Suffolk Junior Golf Academy

Alternatively, if you are interested in volunteering, either on the Club & Coach Committee or would like to assist with the Talent Days and/or follow-on coaching programmes, we would be very interested to hear from you.

In golf many young players have a lack of appropriate support and guidance at a critical stage in their development which means that their progress is either slower than it could be, or in some cases restricted. Young people who take up the game at a later stage also tend to get left behind players on the talent pathway that specialised in golf at an earlier age. This often results in poor performances and for many players a loss of interest in the game or burnout.

Funded by Sport England’s Club and Coach Fund, the National Training Initiative is a county wide coaching programme aimed at identifying and encouraging talented and enthusiastic junior golfers from all backgrounds, who are just below the County criteria for inclusion in county squad coaching. This enables Counties to cast their net wider and find more talented youngsters who, with the right encouragement and coaching, might be able to make the step up to County standard.

Only Counties where the County Union, County Association and County PGA work together to coordinate golf development through a County Golf Partnership (CGP) are able to access this programme, following submission of a County wide training plan.

This training plan is predominantly delivered at accredited ‘County Training Academies’ by handpicked coaches who are best suited and positioned to coach young people and have shown a long term commitment to developing talented players. These academies are based at GolfMark or RangeMark accredited golf facilities, short courses or driving ranges which ensure a safe and welcoming environment for juniors and minimum operating standard in child protection.

High quality coaching and training is combined with appropriate physical training, lifestyle management, psychology, and nutrition advice. Each player follows an individualised training programme according to their own ability and maturation with players and parents also provided with guidance on how best to balance the competing demands on the young player and maintain their interest.
Significant investment is also made in the training and up skilling of both professional and volunteer coaches within the county to support the programme. Each coach is issued with an individual training needs analysis and training plan ensuring the quality of coaching across the county spectrum is improved. Parents can also be signposted to high quality providers.

The outcome is a much improved and co-ordinated system that provides a comprehensive pathway in a supportive and appropriate environment for young players to achieve their potential.