How to get involved with junior
golf
development in Argyll & Bute
When Scottish golf’s
junior programme, clubgolf, announced recently it had
introduced 33,466 Primary 5 children to golf in school
this year, few were more delighted than Colin Bell,
the organisation’s Regional Manager for Argyll & Dunbartonshire.
For the past 18 months Colin
has been working with the Argyll & Bute Active Schools Team to get local schools
interested in delivering clubgolf’s introductory
game, firstclubgolf, in line with clubgolf’s ultimate
target of giving all 50,000 nine year olds in Scotland
the opportunity to play golf.
Launched by Colin Montgomerie in 2003 as a lasting
legacy to host the Ryder Cup, clubgolf is a partnership
between the Scottish Golf Union, Scottish Ladies’ Golfing
Association, Professional Golfers’ Association,
the Golf Foundation and sportscotland.
“Until now golf has never been a school sport so
this is something new and it’s been really well
received in just about every primary school in Argyll & Bute,” said
Colin.
“I think this is in a large part due to the modified
and colourful firstclubgolf equipment and simple lesson
plans that the schools use to deliver the sessions. The
feedback from teachers is always the same – the
kids love it.”
1614 children took part in clubgolf this past school
year. Over the past three years almost every primary
school in Argyll & Bute has delivered firstclubgolf.
As many of the schools in smaller areas have composite
classes, some schools deliver once every two years.
Working with the enthusiastic Active Schools Team to
encourage schools to introduce their children to golf
is half of Colin’s job. A large part of the rest
is recruiting local clubs, and helping their members
become qualified coaches, to ensure the children have
somewhere to continue their golf development after their
taster in school.
“We now have golf clubs and fully qualified volunteer
coaches in just about every area of Argyll & Bute
offering clubgolf Stage 1 programmes for children who
have tried golf in school and would like to take the
game further.
“There are already 40 qualified volunteer golf
coaches working in Argyll & Bute clubs, with a further
19 trained this year and ready to start coaching in the
new school term.”
In South Kintyre, three of the four clubs - Dunaverty,
Gigha and Machrihanish – have run clubgolf Stage
1 programmes for the past year. Machrihanish now also
offers clubgolf Stage 2 through the Club’s PGA
Professional.
In mid Argyll, Tarbert Golf Club continues to run its
successful clubgolf Stage 1 programme. Inveraray Golf
Club has also started a Stage 1 programme this summer.
Further south, Helensburgh and Cowal Golf Clubs both
offer clubgolf Stage 1 coaching.
In the Oban area, a new development has started this
year with both Taynuilt and Seil golf clubs starting
Stage 1 programmes. Both areas advertise their programme
through a direct link to their local primary school.
“clubgolf is at its most effective where golf clubs
have a strong link with their local primary schools and
Active Schools Coordinator. What Taynuilt and Seil are
doing is a perfect example,” said Colin.
“This makes the advertising and recruitment for
the programme easy for the clubs, who can then concentrate
on introducing the kids to their coaching programmes
when they arrive at the club.
“The Active Schools Team in Argyll & Bute has
been very positive about working with their local clubs
to develop this structure.”
On Mull both Tobermory and Craignure golf clubs, as well
as Carradale in South Kintyre all now have volunteer
golf coaches trained through the PGA and are all planning
to start offering clubgolf Stage 1 coaching when the
new school term starts.
So far in 2008, 134 children have progressed from schools
into clubgolf Stage 1 programmes at local golf clubs,
with the number set to increase when a further three
clubs start programmes in August.
This year’s icing on the cake for young golfers
from Tarbert, Inveraray and Helensburgh golf clubs was
meeting Scotland’s Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie
during a coaching clinic at The Carrick last month. There
will be other opportunities for clubs involved in clubgolf
to take children to the Johnnie Walker Championship at
Gleneagles in September. Junior activities will be on
offer as well as the opportunity to watch Europe’s
top golfers vying for the last remaining Ryder Cup spots.
As a former Renfrewshire County Youth team golfer, Colin
has a passion for his role in developing junior golf.
“There’s never
been a time where so many children have been interested
in playing golf and now is the best opportunity there
is ever likely to be for clubs to establish junior
programmes that will guarantee their future.
“clubgolf in this area
is going from strength to strength and the challenge
now is to encourage more clubs to come on board and
for the clubs that already have clubgolf programmes
to keep developing their coaches.
If you are a golf club interested in finding out more
about clubgolf, a volunteer who is interested in getting
involved as a helper or a golf coach, or a parent looking
for a local clubgolf programme for your child, please
contact Colin Bell on:
Email: cbell@clubgolfscotland.co.uk
Tel: 07882 364340
