After attending the "at the Heart of Golf" conference at Newmarket in February 2009, I appreciated the true value that having GolfMark would offer Saffron Walden Golf Club.

When back at work I set out to achieve the accreditation as soon as possible to show our commitment to developing a safe and suitable place for juniors to enjoy the game we all love.

Our initial self-assessment was submitted, which was a million miles away from where I had hoped it would be, and I was contacted by our Regional Development Officer, Steven Peet.

Through email and telephone conversations Steven assured me that GolfMark would be possible to achieve for the Club, and a date was set for our initial meeting. With the assistance of our Junior Committee, I started collecting and producing the required information ready for the meeting. Items such as guidelines were tabled on the agenda for our Committee to have formally approved, and the assistance from all at the Club was invaluable throughout.

A 2-hour meeting with Steven showed us what we were still left to do, however we were far closer to achieving the award. A second meeting (which would hopefully be our last!) was arranged for Monday 11 May 2009. I had collated all of our evidence in the folder, and was hopeful this would be everything we need to receive the prestigious award.

After a great deal of effort from all on the Junior Committee and General Committee, we were awarded GolfMark at this meeting. This is a very proud moment for the Club as we have become the first Club in Cambridgeshire to be awarded GolfMark, and it took just 2 months from start to finish. There are simple guidelines to follow and plenty of support to be had from your Regional Development Officer throughout the application procedure, so there is no excuse that more Clubs have not received the award!