Synchronized swinging at Biggar Golf Club

South Lanarkshire drive close to introducing 6000th child to golf

Three years on from joining the national junior golf strategy clubgolf, South Lanarkshire is close to introducing its six thousandth primary school child to the game.

In the first two years of clubgolf, 2878 South Lanarkshire children experienced the introductory game, firstclubgolf at school.  This year 88 percent of its 124 primary schools have given children an introduction.  The predicted number of firstclubgolf participants in this year alone is 2949.

Creating an interest in golf at school, amongst children who previously would have not considered the game an option, is clubgolf's key aim.   But it doesn’t stop there.  Through a partnership with South Lanarkshire Council - and orchestrated by 63 local club members who have been trained to teach them the fundamentals on their courses - a complete coaching pathway is now in place to help children reach the highest levels of the sport...if that’s what they desire. 

Over the past two years, Torrance House Golf Course in East Kilbride has welcomed 128 children to their Stage 1 programme.  So overwhelming is the flow of children that the course has created its own ‘Academy’, opened this March.

“We now have 150 kids in the clubgolf programme; all are new to golf since we started three years ago,” said Graham Stewart, one of the Club’s 15 volunteer coaches, who between them coach 10 weekly sessions of golf.

“We wanted them to stay here at Torrance and it became apparent we needed somewhere to put them.  So in March we launched the Academy, to get them attached to the club and introduce them to competitions.  We are well organised, we have our own board and we make sure all money and sponsorship is ploughed back into the Academy for junior development.”

Mr Stewart underlines the point that the Academy’s aim is not to produce South Lanarkshire’s own Tiger Woods, but he is keen to identify and develop the potential of the more ambitious children.

“We want to introduce children to the game and you need to accommodate both,” he said.  “Some of these children will play golf all their life as a recreation, as weekend warriors.  We’d like to think there’s talent here which could go on to play in a Scottish team.

“We’ve got three coaches per session, so for the children that are really keen, you take them to one side and do specific coaching, whilst spending time helping those that are struggling.”

Meanwhile, in rural Biggar, a firstclubgolf programme in local primaries has introduced over 650 (180 of them this year) children to the game. Seventy seven of them have been through Stage 1.  Biggar Golf Club’s nine volunteer coaches are teaching 24 children on the year one of the Stage programme and a further 20 on year 2. Around 60 children compete in the weekly junior medal.

“Between our junior section and the kids coming for clubgolf the Club is not far off having 100 kids,” said Bob Leishman, Biggar GC Immediate Past Captain and volunteer coach.   “Go back a few years and there was nothing like that here.

“Some of the level 2 kids are coming on fine and we hope in the next two or three years we can get a junior team going - something we haven’t had for a long time at Biggar.”

Said Colin Girvan, South Lanarkshire Leisure’s Golf Development Officer:  “The South Lanarkshire Junior Golf Strategy, managed by South Lanarkshire Leisure, has been in operation for two and a half years now giving the experience of golf to close to 6000 primary school children in the area.

“Local Golf Clubs are now realising the benefits of joining the strategy and 57 volunteer coaches within the local clubs are offering the Stage 1 and 2 programmes to many children from the schools. Torrance House and Biggar Golf Clubs are now in their third year of delivery and it’s pleasing to see so many children and coaches enjoying the sport.

“The strategy is all about opening opportunities for children, sustaining the life span of our golf clubs and also providing a structured coaching pathway for any child to become as good as their natural ability will allow them.”