Golf coaching for all abilities (From Gazette Series)

Golf coaching for all abilities

GOLF is a sport open to almost everyone, yet many people are put off by the stuffy 'Members Only' image of the game. However, Thornbury Golf Centre are spearheading a new initiative to introduce players not just to the sport itself but the social aspects of the game as well. Sports editor Keith Watson went along to the club to find out more.

THERE are few sports that can build you up and shoot you down so spectacularly as golf can.

One minute it is possible to play a shot with all the poise, precision and distance of Jack Nicklaus and the next minute your divot travels further than the ball and you feel more like Jack Dee.

How I know the feeling.

Childhood Sunday afternoon rounds of golf at the Whitley Bay pitch and putt course in my native North East gave me a grounding in the sport, which led to playing on full courses by my teenage years.

I could never get anywhere near mastering the sport though.

For every 200-yard drive or magical approach shot, an embarrassing scuff or wild slice was never too far away.

To address that kind of situation, familiar to so many golfers, Thornbury Golf Centre has helped launch a programme of golf coaching that aims to work on technique, understanding of the game and the social side of the sport.

The LinkSystem is a unique style of golf tuition that places the emphasis on maintaining high standards of coaching, course management and the all important etiquette of the game.

Incorporating three levels - JuniorLinks, FirstLinks and MidLinks - the LinkSystem caters for golfers of all ages and abilities.

Thornbury Golf Centre professional Mike Smedley is confident that the new programme can create a more knowledgeable and skillful breed of golfers.

He said: "It is very hard to become an accomplished golfer but this system gives players a tremendously thorough grounding.

"Most golf clubs will just give private lessons or take beginners groups but the LinkSystem allows people to continue to develop with players of a similar ability."

While being far from a beginner, I had never been coached at all and had not played in three years, so Mike took me to the driving range and we went back to basics.

I started hitting the ball over 150 yards with a six iron but while some balls went straight down the middle of the range, other shots curved steadily left or right.

Mike tells me that my baseball grip might be the most comfortable but it is also the most erratic, while me hands sit too low and too close to my body.

In all my time playing golf, I was always a poor wood player and it now becomes obvious that I had not been giving myself enough room to swing the longer clubs freely.

Although I am on my own, I can appreciate how it might feel to be an absolute beginner, having to perform in front of a group.

Make no mistake though, there is so much to concentrate on to get your own shot right, no-one has any time to stare at anyone else.

Each programme in the LinkSystem works towards the goal of playing on one course or another, so players do not become bogged down on the driving range.

Putting, bunker play and tricky lies are all worked on in the coaching sessions, so players get out on the course before playing a round on it properly for the first time.

Beginners also play the centre's par three course before taking on the longer full course.

The LinkSystem does not just educate players in golf technique though.

Mike added: "We are trying to make a game of golf into a whole day out, getting people involved in the social events that go along with it.

"It is not just a sport, it is more than that."

Following their open weekend at the end of March, Thornbury Golf Centre will now be running regular LinkSystem courses.

Absolute beginners or golfers of any standard wishing to develop their game via the friendly and informal sessions should call Thornbury Golf Centre on 01454 281144, email info@thornburygc.co.uk or visit www.thornburygc.co.uk.