Registered since February 2012, Tambo Golf Club in Queensland is a more than worthy recipient of the May MYGolf Centre of the Month award. After already identifying that the club s ever increasing ageing members were starting to decline, Centre Coordinator Bill Rogers believes the introduction of younger people through a program like this was exactly what the club was looking for. We definitely need the younger brigade and to have a program like MYGolf it enables those junior players to develop the necessary skills, said Rogers. The enthusiasm generated by a visit from Golf Queensland s Lee Harrington last year was enough to convince the club that becoming a MYGolf Centre and offering the program to the kids in the area was a must. The Tambo program started as an after school activity, but as the numbers quickly increased the decision was made to run the program on a Saturday morning this year. Each session attracts an average of 12 to 14 children dependent on what other sport is being run in the area. The weather also plays a factor in attendance as some participants have to travel up to 60 kilometres, but on a good day there can be up to 22 children engaged in the program. Run by Rogers, his coaching offsider Clint Abel and some very enthusiastic parents, each session begins with a warm up containing a mix of chipping, putting and driving and then it s out onto the course to play three holes. Rogers hopes to extend the amount of holes the juniors play in the near future as their skills become more advanced. This is where the parents become involved as they help to supervise a group, said Rogers. Whilst the focus of the program is on having fun and enjoying the game, recognising the achievements of the juniors is also important. A fee of two dollars per child is collected each week and put towards a prize for the winner of each on-course group. I try to keep the fun side in each session as well as a challenge, I feel some children, especially the younger ones, need a little fun while others enjoy and feed off a challenge, said Rogers. Tambo s MYGolf program is already producing some skilful young golfers, with some early members having already obtained official Australian handicaps and competing in regular competitions, and a number of current members are on the verge of achieving this also. Rogers and Tambo have also recognised the need to promote the game within their local community and this year hosted the Golf Queensland Central West Junior Camp in April. Spread across three days, the camp attracted 40 juniors who stayed on site in the Tambo Clubhouse. A fantastic community effort, the camp even involved the local police putting on a blue light disco for the participants on the final night.
Author: Sarah Kennedy / Golf Australia