Extra coaches for Edinburgh

Edinburgh Leisure is expanding the clubgolf coaching programme it began on its six municipal golf courses last year after putting a further four volunteer coaches through the PGA Level 1 volunteer coaching course at Silverknowes Golf Course last weekend.

A year ago, 15 Edinburgh Leisure-sponsored volunteer coaches become PGA Level 1 coaches.  During the summer they taught Stage 1 Year 1 of the clubgolf programme to 80 Edinburgh children.

 

“The majority of last year’s coaches will come back again to coach this summer,” said Colin Hutchison, Edinburgh Leisure’s Golf Development Officer, who is one of the newly trained volunteer coaches. “Four more have been trained this year already and we will have potentially another three or four doing the training later in the year.”

 

A larger coaching team means Mr Hutchison will be able to take on a new group of children this year, at the same time as develop the skills of the 2007 intake by offering them Year 2 of the Stage 1 programme.

 

“I’d like to bring back as many of last year’s children, hopefully a third, so we can run three Year 2 classes, starting in April,” he said.

 

“The initial response has been really good and we’ve got 15 coming back already for Year 2 - I’m certain we will get more over the next few weeks.

 

“Additionally we hope to have approximately eight Stage 1 Year 1 classes from June, depending on how many children we get coming out of the schools again, this year.”

 

Emerging out of Scotland’s successful bid to host the Ryder Cup, clubgolf is a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland. The strategy has been developed as a direct result of the Scottish Executive's commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game by 2009.

 

clubgolf’s six-week introductory course, firstclubgolf, uses modified equipment to give children in primary schools an enjoyable first impression of the game.

 

Children then have the opportunity to progress to Stage 1 Year 1 of clubgolf's Player Pathway.   Hosted by local golf clubs and courses, Year 1 is a 20-hour course, covering the fundamentals of putting, chipping, full swing, rules and etiquette, taught by the club's fully trained volunteer coaches. After Stage 1 there are a further two stages in the clubgolf programme.

 

“Most of the children who will be on our Stage 1 Year 1 course will have played the introductory game at school but we will also accommodate children who haven’t had the opportunity to play in school,” added Mr Hutchison.  “We want to give every child a chance.”

 

For further information contact: Colin Hutchison, Golf Development Officer on:

T:  0131 652 2178 or e: golf@edinburghleisure.co.uk