Masters golf tours business collapses
A YORKSHIRE travel firm which had taken bookings from more than 200 people to go to the US Masters has collapsed two weeks before the golf tournament.
David Wilson from DFW Associates was appointed as administrator to Leeds-based Augusta Golf Tours Ltd on Tuesday 25 March 2014.
Mr Wilson said that the company had taken payment in full for travel packages for 210 people, but had not bought any flights, booked any hotels or acquired tickets for the Masters.
Among the creditors are charities which had bought tickets to sell in charity auctions. It is understood that Help for Heroes, formed to help support wounded service personnel, stands to lose £50,000.
Mr Wilson said that holidaymakers who had paid by credit card would be protected and those who had bought flight inclusive tickets might be covered by ATOL. But others who had paid by bank transfer had lost their money.
The average price paid was between £2,000 and £3,500.
Augusta Golf Tours Ltd was based in offices at Cookridge Hall Golf Club but had no links to the club.
Mr Wilson said that Augusta Golf Tours, run by Andrew Witney, had been trading for two years and ran trips to the Masters last year.
He said that Mr Witney was cooperating with his enquiries and all the information he collects will be passed onto the police.
