MINGLING, MEDALS AND MULLIGANS

Each year, the SAPCA Golf Day brings together sports and play construction professionals for an informal get together. While the annual SAPCA Open is always hotly contested, the focus is always very much on networking and catching up with industry peers

This year’s SAPCA Golf Day took place on Wednesday 25 June at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort in Northampton. The championship golf venue, built on the Whittlebury estate in 1905, offered players the opportunity to take on the resort’s Blue and Yellow courses, which are built around the remaining copses of the ancient Royal Whittlebury Forest.

LUNCH TIME CONVERSATIONS

The day featured the annual SAPCA Open, which was first held in 2001, as well as a Women in SAPCA Lunchtime Conversation with Olympic silver medalist Gail Emms MBE. During the motivational talk, Emms recalled the obstacles and challenges she experienced during her mixed doubles training with coaches who used language such as ‘man up’ when times were tough and emotions were high. She also recounted the inspirational story of her mother, Janice Emms, who played for the unofficial England women’s national football team – and which led her to write the book, The Lost Lionesses: The incredible story of England’s forgotten trailblazers.

The day’s centrepiece event, the 24th SAPCA Open, was won by Halliday Lighting pair Neil Fenwick and Jan Skrzypowski. Both scored an impressive 40, giving them a total of 80. The highest individual scores this year were registered by Phil Eastment from O’Brien Contractors (42) and Kevin Field from Mapei UK (41).

As always, networking formed a huge part of the day. Players took the opportunity to enjoy refreshments on the “19th hole”, which was followed by a golf and awards dinner in the evening.

“The Golf Day is a great opportunity for members to catch up with industry colleagues and peers, as well as invited guests, many of who work for national governing bodies of sport,” says SAPCA CEO, Richard Shaw. “It is one of the highlights of the year and we look to build on the success of this year’s Women in SAPCA networking lunch as we begin planning on the 2026 edition, when we will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the SAPCA Golf Day.”

The venue for next year’s SAPCA Golf Day will be confirmed later this summer. For more information, visit: [www.sapca.org.uk/events](http://www.sapca.org.uk/events)

SAPCA Open 2025 FINAL LEADERBOARD 1 Neil Fenwick & Jan Skrzypowski

(Halliday Lighting) 80 2 Mark Gamble & James Gamble (Charles Lawrence Tennis Courts) 75 3 David Bates (Total-Play) & Matt Young (TGMS) 73 4 Tim Richards (SAPCA) & Paul Fleming (Loughborough University) 72 5 Julian Westbrook & Mark Cullingford (Sport & Play) 68

INDIVIDUAL PRIZES The Longest Drive, Men (sponsored by Fosse Contracts Ltd) - Jan Skrzypowski, Halliday Lighting Longest Drive, Ladies (sponsored by SAPCA) - Charlotte Malyon, England Netball The Ron Harrod Foundation trophy, Nearest The Pin - Neil Belsham, South Wales Sports Grounds Nearest The Pin in 2 (sponsored by Fosse Contracts Ltd) - Neil Fenwick, Halliday Lighting Nearest The Pin in 3 (sponsored by SAPCA) - Joe Shaw, SIS Pitches