The Golf Foundation believes this year’s Open Championship presents a “wonderful opportunity” to encourage new young players to the game of golf.
The leading golf charity works to make the game more accessible to youngsters from all backgrounds and circumstances, and to aid their personal development through the sport’s ‘Skills for Life’ benefits.
The Open Championship, and the Golf Foundation’s place in this event, provides the perfect showcase for the Foundation’s HSBC Golf Roots programme that is reaching hundreds of thousands of boys and girls every year.
Championship organisers The R&A will create ‘The R&A Swingzone’ in the tented village for the whole of Open week, which the Golf Foundation team will share with the Professional Golfers’ Association and ClubGolf, Scotland’s national strategy for golf, both of which the Golf Foundation supports strongly.
The R&A Swingzone will provide an exciting environment for all visiting youngsters and their families to sample golf while helping to raise the profile of the Golf Foundation’s work in schools, golf clubs and communities.
Young boys and girls will enjoy Tri-Golf and Golf Xtreme challenges, competitions and a special putting challenge sponsored by Titleist, with the Foundation team. Titleist caps and golf balls can be won and on every day of the week each child who can hole three successive putts will enter a daily draw to win an excellent Titleist Scotty Cameron putter.
Professional stars who are competing in The Open itself are also being invited to take part in lively skills challenges with the youngsters to find the best Tri-Golfer in the world!
Many youngsters will also take advantage of the free lessons given by PGA Professionals throughout the week. The pros are present thanks to the Professional Golfers’ Association, who sponsor the professionals to teach the young golfers as part of the organisation’s commitment to junior golf.
The Foundation’s development officers will link up with Scotland’s ClubGolf team to welcome children from the first Sunday of practice to the final Sunday of play; eight days of junior fun (14-21 July).
Mike Round, Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation, said: “Thanks to The R&A, The Open week offers us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate our work in developing the game at the grass roots. Golf is a growing part of curriculum life in thousands of schools and we are linking more and more of these schools to golf clubs, to help children enjoy golf and learn valuable life skills from the game.
“The Foundation team looks forward to working with the PGA Professionals and the ClubGolf team. Just as the big names will inspire the youngsters on the course, we hope to inspire many children to pick up a club and have a go at golf.”
Golf Foundation www.golf-foundation.org
Open Championship www.opengolf.com