A Round For A Pound

Excitement is building with just one day to go until The Open tees of at St Andrews.

Budding golfers are being given a helping hand to realise their true potential.

Quid-a-Kid, which allows youngsters to get involved in sport at a cost of just £1, is being introduced at all Fife Sports and Leisure Trust golf courses.

Councillor Mark Hood, Executive Committee member explained: “Quid-a-Kid has been available in Fife Sports & Leisure Trust’s leisure centres for a number of years now. It offers young people the chance to swim and play a racquet sport for just £1 at the weekends and during school holidays.

“It’s great to see Fife Golf Trust now trying out a similar incentive to introduce more young people to golf. I hope this offer will help Fife’s families to get into golf as well as appeal to the many day and holiday visitors to the area.

“Improving opportunities for young people to access sport and physical activity is so important and is a top priority for the Council. I’m keen to see what the uptake will be during the holidays and hope that this can be a successful extension of the Quid-a-Kid offering here in Fife.

“We’ve already seen some encouraging numbers from Fife Golf Trust with over 120 customers taking up the offer of a free junior season ticket with the adult rover ticket. There’s been an increase in the number of junior season tickets sold so far this season too - almost 200, which is up 100% on last year. We’d like to see this trend continue with event more of Fife’s young people being introduced to and taking up golf.”

Alistair MacGregor, Chief Executive of Fife Golf Trust added: “Throughout the school summer holidays this year, youngsters will be able to play for just £1 so long as they are playing with an adult season ticket holder or an adult paying visitor. The offer will be available 7 days a week, at all seven Trust courses.”

Cllr Mark Hood visited Kinghorn Golf Club Juniors, where Kinghorn Golf Club has been working with Club Golf to offer training for young people, to celebrate the good news.

One of the coaches, Catriona Menzies, explained: “Kinghorn Junior training started in the local primary school in January and then moved to the course at Easter. We could not have succeeded without the support from the Trust. Their funding support to get this off the ground has been outstanding.

“We now have a very keen group of members who turn up every Monday night which is Junior Night. Our junior summer golf week is also fully booked which is very encouraging. We welcome both junior and adult beginners at the Club and are very pleased at the news that young people will also be able to play for £1 over the summer holidays!”

The Quid-a-Kid offer will be available at the Trust’s golf courses for the whole of July and August and is available to all young people aged 17 and under.