DJ Spoony – BBC 5-Live presenter – was lending his support to the Golf Foundation during the week of the Open Championship at Carnoustie. Spoony is ambassador to the Golf Roots programme, a Golf Foundation initiative targeted at inner city kids who would probably never have considered golf as an option nor had the opportunity to try the game.
The popular DJ visited the R&A Junior Golf Centre in Carnoustie’s tented village, where the Golf Foundation was showcasing its work during the week and running golf games for visiting youngsters.
Spoony played a session of Tri-Golf with primary school children. Tri-Golf is the modified Golf Foundation golf game for boys and girls of five years and up. He then spoke to the Golf Foundation team about plans for the 2007 Golf Roots campaign.
Supported by DJ Spoony and the European Tour, the Golf Foundation aims to create sustainable golf projects through Golf Roots for children in urban areas from all backgrounds and learning abilities.
The programme is being rolled out in seven cities: London, Cardiff, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Portsmouth and Nottingham.
A major part of the initiative is the recruitment of co-ordinators, the provision of leadership training for teachers and volunteers and, most importantly, a local partner agreement so that Golf Roots can thrive as a local project.
After his Tri-Golf session, DJ Spoony then talked about Golf Roots and his desire to get more city youngsters into golf, in an interview with the championship’s official station, Radio Open Golf.
Spoony is passionate about the fun of playing golf and the opportunities that it can bring to young people. At the recent launch of Golf Roots at Hackney Marshes in East London, the area in which Spoony grew up, he led Tri-Golf sessions and talked to the youngsters about how golf could help their development.
With Golf Roots, the focus is not only about learning golf skills but also about developing key life skills such as honesty, cooperation and self-confidence.
These are brought out through the fun activities and adapted equipment such as Tri-Golf and Golf Xtreme, that provide an opportunity for teachers and leaders to demonstrate these key skills to young people and their relevance to wider life.
Golf Foundation Development Manager Brendon Pyle said, “The Golf Foundation team were delighted that Spoony could visit the junior centre. He is great with the children and you can see that he is an inspiration to many youngsters who will all be new to golf. Spoony is a great ambassador for the Golf Roots programme and we are looking forward to success in all seven of our city projects in the months ahead.”
During the rest of the summer, local Golf Roots partnerships will see golf played in schools, at golf clubs and at public festivals in their areas.
Golf Foundation www.golf-foundation.org