DOING IT FOR THE KIDS: Pictured from left to right are John Jermine, Ryder Cup Wales Chairman, with St Idloes club president Dewi Davies and local juniors at the opening ceremony for the upgraded facility
WELSH CLUB GOLFER 11
W
ITH the world of
golf still absorbing
the exciting news
that golf will be in
the 2016 Olympic Games, a
little piece of mid-Wales is
making its own contribution
to the development of the
potential Olympic stars of
tomorrow.
A combined Club Junior Captain's
Day, Open Day and Junior County
coaching school week made it an
occasion to remember at St Idloes
Golf Club in mid-Wales as the
members marked the official
opening of the �60,000 worth of
improvements to the club's facilities,
funded by the Ryder Cup Wales
Legacy Fund.
The Fund is a �2m support
scheme offered by the Welsh
Assembly Government and
administered by Sports Council for
Wales, intended to help local
authorities and Welsh clubs enhance
their facilities to get more golfers.
St Idloes has an active and
successful junior section and has
worked hard to increase junior and
female membership - the
expectation now is that both
established youngsters and
newcomers to the sport will find
something new to interest them at
the club.
FUNDING
The club has used the funding to
build a new practice chipping and
putting area, an outdoor driving
area, an undercover driving range
and a six-hole mini golf course.
Chairman of Ryder Cup Wales,
John Jermine, who attended the
official opening, said: "Offering a
wide variety of facilities that can be
used by experienced players and also
encourage newcomers to the game
is crucial to the on-going health of
golf in Wales and to strengthen the
future of many clubs. Ryder Cup
Wales has been determined to
ensure that the �2m investment
makes a real difference in improving
public access to golf and it's
wonderful to see these new facilities
at St Idloes."
Club all around Wales are
beginning to see the benefit of the
nation's preparations to host The
2010 Ryder Cup and the Legacy
Fund is helping to ensure there is a
permanent golfing legacy for future
generations.
Club officials say that making
juniors and new players welcome is
vital and anybody wanting to try the
game will be able to borrow clubs.
A selection of loan clubs to suit all
will be available free of charge for
the new pitch and putt course and
the driving range, with a relaxed
dress code throughout the new
facilities.
Club President at St Idloes, Dewi
Davies, said: "St Idloes is a
long-established club that has
always been successful in offering
high quality, but affordable, golf
facilities. These new facilities give us
much more flexibility and we look
forward to continuing to nurture our
junior membership as a result."
Golf Development Wales News and Views
CHUFFED: Wrexham kids with their awards
A GROUP of young golfers from
Wrexham have won a national award for
their teamwork, in a celebration of the
UK's largest ever school and community
golf project.
The youngsters between the ages of
nine and eleven picked up the prestigious
award at the Golf Foundations's first ever
National Golf Roots Festival held in
Loughborough.
Golf is the second fastest growing
sport in UK schools and the Golf Roots
scheme is aimed at reaching youngsters
in urban areas who would not normally
get the chance to play the game -
showing that Tri-Golf and Golf Xtreme
can be played anywhere and, more
importantly, by anyone.
Wrexham won the `Skills for Life'
award for the team that best
demonstrated the skills for life attributes
during the competition.
Golf Development Wales officer Zoe
Thacker, who was with the Wrexham
team, said: "It was a great reward for the
attitude shown by the team.
"Golf is a sport which can give you
great skills to take through life � such as
honesty, respect, perseverance and
concentration, so it was really good that
the Wrexham team were recognised for
these qualities," she said.
"Tri-Golf and Golf Xtreme have been
great for getting children from all areas
involved in learning the basics of golf."
Thacker added: "Wrexham won their
way through Tri-Golf competitions in
Wales and everyone involved enjoyed the
day - winning an award was the icing on
the cake."
Wrexham kids pick up prestigious award at first-ever Golf Roots festival
Let the Games begin!
St Idloes unveil �60,000 facility upgrade to produce Olympic stars of the future
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