Daniel Waters - Head Coach at Pine Ridge GC

Pine Ridge Golf Club in Frimley, near Camberley, has appointed a new high-flying Head Golf Coach with a strong coaching pedigree gained while living and working inAustralia. Daniel Waters fromMelbournebegan working at Pine Ridge last month and is already making an impact.

Having spent eight years in the business in his homeland, and with a degree in Sports Management, Waters decided to broaden his experience working in the UK – simultaneously enabling him to see the world, and continue to develop his career.

And 30-year old Waters brings with him some fantastic achievements. Not only has he built up and coordinated the largest junior golf programme inAustralia, but in 2010 he was also awarded the “Walkerden Golf Trainee Award” in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the PGA traineeship, golf industry and to PGA programmes.

Waters said: “I came to golf relatively late in life, at the age of 16, and was immediately hooked. I want to inspire that same love for the game in as many people as I can. The sport gives golfers so much more than just knowing how to play the game – they learn good manners, self-discipline, and make friends wherever they go.

“There is a great atmosphere at Pine Ridge, and I have been made very welcome by staff and golfers alike. I look forward to getting my teeth into the job, and to setting up a well-structured junior programme that will provide all children in the region with an opportunity to learn golf in a fun, relaxed and safe environment.”

Bradley Chard, General Manager of Pine Ridge Golf Club added: “We are delighted that Dan is joining the team at Pine Ridge. He has had extensive experience teaching both beginners and more advanced golfers. His great passion is for teaching junior golfers, so we look forward to continuing to develop players’ golfing skills from childhood through to adulthood.”

Staying at the four star Valle del Este Golf Resort on the coast nearMalaga, the group of golfers, aged eight to 70, spent five heady days in 25 degree temperatures.

Gavin Grenville-Wood, PGA Head Coach at Oak Park GC and organiser of the “Sunshine Tour”, originally promoted the trip as a family break. A team of 12 people signed up, but when word spread of what was planned inSpain, numbers grew rapidly. The final tally was 23 adults and 18 children – a total of 41 keen golfers.

Each day, the golfers took part in a golf clinic, taught by Grenville-Wood and hisOak Parkcolleague, Paul Mayoh, Academy PGA Coach. They also played in mixed ability and mixed age group competitions at the Mediterranean resort, with one dedicated family day so that parents actually got to spend time with their children!

Grenville-Wood said of the Spanish trip: “We all had a fantastic time inSpain. It was a lot of fun, and everyone’s golf benefitted. I would like to thank our Junior Organiser, Linda Warren, who worked tirelessly to make the tour happen.

“It was a real bonding experience for the families out there, and we are already planning next year’s Sunshine Tour: we can’t decide whether to go toSpainagain, or to tryPortugal,CyprusorTurkey.

“There were a lot of hilarious incidents, with one lady falling into a lagoon while trying desperately to pick up a lost ball. It is a trip which all the players will remember!”

Simon Edwin, General Manager of Oak Park Golf Club, added: “Linda and Gavin have a huge amount of energy and focus it totally on making golf enjoyable for people of all ages.

“The trip toSpainwas a resounding success, and we are hoping it is going to be an annual fixture on theOak Parkcalendar for children and adults alike. We have two more tours coming up this year – toCornwalland toFrance– and I hope they are going to be as enjoyable as the inaugural “Sunshine Tour”.

Nigel Lee - Head PGA Coach at Chelsfield Lakes

Chelsfield Lakes Golf Centre, in Orpington, recently played host to a group of local adults and young people with disabilities in a fun-filled day of coaching and competitions.

Organised by the Bromley School Sport Partnership (BSSP), the Golf Foundation and the Special Olympics Committee, the day saw 48 juniors and 5 adults take part in putting, chipping and driving coaching under the expert eye of Chelsfield Lakes GC’s Head Academy Coach, Nigel Lee, and his team.

The children, aged 12 – 16, came from mainstream and special schools in the London Borough of Bromley, and the adults were from a local Special Olympics group.

Having been instructed in the morning on playing the game, the golfers were split into six teams and competed against each other in the skills they had learnt. Some also played on the Par-3 Vista golf course.

Chris Caws, Partnership Development Manager from the BSSP, said “It was fantastic to see so many young people and adults learning how to play golf, engaged in new activities and working with students from other schools. There was a great atmosphere – well done to everyone involved in the day!”

Nigel Lee of Chelsfield Lakes GC added: “I would like to thank all the people who helped on the day, as well as the South East Development Officer from the Golf Foundation, who, along with Chris Caws, made the day possible.

