Always on
This project successfully funded on 29th September 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Keep Golf Alive In Penrhys
Ferndale, Rhondda Cynon Taff, United Kingdom
Aim
We’re building more than a golf range, we’re building a community. Please help us save the Just Play Golf Driving Range!
Help Us Save Just Play Golf Driving Range in RCT
Who We Are
We are Just Play Golf CIC, a newly formed Community Interest Company based in the heart of Rhondda, South Wales. Our mission is to make golf fun, welcoming, and accessible for everyone, no matter their age, ability, or background.
Each year, we welcome over 23,000 visits from families, schools, beginners, and experienced players. What started as a neglected driving range has become a growing hub for connection, wellbeing, and opportunity.
We're not just here to teach golf, we're here to bring people together, support wellbeing, and create real opportunities in our local area.
Now, we need your help to secure the future of this Golf Driving Range and give our project the best possible start.
My Story
I’m a PGA Professional, and in November 2019, I took a leap of faith and purchased a local driving range. The place was in a rough state, cow muck in the bays, broken mirrors, ripped dividers, and worn out mats. It needed a lot of work, but I believed in its potential to become something truly valuable for the community.
Then, just a few months later, Covid hit. While everything around us was closing, I spent the lockdowns restoring the range, cleaning, repairing, and rebuilding bit by bit so that one day I could open it back up to the public.
Over the years, we’ve had setback after setback, balls being stolen or damaged, mowers breaking down, equipment wearing out, and no access to support or grants due to how the business was originally structured. Still, we pushed forward because I believed in the bigger picture.
Over the last few years, I’ve faced some very tough personal challenges alongside running the range. Despite this, my family and I have stayed committed to making this project work because we believe in its value to the community.
Since then, we’ve welcomed two beautiful children, one in March 2023 and another in June 2024. Raising a young family while rebuilding this business hasn’t been easy, but I’ve never stopped believing in what this space can become.
In 2021 and 2023 we made a major investment by installing Toptracer technology in every bay and a Swing Studio to offer a better experience for the community. But that came at a high cost, and we now have £55,000 of debt linked to the TopTracer installation with £30,000 still outstanding.
Why We’re Fundraising
We’ve now restructured as a Social Enterprise (CIC), which finally gives us access to grant funding and community support, but we need help to get over this financial hurdle first.
We’re raising £160,000 to:
- Pay off the Toptracer debt
- Repair and Replace broken equipment and machinery
- Remove the financial pressure
- Protect the future of the range as a community driven space
If we’re unable to get on top of the essential maintenance and manage the growing debt, Just Play Golf Driving Range may be forced to close. Everything we’ve built through years of hard work, despite every challenge, could be lost.
How the Funds Will Be Used
Your support will help us:
✅ Pay off the Toptracer debt (£85,000)
✅ Replace broken and damaged items such as golf balls, bay dividers, and tractor
✅ Replace worn mats and equipment to improve the playing experience
✅ Maintain the range including purchasing a new mower to cut the 5 acre field.
✅ Build a second door by the toilets for us to build a new cafe area under Environmental Health rules and regulations.
✅ Level the floor and construct a partition wall to create the cafe space
✅ Move electrical systems and sort plumbing to make the cafe fully functional
✅ Run community events, inclusive sessions, and youth coaching
Photo of the damaged bay dividers
Photos of Damaged Golf Mats
Photo of where the cafe needs to be built (in front of red brick wall). This includes new electrics, plumbing, partition wall, cover open fire place and make the floor even.
Photo of where the second door needs to be for us to put in a cafe under Environmental health rules and regulations
Photo of our damaged, non running Tractor (previously used for cutting grass and ball collecting)
By paying off the Toptracer debt, repairing and upgrading essential equipment, and investing in the cafe area, we will create a welcoming, comfortable environment for visitors. This will:
- Enhance social spaces for families and players to relax and connect
- Help us maintain the field to avoid loosing golf balls and make ball collecting easier for staff members
- Encourage longer visits and increased community engagement
- Provide a new hub for local events, meetings, and activities
- Support the local economy with new job opportunities
- Make golf and leisure activities more accessible and enjoyable for everyone
My Vision - We’re Building More Than a Range — We’re Building a Community
My vision is to create a space that’s more than just a place to hit golf balls. I want to create a space that supports wellbeing, encourages social connection and gives people the opportunity to learn, grow and belong. I also want the range to be:
- A safe, welcoming place to practice
- Giving young people a place to go
- Providing inclusive sessions for schools, families, and people with disabilities
- A space where families can spend time together
- A venue with a cafe, warm atmosphere, and social activities
- Supporting mental health and physical wellbeing
- A place with high-standard coaching for all ages and abilities
- Creating jobs, volunteer roles, and long-term opportunities
- Building a community hub, not just a sports facility
- A home for fun events like pizza nights, date nights, and group offers
I want everyone who walks in to feel like they belong, whether they’re new to golf or a regular.
How You Can Play Your Part
This is a true community effort and there’s more than one way to get involved:
- 💸 Make a pledge — Every donation counts, no matter the size
- 📢 Spread the word — Share our story on social media, in your workplace, or with local groups
- 💬 Talk about it — Word of mouth is powerful the more people who know, the stronger our chance of success
With your help, we can move beyond survival and start to thrive. Let’s protect this range and unlock its full potential, together.
🎁 Supporter Rewards
If you donate, you’ll receive
£10 donation - Social media “Thank you“ shoutout
£25 donation - 1 hour of unlimited balls + social media “Thank you” shoutout
£50 donation - 3 hours of unlimited balls + your name on our “Wall of Thanks”
£100 donation - 5 hours of unlimited balls + your name on our “Wall of Thanks”
£250 donation - 10 hours of unlimited balls + your name on our “Wall of Thanks”
£500 donation - 15 hours of unlimited balls + 1 hour swing studio + 1 hour Golf lessons + your name on our “Wall of Thanks“
£1000 donation - 100 hours of unlimited balls + 1 hour swing studio + 3 hour course lesson + your name of our “Wall of Thanks”
From the Heart
I’ve put my heart into this place, through good times and incredibly tough ones. I’ve had help from amazing people, and I’ve never stopped working toward a space that serves others, not just me.
Now I’m asking for one final push, so we can move forward, support the community properly, and finally bring this vision to life.
Thank you so much for reading, for donating, or even just sharing our story.
Please take a moment to read some of the wonderful feedback we’ve already received from our community members. Their support truly highlights the positive impact we’re making, and it would be a great loss to see such an important part of the community fade away.
With all our appreciation,
Matthew Phythian, his family and the Just Play Golf team
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made