There is a long tradition of junior golf in Gullane and, currently, much interest in the village and the various golf clubs in seeing this tradition being enhanced and extended to produce more fine young golfers - both girls and boys. Gullane is one of the best places in the world to play golf and the facilities we have here are fantastic. The cream of world gold will all be back in Gullane in 2013 for the Open - lets try to show the golfing world that we have the very best set up for junior golf when they come. Meantime, we host the US Kids European Championships again in 2011 and the Girls Home Internationals anf the British Girls Championships in August 2011 ( see below )
KIDS' COURSE
There is a 6 hole kids course situated in the heart of the village which is now maintained to a high standard by Gullane GC Course Manager Stuart Duff and team. It is free and accessible to play on for residents and visitors alike and gives all kids the opportunity to have a go with minimum fuss - no membership, green fees or handicap required! Adults may only play if accompanied by a child. The course is used local groups such as Gullane Primary School and local Cubs and Scouts as well as for competitions during Gullane Games Week. It is also an excellent facility for clubgolf and we hope to see continued good use of it over the years to come. This summer it will be used for some clubgolf events for kids from different parts of East Lothian as well as, hopefully, some more fun competitions for younger local kids. ( Volunteers welcome - e-mail ir.mclean@yahoo.co.uk !! )
There will be an Open Fun Competition for boys and girls on Sunday 28th August 2010 - both run by Kate Green of East Lothian Council ( see below )
A card of the course is now available from clubgolf coaches.
GOLF IN GULLANE PRIMARY SCHOOL
The Primary School supports golf for kids and it is part of the curriculum for P5 kids through the clubgolf scheme which has been enthusiastically backed by both the school and Gullane GC / Gullane Ladies GC.
Long before the Scottish Executive decided that introducing golf to primary school kids was a good idea in preparation for the 2014 Ryder Cup bid, Gullane Primary School has been running two annual competitions for its pupils. The Honor Bright Trophy is an annual matchplay event introduced in 1922 by the then retiring headmaster and The Babe Zaharias Trophy is a strokeplay event which started in 1964 with the trophy being donated by George Zaharias after the death of his wife Mildred "Babe" Zaharias who was arguably the greatest female athlete of all time, being a double Olympic gold medalist and a professional baseball and basketball player. She was one of the founders of the LPGA and the first woman ever to play in a professional male golf tournament - long before Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie! In 1947 she played and won the British Ladies Amateur Championship in Gullane and was so taken by the village that she returned on many further occasions.
The 2009 Babe Zaharias Trophy was played last year producing , we think, the youngest ever winner William Ladbrooke who also won The Honor Bright competition and retained the "Babe " in 2011. Competition will be hot in 2011!
Many well known names who now feature in Dirleton Castle GC and Gullane GC have their names on these trophies! For further details of these competitions please contact Maureen Tremmel at the school (01620 843455).
CLUBGOLF
The clubgolf coaching programme has been running in Gullane for 6 years now, enthusiastically backed by a band of 12 volunteer coaches and both Gullane GC and Gullane Ladies GC who provide support and facilities. It is introduced through the school with every child in P5 taking part in firstclubgolf with plastic clubs and then those who are interested progressing to the real thing with regular coaching from the volunteers as well as from Gullane GC pro Alasdair Good and team. Coaching take place on Sunday at 4.15 pm for those in P5 / P6 with the pros taking over for those in P7 and beyond. We currently have nearly 50 children in the programme aged from 9 -14 with just as many boys as girls . Various competitions and trips are also organised including events at Craigielaw South Course, North Berwick Kids Course, Dalmahoy, Gleneagles and Muirfield for the Senior's Open . East Lothian Council fully supports this initiative and employs Kate Green as Junior Golf Development Manager. For further details please contact Andy walker who is the Gullane clubgolf Convenor (
walker.andy2@btopenworld.com) or Kate on 01875 619071 or
kgreen@eastlothian.gov.uk or Iain McLean (
ir.mclean@yahoo.co.uk). or visit the clubgolf sites detailed below
Further volunteer coaches are welcome but need to go through training and disclosure procedures. Contact Andy or Kate for details.
There is an excellent team at Gullane GC led by head pro Alasdair Good with 5 enthusiastic Assistant and Trainee pros - Ian, Mark, Ian, Emma & Jordan all with excellent golfing pedigrees. Full details can be found here
MEET THE TEAM
Alasdair has been recognised at one of the Top 50 Junior coaches in the world and his team are keen to do more coaching with kids. Individual and group sessions can be arranged for boys and girls. There is an excellent swing studio with video analysis.
Summer group sessions for kids are being organised by Mark Bruce - pop into the shop or phone 01620 843111 for further details or e-mail proshop@gullanegolfclub.com. Lessons are not restricted to members.
