The latest stop on the GolfWA Crunch&Sip Regional Roadshow helped introduce hundreds of youngsters from Geraldton to the game of golf.
GolfWA’s Junior Development Officer, Jordan McSkimming (pictured above), visited six primary schools in the city to deliver MyGolf instruction to more than 600 students, with a further 40 children attending free ‘Come & Try’ clinics at Geraldton and Spalding Park Golf Clubs.
As well as the golf, the roadshows also reinforce Crunch&Sip’s key messages of the importance of healthy eating and regular intake of water over sugar-sweetened beverages for improved physical and mental well-being.
“This is the third year that the Regional Roadshows have visited Geraldton and we have achieved some fantastic outcomes thanks to the community and staff support in the city,” said Marc Pike, GolfWA’s Game Development & Performance Manager.
“We’re seeing participation rates in the MyGolf clinics increasing, as well as strengthening relationships with golf clubs and schools and establishing pathways into the game for youngsters who might never otherwise experience golf.”
A young golfer in action at Geraldton Golf Club during roadshow week
Although the roadshow itself stops in Geraldton for one week only, there are numerous other initiatives planned for the coming weeks and months to continue to provide golfing opportunities across the community.
GolfWA has joined forces with Geraldton State High School’s Stars Foundation to offer golf programs to girl Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as continuing to support Indigenous golf programs in conjunction with the Geraldton PCYC.
With the help of a Regional Servicing Grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC), GolfWA will also deliver free six-week clinics for juniors and for women and girls who are new to golf, as well as monthly All Abilities golf sessions at Geraldton GC in conjunction with charity ATLAS.
GolfWA will also be running a Community Instructor Program in Term 4 to offer upskilling for school teachers to drive Sporting Schools golf programs and provide funding for equipment in schools.
“We’re grateful that the Regional Servicing Grant allows us to supply so many opportunities to bring golf to new audiences,” Pike added. “We’re very excited to see how this helps grow the game of golf in and around Geraldton.”
Thanks to Healthway and the DLGSC for funding these initiatives, and to Geraldton and Spalding Park Golf Clubs and their pros Daniel Bennett and Byron Clarkson for hosting the ‘Come & Try’ clinics.
