Forbes Golf Association has been registered as a MYGolf Centre since June 2011 and currently has 47 juniors participating in their program. Based in NSW, Forbes is a great example of a centre that has created relationships with their state association, junior foundation and local schools in order to deliver a stronger program. The following questions have been answered by their Centre Coordinator Anthony Gordon. Why do you run a junior program? We joined the MyGolf program in June 2011 as the next step in developing our junior program. The club had been holding two day school holiday camps in April & October and the integration of the 10 week MyGolf program with the camps has been a great success. Who runs the program? Currently the Forbes Golf Association does not have a resident Professional to drive our junior development. Therefore the decision to become a MyGolf centre was the logical way forward. We have an active Junior Committee and 12 community coaches who assist running the program on Sunday mornings. Our community coaches have all completed the Golf Australia Level 1 course. In addition we get great support from Sharon Nott (JNJG) and Eddie Emerson (Country Junior Golf) with coaching support at our camps. How have you found the MYGolf program and the benefits? The Junior Coordinator Administration Kit was a blessing when it arrived. We use it continuously as the template for what we do and with the program run by volunteers having a structure to follow & professional documents to promote the program is great. We have 47 MyGolf members, of these only 12 have 18 hole handicaps. So the program has given our community coaches a program to follow and a pathway from Bronze level to Silver where they start to play 9 hole golf. Any tips and ideas you can give to run the program successfully? We don t try and compete with the winter sports and have made the strategic decision to focus our volunteer effort in the Autumn & Spring. The club runs a social 9 hole competition from October over the summer and we enter junior teams, it s a great way to get the 9 hole juniors out on the course and ready for a 18 hole handicap. In addition we have engaged with the local schools and held a teacher training day. Creating a link from the MyGolf Schools program to our Sunday MyGolf program is crucial for the introduction of golf to local juniors. Also don t forget the Pump Golf Shootout, we hold an event at the end of our autumn camp it s a great way to finish the camp. Always be looking for pathways to promote your juniors. Don t assume that the local school is aware of the golf program get out and promote MyGolf in the school newsletters. Organise a trip to one of the major events it will inspire your juniors to keep playing golf. We did this with 13 juniors to the Aussie Open last year and they have all made golf one of their primary sports. Good luck with your MyGolf program!