Chris Boughton's Golf Column: New junior programme is launched
The Golf Foundation has announced a collaboration with Bury St Edmunds-based mindset experts Yeast to create a junior golf coaching programme that benefits the life skills of participants.
With PGA professionals at the heart of the design and delivery, the Unleash your Drive programme draws on established mental toughness research from sport and education and applies it to a golf setting. It teaches techniques such as breathing and visualisation alongside traditional golf skills.
Brendan Pyle, CEO of the Golf Foundation said: “After a successful pilot the Foundation is now rolling out Unleash your Drive to all PGA professional coaches countrywide who work with children and young people and wish to inspire them on and off the course.”
Peter Wortley, Senior Partner at Yeast explains: “Average improvement amongst the youngsters who took part in the pilot was 20% which is both significant and life changing,” he added.
“Mentally tough people perform better, have high levels of mental well-being and can get the best out of themselves, which is exactly what we have seen in the children we worked with through the Golf Foundation project.
“They are making the most of their lives, contributing more at home and at school and are happier as a result.”
The Suffolk Golf Club are the first of our local clubs to get involved, with their head pro Steve Hall having already attended the foundation’s training course and his assistant Adam Trett to follow shortly.
Western Area Suffolk Schools GA
The son of another local golf pro, Andy Goodridge of the Bury Driving Range, is in the local golf news again.
This time 12-year-old Charlie won a Western Area Suffolk Schools Golf Association event at Haverhill GC with a superb score of nett 66.
His father said: “The course was in great condition and Charlie loved having his grandfather Clarke walking with him.”
Charlie is a junior member at Bury GC.
GolfSixes
The third event of the West Suffolk league of The Golf Foundation Junior GolfSixes
was held at Bury GC recently and resulted in a win for The Suffolk with 130 points.
Bury were runners up with 127 followed by Newton Green (122) and Haverhill (113). After three of the eight matches, Bury lead the league table with11 points, The Suffolk lie second with 8.5 and Newton Green have 7.5.
The Suffolk Golf Club
Jim Chapman returned to form on Wednesday at The Suffolk GC Midweek Qualifier to win with a stunning score of 43 Stableford points, despite a double bogey on the last hole.
Four points back, Dave King took second with 39 points on countback from in-form James Laflin.
Chapman now leads the Midweek Order of Merit league with 44 points followed by Peter Plumb (39) and Brian Wiltorn (34).
Laflin kept up his fine run of results with first place in Division 1 of the club’s Tuesday Night 9-hole competition.
His score of 22 points was one better than runner-up Mark Stratton. Gary Reeve led Division 2 with 22 points on countback from Toby Woods.
Stowmarket Golf Club
Joan Hunter held her Captain’s Day at Stowmarket GC recently where 80 lady golfers played in teams of four in an 18-hole Stableford competition.
Although the golfers started off in dry weather, everyone ended up getting very wet. As Annie Tyler reported: “Flaming June it certainly wasn’t, but the weather didn’t stop everyone enjoying the day, the format of the competition, the food at the halfway house and a fantastic hot and cold buffet afterwards.”
The competition winners with 107 points were Rosemary Stutley, Diane Glasswell, Sylvia Pearce and Katie Hitchcock.
The raffle raised £430 for the captains’ charity Forget-me-not Dementia, at West Suffolk Hospital,”
Bury St Edmunds Golf Club
The aim of The National Golf Club Challenge (NGCC) is to bring golf clubs all over the UK together throughout May, June and July to hold hundreds of charity golf days supporting On Course Foundation – while at the same time competing nationally.
On Course Foundation is the only Services golf charity. It supports the recovery of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans, through the medium of golf.
Bury held their 2019 event last week with 113 members taking part in the men’s and ladies’ competitions.
In the Men’s Stableford there were four scores of 40 points at the top of the leader board.
In countback order – Sam Bridges, Barry Hurren, Paul Newdick and Nick Bonney.
In the Ladies’ event Wendy Flack came out on top with 38 points followed by Liz Bezance (37pts) and Bev Allen (36pts).
Stuart Turner returned 38 points to win the club’s Midweek Stableford and in the Ladies’ Midweeker, Pat Cauldwell also came out on top with 38pts.
Daniel Bright won the Friday Mixed Qualifier Medal on countback from the in-form Ben Coleman, both carding nett 68.
