipment.

With opportunities in golf being limited, he moved to Hamburg, Germany, in the mid 80s and completed his training under professional Hans Heiser who himself contributed to European golf.

After sampling American golf in the 90s, but ultimately deciding not to move there permanently, Nitra returned to Czechoslovakia where he joined, and subsequently led, the PGA of Czech Republic, becoming it’s President from 2002 to 2016.

“I firmly believe that the Czech PGA is now an integral part of both the European and global PGA communities,” added Nitra.

“The current board, which has continued our work, is doing an excellent and responsible job – there is no doubt about that.”

Nitra’s efforts across the sport, both in his native Czech Republic, and his adopted home of Germany, display just how varied and impactful a PGA Professional’s roles can be and make him a worthy winner of this famous award.

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

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The CPG President’s Award for Golf Development for 2024 has been awarded to the Golf & Health Project, acknowledging the visionary efforts of the Project’s leadership, in its ground-breaking role in highlighting the significance of the sport’s benefits, and sharing these benefits far and wide.

Since 2016 the Project has worked to provide an academic backing and voice to the benefits that golf can bring and has been significantly driven by current DP World Tour and Ryder Cup Europe Chief Medical Officer, Dr Andrew Murray, his predecessor, Dr Roger Hawkes.

The Project’s pioneering work to evaluate existing research, identify potential gaps and opportunities for future research activities, and foster collaboration between the wide variety of health-related research projects taking place around the world.

But a primary objective of the Project has been to not only seek academic support of these benefits, but also to help communicate these benefits both in, and out of, the sport.

The promotion of the many psychological and physical benefits – such as golfers live on average of five years longer than non-golfers, and those who play better tend to live longer too – has helped to improve the sport’s image, the reasoning for taking part, and acceptance as a health-enhancing activity.

“I was sat with Dr. Roger Hawkes at breakfast during the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles when Roger shared his thoughts and insights on the health benefits of golf and asked for my support of the project both personally and from CPG,” said CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell. “I was immediately intrigued and delighted to offer our full support from day one and it is fantastic to see the impact that it continues to make in promoting our sport.”

The award was collected on behalf of the Project team at the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco by Dr Omar Malik, Consultant Neurologist at Cromwell Hospital and Golf & Health Project co-founder and Board Member:

“We are absolutely delighted that the work gas been recognised, it’s amazing,” said Malik.

“Considering how important the work has been in terms of shifting the momentum for golf participation then it is so nice to have recognition. Much hard work was done particularly by Roger and Andrew, and we are so happy that it has been so well received, especially by golf’s national bodies around the world.”

The Project has also been a great example of collaboration across the global golf industry with the Project initially receiving significant support from the World Golf Foundation comprising of at the time The R&A, USGA, the world’s various male and female tours, the Masters Tournament and PGA of America, along with support from the Ryder Cup European Development Trust [RCEDT], EDGA and the CPG itself as well.

“We have a lot of people to thank around the world for their support of the Project over the past 8-10 years, both for their financial support that has made it possible, but also their philosophical support in getting behind the concept of Golf & Health and each playing their part in supporting and promoting the benefits identified,” added Murray.

“The ability for us to work together in this way has set an example for all sports and has also resulted in significant developments and activities as a direct result of our friends and colleagues’ efforts in this space.”

For example golf’s joint response to the COVID pandemic, and ultimately a key part of golf being able to get going again during lockdowns around the world, was due in part at least to the groundwork laid in proving the sport can be played in a safe, outdoor environment, combined with the connections already created with policymakers and stakeholders in governmental leadership positions.

More recently, projects are being developed where golf is being prescribed by health professionals as part of recovery and rehabilitation regimes. And in the professional world, much of this work has resulted in significantly enhanced provisions for players across the world’s tours that help to support their physical and mental wellbeing and performance.

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

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World renowned coach, Hugh Marr, has been announced as the 2024 recipient of the CPG’s John Jacobs Award for Teaching & Coaching.

Hugh is the latest winner of the award that is known as one of the highest accolades a golf coach can earn in the world, all in the name of the godfather of golf coaching, John Jacobs.

“Any time you are recognised by your peers it feels a privilege, and to have my name associated with John Jacobs is something that can go down in history, so yes I feel incredibly fortunate,” said the Master Coach on receiving his award at the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco.

“I love golf, and I know how much pleasure it gives people to play, so anything I can do to contribute to that, whether it’s coaching players or coaching coaches makes me genuinely happy.”

Hugh has worked with a variety of players at all levels, including those at the very pinnacle of the sport. He currently works with Thorbjørn Olesen and has helped shape his multiple wins in previous years, whilst also supporting Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, Scott Jamieson and various others who have been highly successful across the world’s tours.

But he continues to also be known for his efforts in supporting and developing the coaching community at large, through activities such as The Coach Alliance that he helped to found, his ‘Coach Hub’ platform and community, as well as numerous webinars, interviews and workshops designed to share knowledge with coaches at any level of the game and any level of experience.

