Zoe takes up development role

The woman who has taken over one of the top jobs in South Wales golf wants to see more people inspired to take up the game by the arrival of the Ryder Cup next year.

Zoe Thacker has taken over as the South Wales development officer for Golf Development Wales, having done a similar job for Cardiff Council for the last two years.

That meant she was one of the key forces behind the development of a starter golf facility in the capital’s Heath Park, but now she is looking to take the game forward on a wider scale.

“I am looking forward to getting started and promoting and implementing the scheme which are being provided at the moment,” explained 23-year-old Thacker, a keen hockey player with Rhondda Ladies.

“I can use my knowledge and past experience of developing golf to get help co-ordinate the schemes in clubs and the South Wales community.

“There are a number of schemes for children ranging from Dragon Sport Tri – Golf for primary school aged children through to Golf Xtreme for Secondary School students. These aim to make golf fun and exciting and to encourage them to take up the sport.

“Then there is starter centre funding for golf clubs to ensure that the opportunity is there for youngsters to experience golf in their local clubs at little cost - not to forget schemes for women, girls and families to take up the sport.

“I was working more centrally for a local authority so this job will be working on a much wider scale.

“I was involved with the Ryder Cup Legacy fund facility at Heath Park for two years from its infancy and it is great to see that it is almost complete, it will be a wonderful area to give more people an opportunity to try golf – especially beginners.

“They can experience it in a setting where they can be relaxed and then be linked through Heath Park to the other golf clubs in Cardiff.”

With the Ryder Cup coming to the Celtic Manor next year, there is a massive amount of work going on at all levels of the game through the Golf Union of Wales and Golf Development Wales.

Thacker is also perfectly in tune with the thinking of people who have just taken up the game, because she is also learning to play.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in golf in Wales, with so much coming up and so many new schemes to get involved with,” said Thacker, who is completing a Masters in sports development at UWIC in Cardiff.

“I am fairly new to golf, picking it up over the last couple of years and having lessons with one of the pros at Radyr golf club, so I feel I can relate to the needs and wants of golfers wanting to get into the sport. Fingers crossed I will be a single figure golfer soon!”
 

To view interview with Zoe please click here