I, like many millions of others, had a rather late night last night, watching Danny Willett's thrilling victory from Augusta in the Masters. Absolutely rivetting sport at its finest.

And what a setting! The lush, bright green fairways and mirror-like greens out there in Georgia looked simply stunning on our screens.

But we know, and club golfers across the country know, that courses don't have to look exactly like that in order to offer a challenging, exhilarating, infuriating and enjoyable game. As long as the course is maintained to its very best, by our highly skilled professionals, the cosmetic look of the course (how bright the grass is) is of minor consequence. Golf it seems, is doing very well again in the UK.

And a recent report funded by the R&A has the figures to back this up. Apparently golfers in the United Kingdom spent £4.3 billion on their sport in 2014, accounting for 14% of all consumer spending on sport. The report published by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) also says that golf paid £990 million in taxes to the government in the same period.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “Golf is the first sport in the UK to evaluate its contribution to economic development in line with the government’s ‘Sporting Future’ strategy and these findings give us an important economic baseline for the golf industry against which we can measure future growth.

“There is plenty of room for optimism that golf can maintain and develop its position as one of the most popular sports in the UK, particularly in the year when it makes its return to the Olympic Games in Rio.”

So it seems appropriate and timely that a debate is to take place in Parliment this Wednesday evening (April 13th) on the value of golf to the United Kingdom economy. The Adjournment Debate, which will take place in the Commons Chamber, was applied for by Lincoln MP and Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Golf Group Karl McCartney.

Nearly 74,500 people work in the UK golf industry with a third employed directly by nearly 3,000 clubs.

In calling for the debate, McCartney said, “After seeing just how much golf does for the UK in terms of revenue generated, tax paid and people employed, it is only right that a sport of this scale is debated in the House of Commons chamber and the details placed on public record. Golf is one of the UK’s biggest industries and as the home of golf, we can use this data to ensure more is done to encourage people to become involved.”

It is reported that the Sports Minister, David Evennett, will most likely respond to points raised in the debate on behalf of the Government.

One hopes that the contribution of the UK's world-class greenkeeping staff to the game's current popularity is adequately expressed in the debate and put on record. Throughout the slow years following the recession, their hard work, commitment and dedication was never in question.

Now there is an upswing in its popularlity, a little bit of recognition wouldn't go amiss.