Gordon Sherry to open Bishopbriggs Golf Club's new academy

Wednesday 6 September 2006

Former British Amateur champion Gordon Sherry will cut the ribbon to officially open Bishopbriggs Golf Club’s new academy this Thursday (7 September).

Supported by a Lottery award of £146,750 from sportscotland’s Sports Facilities programme, the new academy includes six mini holes, a driving range, short game and practice areas. Although also open to senior members, the new tailored junior facilities will provide the club’s youngsters with a quality introduction to golf.

The design of the facilities was carefully considered to make golf both fun and stimulating for all players, in particular the six mini holes are all par three with different approaches and hazards. A list of golf etiquette instructions are posted at each hole and rules and instructions are set out beside the hazards to assist young golfers in learning all aspects of the game as well as developing their skills.

Bishopbriggs Golf Club has been in existence since 1906 and in its Centenary year has a thriving membership of over 800. Scotland’s golf clubs play a pivotal role in the delivery of the clubgolf strategy. Their involvement is vital to the development of clubgolf and the sport at local, regional and national level. Already Bishopbriggs has eight members who have been trained on the PGA clubgolf Level 1 Training for Volunteers Course to provide clubgolf coaching to their junior members. With the new facilities they will now be able to roll out these programmes to local schoolchildren.

This award demonstrates our commitment to enhancing sporting opportunities for local communities, by providing them with quality, accessible and well designed facilities.

Commenting on the new academy, Gordon Sherry said: “I am convinced that this new facility with its exceptional playing and teaching ability will offer a very unique aspect at all levels of golf development, in particular youth and elite coaching.”

Andrew Smith, Secretary of Bishopbriggs Golf Club said: “In order to create this new golf academy the layout of the course had to be changed. This was not a simple exercise, and was only possible with the input and enthusiasm of a number of members of the golf club and with the financial assistance and technical expertise of sportscotlandscotland.

“This new facility will not only train the young golfers in the community, but the more experienced players will also now have an excellent practice facility. The course which used to be known as a ‘wet’ course due to some low lying areas has been radically changed and the ‘course closed’ sign is now a rare event at Bishopbriggs, even in the most inclement conditions.”

Julia Bracewell OBE, Chair of sportscotland, said: “sportscotland is delighted to have supported this junior golf academy with a Lottery award of £146,750 from sportscotland’s Sports Facilities programme. This award demonstrates our commitment to enhancing sporting opportunities for local communities, by providing them with quality, accessible and well designed facilities.

“It will ensure youngsters receive a quality introduction to golf, as well as providing the older members at Bishopbriggs with facilities to improve their game. The club is also one of a growing number who have established a successful partnership with the ‘clubgolf’ programme.”

• The opening ceremony will take place at 12.30pm on Thursday 7 September at Bishopbriggs Golf Club, Brackenbrae Road, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow G64 2DX. Tel: 0141 772 1810 
• The format for the event is:
  12.30pm- Opening ceremony by Gordon Sherry
  12.40pm – Gordon Sherry will hold a short coaching session for some local school children from Meadowburn Primary School (photo opportunity)
  1.00pm – Reception at the clubhouse
• Other funders of this project have included: R&A, Belhaven Brewery and club members 
• clubgolf is a partnership between the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association, the Professional Golfers' Association, the Golf Foundation and sportscotlandscotland. The strategy has been developed as a direct result of the Scottish Executive's commitment to introduce every nine-year-old child in Scotland to the game by 2009. 
• clubgolf is funded by the Scottish Executive which has committed £500,000 per year to the scheme through sportscotland until 2009.
• Clubs across Scotland are playing a vital role in the clubgolf strategy. Following clubgolf’s six-week firstclubgolf course, children have the opportunity to progress to the second phase of clubgolf's Player Pathway, Stage 1. Hosted by their local clubs, Stage 1 is a 23-hour course, covering the fundamentals of putting, chipping, full swing, rules and etiquette, taught by the club's fully trained volunteer coaches. After Stage 1 there are a further four stages on the Player Pathway.