Meet our Co-founder Gary Hunter

Gary Hunter, one of two Compare Golf Prices co-founders, has had a club in his hand since the age of eight.

He is a sport loving father from County Durham, whose successful career in business has led to him launching his latest company in an industry he loves with long term friend Steven Presho.

Steven provides the technical and digital know-how to give Compare Golf Prices the perfect start from a design and efficiency perspective, while Gary’s business intelligence and appreciation of the technical side of things provides the ideal combination.

Gary and Steven, both low handicappers, want to provide an online space where consumers know they are getting equipment at the right price, while also giving the club professionals across the country a platform to enhance their sales too. Gary explained …

“I understand what golfers need. I love golf and even though the business has to make money, Compare Golf Prices is about helping pros out and ensuring golfers get a good deal too.

“Golf takes up an enormous amount of time in my life. Even my youngest three daughters of five children are playing on the Girl Golf Rocks programme and they have their own US Kids clubs.

“I’m golf mad, always have been really since starting to play at Castle Eden in primary school. Even though I have played a bit of football, I really started to focus on golf the older I got.

“I have played regularly for Castle Eden Golf Club and I played in the Northern Masters with the best scratch golfers in the county at Rockliffe Hall a few years ago when I came 12th. I shot four over that day in tricky conditions, so I was quite pleased with that.

“It‘s that love for the game that has meant I have always wanted to do something in the industry and in February 2021 I came up with the idea of Compare Golf Prices.

“The intention is to help the club pros, so we bought a website with an old domain ranking, and we have taken that idea on from there, using my previous business experience and Steven’s technical knowledge too.

“My business story has a ring to it as well when you think about what we are doing now.

“My first business was Lease Cars Direct, which I set up in a bedroom in 2004. I leased cars to consumers and after the financial crisis in 2008 we became a car leasing comparison portal for the main dealers.

“We fed quotes to main dealers, helped them sell cars and it was acquired by Vertu Motors PLC in December 2011.

“After leaving Vertu, and some time elsewhere, I wanted to start a new business in the discounts area and in March 2014 Redu was born.

“The Redu Group – a specialist marketing company that helps online retailers achieve substantial sales - went from zero to employing 41 people. It now records £35-40m in product sales for retailers such as John Lewis, Very, M&S.

“We also ran the gift card programmes for companies such as Greggs, B&M, New Look and others too through MBL Solutions. We acquired that in October 2020, developed it and recently sold it to Appreciate Group in a deal worth £3.5m.

“All of that has led me to my latest challenge, and one very close to my heart, which is why Compare Golf Prices is so exciting – not only for me but for the consumers and club pros too.”