PGA Master Pro award for Missions Hills man

Mission Hills’ group executive director Iain Roberts has been made a PGA Master Professional.

The honour, bestowed in The PGA’s latest Accreditation for Professional Achievement and Learning (APAL) awards, caps another highlight in the 56 year old’s rich and varied career.

Also earning recognition with enhanced membership status is Holland-based Iain Forrester from Hoenshuis Golf and Country Club who has been accorded PGA Advanced Fellow Professional status.

Sarah Bennett (below) from Three Rivers Golf & Country Club, who has worked tirelessly to help rehabilitate injured soldiers through golf, is one of three pros to gain PGA Fellow Professional status along with Anders Mankert from Cosby Golf Club and Nairn Dunbar’s David Torrance.

Further awards go to Andrew Agnoli (Bishop’s Stortford), Patrick Baker (Bleadon Hill), Darran Bird (Made to Measure), Gavin Cook (Elie Sports Club), Craeg Deery (Meydan Golf), Rodney Holt (Silverstone), Richard Hughes (Coalville), Wayne O’Callaghan (Fernhill) and Paul Williams from Top Golf who have been all granted PGA Advanced Professional status.

The APAL awards were introduced  a decade ago to reflect the career achievements of PGA Members with Master Professional the highest honour.

Roberts’ CV covers the gamut of roles in golf both in the UK and abroad. He played on tour, became head pro at Muswell Hill at aged just 24 and later moved overseas to become just the third head pro in the history of Royal Hong Kong Golf Club.

For the past five years he has overseen the entire golf operations at Mission Hills – the world’s biggest golf club.

“It’s a great honour, it doesn’t seem as though I’ve been working in golf as long as I have but it’s been a whirlwind career that has gone so fast,” he said.

** Read a feature on Iain Roberts here.