Cornwall Golf Union
Community Golf Instructors Course Held at China Fleet
Whilst it was a wet and miserable day at China Fleet Country Club on Tuesday this week, 28 hardy volunteers braved the conditions as the Cornwall Golf Union hosted the England Golf Community Golf Instructors course.
The event was arranged by our Golf Development Officer Richard Bunch as part of our commitment to raise the profile of our great game and continued development throughout the Duchy. Richard was one of the first qualified instructors in the country having completed the pilot courses in November 2023. Due to the strong partnership we have with England Golf we were able to arrange one of the first open courses to be held right here in Cornwall led by Matt Bloor, England Golf Volunteer & Workforce Manager, Alex MacGregor, PGA Professional ( and back in Cornwall briefly) and Pete Foster, Coach & Educational Tutor from Imagine Coaching.
In total 28 delegates attended the day long practical course with attendees travelling from Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Devon to join the 13 newly qualified Community Golf Instructors we now have in Cornwall. This was the final stage following two online webinar courses in the preceding fortnight.
Richard Bunch says “As I have previously reported, the opportunity to have qualified Community Instructors working in our communities throughout Cornwall is an absolute game changer for the development of our game. As an example we arranged for three teachers who work and live in St Ives, Camborne, and St Austell who all love their golf to complete the course. This alone will expose hundreds of children and young people to the game. The partnerships we have formed with England Golf and The Golf Foundation are key to our delivery in the county with the ongoing support they offer to our qualified instructors.”
Cornwall now has a total of 16 Community Golf Instructors. Many will be able to support the workforce within their home clubs. Our investment in the Golf Access programme which has seen a very positive take-up from our affiliated clubs will require commitment and focus to make it a success. It is hoped the qualifications attained by our own CGI’s will support this activity in getting individuals onto and playing on the golf course. We will have 6 instructors working directly in schools and other community programmes and it is hoped other CGI’s will support the work already being done in the education system.
Our thanks go to China Fleet who provided the perfect venue for the training day. Excellent conference facilities, and the sports hall was a saviour through the morning period.
Following the collaboration of England Golf and partners across Great Britain and Ireland to pioneer a Community Golf Instructor programme, members of the public can now register their interest for training courses to become instructors.
The new Community Golf Instructor training programme is set up to create a dedicated new workforce to help grow the game in communities across the British Isles, with the focus of getting golf into schools, communities and beginner activity into golf clubs and activities. Working in partnership with The Golf Foundation, the endorsement of The PGA, and the full backing and financial support of The R&A, the Home Nations piloted training at the following venues – Beeston Fields, Nottinghamshire, Celtic Manor (Wales), Carlton House (Ireland) and Emirates Arena (Scotland).
Once trained, instructors will be able to lead beginner and introductory activity independently, working in a paid or voluntary capacity, without it affecting their ‘amateur status’ as a golfer. Members of the public can now register their interest for training courses, which will be available to book from 2024, by clicking here.
England Golf Volunteer & Workforce Manager, Matt Bloor, said: “The piloting took place in different environments, including indoors at the Emirates Arena. It has allowed us to test and evaluate content, enabling us to make improvements which will help create confident and capable instructors. By inviting a range of stakeholders, we have developed relationships with organisations outside of golf, who will help to diversify the golfing workforce. This new programme is designed to complement the great work of PGA members, by increasing access to beginner and introductory golf activity and encouraging new players to go for a lesson, all with the aim of helping more people recognise the benefits of playing golf and becoming a golfer.
England Golf Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy Tomlinson, said: “We want to inspire and educate people, especially children, to recognise the benefits that golf provides. The Community Golf Instructor programme is a crucial new initiative that we believe, through the delivery of fun and engaging activity, will enable us to grow the game and bring people from all walks of life into golf. “Instructors don’t need to be fantastic golfers, the programme is aimed at people with a passion for the sport and who want to inspire people to get into the game. After all, golf is a game for everyone, and by driving a more diverse and inclusive workforce, we hope to make the game more appealable to new audiences of all ages and backgrounds.”
Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said: “We look forward to people registering their interest to become Community Golf Instructors for the training programme. This initiative will develop a larger workforce in Great Britain and Ireland that is able to work in local communities and encourage more people of all backgrounds to get into our sport, building on the excellent work PGA members perform. “Golf has enjoyed a surge in participation in recent years and we must keep working hard to continue the momentum so people of all ages and backgrounds from across different areas of society can come into the sport in an accessible way.”
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