STOP PRESS European Tour Pro
Stephen Gallacher now has playing rights at Gullane and when his busy schedule permits he will mentor some of our Juniors !!
GOLF LESSONS
Gullane's private driving range and dedicated short game practice area are perfect facilities for coaching in relaxed surroundings.
Whatever your age or ability, Alasdair and his Assistants are ready and willing to straighten out the most crooked of shots! So whether it is a swing rebuild, a small tweak before you go out, or a clinic for your society outing, please call them. They will be delighted to help.
Juniors and ladies are especially welcome for coaching.
View the lesson rates of the Professional staff.
LESSONS AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK |
| | LESSON RATES |
| | Members Rate | Non Members |
| | 1/2 Hour | 1 Hour | 45 min
Swing
Studio | 1/2 Hour | 1 Hour | 45 min
Swing
Studio | Junior Rate (1/2 only) |
Head PGA Pro | Alasdair Good | £30 | £50 | £40 | £35 | £60 | £45 | £15 |
Senior PGA Assistant Pro | Ian Woodward | £25 | £40 | £35 | £30 | £45 | £40 | £13 |
Qualified PGA Assistant Pro | Mark Bruce | £22 | £35 | £30 | £25 | £40 | £35 | £12 |
Trainee PGA Assistant Pro | Ian Rowlands | £15 | £25 | £20 | £20 | £30 | £25 | £10 |
Trainee PGA Assistant Pro | Jordan Ramanauskas | £12 | £20 | £17 | £17 | £25 | £20 | £8 |
Trainee PGA Assistant Pro | Emma Fairnie | £12 | £20 | £17 | £17 | £25 | £20 | £8 |
| | | | | | | | |
6 GOLF LESSONS FOR THE PRICE OF 5 AVAILABLE
|
The shop is well stocked with a range of equipment for kids, especially
US Kids Clubs which are the leading clubs specifically designed and weighted for kids.
JUNIOR PERMIT FOR NUMBER 3
All kids between 8 and 14 resident in Dirleton Parish may obtain a junior permit which allows play on No 3 (subject to certain limited time restrictions) and use of the excellent practice facilities. The cost is only £25. A great place to spend the summer evenings after school and the summer holidays!! No 3 is a fantastic course maintained to a high standard and very enjoyable to play on - an ideal place for kids to develop their skills. Please contact the office at the Visitor's Clubhouse to obtain a permit - no proposer or seconder required.
There are 125 Junior members of Gullane Golf Club. Full details of all the facilities at can be found on www.gullanegolfclub.com. Boys can apply to join aged 8 and can become a member aged between 10 and 16. Any applicant needs to find a proposer and a seconder who are full adult members of the Club to propose him. Any member may only propose or second one junior in any two year period. The annual cost of membership is currently £100 and there are a few spaces just now
clubgolf is providing the pathway into Gullane Golf Club for keen new junior golfers, well versed in the traditions and etiquette of the game and now possessing all the basic skills.
The benefits of membership include coaching from the pros and extensive opportunities to play on all courses as skills develop and handicaps decrease. There is a full competitive programme involving medals, knock-out events, the Biggart Baillie LLP Order of Merit and Under 14 and Under 18 Championships. The Team play in the very competitive East Lothian Junior League and were the winners in 2009 beating off stiff competition from Craigielaw, Musselburgh Old and Tantallon . We also won the East Lothian Team Strokeplay Championship in 2009 with a scratch 210 total for three counting rounds over Musselburgh Old . Boys participate in a variety of Lothians and SGU events including LGA squad coaching, the Lothians Boys Championship, the Scottish Boys Championships ( Under 18, 16 and 14 ) and a host of Junior Opens around East Lothian and Edinburgh.
We are running 6 hole competitions for younger new members this year
There are matches against the Men and the Seniors - as often as not won by the boys -as well as the Calcutta Cup in mid-August each year - which involves the juniors with a suitable relative playing stableford foursomes on No1 - a very sociable but challenging occasion! We also have matches against Loretto , Eaglescliffe and West Lancs this year.
Juniors are encouraged to use both the Members' and Visitors' Clubhouses.
The Gullane GC Junior Convenor is Iain McLean (
ir.mclean@yahoo.co.uk ) ably assisted by Gordon Swan and a team of other helpers
JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP OF GULLANE LADIES GC
Girls may apply to join Gullane Ladies Golf Club from age 10. There are currently 30 girl members - a number which has increased as a result of the clubgolf initiative. Separate competitions are held for the girls and they also participate in medals alongside the boys as well as in the annual knock-out Morrison Trophy. Girls also take part in East Lothian and SLGA competitions. Some of the girls play very competitively, playing in SLGA events and representing Scotland, while others just play for fun with friends. We have two of the very best junior girls in Scotland as members of GLGC.
For further details please contact the GLGC Convenor Nicky Black (
black.nicky@googlemail.com ) or Assistant Convenor Pamela Dunlop.
