Press Release   EXCEPTIONAL SKILLS SEEN AT THE KENDLESHIRE GOLF CLUB   The Kendleshire GC, a GolfMark accredited club, hosted a successful National Skills Challenge Regional Final on 27th July 2009, with twenty junior players from the South West battling it out for the top places.   The English Golf Union (EGU) and English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) National Skills Challenge has been running since 2006, with players from participating golf clubs taking part in challenge events at their own clubs, culminating in a National Final at Woodhall Spa.  The Skills Challenge is an innovative coaching programme that encourages junior golfers to improve their golf, increase their enjoyment of the game and encourage them to practice all areas of their golf, from long game through to putting but above all the Challenge is intended to be fun.    In 2009, two Regional Finals are being piloted in Yorkshire and the South West, with the intention of running further Regional Events in 2010, from which the winners will qualify for the National Event.   The South West Regional Final took place on the challenging and magnificent short game area and range at the Kendleshire Golf Club.  Despite wet conditions earlier in the day, the weather stayed fine for the event, although a little blustery and players from each of the four age categories demonstrated determination and skill, with the top two players in each category as follows:   Rookie - 8 years and under                              Tour – 12 to 14 years Samuel Trott – Weymouth GC                Lauren Finlan – Royal North Devon GC Charlie Tossell – Willingcott Valley GC                James Poole – Portmore GC   Rookie – 9 to 11 years                          Tour – 15 to 17 years Samantha Found – Royal North Devon GC                       Edward Howell – North Wilts GC George Carroll – Weymouth GC                          Jack Charman – North Wilts GC     The EGU and EWGA would like to thank all those who participated and supported the pilot Regional Final, with special thanks to the Kendleshire Golf Club for their support of the initiative, in particular the staff and volunteers who helped to make it such a successful event.   The National Skills Challenge is an initiative jointly provided by the EGU and EWGA via England Golf’s ‘Whole Sport Plan’ for golf and is an integral part of England Golf’s vision the ‘Grow the Game’.  For more information on the National Skills Challenge visit www.getintogolf.org/skills/             GOLF'S NATIONAL SKILLS CHALLENGE SHORTLISTED FOR SPORTS INDUSTRY AWARD Press release 6th February 2009 The National Skills Challenge, designed to encourage youngsters to get into golf, has been shortlisted for The Sports Industry Awards 2009. The English Golf Union (EGU) and the English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) worked with creative digital experts, Nemisys, to develop the online application to encourage children into the sport. The National Skills Challenge has played a key role in a number of structured initiatives, delivered by the EGU and EWGA, that has helped junior membership of golf clubs increase by around 8000 since 2004. County organisations are also welcoming the positive results and 26 have registered to deliver the activity locally to complement the work undertaken at national level. Promoted through golf clubs, the initiative divides children into appropriate age groupings and invites them to enter either the ‘Rookie’ Challenge or the ‘Tour’ Challenge. Clubs then run Challenge events three times a year and players’ scores at each of those events are input via the Skills Challenge website, building performance ‘leaderboards’ at club, county and national level. This online element 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. The National leaderboard, once complete, identifies the top players from each group who are invited to the National Finals held at the National Golf Centre, Woodhall Spa, where they both compete and receive coaching from PGA Professional coaches. “Both clubs and juniors love the Skills Challenge.” said Richard Flint EGU/EWGA Golf Development Manager. “We have just launched the 2009 challenge, and expect numbers to keep steadily increasing. We have a very limited budget and the online element has really allowed us to extend the National Skills Challenge’s reach both inside and outside the club environment ” “We really have enjoyed working with the EGU and EWGA so it’s especially gratifying to have this application shortlisted,” said Kevin Fowler, Director, Nemisys. “It demonstrates how, with a bit of creative thinking, the web can be used to add real value to a sports body’s existing activities, and help increase participation. We’re getting a bit of a track record for our applications for clients winning and being shortlisted in awards.” The National Skills Challenge is an initiative jointly provided by the EGU and EWGA via England Golf’s ‘Whole Sport Plan’ for golf and is an integral part of England Golf’s vision to ‘Grow the Game’. - ENDS - For further information please contact: Lynne Fraser, EGU Marketing and PR Manager Email: pr@englishgolfunion.org Tel: 01526 354500

NATIONAL SKILLS CHALLENGE  www.getintogolf.org/skills 

The National Skills challenge has been developed for all young golfers and is designed to be challenging at all levels, but above all is to be FUN !!!

The EGU/EWGA Challenge covers five golfing disciplines; putting, chipping, pitching, bunker play and full swing. It is hoped that the activities will encourage juniors to improve their golf, increase their enjoyment of the game and encourage them to practice.

The National Skills Challenge is an online initiative (see below) which allows for interaction between golf clubs, junior players and the EGU/EWGA.

The Challenges are split into two levels:

The Rookie Challenge: juniors under the age of 12 divided into 2 age groups

The Tour Challenge: juniors ages 12 to 17 years divided into 2 age groups

Take a look at the website below for more information and to register your Club for the challenge in 2009:

www.getintogolf.org/skills