Tim Barter Facts: 10 Things To Know About The Sky Sports Broadcaster

Tim Barter has been a regular on Sky Sports' golf broadcast team for over three decades - here are 10 things to know about him

Tim Barter at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed
Tim Barter has been with Sky Sports for over 30 years
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Tim Barter has been a mainstay of the Sky Sports golf team for over 30 years, while he has also coached some of the biggest names in the game.

Here are 10 things to know about the reporter.

1. In an interview with the PGA, Tim Barter explained he began his career as an assistant professional at the Downshire Golf Club in Berkshire, England at the age of 16.

2. He could have had a career on the European Tour having earned a card but decided to focus on becoming a club pro.

3. In pursuit of that ambition, he observed the work of renowned coaches including David Leadbetter and Hank Haney.

4. He got his first job as a club pro at Hartley Wintney Golf Club in Hampshire in 1983.

5. Barter has coached several top players, including Seve Ballesteros and Andrew Coltart.

6. He has been a regular on Sky Sports’ golf broadcast team for over three decades after joining in April 1993.

7. He has coached LIV Golf’s Richard Bland for over two decades.

8. After Bland became the oldest first-time DP World Tour winner aged 48 with victory at the 2021 Betfred British Masters, Barter interviewed him for Sky Sports, and the pair ended up in tears.

Tim Barter and Richard Bland after the 2021 Betfred British Masters

Tim Barter has coached Richard Bland for over two decades

(Image credit: Getty Images)

9. Before the 2024 International Series England, Bland revealed Barter thinks he should be paid less by him because he doesn’t require as much coaching as in the past.

He told reporters: "We have this argument now that he feels like he should be paid less because he's not doing as much work.”

He added: "I say to him, 'Look, we've had plenty of times when we first started where we would do a lot of work and you weren't getting paid because I wasn't playing well enough to earn any money.' So, it's kind of - we're both reaping the rewards now."

10. One of Barter’s biggest coaching influences is Butch Harmon.

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.