The English Golf Union (EGU) and English Women’s Golf Association had their most successful coaching initiative year to date in 2007, with over 15,000 beginners receiving a FREE taster session through the Golf Coaching campaign and around 15,000 juniors receiving structured coaching sessions through the Junior Club Coaching programme.
Golf clubs are annually offered grants of £200 and £150 from the EGU/EWGA to support beginners and junior coaching respectively. Since 2004, the EGU/EWGA has seen a 214% increase in golf clubs taking up the free golf coaching grant and a 41% increase for the Junior Coaching grant.
The EGU/EWGA is confident both initiatives will continue to thrive in 2008 thanks to the continued increase in County Golf Partnerships and ongoing regular communication with golf clubs through both Regional and County Development Officers. The last two years have seen significant rises in club and participation levels, a direct impact of the local support which is now more readily available.
Other EGU/EWGA initiatives such as GolfMark, the national scheme that recognises junior and beginner friendly golf facilities, are also supporting golf clubs in developing their membership and planning for the future.
This year there was even more reason for golf clubs to participate in the Free Golf Coaching initiative, as 450,000 promotional KitKat Easter eggs included an on-pack ‘mini gift certificate‘ promoting a range of sports offering ‘taster sessions‘, including golf clubs offering Free Golf Coaching.
Junior Organisers at affiliated golf clubs will shortly be receiving a promotional letter regarding EGU and EWGA junior initiatives including the National Skills Challenge. The letter will highlight the variety of junior support currently available from EGU and EWGA and it is hoped that Junior Organisers will find this information helpful when planning for their 2008 season.
To further support participating venues who take part in both schemes, the EGU/EWGA is offering an extra £50 and those golf clubs awarded GolfMark upon completion of coaching will also be awarded an additional grant of £100 per scheme.
The FREE Golf Coaching and Junior Club Coaching grant aid initiatives are jointly provided by the EGU and EWGA via England Golf’s Whole Sport Plan for Golf and are an integral part of England Golf’s visit to ‘Grow the Game‘.
England Golf is a partnership between the English Golf Union, the English Women’s Golf Association and the PGA with the support of the Golf Foundation and Sport England.
‘The Whole Sport Plan for golf‘ is an initiative supported by Sport England that identifies how England Golf will achieve its vision of being ‘The Leading Golf Nation in the World by 2020‘ from grass roots right through to the elite level.
English Women’s Golf Association www.englishwomensgolf.org
English Golf Union Ltd www.englishgolfunion.org