Chris Wood opens college’s new indoor range

Bristol’s outstanding golfer Chris Wood has officially opened the new indoor driving range and artificial putting green at Filton College.
The indoor range, sited at one end of the college’s magnificent indoor sports arena, offers space for up to 15 student golfers to work on their swings simultaneously.
This supplements the new putting green that measures 90 square metres.
Filton are among the leading college golf establishments in the country and helped to set up the Inter-collegiate Tour which has attracted 26 of the top golfing schools and colleges.
PGA professional Peter Langford, formerly at The Bristol, is in charge of the college scheme and works alongside another professional Kelvin Aitken.
Langford supervises more than 30 pupils who spend 16 hours a week working on their golf in addition to their academic studies.
He said: “We believe our project can bridge the gap between college golf in the UK and the USA and retain more of this country’s best talent here – at the same time offering the safety net of academic qualifications.”
Although the students come from all over the country, there is a strong presence from Bristol, Gloucestershire and Somerset.
A number of past and present students, among them Gloucestershire county regular Andy Hale (Chipping Sodbury) and Somerset’s Clevedon club champion Ashley Mansell, joined county and club officials at the opening.