“It was such a success that I have started a course of six free coaching sessions for the people who attended. Some of them are showing real promise, so who knows, we might yet see an Olympian from the group!

Greg Brodie - Performance Coach at Pine Ridge Academy in action

Pine Ridge invites local individuals and organizations to take part in free golf tuition

This month, Pine Ridge Golf Club, in Frimley, is running free golf coaching sessions for local people who have disabilities.

The club is one of three in Surrey to run the “Feel Inspired” programme, which introduces people to the game of golf, whatever their disability.

Greg Brodie, Performance Coach at Pine Ridge Golf Club, is a qualified disability aware coach, and has 15 years of experience in this role. He said: “I am starting the coaching sessions on 18^th April. They consist of six one-hour sessions, and I hope to roll them out over the course of the year. Some of the places on the course are taken already, but I would urge anyone interested to get in touch.”

Pine Ridge General Manager, Bradley Chard, commented: “It is a testament to Greg’s dedication that he has been selected as one of only three “Feel Inspired” coaches in Surrey by the Surrey Golf Partnership and England Golf.

“We look forward to welcoming the “Feel Inspired” players to Pine Ridge.” 

For further details, contact Greg Brodie on 01276 675444 e-mail: pineridge-academy@crown-golf.co.uk.

£18,000 kitty means a month of free coaching at 15 courses for 360 beginners, removes perceived barrier to the sport and doubles number of participants

Crown Golf is working closely with The English Golf Union (EGU) and the English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) to provide a huge incentive for non-golfers of all ages to take up the sport.

Crown Golf owns 29 golf clubs, 15 of which are match-funding a £600 grant per club that they have just received from the EGU and EWGA as a result of being ‘GolfMark’ accredited. The combined sum – an impressive £18,000 – translates to 360 free places on the Discover Golf programme.

A month of free coaching at any of the 15 teaching facilities is being offered on a first-come first-served basis. The courses include – Merrist Wood GC near Guildford, Eccleston Park GC in Prescott, Merseyside, Sherfield Oaks GC in Hook, Hampshire and Chelsfield Lakes GC in Orpington, as well as 11 others.

GolfMark status is awarded by the EGU and the EWGA in recognition of junior and beginner-friendly golf facilities. The three key areas within the golf club which are assessed are coaching and playing, the club environment, and child protection and duty of care.

Fifteen of Crown Golf’s clubs have been GolfMark accredited in the past year, bringing the total across the group to 23.

Richard Flint, Development Manager for the EGU and the EWGA said: ‘Crown Golf came to us and said it wanted to do something different and significant with the money we give them each year for having attained GolfMark status.  We applaud the initiative and look forward to seeing more new people playing golf in more places in 2011’.

Rob Spurrier, Group Academy Manager at Crown Golf, said: “We are delighted that, with the help of the EGU and EWGA, we are able to help more people try out golf. We have a ground-breaking coaching programme, tailored to each individual’s needs, and we hope to be able to facilitate a significantly higher number of people taking up golf, and continuing to play, over the coming months and years.”

Chris Murtagh - PGA South Region Year 1 Trainee of the Year

Trainee golf pro gains top regional honour from the PGA

Blue Mountain’s PGA Trainee Golf Professional, Chris Murtagh, has been named “Best Year One PGA Trainee” for the South Region and received a cheque for £250 from TGI Golf, sponsors of the PGA Trainee Awards at the South Region AGM held on 2^nd March 2011.

Twenty six year old Murtagh has worked at Blue Mountain GC on Wood Lane, Binfield for two years. He achieved the highest overall marks in his Professional Golf Association (PGA) year one exams exceeding the scores of 75 other trainees in the South Region.

The South Region of the PGA extends over a huge area and encompasses Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, the Channel Islands, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey,  and Sussex.

Murtagh began playing golf at the age of eight, inspired by Nick Faldo’s win at the 1992 British Open at Muirfield. Having gained a degree in Sports Technology from Loughborough University, Chris has ambitions to become a top level golf coach. He has two further years of training before qualifying as a PGA Professional, and then intends to study for further coaching qualifications.

Commenting on the award Murtagh said: “It was a really great surprise to find out I was top of my year in the region. I am chuffed. It will spur me on to try just as hard over the remaining two years of the course.

“The Blue Mountain staff has been very supportive which really helps. I love the broad coaching experience I am gaining here – from coaching Discover Golf, our adult group programme, to large groups of children in our Crown Golf Junior Academy and on our schools programme.”

