Opportunities for children from Stirling’s Wallace cluster to play golf have never been better.  This spring all 150 P5 children in the area’s six schools experienced the game through the national junior golf programme’s introductory game, firstclubgolf.

Their five week introduction, taught with multi-coloured modified clubs, rubberised balls and Velcro targets, to give nine year olds an enjoyable and safe first experience of the game, finished last week with a Festival at Stirling University led by Active Schools and supported by clubgolf and PGA Level 1 volunteer coaches from the University.

“The Festival was an opportunity for all the children who have taken part in firstclubgolf to have a fun day trying out golf with metal clubs, driving, putting and chipping,” said Kelly Wood, Active Schools Co-ordinator for the Wallace Cluster.

This was also an opportunity for the children to decide whether they want to take their golf to the next level of the programme. Hosted by the University,  taught by its qualified PGA Level 1 coaches and supported by volunteer coaches from Bridge of Allan Golf Club, clubgolf Stage 1 involves 40 hours of coaching delivered over two years, and covers the fundamentals of putting, chipping, full swing, rules and etiquette.

“Stirling University has been extremely supportive of the clubgolf programme and ran a clubgolf course for the first time last year,” said Kelly.

“Golf is one of the sports that you don’t often get a chance to play, so clubgolf has been a good tool for them to experience that.  The kids at school have been really keen.

“So far 10 children have signed up for this year’s Stage 1 course and that number will hopefully increase.”

clubgolf is a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland, developed as a result of the Scottish Government’s commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game.