One of the biggest golfing events in the global sporting calendar comes to Staffordshire today – and is providing an early summer economic boost for the hospitality industry.
The LIV Golf UK by JCB event features some of the biggest names in the sport, including five-times Masters winner Brooks Koepka, Ryder Cup legends Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood and US Open winners Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.
The three-day tournament is taking place at the JCB Golf & Country Club this weekend and more than 35,000 fans are descending on the venue to cheer on their favourite stars.
As well as helping showcase the world-class course and Staffordshire as a whole, local hospitality business owners are really feeling the benefits.
Hotels and B & Bs in the vicinity of the course, near to JCB’s world headquarters at Rocester, are reporting they have ‘no vacancies’ – and that uptick in bookings has also been felt further afield in the surrounding towns and cities.
Add to it the Alton Towers’ factor – as families head for the area to attend the theme park – and the Staffordshire Moorlands’ leisure and tourism sector is experiencing an early-summer boom.
JCB Golf & Country Club Director and General Manager Chris Bentley said: “The LIV Golf UK by JCB event, which will play host to some of the world’s best golfers, is the most prestigious tour event the JCB Golf & Country Club has hosted since opening in 2019.
“We anticipate that around 35,000 fans will descend on the venue over the course of the three days. The tournament will not only be a fantastic showcase for Staffordshire but help us achieve our goal of becoming a world-class facility, renowned for golf and hospitality.
“We are also delighted that this is creating a boost for the local economy right at the start of the Summer holiday season in the towns and villages immediately surrounding JCB as well as further afield.”
Gill Brown, owner of Windy Arbour Farm in the village of Denstone, which is less than a mile from the course, said: “We offer self-catering cottages and at this time of the year we are usually very busy anyway with families because of Alton Towers. But for this weekend the LIV Golf event has certainly impacted us too. Some of our cottages have been booked up for quite a while by people who are travelling from abroad to watch the golf.
“With 35,000 people coming to the area there will certainly be an increase in the economy for B and Bs, accommodation providers and other hospitality venues. This is not just locally but in the larger towns close by like Stoke-on-Trent and Derby.”
As well as the golfing talent, the LIV Golf event, which is the tour’s third trip to the UK since its launch in 2022, will feature a major name in music. Grammy-nominated Icelandic rocker KALEO, who have more than 4 billion global streams, will be performing live on the Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Chris Bentley and his team have been busy laying on facilities and preparing hospitality for the thousands set to attend.
They include temporary stands to house the crowds as well as refreshment facilities for supporters.
Golf fan Willem Lybaert has travelled from northern Belgium to attend the golf event. He said: “I arrived in the area at Stoke station, had a few drinks and something to eat here and now am travelling to Uttoxeter, where I’m staying for four nights.
“This tournament has such a draw that I am willing to travel. I’m looking forward to seeing the golf course, of course, but also the area around it in Staffordshire. It is a very pretty area.”