Rob Spurrier, Group Academy Manager at Crown Golf, owners of Blue Mountain GC, and mentor to Murtagh, added: “Chris is a great asset to the coaching team at Blue Mountain. He is a natural coach, and has done very well working in our Crown Golf Academy. Chris is to be commended on a first class first year as a trainee – we are delighted to have him onboard!”

Richard Janes - Golf Academy Manager @ St Mellion International Resort

To Cornwall via New York for talented PGA Professional Coach

St Mellion International Resort’s new Golf Academy Manager brings glamour and superstar contacts to his new job, as well as impressive coaching qualifications.

Twenty five year old Richard Janes started work earlier this month at the Saltash-based resort, where the Crown Golf Academy has already built a reputation as one of the best-run and busiest golf academies in the region.

During his career, Janes has moved around the country – and the world – gaining experience in a broad range of clubs in The Isle of Wight and West Sussex, as well as in the USA.

Perhaps his most glamorous job was as PGA Teaching Professional at Chelsea Piers Golf Club in Manhattan, New York. The only golf club on Manhattan Island, Chelsea Piers is a four tier, 48 bay driving range with two short game areas and all the latest video coaching equipment. There, Janes worked with schools, groups and also gave one to one lessons. He was lucky enough to give golf lessons to several celebrities including Paris Hilton, Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, and was teaching the day the US Airways plane crashed into the Hudson River, close to the golf club.

Away from the glamour, Richard has a special interest in coaching juniors. He is keen to make teaching sessions at St Mellion’s Crown Golf Academy fun and interactive, to encourage a life-long interest in golf.

Janes commented: “I am thrilled to be working at St Mellion. The practice facilities are impressive and the two courses are fantastic. I am enjoying getting to know the members, and am already working to develop the Junior Academy still further.

“The position of Academy Manager is a great challenge, which will allow me to use the facilities to offer a diverse range of coaching services to adults and children alike. Crown Golf, the owner of St Mellion, is leading the way in offering new golf initiatives, so this is a great company to be involved with. I am really looking forward to my first season here.”

Stephen Towers, Resort Director at St Mellion International Resort, said: “Richard is already proving to be a great asset to our Crown Golf Academy. He is a high-level coach and also has an in-depth knowledge of how equipment can aid a player’s game. He and his team will give all golfers, no matter how experienced they are, something beyond the usual golf coaching experience.

“We are delighted he has joined the team at St Mellion, and I look forward to seeing the Crown Golf Academy flourish under his leadership.”

Crown Performance and Surrey Futures Coach, Greg Brodie

Pine Ridge Golf Centre is running a Surrey County Futures programme as part of a county –wide initiative to train up young golfers to achieve their potential.

A group of young golfers have been selected for their potential, enthusiasm and commitment to take part in a year-long coaching programme at several different Surrey-based venues. Specially trained PGA golf professionals, with an aptitude for developing talented young players, run the coaching sessions.

And since the start of this month, 12 girls and 17 boys aged between 8 and 12 years old have been visiting Pine Ridge GC’s Crown Golf Academy to take part in the Surrey County Futures coaching sessions.

Performance Coach at Pine Ridge Golf Centre, PGA Advanced Professional Greg Brodie, is one of five lead Surrey Futures coaches, and works with his team of three qualified PGA Professional coaches to train up the youngsters to prepare them for county selection. The team is advising the children on how to improve their golf, how to assess their own games and how to structure their practice. Technical advice is given, as well as help with the development of physical skills.

Brodie said: “It is a great honour for us to be able to work with this group of children. They are already showing an aptitude for the sport and we feel we can make an enormous difference to their games. We work alongside their home coaches to ensure that there is continuity in what they are being taught.

“The facilities at Pine Ridge’s Academy mean that we are able to work on all aspects of the children’s games, and we are already seeing some significant steps forward, both in their technical ability and in the understanding of their own game.

“I was lucky enough to be involved in the Surrey County Futures programme last year, and it was with enormous pride that we watched some of those golfers progress to the next level of the county programme.

“One of the 2010 Futures players progressed to the Under 14 elite county squad. His younger sister is on the 2011 programme, so we are hoping that she, and many of her contemporaries, can also go that one step further this year.”

Rob Spurrier, Group Academy Manager at Crown Golf, owners of Pine Ridge GC said: “Pine Ridge is doing a great job with the Surrey County Futures programme. It is one of several Crown Academies chosen to take an active role in their respective county programmes.

