25,000-Plus Visitors Expected For June Golf Tournament

At least 25,000 people are expected to visit Torridgeside for the Martini golf tournament being held at the Royal North Devon Golf Club from June 11-14.

Martini themselves are inviting over 2,000 guests to the first major tournament to be held at Westward Ho! for 40 years.

Revealing this to a meeting of Northam District Chamber of Commerce, Mr John Linaker said the event would benefit the whole area. It would attract people who would spend money and he hoped it would stimulate an extension of the local holiday season.

In this tournament of international standing, 130 players in the PGA order of merit in 1974 were eligible to compete and Martini also invited 10 guest players. It was costing in the region of £50,000 to promote, not counting the prize money.

There would be no charge for the general public to follow the tournament – “Martini have never charged at any tournament.” A charge...

Gazette article dated April 1975