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The Sir Henry Cotton Award

The Sir Henry Cotton Award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated meritorious service to junior golf for a sustained period. The winner of this award receives a grant kindly provided by the Stanley Morrison Charitable Trust and an ETIQUS golfer’s watch kindly donated by Gary Butler.

Back in the early 2000’s David Frankin read about the Golf Foundation’s club learning programme, the Junior Golf Passport, and persuaded the club PGA Pro to adopt the fun initiative. For the first time in its 100-year history, the club started structured coaching.

In addition, David saw that the Golf Foundation’s Tri-Golf programme was ideal for taking golf into primary schools in the area surrounding the golf club and since 2003, Tri-Golf sessions in 11 local schools have reached 4,000 children. Furthermore, he was one of the first organisers in the country to run a Tri-Golf festival, bringing hundreds of pupils from local schools to the golf club, now an annual event on the club calendar.

This pathway to the golf club and the warm welcome the children receive has led to Epsom GC becoming a force for junior golf (more than 100 junior members at present) and at the age of 80 David still regularly attends junior committee meetings.

Foundation CEO Brendon Pyle said: “It is fitting that we should end today’s awards with a celebration of a volunteer who has embraced the aspirations of Sir Henry Cotton and the work of the Golf Foundation. We could not have a better recipient for this award.”

David Franklin said: “I am really pleased and honoured to be recognised in this way but this couldn’t have been done by one person. I am privileged to have had a great team around me right from the time we decided to reach out to more youngsters and welcome them to the club, and we are all delighted that Epsom Golf Club has such a strong relationship with schools and the community.”

Picture: David Franklin (centre) & team from Epsom GC with Golf Foundation President Sandy Jones (Getty Images)