British practice Swan Golf Designs has been appointed as golf course architect to the MyTimeGolf group, which now operates 19 centres in the south, south east and midlands of England, focusing on the development and operation of former public and proprietary golf courses.

The group is part of My Time Active, a charitable organisation, and has the stated aim of reinvesting its returns in promoting social equity and advantage to communities in the game of golf.

“My Time’s philosophy is very much in line with SGD’s ethos of helping to increase participation in golf through the provision of innovative facilities that make the game more accessible whilst also providing opportunities to existing golfers to develop their skills,” said Howard Swan.

SGD will start its work for MyTimeGolf at the Orpington Golf Centre in Kent, where the existing facilities comprising driving range, 45 holes and a short course, will be appraised and evaluated before a development plan is developed to set out potential improvements and perhaps expansion.

Swan said: “We are very pleased to be working with Brad Chard and his team at MyTimeGolf looking at how the present facilities which the group operates can be upgraded so that they are better presented and more efficient and economic in their operation. It is particularly pleasing that MyTimeGolf has such an intent to grow the grassroots of the game to get more to enter it and develop within it and are clearly prepared to invest in the kind of facilities which can encourage this within the local community. We are looking forward to the first opportunity at Orpington and thereafter spreading to the group’s other centres.”