Golf
Golf taster sessions lined-up

MIDLANDS Golf Week is going for gold in Olympic year with a new date and new plans to introduce the sport to even more people.

The week-long festival of golf, which is held across seven counties, will take place from April 9-15, 2012.

This year's Midlands Golf Week was the first to be staged and saw nearly 1,200 would-be golfers get involved in free taster sessions and coaching programmes at more than 80 clubs.

“The week proved a great success,” said Sharon Heeley, regional development officer for the English Golf Union and English Women's Golf Association.

“Now we want to build on that success by involving even more clubs and raising the profile even further about what is on offer at golf clubs across the Midlands.”

Next year's sporting calendar will be dominated by the Olympics in London, but it is hoped the new date will help golf clubs make the most of the high level of interest surrounding the sport at the time of the US Masters in April.

Golf itself can look forward to a return to the Olympic schedule in 2016 – for the first time since 1904 – which will help the worldwide drive to encourage more people to take up a sport that offers many social and health benefits.

“The clubs that staged events during this year's Midlands Golf Week worked really hard and there were some really imaginative ideas,” added Sharon Heeley.

“The fact that we have announced next year's date already means clubs can plan ahead and look at ways of marketing their events and getting the local community involved.”

The website www.midlandsgolfweek.co.uk is being used to share the best ideas as clubs prepare for 2012 and will once again include a full events listing.

Events this year included taster sessions for a number of different groups ranging from juniors to families, ladies only to couples, as well as group coaching sessions or discounted green fees.

Midlands GolfWeek 2012 will be publicised with a series of public venue road-shows to be held in February and March to encourage people to sign up for club-based activities while local business and groups such as Rotary, WI and Ladies Circles will also be encouraged to get involved.

This year saw more than 50 ladies from Stratford WI Lite enjoy a special taster session night out at Stratford Oaks Golf Centre and many of them have returned for further coaching to develop their interest in golf.

Julia Burton, county development officer for the Warwickshire County Golf Partnership, said: “The event for the WI shows how golf can reach out to different sections of the community and would be suitable for other groups, organisations or businesses.”

Stratford WI Lite president Anne Marcantonio added: “Golf is one of those things that a lot of people would like to try, but they are reluctant to just turn up at a golf club for lessons.

"This was an opportunity for our ladies to enjoy an introduction to golf in the company of friends along with some fun competitions.”

Ladies from Stratford WI Lite enjoyed a specially-arranged taster session at Stratford Oaks Golf Centre during Midlands Golf Week. (s)