Effingham Golf Club will add to its lengthy list of prestigious championships next month when England’s male elite amateurs head to the historic Surrey venue to compete in the 2014 Brabazon Trophy Southern Qualifier.
A maximum field of 132 of the top up-and-coming players in the south of England will take part in the renowned event when it takes place at Effingham on Tuesday, May 13. The 18-hole competition is open to amateurs with a handicap of 1.4 or better and is one of two regional qualifiers that are held each year to cover the north and south of England.
A minimum of 30 players from each event will qualify to contest The Brabazon Trophy – the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship – which this year will be staged at Seaton Carew Golf Club from June 25-28.
Effingham’s renowned championship course was designed by legendary golf architect Harry Colt in the 1920s and has held numerous high-profile events since, including hosting regional qualifying for The Open Championship from 2006 to 2010.
Set in 264 acres of picturesque Surrey countryside near Guildford, the 6,800-yard par-71 classic layout features two very separate loops of nine and competitors next month will encounter some significant recent changes on the course, including its redesigned 18th hole, which opened last May.
Steve Slinger, Effingham Golf Club’s general manager, said: “It’s a great privilege for Effingham to be chosen to host southern qualifying for this year’s Brabazon Trophy. We are a club of genuine championship history and we’re looking forward to showcasing what we have to offer to both the players and their guests.
“The club has invested heavily on and off the course over the last 12 months including a new 18th hole (lengthened and sited even closer to the stately clubhouse), a new fifth green and irrigation system.
“We have also carried out a significant winter programme of work including the relaying of several on course paths while, off the course, the Elizabeth Lounge in our clubhouse has been refurbished along with our conservatory and food and beverage offerings.”
While many clubs struggled to remain open over the last few months after one of the wettest winters ever recorded, Effingham has bucked the trend.
With the Surrey members’ club able to offer golf all-year-round due to the course being built on a chalk base, visitors have enjoyed some of the best golf conditions anywhere in England which has also been reflected in a rise in membership numbers.
Slinger added: “It has been a great start to the year with many guests and visitors playing golf at Effingham over the recent months, this has also lead to strong membership recruitment over this period. Everything is set to be in fantastic condition when we host The Brabazon Trophy qualifier and the event will signal the start of another successful summer for the club.”
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