Chris Foster: ‘Let’s get more people playing!’
This friendly professional golfer talks modestly about the high standards he sets himself in golf, and when he tells you of his early struggles, and later what golf has offered him, you start to understand the inner passion that drives him onwards.
Chris Foster is also known to smile a lot on the golf course.
The 36-year-old from Hertfordshire, England, clearly loves the game and what it keeps giving him, even under the close examination of the pressurised international tournament.
Chris can handle this test partly as he has the confidence of someone who has allied a natural talent with hard work to qualify as a trained PGA Professional of 11 years. His golfing ability is evident from the ball striking, the way relaxed arms swing quickly through the ball in a decisive rhythm. The good players look great in that ‘impact area’ and Chris fits the brief here.
But another reason Chris smiles a lot is surely through recognising the opportunities golf provides: these come through competition, social golf and, crucially in recent years, coaching many players at Hanbury Manor Golf Club – including people who have a disability looking to try the game.
Chris says: “My coaching sums me up as a person, I love to help others to enjoy the game! I love seeing players thrive when something clicks. Whether it’s a new idea or a new skill learnt. Watching golfers develop at whatever level is why I wanted to coach and I feel I’m becoming quite good at it.
“It’s all linked really. As a player, I love the competition in golf. It’s you against the course, and there is the constant pursuit of perfection. As a coach, golf has also given me a career I care about. I love seeing players make progress, and the enjoyment they get from the little gains.”
He believes he is blessed in both areas by being able to draw on the expertise of some illustrious golfing names in his area of Hertfordshire, including former European Tour player Simon Khan, winner of the BMW PGA Championship in 2010, who has helped Chris with his swing and technique recently. Meanwhile, as something of a modern coaching legend, PGA Master Coach Scott Cranfield has supported Chris on his mental approach to the game.
Both these men coach at Hanbury Manor GC while Chris is fortunate that his first serious coach, and still a great influence and mentor, Daniel Field, Head Professional at East Herts Golf Club, is working only down the road from him. Asked if he feels fortunate to draw from this well of knowledge, Chris laughs, and replies: “Very! And I never take it for granted. That each of these great coaches has seen something in me, and they feel they can help me in my game, is massive. I’m learning from them hugely in my playing but of course I am also undoubtedly learning as a coach. If I can pass on just some of their positive support to others it can be fantastic.”
Chris was speaking with us on a day off after a really busy week at Hanbury Manor, coaching and working in the pro shop, helping members and visitors as they prepared for the attractive but challenging course. He wouldn’t want it any other way he says. “I love coaching and supporting the club, Hanbury have been so good to me, and I just want to help more people to enjoy the game like I have done.”
He adds: “Any way in which we coaches can encourage other people with a disability, of any age, to enjoy golf at any level, then this is hugely valuable to the individuals we help, and the wider sport of golf. I want to play my part as a coach to make this a more inclusive game for all.”
Certainly, things are clearer today for Chris, after a challenging start in life.
At the age of five, Chris was diagnosed with bone cancer and underwent chemotherapy. However, the illness returned. At nine years old, doctors made the decision to amputate his left leg. Chris says: “It’s just one of those things. I was quite lucky that it happened when I was young, because you sort of adapt. I’ve had more years like this than with two legs, so I’ve learned to get on with it.”
Sport became a big thing in Chris’s life as he developed. He swam for Great Britain, was a national 400m freestyle champion and he achieved a world record in the 1500m freestyle. He was part of the GB Paralympic swimming programme before a shoulder injury dashed his progress. He went on to represent England in amputee football, competing in two World Cups, and he played cricket for both England and Essex.
It was during this time that he discovered golf. Encouraged by his father and brother, Chris began hitting balls at the driving range, only seriously focusing on golf aged 21. “I just fell in love with it really,” he recalls. “Then I found out I was getting good at it and decided I wanted to do my PGA, and coach. That became my main focus and is to this day.”
Chris soon reached a handicap index of 2 and in 2016 joined the PGA Foundation Programme. He went on to win the Hanbury Manor Pro-Am (Herts Alliance Event), before completing the PGA Foundation Degree in 2019 – believed to be the first amputee golfer to do so.
Chris chooses to play golf without a prosthetic. “Because I’m a through-hip amputee, the prosthetic wraps around my waist and stops you turning, so you don’t get the power. Without it, I’ve got the turn and balance — I lost my leg so young that I’ve learned how to use that to my advantage.”
No stranger to the leaderboards in G4D (golf for the disabled) tournaments and winning matches (a gross 66 at London Golf Club in one international match is a treasured memory), Chris has also competed on the professional Clutch Tour and in regional PGA tournaments.
“I love the challenge of competing. How it isn’t just you against the field but more you against the course, and the contrasting difficulties each course brings. Being able to adapt is something most para golfers have done in their lives and it’s amazing to put that into a sport.”
In G4D, 2025 became something of a focus in his competitive play, on the days off from his coaching at Hanbury Manor.
Chris played in France, Belgium, Sweden and of course England, where he qualified for The G4D Open in Woburn in May, one of 80 players from 20 countries to take part in this championship staged by The R&A in partnership with the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA.
“The G4D Open was the pinnacle of disabled golf for me,” says Chris. “To feel like we were on display for our golf and not just our disabilities was an incredible experience; one I hope to have again, and hopefully to be in contention in future events.”
Chris was most pleased with his performance during the EGA European Individual Championship in Sweden in August. “Even though not my best event in terms of position and scoring, I learnt a lot about my game from this and showed some real positives that I’m taking forwards.”
As a member of the England Golf Disability Performance Squad, Chris hopes to expand his European experience if he is selected to represent his country in the EGA European Team Championship in Italy in July, 2026.
We first spoke with Chris after he had been working hard at his first England Golf training session at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire.
“I have loved being part of this and I’m really grateful for the support we have been offered,” says Chris.
Other big targets are to win an EDGA-supported tournament in 2026, Chris has entered events in England, France and Wales, and he has hopes for playing in Spain, Germany and South Africa.
As an ambassador for charity The Golf Trust, Chris has played his part in encouraging wider participation in the game. Of course, this now includes his work. His job is offering a thrill and satisfaction he had hoped for when he set out to qualify for The PGA; the realisation of the dream is proving to be hugely rewarding.
Chris says: “For me, golf is for everyone. It’s the only sport that three generations of family can play together, whether it’s disabled, able bodied, male or female. No other sport is like that. The social aspect is amazing but also being outside and enjoying whatever the day brings.
“I have a lot of people to thank for my progress. Obviously my parents who, without their support, I simply wouldn’t be where I am now. My Dad is also my caddie! My sponsors, Assist security group and also Kevan Bishop, have been so helpful.
“Simon Khan and Scott Cranfield, but I also mentioned a big influence on my career: Daniel Field. Daniel is an excellent coach and he was just so encouraging to me – still is. He inspired me to want to improve and he convinced me that I could turn professional; without him it wouldn’t have happened. He is still calling me to check I’m doing all the right things. We all need good supportive influences in our young lives and Daniel has helped me to truly believe in myself.”
Chris usually smiles when he talks about playing or coaching in the game. That he takes that smile onto the course or the coaching ground says a lot about what the game offers us all, but equally reveals a lot about the man behind the smile, a demonstration of handling whatever life throws at us. And whether you are competing against him, or being coached by him, you guess the smile is more about taking on the challenges of the course in front of you and adapting to the challenge: getting the best out of yourself. How valuable is that?
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