The entrepreneur behind the business idea, Barrie Clarke, started playing golf during the Covid-19 pandemic, with YouTube videos helping him to pick up the basics. After moving to Montrose with his wife and falling in love with St Andrews and the east coast, Barrie is now helping others to do the same and is providing opportunities to learn to play in the ‘home of golf’.

Following a funding boost of £20,000 from BizBritain and the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, the two-day beginners academy is now open for bookings. Initially based at Montrose Links and Kintore Golf Courses, the academy includes six hours of master classes each day, aimed to help beginners enhance their practical techniques and understanding of technical terms.

The British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has supported 122 entrepreneurs like Barrie and delivered more than £1 million in loans to new business owners in Angus since it began in 2012.

Barrie aims to create a relaxed, supportive environment by teaching from a learner’s perspective, using relatable techniques, free from jargon. Participants will be coached by Jason Boyd, who has over 25 years’ experience as a golf professional and is currently the chairman of the Scottish Regions Professional Golfers Association.

Later this year, Big Golf Tours will also start to offer longer holiday experiences, providing stays from five days to two weeks where guests can visit bucket-list courses including the likes of St Andrews Links and Carnoustie Golf Links. The ambition is to partner with up to 100 different courses to help attract 10,000 new golfers to the sport through the experiences on offer.

While learning, Barrie started his own social media channels and has now gained over 3,000 subscribers on YouTube, with his wife, Rocel supporting behind the scenes to create content and golf course reviews. Another future plan for the business is to bring this network of followers and online friends together for golfing days at some of the best hidden gem courses around Scotland.

Barrie Clarke said: “Being able to share my passion for golf with other beginners will be very rewarding, especially as I am still learning to play the game. Amazingly, a hobby I picked up during lockdown has turned into my full-time career.

“As I was learning, I found that there is a lot of terminology that you need to get the hang of to be able to start playing golf and a lot of instructors tend to use language that absolute beginners may not understand. My aim is to make the learning experience more suitable for people who are brand new to the sport.

“Without the support I have received from BizBritain and the British Business Bank, Big Golf Tours wouldn’t be where it is today. Since moving to Montrose and being close to so many internationally renowned courses, it seemed like a fantastic opportunity to kickstart my business.

“By 2025, the golf industry is predicted to grow to over £30 billion, so there could be huge opportunities for a small business like Big Golf Tours.”

Barry McCulloch, senior manager, UK Network, Scotland at the British Business Bank, said: “Supporting business owners is a core focus for the Start Up Loans programme and it is great to see how Barrie’s enthusiasm for golf has allowed him to turn his hobby into a viable business idea.

“Scotland is known as the ‘home of golf’ and, combined with the country’s thriving tourism industry, offers huge potential for ventures like Big Golf Tours to tap into a market with an international reputation.”