News from your County Development Officer - June 2010
Already half way through 2010, the sun is shining and all the courses are in superb condition (or so I’m told!)
I thought I would drop a line to update you all on the progress of the Gloucestershire County Golf Partnership.
We have 11 Clubs with the GolfMark Accreditation – including Minchinhampton New and LOGOnw.jpg)
Old with the prestigious ‘High Achiever’ award. Fifteen clubs are working towards it with a couple about to receive their status.
Bristol Golf Centre (Hambrook Driving Range) has received its RangeMark accreditation and the RB Golf Range & Teaching Academy in Coleford is working towards theirs.
Information can be found on: www.golfmark.org
NATIONAL SKILLS CHALLENGE
Twenty-one Gloucestershire clubs have registered for this useful resource but only two managed to enter their scores for the first challenge – please note the second challenge scores need to be on the system by 3rd July latest to count.
For further information go to: www.getintogolf.org/skills
MEN’S TASTER SESSIONS
New taster sessions are being arranged at Thornbury GC for beginners to start on Sunday 20th June (Father’s Day). These are primarily for men but ladies won’t be turned away! Contact Colin Pattinson (our newest committee member) on 01666 510391 or e-mail: colin@pattinson.orgto book your place.
LADIES (AND MEN’S!) GOLF
Following successful ladies and mixed taster sessions in the North and South of County the Partnership held its Spring Beginner Ladies’ Away Day at Ullenwood Manor GC at The National Star Centre on 16th April.
There were 43 players in all, 24 in the morning competition and 19 for the afternoon. Each team had an experienced golfer walking with them to show them how to play a Texas Scramble, and add just a few tips on rules and etiquette. Morning and afternoon groups joined up for lunch, making quite a party at Cotswold Hills GC.
BUT ….. this year there was one change…. three rather brave men joined the ladies!
The suggestion came at our mixed taster sessions in January. The guys heard the girls discussing their forthcoming Away Day – and plaintively asked if there was a similar event for them.
So they were duly invited to join the ladies and three, who could manage the weekday date, accepted.
Their verdict was a most decisive ‘thumbs up’, despite the fact that they were told that they could not win. They did, however, have a special ‘prize’ in that their mentor was professional Kirsty Taylor, Ladies’ European Tour player currently attached to Minchinhampton (New) Course. And yes …. they did outscore the ladies, finishing with a fine 32!
Many thanks to Ullenwood and Cotswold Hills for their continued support for our Away Days – there will be another in the Autumn!
And special thanks to all the leaders, who included GLCGA Chairman Pat Righton, June Davies and Val Wills, Cotswold Hills Ladies’ Section President and Captain respectively.
GLOUCESTERSHIRE JUNIOR ACADEMY
With the Winter Programme over we roll into the Summer and if the weather is fine it will be great.
Forty-eight of the 78 who came to the Selection Days have been chosen to attend the Summer Academies being held at Sherdons GC, Brickhampton Court GC, Thornbury GC, The Kendleshire GC and The Bristol GC.
The emphasis will be on playing, nutrition and fitness so the Academy Professionals have been in training!
To finish the Summer Programme in September we will be holding a squad tournament where all the teams will get to play against each other.
PARA GOLF
In 2009 we ran a pilot with Tri-Golf at Bettridge School in Cheltenham to see how the students would take to Golf and I can report that they loved the experience.
So this year we are running seven projects using not only TriGolf but also Golf Xtreme. The schools involved are Bettridge and Belmont in Cheltenham and Brimsham Green and Culverhill in Yate. Two of the schools have already visited Golf Clubs in their area this year and have loved it …. playing on a real course instead of within their own fields.
The Partnership is working closely with SSP’s in these areas to organize a Golf Festival for these students.
COACH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
This initiative is proving to be quite popular with our Gloucestershire Professionals with breakfast meetings being held every other month - perhaps it’s just the lure of bacon rolls and CPD points!? Anyway the next workshop is entitled ‘PESSYP School Club Links’ and is being held on Thursday 3rd June at The Bristol GC from 9am – 12.30pm. To book your place, call Debbie Casling CDO on 07968894812
Our next workshop is planned for September and will be given by Ramsey McMasters (details will be circulated when available)
If you are a Gloucestershire Professional and are not receiving regular e-mails from me please contact me on:
gcdo@btinternet.com
THE 2ND ANNUAL RACE COURSE CHALLENGE – THURSDAY 20TH MAY 2010
Tom Workman from Stinchcombe Hill GC won the Cheltenham Racecourse Challenge Bowl, played on a specially designed 9-hole-course on the famous Gold Cup track.
When the event was staged for the first time last year and Shirehampton’s Luke Krupa won with a four under par score of 32, the Partnership organisers thought that was a course record likely to last for many years. But no, Workman went one better and set a new record of 31.
Delighted with his win, he commented a little bemusedly; “ This is my first course record!”
Other delighted players were Sue Rosbotham, a late entry from Canon’s Court GC, who won the net prize with her net 30, and Alex Palomeque (The Kendleshire) with a hole-in-one on the par 3 third.
The first shots of the day, from the 1st tee high on the Paddock Stand roof, were hit by seventies and eighties amateur golfing icon Peter McEvoy and Stuart Little, former European Tour player now teaching professional at Minchinhampton Golf Club.
Then Ladies’ European Tour players Kirsty Taylor, Felicity Johnson and Rebecca Hudson led the field of club champions around this unique course. They judged it to be “Different! And great fun!” The ‘fun’ bit was underlined by the fact that they were spotted galloping, albeit briefly, up the home straight to the final hole.
Our thanks go to photographer Tom Ward who took some great shots to soak up the atmosphere and these can be found by following: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twardpress/sets/72157624107993868/
Profits from the Tote will go to the children’s charity Winston’s Wish, as nominated by the winner, and raffle funds to Para Golf.
We are very grateful to Edward Gillespie Managing Director of Cheltenham Race Course and his team for their continued support and hard work for this event, SFG for their continued support with prizes and gifts, and to all the helpers and supporters who made the evening so much fun.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2010
· Equipment Hire for those new to the game
· TriGolf, Golf Xtreme and an Inflatable Golf net available for hire to Clubs holding their own festivals
· Opportunities for Junior Organisers and others to become Level 1 coaches and assist their professionals and the Partnership in their activities
· SPC2 Workshop for Club Committee Members
· Coach Development Opportunities for Professionals and Volunteers
· Opportunities for Clubs and Professionals to promote themselves at our activities around the County
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF THE ABOVE
Contact the County Development Officer Debbie Casling
gcdo@btinternet.com Tel: 07968894812
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