NORTH Wales was a big part of the Curtis Cup / Women's Open Legacy Project, officially launched at 2021 AIG Women’s British Open venue Royal Porthcawl by the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas AM.

But that is only one of the major golfing events coming to Wales which is part of the legacy project over the next few years in Wales, with Conwy hosting the 2020 Curtis Cup and 2022 European Ladies Team Championships.

All of Wales will benefit from the Curtis Cup / Women’s Open Legacy Project, launched by Wales Golf along with the Welsh Government and the R&A, starting with almost 5,000 children getting the chance to try golf and progress within the sport in 2020.

Representatives of Conwy Golf Club were at the launch and watched Royal Porthcawl become the latest club to receive the R&A Women in Golf Charter – a reminder Conwy were the first golf club in the world to sign up to the scheme.

“A big part of our club strategy is to develop the game, particularly with women and girls,” explained Conwy general manager Matt Parsley, speaking in the Royal Porthcawl clubhouse.

“We feel it is vital for the game to progress, we have to be more inclusive and have more of a family element to the game.

“Women and Girls are a key component of that and we have been keen to attract more into golf, develop them and have more family connections with the game.

“At Conwy Golf Club, we were the first in the world to sign up to the R&A Women in Golf Charter, which we are very proud of doing and we are determined to achieve all our objectives under the charter.”

It is also the upcoming events which will put Conwy centre stage as part of the Wales Golf and Welsh Government events strategy.

Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, said, “Both the Women’s British Open and the 2020 Curtis Cup provides us with an excellent platform to raise women and girls participation in golf.

“The benefits of hosting such major events will be felt throughout Wales before, during and after the events themselves. I am delighted this work is now underway with our partners.”

Parsley agrees that North Wales will play a key role. “We have the Curtis Cup in 2020 and we are delighted to have that,” he said.

“We feel it works really well with the Women in Golf Charter so it is a fantastic opportunity for the club and the town to get behind a major golfing event we can all benefit from.

“In 2022, we have the European Ladies Team Championship which is a huge event, massive team numbers, lots of teams from different countries, we are really looking forward to that following on from the Curtis Cup.

“It will be great to take everything we learn from hosting the Curtis Cup, take that passion and motivation on to 2022.”

Part of the legacy project will give new players coming up through the taster schemes the chances to watch the Curtis Cup in Conwy first hand, to see some of the best amateur players in the world up close.

The focus in 2021 may be on the world’s top lady professionals competing in Royal Porthcawl, but the scheme is aimed to boost golf in all areas of Wales.

“North Wales is a special golfing area, the coast has fantastic golf courses, very accessible from Manchester Airport,” said Parsley.

“We have a lot of links golf course, fantastic settings, so to have these major events will help drive North Wales golf forward by putting on the show everyone wants.

“We have invested heavily in the golf club to make sure the infrastructure is right, when visitors arrive, they will get a good welcome, the quality of the course is right and we have good practice facilities.

“We have lots for people to do in North Wales, lots of good golf courses to play and once people understand what we have got then it is good for the future of golf and golf tourism there.”