Staff at The Bristol Golf Club are celebrating after winning their corporate group's highest accolade.

The Bristol, which was in administration just three years ago, has been named Club of the Year by the Crown Group, Europe's largest owned and operated golf group.

The award marks an amazing turnaround in fortunes and, according to general manager Ben Laing, is a just reward for the hard work put in by all concerned.

He said: "We have put the club back into the forefront of the Bristol golfing market, building membership and golf days, as well as functions, conferences and weddings. It's been all the more pleasing this year as, like everyone else, we have had to deal with the general recession.

"But we've managed to buck the trend. I'm sure a lot of other businesses have been successful too but, through hard work and focus, we have been able to grow our business at both the top and bottom line. On the way, we have also been able to improve and enhance the products we offer."

Apart from being named top of the tree of all 31 of Crown's golf clubs nationwide, The Bristol also scooped the Sales Team of the Year award during the presentations, which took place at the company's flagship venue, the St Mellion International Resort in Cornwall.

The Bristol has been under Crown's wing since December 2006 after the previous owners had taken the club into administration. "Given that background, I think winning this award is an even bigger achievement," said Mr Laing, who has been in charge for the past two years, moving across the Severn from the Marriott St Pierre Hotel in Chepstow.

"The first year of Crown's ownership was clearly a very tough, difficult time but, in the two years since then, we have really come a long way.

"We have attracted 100 new members in the last year and the ones we already had are being kept happy, with some saying that we are now back to the days when the club first opened and was in its pomp."

Mr Laing was delighted that the club now has some tangible rewards to show for its hard graft. He said: "It's been very much a team effort from the departments led by head professional Andrew Etherington, course manager Dave Nichols, Marc Cole (sales) and head chef Sharon Brannan."

The Bristol boasts an 18-hole championship golf course and teaching academy laid out at St Swithins Park, Almondsbury, though its facilities stretch beyond the fairways, tees and greens.

Mr Laing said: "We get extra income from areas such as food and beverage and conferencing. Because of that, we don't just operate from April through to September, our business keeps going all year round.

"That's another string to our bow. You can't just rely on golf green fees and memberships but some clubs which aren't as commercially focused will miss out.

"We have a fantastic facility, in a great location with beautiful views. We needed to maximize that in other ways and we have been very successful in doing that. We offer a quality of product for a lesser price than some of the four-star hotels we are competing against."

Mr Laing said the future was bright. He said: "There's no doubt we have to keep the momentum going. We now have a standard of service, quality and product as our base line and need to focus on how we are going to move on up and above that.

"We must deliver on a consistent basis across every aspect of the business – the golf course presentation, food and beverage and customer service must be maintained to a high standard as we endeavour to stay one step ahead of the competition."

"We continue to be proactive and not just rest on our laurels and wait for the business to come to us. We have to go out and get that business."