Talking golf
STYAL were shortlisted for the 2018 England Golf Club of the Year Award because of their incredible programmes for youngsters.
So it is fitting they should launch one of the brightest ideas since the invention of the light bulb.
On Monday, Styal will host the opening round of the inaugural Cheshire Junior GolfSixes League. By October their youngsters – and those of Congleton, Macclesfield and my club, Mottram Hall – will all have played on each other’s courses in six-hole tournaments.
Boys and girls aged from six to 14 are eligible to compete alongside each other and they don’t need to have a handicap.
All the kids in the league play in their golf club shirts with GolfSixes branding.
When the junior members at Mottram found out we were going to be taking part I was taken aback at how excited they were – because it’s fast and it’s fun.
And I am used to keen junior golfers, having introduced over 2,500 of them to the sport at over 50 primary schools in the Macclesfield area over the past ten years.
This family engagement follows the model of other team sports such as football, netball and rugby, where families new to the sport are welcomed into the club environment.
The GolfSixes format appeals to younger golfers because it is enjoyable, easy to play and builds team spirit.
I organised a free evening at Mottram for all the team players to come along to do a trial run of the format so everyone is comfortable with how to score.
I know the other three clubs have done something similar and there is a real buzz about an event which has been organised by the national junior charity, the Golf Foundation, in conjunction with England Golf, the national association of golf clubs.
There’s another junior league running in Lancashire involving the Duxbury Park, Regent Park, Haig Hall and Hart Common clubs.
The Golf Foundation regional development officer, Andy Leigh, said: “GolfSixes offer a rapid starting point to hopefully create a long-lasting love of the sport.”
In association with Mottram Hall and timmyteepr.