Date:- 12/05/2008
Time:- 08:03:42
Time:- 08:03:42
  :: RGC Course View
:: RGC Awards
:: Merchandise
 :: Advertising
 |
 Club Awards - Season 2006-2007 New Highland Award for Club - 2006 RGC win Highland Club of the Year award
REAY Golf Club has become the first Caithness winner of the Highland Sports Club of the Year competition. The club's latest major drive to promote the game to youngsters throughout the Far North helped clinch the accolade. Head coach Evan Sutherland has spearheaded the move to pool the resources of the four golf clubs in the county to help bring on juniors. At the same time, he and others have developed their own coaching qualifications. Evan last year became one of only two Professional Golfers Association level 2 coaches in the UK. That involved him making three weekend trips to the national coaching centre at Largs. The coaching network in the Far North is now so advanced that players can receive tuition in specialist areas such as bunker play. Reay combined with the neighbouring club at Thurso to host a summer programme of advanced PGA coaching. Evan also visits local primary schools to give courses to staff so they can deliver the national first club golf initiative. Willie MacKay, junior golf development officer in the Highlands, said: 'The coaching structure, to my mind, is the best in Scotland for a golf club that does not have a PGA professional on its staff. It has a development pathway that starts with an introduction in primary schools and the children have a warm welcome to make the transition to the golf club, where they learn the basics of the game. The retention and recruitment of juniors has been catered for by the club continually increasing its coaching base and by having a well-planned competitive junior events calendar.' The Scottish Executive has committed £500,000 per year through sportscotland until 2009 to support its commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game of golf. Reay is the fifth winner of the award put up by the Highland Sports Development Association.
End-of-Document |
