Lumb captains the PGA

Nicky Lumb has succeeded Neil Selwyn-Smith as PGA captain at The PGA’s annual general meeting held at The Belfry, 40 years to the day since he got his first job at Filton Golf Club. The Bristol Golf Centre-based PGA Master Professional will represent 7,500 of his fellow PGA Members and is keen to highlight the good work going on at grass roots in terms of numbers playing and those coming into the game.

Lumb became PGA qualified in 1980 and built up a successful club at Filton before moving to Hambrook Driving Range – now the Bristol Golf Centre which includes a pirate-themed adventure golf course to encourage more youngsters into the game. He has also been an instrumental figure in the PGA education and training programmes since 1983 when he was invited to become commercial studies tutor going on to become a senior tutor in 1988.

The following year he became chairman of the PGA training committee which presided over a pivotal time in the Association’s history and was involved in the building of the new PGA Training Academy. He chaired the committee overseeing the PGA training manual re-write and served on the education review committee from 1989 to 90 and 1995 to 99. He has been a member of the PGA Board of Directors since 2001. Lumb will have Royal Liverpool’s John Heggarty as captain-elect.

Commenting on his appointment, Lumb said, “There is a lot of negativity but I don’t think there’s that much wrong with golf except that people aren’t positive enough. I can tell you that my friends who have got driving ranges, they are seeing more people using them over the last three or four years. You also hear that’s the same on pay and play courses.”

Lumb believes the role of the PGA pro is crucial in helping to further promote and grow the game. “PGA pros have to go out and get more people playing golf. They can drive recruitment and member retention and have the expertise to grow the game.”