CalMac tees up Gourock junior golfers for success

Ferry operator CalMac's new Community Fund is helping Gourock Golf Club shape the playing prospects of younger members.

The club has been given an award to deliver a new Youth Golf Development Project that will increase coaching opportunities and also introduce an innovative online resource to help junior players improve their game. 

Coaching sessions from the club's professional will be focused on developing on course skills and the app opens up opportunities to learn from coaching videos, on-line skills games and allows them to interact online with the club more easily

Club General Manager Allan Warwick said:

'Over recent years Gourock Golf Club has been working hard to revitalise Junior golf and we now have over 90 boys and girls in our membership. An important part of this work is encouraging the juniors to develop through our golf pathway gradually enhancing their skills and abilities - developing from our state of the art indoor studio , through our shortened courses and then on to the full golf course. Coaching from our PGA Professional Derek Watters and using the latest technology to fully engage the youths are important tools in this work. The club are very grateful to the invaluable support and encouragement provided by CalMac.' 

Picture shows: Young golfers from Gourock pick up their Community Fund cheque from CalMac's Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Blair Moglia

So far the Fund has supported 39 projects across west coast communities. 

'The response since we made the first round of awards earlier in the year has been fantastic.  We are already seeing our awards put to good use in the Western Isles and I'm delighted that we will be able to help young golfers in Gourock access more opportunities to improve their game. Golf can be a sport for life and this will be a great start in helping them get the most out of it,' said CalMac's Director of Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Brian Fulton. 

Each application was judged by a screening panel of young people recruited from across the company's network, in partnership with Young Scot. 

Last year CalMac's 33-strong fleet carried more than 5.3 million passengers and 1.4 million vehicles to 50 ports and slipways on island and remote mainland locations.

The Royal Gourock Yacht Club was also given an award to support its Simulated Sail Training Project.