The School’s Golf Academy

 

This year has seen the numbers of the Golf Academy rise yet again to an all time high of 42 students. Golfers from Germany and Switzerland have joined the ranks and with other prospective students visiting from France and Austria we remain optimistic that one day golfers from all areas of the world will choose to study at St. Bees.
 
The Academy is now seeing students from the age of seven enrolling onto the Individual Programme, which enables pupils with no experience as well as those who have played the game for years to enrol and develop through this unique programme. The standard of golf amongst the younger generation is starting to blossom, with many students developing into team contenders even though some of them have only just begun year nine.

Golf has formed a regular lesson during games’ sessions for the preparatory department over the last few years and it is good to see how much they all enjoy the game. With its introduction to students throughout the whole of the school, the level of participation and interest from within all of the year groups surely reflects the enjoyment that the students receive from the sport and the Academy.
  
With the Academy continuing to develop both pupil numbers and their ability, a decision was made to enter a team in the Independent Schools Golf Association (ISGA) Matchplay Championship, not least to ensure that the students received some experience at a higher level. Considering the strength and size of many of the other schools competing, we are extremely proud and pleased of the team’s efforts in reaching this year’s quarter finals. We produced two incredible performances to beat Ampleforth College and The Grange School before we were knocked out by Leeds Grammar School, who have won the regional finals for the last two years.
 
It is a great pleasure to see such promising results at such an early stage in the school’s efforts to develop the sport, and on behalf of the school I would like to thank all those OSBs who have contributed to help us reach this position so quickly. With time, thought and energy being invested heavily into all aspects of the Academy, the New Year will no doubt see the students develop further both as individuals as well as players.

Stuart Hemmings.

Please CLICK HERE to see photographs.