Children as young as five years old are being invited to take part in a nation-wide golf initiative, which has won the backing of The Professional Golfers’ Association and the Golf Foundation.
The driving force behind the success and concept of “The Wee Wonders” – an event for girls and boys aged 5 – 8 years old, is Alasdair Good, a Scot and head professional at Foxhills Club and Resort in Surrey.
For the last two years Alasdair has attracted a field of 50 budding golfers to the event and is now extending it to 8 regional qualifying rounds, including two events in the south, to be run by the PGA at 9 hole par 3 courses across the UK. Each qualifying competition will invite entries to four different age groups for both boys and girls aged 5 – 12 years.
The winning boy and girl from each age group will go forward to the final at Foxhills on Sunday 10 September.
The event focuses on the fun element of golf and takes the format of a flag competition. All competitors are given 36 shots and the winners are those players who progress the furthest. Last year Max Williams aged 8 years from Banstead in Surrey completed the 9 hole par 3 course at Foxhills in 36 shots and went on to take 5th place in the World Junior Championships in America.
“Golf has to be made fun for any youngster to get seriously involved and the Wee Wonders event sets out to do just exactly that,” said Alasdair Good. “The purpose of the event is to encourage kids of all abilities to swing into action and I’m just delighted that more children will be introduced to the game as a result of our success.”
Sandy Jones, chief executive of the PGA said: “The Wee Wonders event is a brilliant grassroots initiative by Alasdair Good to encourage more youngsters into golf. It also reflects our own efforts to develop the game such as BAE Systems National Golf Week and the Inner City Golf Initiative. We are therefore delighted to be playing such an active role by supporting these regional events throughout the country, for junior golf is the lifeblood and future of the game.”
Foxhills will also be staging a qualifying round for the South region on 10 and 11 June and venues and dates for other regional events will be announced shortly. Interested participants should contact The Professional Golfers’ Association on 01675 470333.