New practice facilities support Muir of Ord junior programme


Muir of Ord, well known locally as a junior friendly golf club and one of the first in Highland to sign up to the junior national golf programme, clubgolf, entered a new era in its support of young golfers this summer by unveiling its new junior practice facility.

Before last summer the Club’s volunteer coaches had coped admirably with the influx of children who had experienced clubgolf’s introductory game, firstclubgolf, at school and wanted to progress to a Club programme. Two old, disused holes provided a practice area but with junior numbers growing, something better was required.

Last year the Club applied successfully for an Awards for All grant of £9000. With sponsorship from local company SGL Carbon they were awarded a Sportsmatch grant from sportscotland which allowed them to erect a triple bay practice net close to the clubhouse, making juniors coaching easy to supervise.

“We started work this year on improving the practice facility we had,” said Club Junior Convenor, Ian Cameron at the end of the coaching season last week.

“As well as improving the old 16th and 17th holes we put in an additional hole for juniors and members to create a three hole course in addition to our 18 hole course. The grant has also helped us create a putting green, a pitching area and nets.

“We opened the practice area this summer and I feel what we have now is second to none compared to other north clubs. It’s a great facility for our juniors and they really enjoy using it.”

Muir of Ord signed up to clubgolf five years ago. The national junior golf programme born out of Scotland’s successful bid to host the Ryder Cup, clubgolf is a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotland. clubgolf is a result of the Scottish Government’s commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game.

Since then 12 members have become trained as clubgolf volunteer coaches and as many as 40 children head to the club for Wednesday night junior coaching. Between 20 and 30 older juniors play in the weekly 18 hole competition. Recognising the lack of girls within their membership the Club has also been running girls only coaching sessions which attract over 15 girls.

With 114 juniors on its books Mr Cameron admits that at times it feels like the Club is ‘bursting at the seams’ with youngsters. But anxious to retain its new juniors the Club has introduced a new ‘novice’ category which offers membership at a reduced rate, with access to the new practice facilities.

“We introduce the kids who have come through the schools into the club environment through Stage 1 of the clubgolf programme,” said Ian. “The new three hole course is the perfect environment to coach them and when we think they are ready we asses them to see if they are ready to go out onto the actual course and play the clubgolf seven hole course.

“We have a dozen kids who go out on the clubgolf course now, whereas at the start we only had three. It shows how much they are improving after using the new facility. Our hope for next year is to get the coaches out on to the course as well to help these kids improve.”

With such a forward thinking attitude it’s no surprise that the Club is producing good competitors at the older age groups of its membership. Junior member Scott Forbes is already on the SGU North Area Coaching Team and Ali Begg has made the step up to the North Under 18 team. Both have been helped by PGA coach, Stuart Morrison. Muir of Ord’s resident PGA coach Grant Campbell has been involved with the coaching programme and offers coaching to the better players.

Said clubgolf’s Highland Manager, Willie MacKay, “With the large numbers of children progressing to Muir of Ord Golf Club after their introduction to golf through firstclubgolf at local primary schools, the Club is now well placed to have a smooth pathway for those in the Stage 1 clubgolf coaching programmes.

“The three new junior holes give them a safe section of the golf course where they can learn all the “on-course” skills and etiquette required before they progress on to the “short-seven” holes which are set out on the full course."