“I firmly believe that the coaching community is the single most important stakeholder in our wonderful sport,” Hugh states.

“To be truly effective as coaches we must develop our skills with this in mind. I want to up-skill coaches to deliver on their responsibility to the game, to create a high-functioning community of like-minded people all passionate about improving themselves and the game.

“I’ve always been driven by ensuring I am doing all I can to make the players I work with better, and now it’s the same for coaches…so I am always trying to do the right thing at the right time with the best information available to me.”

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

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Former Executive Director – Governance and Chief of Staff of The R&A, David Rickman MBE, has been awarded one of the CPG’s highest honours, the Christer Lindberg Bowl.

The award recognises those that have had a significant impact upon the world of golf, and there may be no better example than the man who oversaw the governance of the sport in collaboration with his colleagues from the USGA for 37 years.

“It is a huge honour to receive the award, particularly when I look at the list of illustrious past winners and see names such as Sir Michael Bonallack, Peter Dawson and John Paramor who I worked with both on and off the course,” said Rickman during his acceptance speech that was shown during the CPG Festival of Golf at Saïdia Resorts in Morocco.

“I have many happy memories of working with the team at the CPG for many years as part of our work in the governance of the game…and of course working with the Member Countries. The R&A’s responsibilities are wide and we take them very seriously, and we can only do the best job for our sport by understanding the perspectives from each country across the world to help us understand the global game. I am hugely thankful to be recognised by the CPG and all these countries.”

The Christer Lindberg Bowl was created in recognition of the CPG’s first Chairman, providing acknowledgement to individuals and organisations that embody passion and influence within golf and have dedicated themselves to servicing the sport.

Rickman has been a part of, and for over 25 years was at the helm of, The R&A’s governance function, probably most commonly associated with the rules of golf, but also including Amateur Status, equipment standards, and handicapping.

His responsibilities also increased towards the end of his tenure incorporating HR and facilities functions and has even been instrumental in developing the new R&A staff building in St Andrews, at which he recently had the honour of breaking first ground using a special 1890s Bogey hole cutter provided by The R&A‘s World Golf Museum.

Rickman has been a familiar face with the CPG and its Member Countries having been hugely supportive with the organisation’s development since its beginnings in the early 90s, including various occasions to connect with PGAs and PGA Professionals at events and conferences, and more recently with the extensive consultations with the PGA community around updates to the Rules of Amateur Status.

Since joining in 1987, Rickman has also become a familiar sight at the world’s greatest amateur and professional tournaments with no less than 34 Open Championships under his belt, 28 of those as Chief Referee.

Working at over 130 events including the Masters Tournaments, US Opens, Walker Cups, and many more, it was his eighth AIG Women’s Open where he finally hung up his stopwatch at where other than St Andrews last August.

Most recently, just after his retirement had begun, Rickman was also recognised by the King Charles III and the UK royal family with an MBE, one of the highest honours a Briton can receive, for his services to golf.

To find out more about the Annual Awards and the Festival of Golf visit cp.golf/festival.

Known for its high-quality golf and casual apparel for both men and women, Turtleson brings a fresh perspective to the golf clothing market, offering a unique addition to CPG’s growing network of apparel partners.

“We are thrilled to welcome Turtleson to the CPG partner family,” said Ian Randell, Chief Executive of CPG.

“At CPG, we are committed to providing our Member associations and their Members with attractive benefits and opportunities through strategic corporate partnerships. Turtleson apparel and accessories are now well-established throughout America’s leading golf facilities with products that provide the perfect mix of performance and luxury, and fusion of golf and lifestyle. We look forward to assisting them to further grow their presence internationally through our network of golf’s ultimate influencers – the PGA Professionals.”

Bob Smith, managing Director of Turtleson International, LP, shared his enthusiasm for the collaboration: “At Turtleson, we pride ourselves on offering a premium line of clothing that embodies both luxury and practicality.

“Golf professionals around the world have long trusted the CPG network, and we look forward to offering them our refined, high-performance clothing. This partnership is an exciting opportunity to support PGA Members with the very best in American-made apparel.”

The partnership will see Turtleson work closely with Member Countries and their own Members across the CPG network to offer the chance to explore bespoke orders and accounts, custom embroidery and lifestyle-focused clothing on, and off, the course.

This collaboration marks an exciting step forward, as Turtleson’s stylish, versatile, and top-tier clothing positions itself as a perfect fit for golf professionals seeking high-performance attire that can seamlessly transition from the course to everyday wear.

The brand’s commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and American heritage ensures that every item – from polos and jackets to pants and accessories – is designed to meet the needs of modern golfers and those embracing the active, golf-inspired lifestyle.

The collaboration between CPG and Turtleson is set to offer an exciting new dimension to the golf apparel landscape, empowering professionals with clothing that meets the demands of both the game and a stylish lifestyle.

For more information about the partnership and to find out how to access Turtleson at your facility, visit cp.golf/turtleson.