It is hoped that girls doing clubgolf will progress into membership of GLGC - one of the very best Ladies Clubs in the UK !
Keen girls also participate in the East Lothian County Junior Girls which is organised by Lesley Nicholson - with a variety of events for serious players and those who are just starting out or playing for fun. Contact Lesley on
lesleynic@live.co.uk or 0131 665 5738. Lesley is a former Scottish amateur champion, Curtis Cup player and Professional on the LPGA tour.
GULLANE JUNIOR OPENS
The Gullane Golf Club Junior Opens for both Girls and Boys take place in July each year ( 22rd July 2011 ) - further details obtainable and entry forms can be downloaded from
www.gullanegolfclub.com. Details of other Junior Opens and heaps of further information can be found on
www.eastlothianjuniorgolf.org.uk
JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP OF DIRLETON CASTLE GOLF CLUB
Juniors who are members of Gullane GC and who live in Dirleton Parish may apply to join Dirleton Castle Golf Club and are able to participate in the Castle competitions. Contact John Taylor, Secretary, Dirleton Castle Golf Club for further information (
taylor.pines@hotmail.com)
NORTH BERWICK CHILDREN'S GOLF COURSE COMPETITIONS
These very successful competitions for under 14s take place every year at the Kids' Course in North Berwick which is to be found adjacent to the Marine Hotel. Kids can play on this course for an annual fee of £10 / £20 depending on age - contact the pro shop at North Berwick. It really is an excellent course for kids and is a good next step from the Gullane Kids' Course with small greens, real rough, bunkers, out of bounds and, typically for North Berwick, walls coming into play! Many North Berwick and Gullane kids have honed their skills here before taking on the bigger courses. Catriona Matthew, now one of the best women golfers in the world played in these competitions and Nick Dougherty who is challenging for a Ryder Cup place this year traveled up from Liverpool to compete. The course is no Mickey Mouse challenge though - the best kids can shoot under par scores and would happily take on even the best local adults - be warned! All kids ( boys and girls ) are welcomed although those under 8 are not usually allowed into the knock-out competitions.
The competitions in 2011 will be :-
Competition | Date | Entry Return Date | Entered |
July Cup (Stroke Play) | Saturday 09 July | Monday 04 July |
|
Esmond Cup (Knockout) | Friday 15 July | Monday 11 July |
|
Cree Medal (Stroke Play) | Saturday 30 July | Monday 25 July |
|
Balfour-Melville Cup (Knockout) | Saturday 06 August | Monday 01 August |
|
Malcolm Cup (Stroke Play) | Saturday 13 August | Monday 08 August |
|
PEEL CUP
This is a long running Under 16 Junior Competition for local boys and girls run by Dirleton Castle Ladies GC which takes place each year on No 3 at the start of August. The date for 2011 will be 28th July. Younger kids play 8 holes and the older ones 18. Watch for an entry list in the Starters Hut on No 2 / No 3.
GULLANE GAMES WEEK
There will be junior competitions on the kids course as well as the famous long driving, chipping and pitching championships for old and young alike.
WEE WONDERS
This was the brainchild of Alasdair Good who is the head pro at Gullane GC and is now a national UK competition for over 4500 kids aged 5 -12 sponsored by HSBC. There are 100 local qualifying events throughout the country followed by regional finals and a grand final at St Andrews in August. It is a flag competition with each child trying to get as far as they can round the course with a maximum allowance of 36 shots. The local qualifier was held at North Berwick Kids' Course in June and a couple of Gullane kids in different age groups qualified for the regional final in Troon at the beginning of July. One to enter again in 2010 ( competition suspended in 2010 due to lack of sponsor - a great shame -
WE HOPE IT RETURNS !! )
At the end of May 2008 the inaugural US Kids European Championships were held at Gullane, Luffness, Craigielaw and Kilspindie for kids aged between 5 and 14. Over 450 kids from no less than 34 countries, accompanied by their families, came to play. 6 kids from Gullane GC entered. Again this event was the inspiration of Alasdair Good working closely with the US Kids company from Atlanta, Georgia. They are the leading makers of kids clubs and equipment and they run a series of similar events in the United States. This was the first European event and it was a great success with some astounding golf being played by the kids despite challenging weather conditions and thick rough ! It is hoped that the event will become a fixture in Gullane and that many local kids will participate in years to come, enjoying their first tastes of international tournament golf at a young age. www.uskidsgolf.com contains all the details.
The event was repeated in 2009 and 2010 and both were very successful with a number of local kids participating (7 in 2010)
2011 European Championship Dates
May 31 - June 2, 2011
Gullane, East Lothian Scotland
2011 Van Horn Cup
June 3, 2011
In 2011 the Championship is again held on Scotland’s historic golf courses in East Lothian, including Gullane, Luffness New, Craigielaw and Longniddry
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