Aberdovey Golf Club has officially opened a new indoor practice area, the latest development in their quest to encourage junior participation, designed specifically with beginners and juniors in mind.
The club, recently named as the Golf Union of Wales “Club of the Year”, has successfully converted, with the help of a £15,000 Ryder Cup Wales Legacy Fund grant, a seldom-used snooker room into a hugely popular junior practice centre, which will benefit junior members, local school children and visitors alike.
John Jermine, chairman of Ryder Cup Wales, said: “Juniors are the lifeblood of the game and Aberdovey is leading the way in making golf attractive and enjoyable for youngsters, both boys and girls, who might otherwise have gone elsewhere. Ryder Cup Wales was delighted to help the club fund the changes and applauds the committee and members for this innovative initiative.”
Equipped with a 4-hole artificial putting green, 4 Nintendo Wii stations with wall mounted television screens and new lighting and dà©cor, this new centre is designed to attract youngsters to golf and is linked to Aberdovey Golf Club’s application to become an official Dragon Golf Starter Centre. Tri-Golf will be available and soon there will be a junior short game practice area to provide the full range of golfing activities for all ages.
In addition to the opening of the new Legacy Fund project, the club – one of the oldest in Wales – has undergone a number of recent changes. In addition to significant improvements to the course, the IT systems have been upgraded, including the club’s website that has become a key marketing tool to attract visitors from home and abroad.
Ian Hamilton, manager at Aberdovey Golf Club, said: “This facility is a unique legacy for future generations of young golfers. The club is committed to increasing junior participation and crucial to this growth is the completion of the junior passport office. We are working continually to recruit young players to the game and have a number of exciting new activities designed to increase the interest amongst local juniors.
“The club has already held golf taster sessions in three local schools and more are planned where everybody is welcome. The club has trained 5 individuals as Tri-Golf activators and this dedicated, indoor facility for junior golfers will enable us to provide a wide range of coaching and learning activities for every youngster in the area.”
Sports Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, said: “I’m delighted to see that one of the oldest clubs in Wales is committed to nurturing young golfers and in engaging them with the sport from a young age. These facilities will be an extra attraction to those who want to participate in the sport and shows that the benefits of hosting the Ryder Cup in 2010 is are reaching far and wide.”
Aberdovey Golf Club www.aberdoveygolf.co.uk
Ryder Cup Wales www.rydercupwales2010.com