Schools in the Meander Valley have been working with Deloraine Golf Club in Tasmania to promote golf to their students and improve links to the community. The idea came about through the low membership numbers experienced at the Deloraine Golf Club and the lack of interest and knowledge in golf at Deloraine High School. With this in mind the golf club and the schools in the community have joined to create a Meander Valley Golf Cluster. Five surrounding primary schools (Deloraine Primary, Westbury Primary, Mole Creek Primary, Our Lady of Mercy and Meander Primary) that feed into the high school are being provided with Go-Go Golf sessions to give students a baseline skill level. Teachers have initially given students an introduction to golf through a modified game skills approach. School holiday programs have also been made available to students. When these students move onto Deloraine High School, they will be given the opportunity to participate in golf during years 7 and 8 and the chance to join the Deloraine High Academy . This is where the students who show enjoyment or an interest, or have the potential to excel can develop their golf. This will occur through elective subjects at the high school (through the HPE program) and also through out of school sessions with the Deloraine Golf Club. This project has been made possible through patrons at Deloraine Golf Club volunteering their time to the program. Deloraine Golf Club Junior Development officer Don Simpson said, There is real potential for this program to increase our community s participation rate in golf. As a volunteer myself, I find enjoyment in offering my knowledge to students . He also said it is a great way to keep up to date with today s youth and to also see a great future ahead for the club. Funding for the program has come from the Schools Network in Tasmania which gave the initial set up fees to purchase equipment for the Schools. This ranged from Go-Go Golf equipment for the Primary aged students through to golf club sets for the more experienced students. Sponsorship will be sort to make the project sustainable in the long term. Brendan Poke, the Cluster Coordinator of the Meander Valley region (based at Deloraine High School) said, The program is a developmental program which will reap rewards for not only the students but also the local golf club and community in years to come. With all students introduced to the program, hopefully in the long term we will see membership increase which otherwise wouldn t have occurred. Ultimately the students are given the opportunity to participate at a level which is suited to their ability . Mr Poke went onto say that the project has been greatly accepted and he is looking forward to the results in the year to come. For more information contact Brendan Poke brendan.poke@education.tas.gov.au
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