Padraig’s golf business teed up for success

Padraig Murphy was no different. Playing off a two handicap he certainly had the ability to go pro, but when the opportunity presented itself the County Armagh man let his head rule his heart and he decided to pursue a career in computer science instead.

For someone so passionate about golf, the game he has been playing since childhood, few could believe the 24-year-old turned down the opportunity to study and eventually become a PGA professional.

He said: “Golf was my first love growing up in Whitecross and I suppose as a child I always had that dream to turn professional.

“But the further I went in the game the more I came to the realisation that maybe I wasn’t good enough to compete at the very top. And for me, that’s what turning professional was all about, I wanted to win competitions and earn a good living.

“I would often caddy on the Clutch Tour, this is a feeder tour to the Challenge Tour, and when you saw the standard these players were at, it was a bit of an eye-opener for me.

“It was a tough decision but ultimately it was the right one. I work in computer science at First Derivatives/KX in Newry and it is a very good career. I had to look at it in a very cold way of golf versus computer science and in the end computer science won.

“For the professionals golf becomes a way to earn a living, it’s a very serious business, whereas for me so much of it is about the enjoyment of the game.

However, despite turning his back on the pro game, Padraig has remained very close to the game he loves and last September launched his golf apparel business, Murphy Golf.

He said: “I’ve always been really interested in the fashion side of golf and have been buying golf clothes all my life. It can be very expensive to get yourself kitted out to play golf and trying to change that was one of the main reasons why I set up Murphy Golf.

“For the past two years I have been researching suppliers all over the world and testing their materials.

“When I knew this is what I wanted to do I turned to the British Business Bank for a Start Up Loan which enabled me to test products, invest in stock and bring a marketing team on board. Until this point, I had been financing all of this myself, so the Start Up Loan really helped kick-start my business.

“I’m now at the stage where my clothing is available both online and in Golf 365 in Newry and I am also talking to a number of other outlets about selling my range.”

Starting Murphy Golf has enabled Padraig to stay close to the sport he loves and a pleasing off-shoot of the business has been his ability to sponsor young players.

He said: “Supporting young professionals starting out of the Clutch Tour has been great. Helping young professionals as they get established in the sport is very rewarding.”

Padraig’s advice for anyone thinking about starting their own business is to ensure they are completely serious about what they are doing.

He said: “For me I had a very clear plan, knew exactly what I needed and how a loan would help really kick-start Murphy Golf.

“I was completely serious about what I was doing and spent two years financing the business myself as I searched all over the world for the best materials to make our range.

“We now have a collection of thoughtfully designed and carefully crafted clothing helping the modern golfer compete on the fairway and feel comfortable in the clubhouse.

“These loans need to be paid back, so before starting a business my advice would be to really make sure you do lots of planning and be completely sure about what you are doing before launching.”

Start Up Loans from the British Business Bank is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK.

Since launching in 2012, Start Up Loans has delivered more than 15,000 loans worth over £100 million to applicants under 25 across the UK.

In addition to finance, successful applicants receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers to help them succeed. The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application.

All owners or partners in a business can individually apply for up to £25,000 each, with a maximum of £100,000 available per business.

To find out more about Murphy Golf visit www.murphygolf.co.uk. To find out more about Start Up Loans visit www.startuploans.co.uk.