Mearns
Castle Golf Academy Leads the Way in Golf Development
Mearns Castle Golf Academy in East Renfrewshire is at the forefront of golf development
in Scotland, with a number of innovative programmes and schemes that open the
game to every member of their local community, whether a club member or complete
beginner.
East Renfrewshire
is one of Scotland’s flagship local authorities
when it comes to junior golf development in schools.
The Activ8 programme, managed by Ian Pye and his Active
Schools team, ensures that every child has the opportunity
to experience golf in a school setting using modified
firstclugolf equipment. This involves around 1255 children
in Primary 5.
Local Sports Development Officer, David Fraser, then
picks up the bâton through the Council’s
golf development centres where youngsters can access
clubgolf Level 1 coaching sessions. With an average
of 120 children accessing these centres, there is a
demand for further coaching. The programme is overseen
by David, himself a PGA Level 1 coach, and delivered
in four blocks each year.
A new pathway has been established to take youngsters
from the development centres into Mearns Castle Golf Academy
for professional coaching. The Academy has a 9-hole course
with a membership of 330 adults (40 female) and 60 juniors.
This, however, does
not include the 10500 registered users of the centre,
2500 of whom are juniors. The vast majority of juniors
participate in structured coaching at the centre, led
by SGU Academy Coach Adam Hunter. The first group of
16 youngsters have just completed the Platinum 4 programme
of élite coaching. In addition to this, the
centre offers Williamwood High School and Mearns Castle
High School two free tee-times each day.
Work is on-going in
the area to establish an East Renfrewshire Golf Development
Group that will co-ordinate pathways and ensure that
golf is accessible and affordable across the area.
All clubs and interested parties will be invited to
the initial meeting at the Academy in November to allow
them to shape the future of golf in East Renfrewshire.
