GOLF ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUTH

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27637, 19 April 1955, Page 14

GOLF ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUTH

FOUNDATION TO BE FORMED

COACHING TO BEGIN NEXT MONTH

The first steps in the formation of a golf foundation in Canterbury were taken at a meeting of the management committee of the Canterbury Provincial Golf Association, last evening, when Mr A. R. Blank was appointed to run the scheme in the association’s district. During the school holidays next month, secondary school pupils are to be invited to attend the inaugural coaching meetings in Hagley Park.

The meeting received a letter from the New Zealand Golf Association, in which the proposals for the formation of a national foundation, put forward last month by Mr B. M. Silk, were outlined. The New Zealand association’s management committee said it wished to have the views of district associations on whether the foundation shotrta be administered by the New Zealand association or by an entirely independent body. The management committee felt an independent body would be preferable, and suggested the foundation could best be served by a group of enthusiastic golfers acting as the foundation’s representatives in their own districts. A body could be formed and registered of 15 to 20 such golfers throughout New Zealand, with a management committee of three to five to determine policy , and manage the foundation’s affairs.

Mr Blank said he thought the scheme an excellent one, but for a start he thought it a matter for each association to deal with individually. There were very few young players on the links, and unless something was done New Zealand golf was in for a lean time. He thought a start could be made by amateur coaching of secondary school pupils. He did not think any school principal would stand in the way of pupils wishing to learn to play golf, and most courses had few players on week-days. There were the school holiday periods, which would be excellent for coaching the pupils.

Meetings During Holidays To determine what sort of . response would be forthcoming, Mr Blank said he proposed to call interested pupils to meetings at Hagley Park during the coming holidays. Boys would attend at the Hagley club’s clubhouse on Monday, May 9, 'when M. W. Stanley would be present for demonstrations, and the girls on May 10, when Miss Z. Hudson would attend. “Once it has started we could give them two days a week during the holiday period.” said Mr Blank. “The thing would gradually sort itself out. A little later we could pick put those particularly keen and promising and form a class for professional coaching at a cost of about Is a lesson for each pupil.” Mr Blank said the etiquette of the game and everything connected with it would be thoroughly instilled in the pupils, who would later be entitled to go at suitable times to certain courses and play free of green fee charges.

Mr Blank said that through the courtesy of a sports firm sponsoring the visit to New Zealand of the former British open champion, Bobby Locke, 25 complimentary tickets would be available for pupils in each secondary school provided they were accompanied by a member of the teaching staff.

The committee, after hearing Mr Blank, agreed to write to the New Zealand association supporting the principle of a foundation, and recommending that in its initial stages it be run bv the New Zealand association and not by an independent body. It also agreed to endorse the preliminary programme suggested by Mr Blank and to write to the principals of Canterbury secondary schools asking them to encourage their pupils to attend the inaugural coaching meeting.