Pop-up Golf comes to Primary Schools

Primary school children in Horsham, West Sussex, are being given the opportunity to play golf on a pop-up golf course thanks to Mike Yorke, a PGA qualified golf coach and the Founder of MY Golf Academy.

It is as part of the ‘Fairways to Horsham’ initiative he is rolling out across the district; the goal being to extend the programme throughout the southeast/nationally within the next two years. Partners include Horsham District Sports Development, Right Track Group Inc and Golf Escapes. It will culminate in a grand finale on July 4 hosted by Nick Dougherty, a Sky Academy Ambassador, three time European Tour Winner and golf pundit on Sky Sports.

Mike commented, “Every year we extend our coaching in the school community and with our investment in the GolfParc engineered pop-up golf course we are adding an exciting new dimension to our sessions. The course includes the typical hazards you’ll find on a golf course; bunkers, rough, trees, even a lake! We can transform a school playground or playing field into a 6-hole golf course in 40 minutes. I’m confident we’ll see more children playing golf as a result. And having Nick as our event ambassador and the co-host of our grand finale is fantastic for everyone involved.”

Schools can choose from a five-hour, three-hour, or one-hour event, with Mike and his team supplying the golf clubs, the pop-up golf course and the tuition. The format enables disabled and non-disabled children to play alongside one another. The top 18 teams from each age group will be invited to the Fairways to Horsham final at Horsham Golf Fitness, on the short course, which opens in June.  The team with the lowest score will be awarded a trophy and every child will be presented with a participation certificate.

Sky Academy Ambassador Nick Dougherty said: “When I was presented with the opportunity to become involved with Mike and his team I couldn’t say no. I know how beneficial it is to get children into golf at a young age. The attributes they gain from playing golf will carry them through every aspect of their life. I like to think that not only will we be making them better golfers, we will be making them better people too.”

If you want to find out more about the Fairways to Horsham competition you can contact Mike Yorke on 0333 577 2464 or mike@my-golf-academy.co.uk