The inaugural appearance of golf, competing alongside 11 other mainline sports in the Hampshire Youth Games in Aldershot on Saturday 11th June, was a BIG hit!
Amongst more than 2000 up-and-coming sporting youngsters came golfers, representing their City or Borough throughout Hampshire, to showcase their sport. Competing in the Golf Skills Challenge (based on the format of the National Skills Challenge), they represented their teams as Rookie or Tour players. Many of the Rookie Players had been playing only a matter of months, having been recruited in their schools and coached by local PGA Coaches in the skills required.
Said Hampshire Golf Partnership Development Officer Beverly Huke
“Hampshire has always had a very good reputation for supporting its talented young players but we wanted to find a way to get to kids who, for any reason, have never had access to the game. The Hampshire Youth Games provided an ideal vehicle for this. Our aim was to find youngsters in schools and hope they would be attracted to the target golf/team format of the National Skills Challenge. We planned on the kids enjoying the immediacy of target golf and the fun of being part of a team. Having funded the initial coaching programme we reckoned that those who “got the bug” would stay – and that’s what happened! Everyone has said what a great time they have had, so next year we plan to make it bigger and even better.”
Results
Combined Tour & Rookie Champion Team = Test Valley
Champion Tour Team = Gosport
Champion Rookie Team = Test Valley
Champion Individual Tour Player = Lewis Scott (Gosport)
Champion Individual Rookie Player = Will Gilson (Test Valley)
For more information please contact: cdo@hantsgolfpartnership.co.uk
