Falkirk Tryst Golf Club opened its doors to 24 local primary school children last week as part of the clubgolf venture to make golf accessible to every nine year old in Scotland by 2009.
The Club does not suffer a shortage of junior members. By allowing children as young as nine years old (or seven if their parents are members) to join, and including six lessons with the Pro in its highly affordable annual fee of £80,

it already does much to encourage youngsters. Over 80 children are members.  But, like the other clubs and organisations that constitute the recently-formed Falkirk Junior Golf Partnership � Bonnybridge, Falkirk Carmuirs, Falkirk Tryst and Polmont Golf Clubs, and Falkirk Council�s Active Schools and Sports Development Team, which has access to Calendar Park�s Par 3 course it recognizes that clubs in Scotland can do far more to attract juniors.

�Children are the lifeblood of the Club and through the clubgolf coaching we hope to stimulate an interest in children who might never have considered golf an option so they will want to find out more,� said Graeme Cobb, Falkirk Tryst�s Junior Convenor and volunteer coach. �By encouraging them we hope some of these youngsters will discover a new hobby and become
members in years to come.�
For 60 P5 children in Carron, Ladeside, Bothkennar, Airth, Carronshore and Larbert Village Primary Schools, curiosity was stimulated last term when they experienced a six-week firstclubgolf taster. Taught by school staff and Active Schools Co-ordinators, it uses multi-coloured clubs, rubberised balls, velcro targets and carefully planned progressive lesson cards to provide a safe and exciting introduction to the game for nine year olds.
So enjoyable was the experience that, following the course, 24 of the children signed up for Falkirk Tryst�s clubgolf�s Stage 1 coaching programme. Taught by volunteers � and the Club found it relatively simple to find six members who wanted to train to become coaches and a further nine assistants the programme covers the fundamentals of golf and introduces
rules and etiquette, delivered over two nights a week for 10 weeks.
�We are delighted that as many as 24 children have decided to come to the Club for coaching,� said Mr Cobb, during last week�s first lesson, putting. �We have our own equipment but many of the children had brought their own. It shows they have already made a commitment to the game.�
The entire 10 week course costs just ?10 for each child. The money will be ploughed back into equipment and help renew the coaches� licenses.
�This week we covered putting and we had a good reaction to it,� said Mr Cobb. �Next week we�ll move on to chipping then cover all the other aspects of the game before going on the course and playing some holes in the last three weeks.
�We hope they enjoy it and with the level of interest we are considering running another session after the summer holidays.�
clubgolf is a key component of Scotland�s national strategy for junior golf, developed by the partnership of the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies� Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers� Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland.
Funded by the Scottish Executive, clubgolf will roll out nationwide in 2009, by which time every nine-year-old in Scotland will have an opportunity to experience the introductory game, firstclubgolf.
Stirling Golf Club opens for clubgolf

Stirling Golf Club, scene of Central Scotland�s clubgolf Strategy launch by Sandy Lyle a year ago, began teaching the game to local primary school children this month.
This is the first year that primary schools within the Stirling High School cluster have been involved with clubgolf, a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, Scottish Ladies� Golfing Association, Professional Golfers� Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland. Emerging from Scotland�s successful bid to host the Ryder Cup, clubgolf is a direct result of the Scottish Executive�s pledge to create an opportunity for every child in Scotland to experience the game.

Active Stirling is committed to its partnership with clubgolf and has facilitated the delivery of the Strategy�s introductory game in every primary school throughout Stirling. So far this year 1025 children have experienced the introductory game, firstclubgolf which uses multi-coloured clubs, rubberised balls, Velcro targets and carefully planned progressive lesson cards.

Children wishing to develop their golfing skills can access clubgolf�s Stage 1 coaching programmes delivered by PGA Level 1 Volunteer coaches at any one of Stirling�s nine golf clubs that are signed up to work with clubgolf. This month, 31 children from the Stirling High School Cluster embarked on their Stage 1 coaching programme at Stirling Golf Club under the guidance of the club�s volunteer coaches.

To help the children decide whether golf was for them, Stirling golf Club invited all of the cluster primary schools to visit for an afternoon�s taster session.

�Fifty nine children from St Ninians Primary School walked the three mile round trip to Stirling Golf Club,� said Angela Hunter, Active Schools Co-ordinator for the Stirling Cluster.

�There was a fantastic sense of excitement during the walk there. Very few children had tried golf before and only one or two of them have ever visited a golf club before.�

Using real golf equipment, Stage 1 is a structured coaching programme covering the fundamentals of golf and introducing rules and etiquette.
After Stage 1 there are a further four stages on the Long Term Player Pathway, allowing children to develop their skills to the level they aspire to.

�At the Club they had a guided tour and were given a refreshing drink in the clubhouse before working at three stations on their putting, chipping and full swing skills,� said Ms Hunter.

�After a sunny afternoon on the golf course the response from the children on the way back was outstanding. Many of them are now taking part in their level one course and the junior coaching is at full capacity.