Help Me Finish What I Started. Help Smyle Come to Life.

Reinvention, Golf, and the Fight to Keep Going

Fifteen years ago, I walked away from corporate life in London. I knew that sitting at a desk, working for someone else, wasn't for me. I didn’t know what I was looking for exactly—only that I had to chase something more than just a job, it had to mean something, to me. That search is what first led me to Barcelona.

Moving to a new country is tough, building something out of nothing is even tougher, and building something from nothing in a foreign place...yeah, even trickier still. But that's what I've done in Barcelona, build things out of nothing. And I’ve been holding tight to the belief for a long time now, that if you keep putting time and energy into something you believe in, and honestly care about, it'll pay off profoundly and be worth the struggle.

How It All Started

In the early days, my best mate Peter and I had a dream—working for ourselves, making a good living, and playing as much golf as a day would allow. Golf was just fun back then, we played a lot and it was a special time. With our golfing dream in mind, we decided to open a business—a restaurant—to pay for our excessive golf habits.

We called our business In Seve’s Hands—because if we were going to put our future in anyone’s hands, it had to be Seve’s, safest hands we could think of. For five years, we poured everything into it. We worked non-stop, pushed through highs and lows, opened restaurants and closed some. We completely lost ourselves in the business. The golf? That dream was firmly on hold.

After five years working non-stop, I burned out. Completely. I was battling addiction, depression, and the feeling that I’d lost myself. I had to step away. But stepping away left me even more lost. I had no idea who I was anymore or what I was supposed to do next.

The Game That Brought Me Back

That’s when I wandered back to the golf course. Quite down and feeling alone out of the restaurant, I remembered why we'd started the thing in the first place. With nothing to do and a head spinning with fear and doubt about the future, I walked onto the course, round after round, with no particular plan, just some open space.

I began to find things out on the course.

Golf began to expose me, forcing me to face myself, my thoughts, my fears, my doubts. It demanded patience, self-respect, and self-control—all the things I had lost in myself. Golf, in a quiet way, started helping me get better. It showed me myself and my flaws and it was honest and undeniable...every real truth exposed by the golf ball.

I began to understand why I had always been drawn to it—not because of competition, or the courses, but because it’s one of the rare things in life that forces you inside yourself. It’s meditative. It’s profound. It has soul. I decided then, I wanted to create something that captured that feeling.

Smyle Golf – A New Kind of Golf Community

That’s how Smyle Golf was born. A place where golf isn’t about traditions, rules, or exclusivity—it’s about the pure joy of the game and the peace it can bring. It’s about playing how you want, where you want, and remembering that golf is a game that teaches us to be better to ourselves.

You can't play golf with negativity in you, it's not possible, golf can only be played by mastering your thoughts, your doubts and and negativity. Golf is about breeding belief. Smyle is a mindset, and a home for people who see golf the way I do—as a vehicle to help each individual grow and improve, yes as a golfer, but more-so as a person.

And now, I’m asking for some help to keep it going...

Why I’m Trying to Raise Funds?

I’ve built Smyle from the ground up. It’s close—so close—to being something pretty special. But right now, I need a little help to keep me ticking over.

I’m looking to raise funds to help me keep going—to cover my personal living costs, to keep Smyle's business costs to a minimum over our opening months.

I've never asked for help before, investment yes, but this is the first time I've ever had to ask for help. This isn't about saving a business, the business will prevail and grow regardless—it’s about helping me out personally, in the short term, so I can chase this dream just a little longer and give myself a semi-stable living situation as the business opens it doors.

If Smyle has ever resonated with you—or if you know me and my personal struggles—I’d love for you to be part of this journey. Any amount helps, and will be greatly appreciated...and if you can’t donate, sharing this with others who might be able to help would mean the world to me.

Golf brought me back to life and has help me rebuild and reinvent myself. Smyle is my way of giving something back to the game.

Thanks for being here. Thanks for reading. And, most of all, thanks for believing in Smyle.