Junior Golf Juniors Juniors range in age from 11 to 18, inclusive, on 1 February of any year. They tend to start off with club handicaps of 54 and gradually, or in exceptional cases, more quickly, whittle that number down, as they develop and mature, from one year to the next. They are also coached by the club professional. Child protection A small, but not insignificant number, of adult members, have, over the years, given of their time and experience to supervise and assist the juniors and cadets in developing their sporting and social skills as an adjunct to their parents and guardians. As with all under age members, safety, child protection, personal and golfing enhancement and nurtured development is a core value of the club and is enshrined in its constitution. Junior committee The management committee have appointed a junior committee to oversee and plan the golfing year for the cadets and the juniors. The committee consists of approximately 6 members including the vice-captain and the lady vice-captain. The junior committee meets in the summer months, usually, once a month or bi-monthly. In the winter, the meetings tend to be somewhat less frequent. The junior committee organise Garda vetting, on an ongoing basis, of its members and of those members of the club who have volunteered to assist. The committee and its volunteers also attend, through the various regulatory, golfing umbrella groups and the local authorities, courses on child protection and child safety. The committee are responsible for seeking out and implementing any new ideas that may come to their attention, to further the cadets’/juniors’ skills and enjoyment. Junior captains At the beginning of each year, the committee appoint a boys’ junior captain and a girls’ junior captain. This year the captains are Daniel Murphy and Emma Collins. It goes without saying that we all wish Daniel and Emma, all the best, for the year ahead. Daniel and Emma spoke very eloquently, at the reception following the captains’ drives in on 2 January this year and they both talked about how honoured they were at being chosen for such prestigious roles. Competitions Competitions are organised during the school holiday periods, including Christmas, Easter, Summer and mid-term breaks. The competitions for juniors are usually on Thursdays and are as set out in the club diary. The tee box is reserved for the juniors’ exclusive use from 8 to mid-day. The juniors range in age and ability. Although, they start out with a handicap of 54, quite frequently, that number is reduced quite quickly, once the junior familiarises himself/herself with the task at hand and starts to put into practice those all-important coaching tips and advice that come their way, as they progress. It’s refreshing how the boys and girls are so keen to reduce their handicaps, as quickly as possible, as opposed to the, sometimes, more, dare we say it, cynical way we adults have of trying to get shots back! As is many aspects of life, some reduce their handicaps at a faster rate than others. The important thing, is that the underage members are making progress, both socially and in a golfing sense, as they learn new skills for golf, but perhaps more importantly for life. Inter club competitions During the summer months, the club, along with many other local or not quite so local golf clubs, facilitate their juniors in playing in various inter club competitions. These competitions cater for the really good juniors but also provide competition for the aspiring juniors at a younger age. Competition, in the elite category, is of a really high standard. The juniors are never found wanting when it comes to competing at this level, or for that matter at any level. We have had some amazing results, over the years, and, let’s hope, this year will be no different. If any of our adult members would like to support, any of our junior teams, don’t hesitate to come along and make your presence felt. And of course bring along a friend. Numbers in junior category Presently, in addition to the cadets, we have about 180 boys and 30 girls in the junior category. Slightly imbalanced! Where are all those aspiring girl golfers in Malahide and Portmarnock? Some suggest that the competitive nature of the game doesn’t appeal to the fair sex, and that boys are naturally more competitive. Perhaps, the girls need a protagonist, to whom they could aspire. If we could retain more of the girls, as they get older, the numbers would start to build. In any case, we hope that all of our members, while they’re still playing, can get as much out of the golfing experience, as possible. Closing Let’s hope all our juniors and cadets and in fact all members have a safe, happy, healthy and productive year in 2016 and that we all put the effort in to helping the club to remain a, caring and nurturing club for all our members, irrespective of age.
Malahide Golf Club FORE! Spring Edition 2016
To see the actual publication please follow the link above