Get closer to your favourite golfers
Thursday, 17th December 2009
Entrepreneur Chris Thewlis' love ofgolf has sparked a unique business venture that will delight all would-be golf professionals.
If you're passionate about golf but lack the talent and the time to play professionally, fora modest annual outlay you may soon be able to experience the life - with all its ups and downs - of a globe-trotting golf pro.
A graduate of the University of Huddersfield, Chris Thewlis is a man who has been able to chase the dream of playing professional golf and is a seasoned campaigner at tournaments throughout Europe. Now, with the aid of the Graduate Entrepreneurship-funded Business Mine based at the University of Huddersfield, he has teed off with an internet-based scheme which will enable rank-and-file golf enthusiasts to become closely involved with the sport at a high level.
Already up and running on the web – although not yet fully operational – MyGolfProfessional.net describes itself as ‘the first web-based community managing real golf pros’.
For an annual subscription of £20, people who sign up will be full voting members of a specialised sports management company that helps to run the careers of a roster of golfers. Decisions will be made on day-to-day issues, such as which tournaments should be entered, what fitness and training regimes should be followed, what travel arrangements should be made, what clothes should be worn.
Meanwhile, members of MyGolfProfessional.net will get a share of 40 per cent of prize winnings and 30 per cent of sponsorship deals. And the golfers themselves have financial back-up from the subscriptions paid by their online management.
Thanks to the Graduate Entrepreneurship Project, Chris was awarded both a proof-of-concept grant of £1000 and a start-up grant of £2,400, which aided him in the development of his website for MyGolfProfessional.net. Already, 150 people around the world have registered their interest and now Chris is working hard on bringing the project to full fruition.
The number of golfers it will manage will depend on the number of subscribers, so, aided by the “exceptionally helpful” Business Mine, Chris is deeply involved in developing the project and seeking extra financial backing.
Chris Thewlis can be contacted on 07964 692135 or by e-mail at c.thewlis@ntlworld.com or via the web at http://www.mygolfprofessional.net.