“We hope to see many of the children on the programme go forward to represent Surrey. One day they may go even further – watch out Lee Westwood!”

Dean Harrion and Chris Farr, Crown Academy and Hampshire County Coaches

Paultons Golf Centre has been selected as a “County Coaching Training Academy” and is running a County Academy Programme as part of a Hampshire-wide initiative to train up young golfers to achieve their potential.

Following their nomination by their home clubs for their talent and commitment, around 200 young players were invited to take part in a three-month coaching programme at several different Hampshire-based venues, with the possibility of a further three-month programme for those who did particularly well. Specially trained PGA golf professionals, selected for their commitment to developing talented young players, run the coaching sessions.

 And since October, nearly 40 golfers aged between 9 and 16 years old have been visiting Paultons GC’s Crown Golf Academy to take part in the “County Academy Partnership” coaching sessions.

Head PGA Coach at Paultons Golf Centre, Chris Farr, and his right hand man, Dean Harrison, Academy PGA Coach, have been selected to run a County Academy Programme at the club. They are advising the children on how to improve their golf and helping to devise timetables for the appropriate training the children should undertake. Farr and Harrison are also advising the youngsters on concentration, coordination and stretching, using methods which are fun for the children, and at the same time beneficial to their golf.

The coaches themselves undergo a careful selection process and attend workshops on a regular basis to further their coaching skills and make the programme more rounded and enjoyable for the children attending.

Farr said: “It is a great honour for Paultons Golf Centre to be chosen as a County Training Academy. The fantastic facilities we have here make it ideal for winter training.

“We have several of our own Juniors taking part in the programme, and hope to see them playing for the county one day.

“The children on the programme are really thirsty for knowledge, and are very keen to improve their game, so the sessions are a great pleasure for everyone to take part in.

“At the end of the programme we are confident of producing much-improved young golfers, who are confident both in themselves and in their playing abilities, to feed into the County teams.”

Paultons General Manager, Matthew Rollinson, added: “The coaching sessions are going really well so far. The advice that the coaches give is tailored to each child, and as a result, we are already seeing vast improvements in specific areas of the youngsters’ games.

Rob Spurrier, Group Academy Manager at Crown Golf, owners of Paultons GC said: “Paultons is doing a great job with the Hampshire County Academy Programme. It is one of several Crown Academies chosen to take an active role in their respective county programmes.

“We hope to see many of the children on the County Academy Programme go forward to represent Hampshire. One day they may go even further – watch out Lee Westwood!”

Crown Academy team @ The Bristol

The Bristol Golf Club has been selected as a county training academy and is running a Gloucestershire under 12 girls’ development squad coaching programme as part of a county-wide initiative to train up young golfers to achieve their potential.

The eight members of the squad – called “Robins” – have been selected for their potential, enthusiasm and commitment. There are four such squads across Gloucestershire, each with a different coach and at a different venue.

The recently appointed Head PGA Coach at The Bristol GC, Mark Boscott, will take charge of the Robins Squad. He has a great deal of county level coaching experience, being involved in the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire County Academy coaching already, and he regularly attends workshops to continue to hone his skills in junior coaching methods and developing junior talent.

The coaching programme will start in March this year, and will consist of six one-day sessions for the golfers. They will learn not only how to play the game, but also how to warm up and how to “read” a golf course, as well as being taught about nutrition and the etiquette of the game.

Boscott said: “It is a great honour for The Bristol Golf Club to be chosen as a county training academy. The fantastic facilities we have here made a real impact on the representatives from the Gloucestershire Girls’ Golf, who were in charge of selecting suitable venues.

“Two of my colleagues at The Bristol will be assisting with the county sessions, as well as a female level one coach, selected by Gloucestershire Girls’ Golf, so between us we will be able to give a great deal of individual attention to each of the girls.

“We are very much looking forward to starting the sessions, as youngsters at this age soak the lessons up like sponges. The coaching will be instructive, but also great fun, so we hope to see improvements in all areas of the girls’ golf from the word go.

“At the end of the year-long programme we are confident of producing well-rounded youngsters, who are confident both in themselves and in their playing abilities, to feed into the County teams.

Rob Spurrier, Group Academy Manager at Crown Golf, owners of The Bristol Golf Club, said: “The Bristol is one of several Crown Academies chosen to take an active role in their respective county programmes. We hope to see many of the children on the county programme go forward to represent Gloucestershire. One day they may go even further – watch out Natalie Gulbis!”