Students join Highland
clubgolf drive

April 2010

A group of Golf Management degree students from the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) have joined the drive to develop junior golf in the Highlands through the national junior golf programme, clubgolf.

Last year alone clubgolf introduced 38,784 children to golf in schools. In clubs across the country 10,436 took part in clubgolf coaching programmes.

The challenge of bringing in so many children to the game is having sufficient, qualified coaches to teach them. So, when the BA Hons Golf Management programme at UHI partner college, North Highland College in Dornoch, included a module this year for the students to coach children, clubgolf provided the perfect opportunity for them get involved.

“This is a business degree relating to the golf industry,” said the course’s lecturer and PGA Pro, Alan Fleming.

“Some of our students go into club management or into the golf retail industry and they are interested in the structure of clubgolf because it relates to club membership, to encouraging new members or maybe re-structuring membership policies

“Others want to turn Pro after graduating so this will be valuable coaching experience for them.”

Last term, 10 of the students taught clubgolf’s introductory game, firstclubgolf, to P5s in local schools.

“We have worked with clubgolf for a number of years, getting the students involved in coaching at an event, sponsor and help run the Junior Highland Championship at Spey Valley,” said Mr Fleming.

“But this is the first year the students have done a Coaching Children module and it has obvious tie ins with clubgolf.

“This module allows the students and the college to interact with the local community, introduces them to a national initiative, allows them to gain coaching experience as well as assisting the programmes currently running at local clubs and schools.”

The PGA qualification (which Mr Fleming is now qualified to tutor after attending a three day course with the PGA at the Belfry this month) enables the students to continue their own development in coaching. With further training and experience they can progress to Level 1 Advanced and Level 2 coaches, so they can assist in the delivery of coaching at clubs at clubgolf Stages 1 and 2.

This week the students will be taking their coaching skills to Golspie, Royal Dornoch and Tain Golf Clubs, all of which offer clubgolf coaching.

“The students reacted well to the coaching in schools and I am sure that the coaching in clubs will be equally successful,” said Mr Fleming.

“Fairly early on these students went on the two day PGA Level 1 volunteers course in order that they could teach at the clubs.

“Royal Dornoch and Tain have established clubgolf programmes. Golspie’s programme has not grown as quickly though because they have not had any Level 1 volunteer coaches. So this will help them because for the first time they will have people qualified with the experience of coaching.”

Said Willie Mackay, clubgolf Regional Manager for the Highlands: “The students now have a clear vision of ‘how to coach’ and also ‘what to coach’.

“When they graduate from their degree course in golf management they will have a gained considerable practical coaching experience through placements at golf clubs in the Dornoch Firth area as well as coaching P5 pupils at Dornoch Primary where they put their new coaching skills into action. Their efforts will allow existing coaches to focus on juniors gaining full CONGU handicaps.”

For further details, contact: Alan Fleming:
T: 01862 811855
M: 07791920303.
E: alan.fleming@thurso.uhi.ac.uk