Innovation award for Clubstohire.com
Nick Oakley, IMG Golf Event Manager (left), presents the inaugural HSBC Golf Business Community Innovation Award to Tony Judge, Chief Executive of ClubstoHire.com at the HSBC Golf Business Forum at the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa, Abu Dhabi
ClubstoHire.com has won the inaugural ‘HSBC Golf Business Community Award for Innovation.’
The award was presented at The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa as part of the three-day HSBC Golf Business Forum yesterday.
ClubstoHire.com – which has saved golfers an estimated €4m in airline baggage charges since its formation in 2010 – edged out 89 other successful companies for the award, including manufacturers, software producers and business developers.
A group of global industry experts, including former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, selected the Dublin-based company as the most impressive in terms of its track record in providing an outstanding service to golfers and enabling more people to play the sport on holiday.
“It’s an honour to be the first winner of such a high-profile global award and be recognised by leading figures within the golf industry,” said Tony Judge, CEO of ClubstoHire, which was started four years ago with the help of now European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.
“We started the business to help make golfing holidays more convenient and less expensive, and after recently expanding to locations such as Cape Town and Marrakesh, we’re continuing to do everything we can to make this happen for golfers."
McGinley, a ClubstoHire ambassador and investor, who originally played a crucial role in negotiating with brands like TaylorMade to sign up to the service, is excited by the company's success.
“It’s incredible how much the business has grown in the space of just four years and the level of interest continues to grow amongst the golfing population,” McGinley said.
“The idea of offering rental clubs from €35 for a week has proved to be an extremely innovative one and I’m pleased it’s helping more golfers to play the sport in different locations.”
Last year, ClubstoHire supplied a record 40,000 sets of clubs to travelling golfers and re-launched its website to cope with the demand. It also introduced a ‘Guide to the Algarve’ – a free magazine given to every Faro customer to point them towards the best golf clubs, restaurants and places to stay in the region.
In 2014, the company added 1,000 more of the latest sets from leading brands like TaylorMade, Callaway, Mizuno and Wilson Staff, while it also supported the launch of the Golf Life Travel digital magazine that aims to help travelling golfers when booking trips to Portugal and Spain.
ClubstoHire locations include: Spain – Alicante, Costa Dorada, Girona, Gran Canaria, La Linea/Gibraltar, Palma, Malaga, Murcia & Tenerife; Portugal – Faro, Lagos & Lisbon; Cyprus – Aphrodite Hills; Turkey – Belek; Africa – Cape Town (South Africa) & Marrakesh (Morocco); UK & Ireland – Edinburgh, Isle of Man, Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
For more on ClubstoHire, including locations and equipment available, go to www.clubstohire.com.
