Golf Centre Built on Childhood Grounds Wins England Golf Facility of the Year

James and Sophie Need founded Need Golf in Cheshire on land where James played as a child. Opened in 2019, the centre serves 50,000+ visitors yearly and was named England Golf's facility of the year for inclusivity and community impact.

From Childhood Memories to a Thriving Golf Centre

The founder of a golf centre in Cheshire has described it as a "very strange but incredible feeling" to operate the facility on land where he played golf as a child alongside his grandfather.

James and Sophie Need established Need Golf near Nantwich, Cheshire, after James, a golf professional, ceased touring when his wife became pregnant with their first child.

The centre, which opened in 2019, now welcomes over 50,000 visitors annually, with thousands more engaging through social media platforms.

Need Golf A large green field, with sun shining on the grass. There is a long building made of a number of bays across the back of the field — As a boy James Need used to play golf with his grandfather on the field that is now home to the business

Recognition and Facilities

Recently, Need Golf was honoured as facility of the year by England Golf.

James Need expressed a deep personal connection to the site, recalling it as a place where

"me and my grandad would grab a couple of clubs and some balls and smack them around"

The centre features a driving range and an academy, and James also offers coaching sessions online. Despite its success, there are no intentions to develop a traditional golf course.

England Golf awarded the centre for its

"outstanding commitment to inclusivity, community impact, and redefining what a modern golf venue can be"

Being recognised by the sport's governing body was profoundly meaningful to James Need, who highlighted their initiatives such as family festivals, engaging local residents, and promoting the mental health benefits of golf.

Design and Early Days

Sophie Need, with a background in architecture and property development, designed the centre after James proposed the idea on their first wedding anniversary.

The 33-year-old reflected that she never anticipated the venture would evolve into a family business. During the first year, the only staff members were the couple and their baby daughter.

A woman with blonde hair, wearing a black top, is holding a silver plaque with the words Need Golf Centre — The centre opened months after the birth of the couple's first child

"First day open, and we thought oh my gosh, we've got to actually run the golf centre now, we hadn't even thought about that, we'd just concentrated on building it!"

said James Need, 37.

Future Plans and Community Focus

The couple plans to expand the Worleston site but will not be adding a golf course despite receiving requests to do so.

"We very much believe that off-course golf gets more people into the sport, so we're wanting to do adventure golf, wanting to build more bays because we are busy,"

said Sophie Need.

Their goal is to attract non-golfers and encourage multiple generations to participate together.