Introducing... The Guild Goes on!

An initiative designed to introduce children to the world of golf is to be launched in April, with the support of homebuilder Dandara.

It has teamed up with Isle of Man Golf to support the ‘Chip and Putt’ programme which will provide aspiring junior golfers with an opportunity to play and develop their skills.

A five week-programme is to be rolled out, initially at four primary schools, following the Easter break and, if successful, could be extended next year.

Using clubs specially designed for children, alongside instruction from a Professional Golf Association member, the scheme will focus on the key fundamental skills employed in golf and help develop hand and eye co-ordination in a safe, fun way.

Niall Keenan from Isle of Man Golf, which operates under the auspices of its governing body, the Golf Union, said:

 This is an initiative we are really excited about and ultimately will get more young people involved in golf from an early age. Yet it is about far more than that and will also help tap the creative and competitive spirit of girls and boys.

It will teach them about the game and allow them to learn new skills in a fun way with weekly one-hour sessions using specialist equipment, all in a safe environment within their school. I would like to offer my personal thanks to Dandara for its continued support of junior golf in the Island.

Willaston, Kewaigue, Laxey and Scoill Phurt Le Moirrey (Port St Mary) primary schools will participate in the pilot scheme after which local clubs will offer membership and extra lessons to those who want to continue playing.

Dandara is a long-term supporter of a number of community schemes and sponsors the Junior Order of Merit and Isle of Man Golf Junior Championships.

Seamus Nugent, Managing Director, said:

We are delighted to support the inaugural ‘Chip and Putt’ programme and believe it will be a very popular and worthwhile initiative. It is important to us to support young people in the community, and golf is a challenging sport that requires both mental and physical ability, so hopefully it will be the starting point for a number of youngsters who develop a lifelong interest in the game.