The second year of the National Skills Challenge is proving a great success with golf clubs and their junior players. The first official Challenge of 2007 has just finished with 850 juniors having taken part, doubling the participation rates seen in 2006.
Although still a recent golf development initiative, over 200 golf clubs have registered for the National Skills Challenge, which is managed by the English Golf Union (EGU) and English Ladies’ Golf Association (ELGA).
Once registered, golf clubs and junior players receive resources including scorecards, manuals, posters and certificates. In addition there is an interactive website www.getintogolf.org/skills where the official Leaderboards containing the scores from each Challenge can be accessed and which also includes videos and other tips on how to practice and improve. The website allows youngsters to continue and share their golfing experiences outside of the club itself, either at home, at school or wherever they have access to the internet.
Richard Flint, EGU/ELGA golf development manager commented, “We are delighted with the increase in golf clubs and juniors taking part. The National Skills Challenge provides training activities that are fun and that also help to improve a junior’s golfing skills and increase their enjoyment of the game – a combination that clearly works!”
Golf clubs can register at any time of the year to take part in any of the three National Challenges or alternatively just use the Challenge tests within their junior coaching programme as practice activities.
The second National Challenge takes place over the next two months and any club taking part has from 1st May to 17th June to complete the activities. Juniors that participate in all three official Challenges will be eligible to qualify for the National Final at the National Golf Centre, Woodhall Spa on 29th September.
Further information on the EGU/ELGA National Skills Challenge can be found on the website, www.getintogolf.org/skills