Great Days Golf: The Personal Touch Driving a New Era in Golf Travel
Great Days Golf: The Personal Touch Driving a New Era in Golf Travel
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When it comes to golf, there’s more to the game than just the scorecard. For Simon Pridham, co-owner and Managing Director of Great Days Golf, the sport is about connection, experience and building something unforgettable.
With a background as an executive headteacher, government adviser, and successful tech entrepreneur Simon quickly spotted an opportunity to do things differently when he and his old school friend, former Ospreys and Wales coach and more recently BBC Rugby Presenter, Sean Holley came up with an idea in 2019. “We’d been to lots of golf events thinking we could enhance the experience,” Simon says. “What’s materialised over the last six years has been nothing short of astonishing really from what we thought it would be.”
From the start, they knew profile would matter. Welsh rugby legend Jonathan “Jiffy” Davies joined as a co-owner and non-executive director, bringing credibility and reach. Inspirational golfer Mike Jones, who overcame the loss of a leg to become a champion of inclusive golf, also came on board.
Then came 2020 and COVID-19. But rather than stall, they used the time wisely: “We took time to develop our brand, shape our vision and objectives and to get major partnerships in place. We had partnerships very quickly with some of the biggest golfing brands in the world.” This includes Srixon, Fottjoy and Titleist.
By the time restrictions eased, their first event at the Vale Resort was ready, and it was a hit. Today, Great Days Golf delivers up to 30 events a year, from their own high-profile tournaments to bespoke corporate days for blue-chip clients like Bouygues UK and the WPBSA World Snooker Golf Day.
Events quickly became a meeting point for the same CEOs, MDs and business leaders. The solution? Build a membership network. “As we stand today, we have 26 businesses as part of that network who pay a membership each year,” Simon explains. “They get six bespoke business partner networking golf days and lots of B2B activity takes place in this network.”
Two years ago, they spotted another opportunity: travel. “We did two or three and they sold out really quickly,” Simon says. That success sparked the launch of Great Days Golf Travel, now merged into the main company, offering everything from Spanish and Portuguese golf holidays to a “US Masters-style tournament,” abroad.
The next stage is ambitious. “We will have 10 money-can’t-buy bespoke golf travel events as well as all our normal click-and-buy,” Simon says. These experiences are fully staffed, highly personal and designed to create memories that last a lifetime. “Even if you book a trip with us to North Wales, it’ll be a very personal touch point you’ll get with our staff. No stone will be left unturned.”
The company’s profile is set to soar with the arrival of Wales rugby legend Dan Biggar as a shareholder and non-exec director. “Dan has become a shareholder of the company and a non-exec director, which is massive obviously on the back of Dan’s profile,” Simon says. Trips such as a visit to Toulon to meet Daniel, play golf, enjoy a Michelin-starred meal and watch a match are exactly the kind of experiences Great Days Golf is building.
Alongside Dan comes Alister Strahan, Managing Director of Venatour Travel, bringing decades of expertise in global sports travel. “His expertise and his skill set will be invaluable but also then putting the two brands together and seeing what exciting opportunities we can come up with will be good.”
The golf travel market is competitive, but Simon is clear: “We’re not looking to compete with them. We offer the personal touch. The money can’t buy travel experience. We are about to launch an aggressive marketing campaign and keep your eyes peeled for our Sky TV Golf Travel Ad, which may just be starring Mr Biggar and Mr Davies.”
For Simon, that personal touch is the lifeblood of the brand. “If you call yourself Great Days Golf, you’re putting that tag on yourself. You’ve got to give people a Great Days Golf. We leave no stone unturned, we’re incredibly professional. I think above all, we make sure people are looked after incredibly well whether that be before an event, during an event or even after an event.”
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