£60,000 cash boost for St Idloes golf
With the world of golf still absorbing the exciting news that the game IS to become an Olympic sport, a little piece of mid-Wales is making its own contribution to the development of the potential Olympic stars of tomorrow. A combined Club Junior Captain’s Day, Open Day and Junior County coaching school week made it an occasion to remember at St Idloes Golf Club, in mid-Wales today (Wednesday, 19th August) as the members marked the official opening of the £60,000 worth of improvements to the club’s facilities, funded by the Ryder Cup Wales Legacy Fund.
The Fund is a £2m support scheme offered by the Welsh Assembly Government and administered by Sports Council for Wales, intended to help local authorities and Welsh golf clubs enhance their facilities in a way that encourages participation in the game.
St Idloes has an active and successful junior section and has worked hard to increase junior and female membership - the expectation now is that both established youngsters and newcomers to the sport will find something new to interest them at the club. The club has used the funding to build a new practice chipping and putting area, an outdoor driving area, an undercover driving range and a six-hole mini golf course.
Chairman of Ryder Cup Wales, John Jermine, who attended the official opening today, said:
“Offering a wide variety of facilities that can be used by experienced players and also encourage newcomers to the game is crucial to the on-going health of golf in Wales and to strengthen the future of many clubs. Ryder Cup Wales has been determined to ensure that the £2m investment makes a real difference in improving public access to the game of golf and it’s wonderful to see these marvellous new facilities at St Idloes.”
Golf clubs all around Wales are beginning to see the benefit of the nation’s preparations to host The 2010 Ryder Cup and the Legacy Fund is helping to ensure there is a permanent golfing legacy for future generations.
Club officials say that making juniors and new players feel welcome is vital and anybody wanting to try the game will be able to borrow clubs. A selection of loan clubs to suit men, women, juniors and beginners will be available, at no charge, for the new pitch and putt course and the driving range, with a relaxed dress code throughout the new facilities.
Club President at St Idloes, Dewi Davies, said:
“St Idloes is a long-established club that has always been successful in offering high quality, but affordable, golf facilities in and around the Llanidloes area. Although we’re now able to attract increasing numbers of enthusiastic juniors, our ability to develop them has been hampered in the past by the need to close off part of the course when we need to put on lessons or coaching sessions for them. These new facilities give us much more flexibility and we look forward to continuing to nurture our junior membership as a result.”
Commenting on the enhancement to publicly accessible golf facilities in this part of Powys, Powys County Councillor Gwilym Evans said:
“We wish to congratulate and thank St.Idloes Golf Club for providing these new golf practice facilities which I am sure will prove to be a great asset to those living in the area and further afield and also especially to the young people who will benefit from this outstanding facility. Naturally Powys County Council is very pleased to have been involved in what will be a great benefit to those wishing to develop and improve their skills in the sport.”