Last month, West Lothian Council Active Schools Manager, Jo Hutton, bolstered clubgolf’s coaching infrastructure by training 12 Regional Tutors from West Lothian Council’s School Sports Team and Bathgate Sports Centre. These tutors are responsible for recruiting and coaching the army of school staff needed to impart the introductory firstclubgolf game, played with modified equipment, within local primary schools.
 

This week the tutors passed on their skills to a group of 30 local school staff – a record number for the region. “The training was a big push forwards for golf in West Lothian,” said Mrs Hutton. “Almost three quarters of our primary schools now have a member of staff that can introduce children to golf.”
Since five times European Ryder Cup Team member, Sandy Lyle, launched the clubgolf Central Junior Golf Strategy last April, the number of West Lothian high school clusters experiencing firstclubgolf has risen to seven. Additionally, projects to develop golf coaching programmes in secondary schools, specifically targeting children who have additional support needs, are in full swing.
“By the end of the next school year we want every school in West Lothian to have staff trained to deliver clubgolf,” said Mrs Hutton. “By then the two other remaining clusters will also be on board.”
The eagerness to introduce children to the game extends well into local clubs. Eleven of West Lothian’s Golf Clubs and facilities have so far signed up for clubgolf. Members of each club have stepped forward to become trained as volunteer coaches, enabling them to absorb the children and teach Stage 1 of the strategy.

“We’ve had a very positive response from the local golf clubs who are all keen to take the children to the next stage,” said Mrs Hutton. “We’re delighted to see the enthusiasm of local golfers being matched by an interest from the school staff who have come forward for training.”