The English Golf Union and the English Ladies’ Golf Association have joined together to launch a new initiative called Junior GolfMark, which encourages golf clubs to review the way they cater for juniors and allows them to demonstrate to parents and children that they are junior friendly.
The Junior GolfMark is a national accreditation scheme that allows golf clubs to measure their commitment to junior golf against national criteria. Golf clubs will be able to display a Junior GolfMark certificate if they meet the recommended standards set in three areas:
Playing and Coaching
Club Environment
Duty of Care and Child Protection
Clubs will also receive help from EGU and ELGA development officers throughout the process of gaining the award to assist them in providing the best possible golfing experience for young people.
Parents will easily be able to identify golf clubs that have committed themselves to the future of the game and children will be assured that the golf club has their best interests at heart, knowing that they will provide quality coaching, competitions at all levels, and support and encourage them as they progress towards whatever level of golf they aspire.
Golf clubs will benefit from more active and well-prepared junior golfers who will ultimately become the adult members of the future. Junior GolfMark will help clubs plan the development of their junior sections, and will earn them recognition for their efforts.
Paul Baxter, EGU chief executive comments, “The popularity of golf continues to increase, especially amongst children, and the EGU and ELGA are keen to encourage new young players into golf club membership, by making the golfing experience within clubs a fun and positive one and encouraging clubs to promote themselves more effectively.”
Pauline Perla, ELGA chief executive officer comments, “The future of golf in England is reliant on our ability to increase participation by young players into the game. For players to be able to see the junior friendly clubs through the Junior GolfMark scheme will be of immense help to them and their parents and hopefully also reward participating clubs with increased junior membership.”
The Junior GolfMark has the full support of the England Junior Golf Partnership, which aims to ‘promote and create opportunities for youngsters to experience the game of golf, and to facilitate their progress into golf club membership.‘ Golf clubs, parents, children and the game of golf are all winners by participating in GolfMark.
For further information on the Junior GolfMark, or to obtain advice on any golf development issue in England, please contact:
Richard Brown – Junior Development Manager
English Golf Union
Tel: 01526 354500 (EGU Headquarters)
01653 697578 (Malton Office)
E-mail: rbrown@englishgolfunion.org
Kirstie Jennings – Junior Girls Development Officer
English Ladies’ Golf Association
Tel: 0121 4562088 (ELGA Headquarters)
01604 753043 (Northampton Office)
E-mail: kjennings.elga@btinternet.com
English Golf Union www.englishgolfunion.org
English Ladies Golf Association www.englishladiesgolf.org