Gleneagles experience for Newtonmore juniors

Whilst its own senior medal was cancelled due to bad weather and a waterlogged course, 12 budding young golfers from Newtonmore Golf Club in Highland enjoyed a day at Gleneagles.

Gleneagles and Scotland’s national junior golf programme, clubgolf, have joined forces to promote junior golf in Scotland again this summer by offering coaching and an opportunity to play on its Wee Course every Sunday between 15 June and 12 October. Launched at Gleneagles in 2003 clubgolf is the national junior golf programme which aims to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to golf.

“We were quite fortunate because the Wee course had been closed because of the wet weather but it opened at eleven o’clock just when we were due to go on it,” said Mark Foster, one of two volunteer coaches at the Club.

“The children had never been to Gleneagles before and they had a great time. They practised at the driving range then played nine holes on the Wee course.”

Newtonmore Golf Club has been coaching its juniors for some time and this year Mr Foster and fellow club member, Fiona Ralph, became qualified through clubgolf’s Level 1 course. Competing with shinty, football and swimming, the Club attracts an impressive 30 children to its weekly coaching. Both Level 1 coaches, together with parents, accompanied the children at Gleneagles.

Patrick Elsmie, Gleneagles’ Managing Director, said, “Gleneagles has always been committed to golf and we are thrilled to be a part of the clubgolf initiative. We hope to be able to help them in achieving their goal of allowing every child in Scotland to experience the game by the age of nine.

“As the venue to the Ryder Cup in 2014 it is important that Gleneagles continues to work closely with organisations like clubgolf to ensure that the game of golf in Scotland and our young people reap the benefits of playing host to such a prestigious tournament”.