Gordon brothers both
selected for Academy

December 2009

Aberdeenshire brothers Ray and Ryan Gordon have achieved a rare double in both progressing through every step of the clubgolf programme from Stage 1 to SGU national Academy.

Two years ago Ryan Gordon, now 14, became the first player to achieve the feat. This month he was joined in the Grampian Academy, run by Neil Marr, by 12 year old Ray.

As the brothers are members of Alford Golf Club it’s a continuation of the local success story. Last year the club was crowned Junior Club of the Year, a fine accolade for its 15 qualified volunteer coaches who have built a well structured coaching programme in excess of 60 juniors.

Alford has a strong network of qualified volunteer coaches but no resident pro. The solution is to link with Andrew Locke, Head Pro at nearby Inchmarlo Golf Club, who coaches the club’s most talented youngsters on Stage 3 of the clubgolf programme (Meldrum House Pro, Iain Donaldson coached Ryan Gordon on his Stage 3 programme).

"We don’t have a pro at the club and Andrew has supported us ever since we started clubgolf,” said Alford's coach co-ordinator Colin Hood.

“He helps the coaches out as well as the students. He looks at all the kids, helps us with coaching and comes to our coaches' development day at the start of the season to make sure we are up to speed.

“We take our Stage 1 and 2 juniors to Inchmarlo to do full swing coaching. Andrew can select those that are suitable to go forwards for his Stage 3 coaching so it’s a natural progression.”

Andrew, a district coach who has something of a production line for producing top players, has been involved with clubgolf for four years. His two assistants coach clubgolf Stage 2 and there are moves to bring in Inchmarlo members to coach Stage 1 on a voluntary basis.

“I coach Stage 3 on weekends through the winter and it has been highly successful,” he said.

“It’s something I would tell other pros they definitely have to look at. If you do it right you can do very well as the juniors are with you for two years, or longer if you get them to Stage 3 Performance.

“The big thing is there is a proper structure to the programme which is good for us guys because life is busy and the structure is already written.

“It’s helped me get to district coach because a lot of kids have come into it, we’ve developed them and they have gone on to the academies.”

Andrew believes that, as well as a need for more pros to offer clubgolf coaching, Stage 1 and 2 of the programme are perfect opportunities for assistants. But, that said, he is full of praise for the work of clubs like Alford that have neither.

“You only have to look at Alford to see that they have a great junior convenor, a number of committed volunteers and a great junior set up with over 70 kids.

“I could never have got out and brought those 70 kids in because there are too many other things going on. Alford has done a great job.”