PGA Professionals 

  Richard Blake

Born in Salisbury, Richard Blake and Wiltshire Golf have been inseparable for over 40 years.

As an amateur Richard represented Wiltshire at junior and senior level picking up numerous titles including the Wiltshire Schools Scratch Championship in 1987 and the Wiltshire Junior Championship in 1988.

Turning Professional in 1990 Richard was based at North Wilts Golf Club building up great respect as a knowledgeable teacher to golfers of all ages. In more recent times Richard became a coach at both county and national level.

Richard is now based at Upavon Golf Club where he has been since 1993. Working closely with Environmental Consultants Richard was given the opportunity in 1995 to design the current course layout. Opening in May 1997 the 6436 yd par 71 design has received much acclaim for its challenging test of golf over undulating terrain with small well-guarded greens. The course is maturing into one of the county's finest and Richard is still closely involved with its ongoing development.

Golf professionals specialise in club repairs and Richard operates a highly skilled business in the construction, repair and restoration of golf clubs. Having serviced Powakaddy & Motocaddy electric golf trolleys since 1989 his knowledge of them is similarly comprehensive and as an approved service centre golfers visit from all over the West Country.

Out on the golf course Richard claimed several titles including the Wiltshire Professional Strokeplay Championship 1998, the Wiltshire Professional Matchplay Championship three times in the late 1990s and the West Region PGA Club Professional Championship in 1998.

Richard was Secretary/Treasurer of the Wiltshire Professional Golfers Association from 1996 until 2003 organising in excess of thirty pro am events. He is now an expert in the promotion and advertising of all types of golf events/corporate days.

Richard has continued to concentrate on Golf retail and has worked closely with numerous local Golf Professionals to maximize buying power by helping to stock and supply their shops. During the last few years Richard has helped stock five Wiltshire On Course Golf Shops, three local Driving Ranges and six On Course Golf Shops in neighbouring counties.

Bradley Smith

As a Junior Bradley played for Wiltshire from the age of 12 every year and captained the Under 18s Junior team in his final 2 years as a Junior. Along the way winning numerous Junior Events and Order of Merit Prizes within Wiltshire and the surrounding counties. Within his Junior Career Bradley qualified to represent England in the Junior European Championships on 2 occasions and competed in the British Junior Open Championships, where he managed to achieve an 8th place finish, one of his best achievements. 

Bradley achieved his Professional Status in 2021 at the age of 17 and enrolled onto the PGA Training Programme. First working as a Golf Professional at Bristol & Clifton Golf Club, Bradley began coaching straightaway with a passion for the golf swing and helping others achieve their goals within the sport. In 2022, Bradley moved back closer to home and began working at Upavon Golf Club. Continuing with his passion of coaching and custom fitting. 

At the same time in 2022 Bradley began competing on the European Long Drive circuit. A discipline that involves hitting a golf ball as far as possible with drives reaching over 400 yards. Bradley competing on the tour for a couple of years and became a Professional for the beginning of the 2023 season. Over the next couple of years Bradley managed to achieve multiple top 10 finishes and achieved a peak ranking of 14th in Europe. 

In 2025, Bradley finished his PGA Training Programme, becoming a fully qualified PGA Professional. This provided him with an increased knowledge of the golf swing, technology and the industry itself. He is now looking to use all of the knowledge from his training and career to help others.