CARDIGAN Course Manager Stuart Adams has received the Wales Golf Greenkeeper of the Year Award, sponsored by BIGGA, after widespread improvements at the West Wales links course.

He was presented with the award at the Wales Golf Awards ceremony at Ryder Cup venue Celtic Manor, at the Twenty Ten Clubhouse.

Working with sustainability experts GEO and with guidance from The R&A, an approach of working with nature rather than against it has run through the many aspects of golf course management.

Adams moved to Pembrokeshire in 2001, working at Tenby, Trefloyne and Haverfordwest before joining Cardigan as Head Greenkeeper in 2017 and becoming Course Manager in 2019.

BIGGA Chief Executive Jim Croxton, centre, with Barrie Davies, left, and Matthew Morgan, right, of Cardigan Golf Club.
BIGGA Chief Executive Jim Croxton, centre, with Barrie Davies, left, and Matthew Morgan, right, of Cardigan Golf Club. (Wales Golf)

“Stuart is a passionate, dedicated and professional greenkeeper, combining a high level of qualifications with his dedication to the craft,” said Cardigan Club Secretary Peter Ward.

“He is highly motivated, and his enthusiasm for the job and for the club spills over to his staff, who work so well as a team to provide Cardigan Golf Club with a course which is the envy of other golf clubs in West Wales.“

“This resulted in Cardigan Golf Club being awarded Wales Golf Club of the Year 2023.”

As part of his development, Adams has volunteered at Wentworth (British Masters 2024), Royal Porthcawl (AIG Women’s British Open 2025) and at the Singapore Open in 2020. An R&A field trip to Askernish, in the Outer Hebrides, has also been influential.

There has been zero fungicide use at Cardigan since December 2017 – reduced water, reduced feeds and reduced mowing, but leading to better playing surfaces.

Local ground sourced water is fed through a network of five rain catchment ponds, gravity fed to a pump house, while an on-site turf nursery is used for winter project work to include 33 revetted bunkers.

Sand for the bunkers is also locally sourced, while recycled water is used for cleaning machinery.

There are development plans for all the greenkeeping staff, with a three year maintenance plan in place.

Cardigan has hosted a range of competitions for Wales Golf since 2017, including the Welsh Team Championships, Junior Championships, Women’s Seniors Championships, and also the Wales v Ireland juniors on a biannual basis.

A cut and collect programme within the heavy outlying rough has been introduced to create a better environment for wildflowers, thus attracting more bees and insects.

Bird boxes and insect hotels have been built around the course.

Tees and bunkers have been rebuilt with improved drainage, and a new driving range has been installed.