New campaign launched to introduce children to golf

A new campaign has been launched to introduce golf to primary schools across the UK, and celebrate and support those who are already bringing the game to children.

The charity the Golf Foundation has timed the launch to coincide with Youth Sport Trust’s National School Sport Week, which aims to help every child find a place to belong in school sport.

The ‘Golf Is Ours’ campaign is a nationwide call to action for all schools to bring golf into their teaching, in whatever capacity. Taking part can mean a golf-themed assembly, a one-off taster session or taking part in the five week ‘Primary Schools programme’. There is no minimum commitment; it’s just about introducing golf to pupils.

Golf Is Ours is all about children ‘owning the game of golf’. One of the biggest barriers that the game sees among youngsters is the preconceived ideas of the sport as an inaccessible game played at clubs and courses that kids can’t access. The Golf Foundation is encouraging schools to take the initiative, helping their pupils play the game on their own terms – with adapted equipment and fun activities – and showing pupils that golf is accessible to everyone from all backgrounds, and is a great way to learn transferable life skills in a fun way.

The campaign runs until March 2023, and everyone who signs up to ‘Golf Is Ours’ will receive access to free resources and discounted equipment offers, while there are various incentives throughout the campaign in order to reward participating schools for getting involved.

Nick Dougherty with Golf Foundation school pupils at the Open 2021

To kick things off, former professional golfer and current Sky Sports presenter Nick Dougherty will visit one of the participating schools later this year. Dougherty is a huge advocate of golf in schools, and has offered his full support to the campaign as it gets underway.

“We’re delighted to be launching this new campaign,” added Brendon Pyle, CEO of the Golf Foundation, “and even happier to do so with the support of Youth Sport Trust. The work we have done together through the ‘School Games’ has been a key part of our success over the years, and their message this week about there being ‘a place in sport for every child’ aligns with everything we are trying to do to introduce golf to new audiences. As we celebrate our 70^th year as a charity created to take golf into schools, we are looking to the future and want to ensure that every child has an opportunity to learn golf, to use the life skills it teaches them, and to have the opportunity to become a golfer for life.”

Alison Oliver MBE, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “School sport should be an important part of every child’s education and development. But for too many children this isn’t happening. They are left feeling alienated by sport, that it isn’t for them, and they don’t have a place to belong within it.

“With the help of the Golf Foundation and its new Golf is Ours campaign we hope this week can be a moment in time to help all children to find a place to belong and connect through the power of play and sport. Sport has so much to offer, developing life skills like communication, empathy, teamwork and resilience. We must transform attitudes and perceptions across society to prioritise sport and play in every childhood.”