The Golf Foundation welcomes a new Regional Development Officer (RDO) for the South West of England in Mark Boscott; a respected PGA Professional and former air traffic controller.
Mark has joined a team of seven RDOs who deliver ‘HSBC Golf Roots’. This Golf Foundation initiative promotes golf in schools, helps youngsters into clubs and uses the sport to promote life skills such as honesty and respect. HSBC Golf Roots is reaching hundreds of thousands of youngsters each year and is supported by among others The R&A and The European Tour, while individual HSBC Golf Roots Ambassadors include Lee Westwood and Alison Nicholas.
Mark takes over from Sam Stephens in the South West, who has moved on to pursue coaching work in the golf academy sector. Mark, aged 31, is a qualified PGA Professional and already has strong experience in junior grass roots golf, both in his coaching of youngsters at club level and in his recent part-time role as ‘HSBC Golf Roots County Coordinator’ for the Golf Foundation.
In this position, Mark has been able to use his coaching expertise during the last two years to work for the Foundation team in Wiltshire and Bristol. Mark ran a highly successful Golf Roots City Project in Bristol in 2012, bringing golf to many urban youngsters new to the game.
Living in Royal Wootton Bassett, Mark has been a qualified pro for four years, starting as an Assistant Professional at both his home club, Tadmarton Heath Golf Club, and Henley Golf Club, both in Oxfordshire, before becoming Head PGA Coach at The Bristol Golf Club for the last two years.
Mark said: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to help create greater opportunities in golf for youngsters in the South West and to support the Foundation team at national level, a team which I have already discovered cares passionately about offering boys and girls from all backgrounds a good start in the game.
“As a qualified PGA Professional I am sure this experience will be useful for me as I engage with PGA pros across the region to deliver our golf programmes in schools, the community and golf clubs.”
Before training as a professional Mark worked as an air-traffic controller at Bournemouth airport. He will soon find out whether energetic and excited youngsters in schools are as easy to control as incoming jumbo jets! A keen sportsman, Mark is also a former county junior badminton player.
Brendon Pyle, National Development Manager for the Golf Foundation, said: “We welcome Mark to the team and we are in no doubt that he has the credentials and the enthusiasm to make a significant impact and help us to build upon an impressive recent momentum delivering our proven HSBC Golf Roots strategy. Mark has already brought some excellent ideas to the team.
“He has big shoes to fill as he replaces Sam Stephens and I’m sure he’ll do very well in the South West. Sam has done an excellent job for the Golf Foundation. We wish him all the best as his career continues in golf development.”
Mark Boscott can be contacted on 07765 258990, mark@golf-foundation.org, and you can follow his work on Twitter at ‘@GolfRootsSW’.
HSBC Golf Roots and the Golf Foundation www.golf-foundation.org