NEWS
Skillz Master Hanson!
Rising Challenge Tour starlet Golf Professional Chris Hanson was on hand to demonstrate his golf skills to budding young golfers who were competing in Skillz Master 2012 at John Letters Golf Academy, Stadium Driving Range last weekend.
Young golfers were put through their paces by Hanson and Junior Academy Manager, James Beattie.
Hanson said “This is a great opportunity to practice your golf skills in a fun way – it’s all about engaging young people in golf in a new way!”
Hanson himself was put through his paces and scored 750 points. The juniors watched and listened carefully as he plotted his way through the putting, driving and chipping challenges.
Hanson’s presence inspired young Alex Robinson to 645 points who will now progress to the Skillz Master final’s day in April 28th.
John Letters Skillz Master 2012
Stuck for a junior golf challenge this winter? Come and join our academy-based skills challenges
and test yourself! At only £5 per session running on Saturday mornings, you can register by going to
ukkidsgolf.co.uk online or fill out an application form and send it to a John Letters Golf Academy.
For more info email: jamesbeattie@johnletters.com
John Letters Junior Academies Partner up with the Golf Roots
John Letters Junior Golf Academies have teamed up with the Golf Foundation’s Golf Roots
programme to deliver the Junior Golf Passport in 2012. James Beattie, John Letters Junior
Academies Development Co-ordinator, believes the partnership is a very natural fit for two
organisations that share the same values and ethos in developing junior golf:
“We have a proven track record of high quality delivery of the Tri-Golf Programme in schools and last year in Huddersfield
alone we worked with over 50 schools and community organisations and delivered Tri-golf to over 800 children.
We are all about introducing the game of golf to as many young people as possible and have ambitious plans to work with over
100 schools and community organisations over the next year. The passport scheme and golf roots programme is an ideal vehicle
for us to use in our delivery”
The Golf Foundation is supporting the delivery of the programme with funding and the schools delivery is being co-ordinated by the newly formed School Games Organisers in the various areas.
Brownies Enjoy Golf Party!
John Letters Junior Golf Academy welcomed the Brownies to the Stadium Driving Range for
some golfing fun last month. The girls enjoyed a Tri-Golf Taster session followed by a
coaching session on the driving range involving lots of fun competitions for the girls
to enjoy! Junior Coach James handed out prizes to the winning girls and the feedback from
the Brownie leader was very positive and that they would be back soon for another go!!
Huddersfield Town Link Ups for Junior Academy
Link Up 1 – HTFC Academy
JL Junior Academy has been teaming up with our local Football Club recently, both with the Football Academy set up and also the Study Centre....
Golf is a very popular game with footballers nowadays, so a link up with between young footballers and John Letters Golf Academy coaching staff has been arranged at the stadium driving range.
Towns budding young stars are learning a whole new ball game and Academy Junior Development Co-ordinator James Beattie is keen to teach the lads not just how to swing a golf club but also some of the etiquette associated with the game.
“When I sat down with Graham Mitchell, HTFC academy director, we were both keen to incorporate some education into the golf coaching, by stressing the importance of golf etiquette – the manners, respect and sportsmanship displayed by golf professionals in the hope that this is some ways might be transferred onto the football pitch!”
The sessions incorporated all aspects of the game – driving, putting, chipping, iron play and will fin is with a game of golf so the lads can put into practice what they have learned.
Link Up 1 – HTFC Academy
We have also teamed up with the study centre which works on numeracy and literacy with children using sport as a medium. The centre have been attending the range and using golf as well as the more traditional football and rugby to enhance their learning and also get out of the classroom environment.
Golf in the Park!
John Letters Junior Academy teamed up Kirklees Council in the summer and left the confines of
the driving range to go and deliver some Tri-Golf in the Park! The Park in question was Crow’s
Nest Park in Dewsbury and every session, which was promoted as part of Kirklees councils’ Summer
Buzz Marketing campaign was full.
The sessions were observed by Kirklees Councils Head of Parks, John Fletcher and he was delighted
with the number of young people who turned up to play. The council also sent there official photographer
to get some good quality snaps of the session as it happened.
Next year we are looking to role this out to more parks and have some ideas on how we can take it forwards.....watch this space!
Sportivate Sessions Taking Place!
JL Academy was successful in applying for funding to deliver some sportivate sessions to Young People
from local youth clubs. Sportivate is designed to get young people aged 14-25 more active and golf is a
great vehicle to achieve these aims. In a link-up with Youngsters from Lepton and Almondbury Youth clubs
they attended 8 sessions of coaching with the final one taking place on local golf course. Quite a number
of the young people have continued to play golf and are attending the driving range on a regular basis!
Junior Golf Academy Competiton hailed a big success!
12 children from John Letters Golf Academy played golf in a tournament
organised by James Beattie the junior co-ordinator last Friday. For some
it was their first taste of a real golf club and “proper” golf course.
They were welcomed by Margret Blanchard, Longley Park golf clubs junior
organiser, and enjoyed a buffet lunch before playing some holes of the
course. Caleb Auty came out on top in the 5 hole completion and Estelle
Wood coming out on top in the 3 hole competition. The next competition
is on the 26th of August.
School Holiday Golf Fun
Children from across Huddersfield are enjoying the warm weather
and learning how to play golf at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield.
The free golf coaching sessions are proving to be a big hit with the
first week being fully booked. Children were also given a John Letters
Junior Academy Wristband so that they can come down to the range and
access the half price balls offer when ever they want. Sessions continue
throughout the summer holidays and also include golf camps, tiny tots
and competitions at our partner golf course Longley Park.
Press Release
18/03/11
Hanson impressed with Golf Talent
Tournament golf professional Chris Hanson was impressed with the golf talent on display at
the first ever Tri-Golf Schools Competition organised by Newsome School Sports Partnership and
John Letters Golf Academy. Hanson was on hand to give tips to the competitors and spoke to the
children about how he progressed in the game. Hanson said:
I wish I had had something like this to play in when I was a junior, it’s a fantastic
concept and I saw some girls and boys with real potential.
The competition follows an extensive schools coaching programme delivered by John Letters
Golf Academy, based at the Stadium Driving Range.
Five schools from the Newsome Schools Sports Partnership battled it out for the chance to represent
the partnership in the West Yorkshire final.
Rowley Lane Junior & Infant school came out on top in a tight competition after testing putting,
chipping and pitching skills on a specially designed course.James Beattie, Junior Development Co-ordinator for John Letters Academies said
It was fantastic to see the schools competing for the first time in a schools tri-golf competition.Congratulations to Rowley Lane and good luck to them in the West Yorkshire final!