Children as young as 18 months old are getting into golf at The 3 Hammers Golf Academy as part of a new partnership with specialist sports provider, Sport4Kids. This new programme which is already attracting families and children across the Midlands appears to be the first of its kind in Europe!
“We are always looking for ways to make golf more accessible to our community, we just never imagined that toddlers would be the ones taking over the driving range on a Saturday morning!” comments 3 Hammers Academy Director, Rob Bluck. “Children are keen to give golf a go and parents are always looking for fun, social activities that help their developmental skills, which is exactly what golf does.”
S4K Golf is offered to children from 18 months – 6 years old and develops children’s mini and micro motor skills. The coaches use a combination of Montessori teaching methods and child psychology to make learning fun. Each class has a dedicated curriculum and a ‘practice at home’ book so that parents can help their children to develop their skills outside of the class.
Sarah Marshall, whose 4 year old daughter Lana has started on the scheme commented, “Starting Lana at such a young age has really built her confidence and passion for to the sport. She now asks her father to take her to the golf range to practice as well as looking forward to her lessons. Learning through play with her peers is fantastic and her ability for her age is fantastic and is all down to the team at 3 Hammers.”
Discussing this new partnership Academy Director Rob Bluck said “There is a lot of evidence that suggests that a lifelong love of sport starts by getting children involved as early as possible in life. This isn’t about creating the best golfers in the county. It’s about making golf a sport for every child to try. We are always striving to improve what we offer and lead by example, and this is exactly what this new partnership allows us to do.”
What are 3 Hammers offering?
S4K Toddler (18 Months to 3 Years)
Using stories, children’s characters and entertainment, S4K Toddlers is an imaginative hub of learning. This class involves the parents, which provides a great opportunity to bond with your child through sport as well as meeting like-minded people.
S4K Birdies (3 to 4.5 Years)
S4K Birdies continue to develop the core elements, such as putting over different distances and continue to challenge and improve the child’s skills. Stance is developed to instil excellent technique.
S4K Eagles (4.5 to 6 Years)
Games improve ball striking and start to introduce aiming, distance control, landing zones and shot selection with use of brightly coloured and fun targets. There is a lot of excitement, cheering and big scores to make each and every player feel like a winner.
To ensure a smooth transition into regular golfing, the Sport4Kids Eagles class feeds into the 3 Hammers Academy Programme, which is run by a team of 8 PGA Professionals. There are various levels to work through via the Junior Golf Passport as they are set targets and challenges to complete. The Academy is already recognised as a leader in children’s golf development having won The Critchley Award from the Golf Foundation which acknowledges the work which the team has done.
For further information contact academy@3hammers.co.uk
