Attention would-be Western Isles golf coaches

Following the recent launch of the Western Isles Junior Golf Action Plan opportunities have never been better for golf or sports enthusiasts to become qualified volunteer junior golf coaches.

The Action Plan is designed to give youngsters in the Western Isles an opportunity to develop an interest in golf and adopt a more active lifestyle.  Much of its success depends on volunteers becoming trained to teaching Stage 1 of the programme within their clubs.

A dozen Club members have already been trained to coach on the PGA Level 1 programme and will be delivering to children within local clubs in Lewis, the Uists, Benbecula and Askernich this summer.

Further PGA Level 1 courses are planned for  this summer on the evening of Thursday 27th , Friday 28th June and all day Saturday 29th June at Stornoway Golf Club.

“I did the PGA Level 1 course last year, with another seven volunteers, and it was a tremendous experience,” said John Gillies, volunteer coach at Stornoway Golf Club.

“Everybody that did the course got huge benefit out of it, not just for learning how to coach but for understanding how to improve their own golf as well. 

“From having no previous coaching experience whatsoever the three days course made an amazing difference to all of us. There were non-golfers on the course also who felt confident in coaching the game afterwards.

“We are just starting our summer coaching season again, we’ve got over 25 youngsters coming along and we need more volunteers to help coach.”

The Western Isles Junior Golf Action Plan is linked to Scotland’s National Junior Golf Development programme, clubgolf, a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, Scottish Ladies Golfing Association, Professional Golfers Association, The Golf Foundation and sportscotland that aims to create the opportunity for every child to experience golf by age nine, and to increase junior participation in golf in Scotland. 

To get involved, contact:

For Harris & Lewis Courses, Steven Munro on T:  01851709194

For the Uists & Barra Courses, Christina McWilliam on T:  01870602328