WA Golf Foundation funding helped take the sport to two remote communities in the north of the state.
Located in the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley, more than 500km north-west of Kununurra, Kalumburu is the northernmost settlement in WA as well as being one of the most remote Aboriginal communities in Australia.
Kalumburu Remote Community School teacher Reuben Darch – also a Community Golf Instructor and former member of the GolfWA High Performance Program – delivered a six-week after-school program to introduce students to the game of golf.
Each week, between 10-12 students (such as the two pictured above) participated in the program, which taught the basic skills of golf in approximately 40-degree temperatures.
This didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the children, though, who enjoyed the experience so much that they developed a game of their own known as ‘footy golf’, as well as taking part in long-drive competitions on the community oval.
“The kids loved the program and requested it every day after school,” Reuben told GolfWA. “It was great to see them engage so fully with a new sport and the school now hopes to harness this interest to run golf camps for its students in either Kununurra or Broome.”
Andy Thomas (back left) with kids from the Clontarf Foundation
A similar initiative also took PGA professional Andy Thomas up to Newman in the Pilbara region, where he conducted coaching for adults and children at Fortescue Golf Club.
Andy was able to deliver one-on-one sessions for adults and group sessions with children from the Clontarf Foundation, which exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem, and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
“Andy was a great instructor for these sessions as he got the kids laughing and having fun with a game never played before,” said Fortescue GC president Steve Phillipe.
The coaching at both locations was made possible by WA Golf Foundation funding. Regional golf clubs looking to unlock funding to increase participation levels can receive advice and support from GolfWA’s Regional Club Support Officers. Contact details can be found here.
You can read more about WA Golf Foundation-funded projects here.
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