Lymm’s Dave Clarke Honoured for Outstanding Junior Golf Work
AT THE Cheshire Annual Dinner at Carden Park, various awards were given out to people who have put in great efforts at their club and County.
Cheshire Golf is justifiably proud of their junior development, which has brought great success to the county in recent years. It relies on member clubs helping to get youngsters into golf and supporting their progress in the game.
The winner of the Junior Organiser of the Year was David Clarke of Lymm Golf Club.
A Passion for Junior Golf Development
The following details how David got involved in junior golf and has seen it make huge strides at his club, offering plenty of great advice for anyone developing junior golf.
David said:
“I’ve been playing golf since being a junior at the local municipal in Urmston.
“Then it was on to University, where I was captain of the University team and secured funding to run a ‘get into golf’ programme for new players.
“I joined Lymm in 2009 when I moved to the area.
“It was there that I got involved in junior golf as I’ve got two young boys, George (12) and Tom (10).
“They’ve been playing golf from an early age, so I was keen to help develop the junior opportunities at Lymm.
“In October 2021, a group of us from the golf club got together to see what we could do for the juniors. It seemed that whilst we were good at offering lessons, we weren’t seeing those players develop and get out onto the course.
“I took on the role of junior organiser and recruited a young golf coach, Harry Shaw, to run our junior lessons.
“I hooked up with the Golf Foundation and, using their blueprint and talking with other junior organisers and professionals, we developed a plan that would see us evolve with a clear pathway for junior golfers….our phrase was ‘getting faces on the fairways‘.
Tremendous Growth in Lymm’s Junior Section
“Since then, we’ve had an amazing three years and have exceeded our expectations. It’s been a lot of work and has taken a lot of time, but seeing the juniors out playing and their infectious enthusiasm is brilliant. We’re all very proud of our junior section.
“When we first ran our junior competitions, we had four players turn up. Now we average over 30 for a competition.
“Three years ago, we had 45 juniors, of which eight had a World Handicap Index (WHI). Now, we have 95 juniors – 54 of which have a WHI.
“I registered us for the Golf Foundation’s ‘Golf Sixes’ in the first year – we hadn’t done that before but went on to win it, not just in 2022 but also in 2023 and 2024, and this was brilliant for developing our very young players.
“Together with Styal, Mottram, and Ringway, we developed the Junior 9s, providing the next step to the golfing pathway once players were too good for Golf Sixes.
“In 2024, we entered two teams, and our ‘Senior Juniors,’ the Foxes, won it, with the Cubs finishing third.
Winning Titles and National Representation
“We had stopped playing in the Mid Cheshire Junior League (MCJL), but we scrambled together a team in the first year, and now we have players queuing up and fighting for a place in the team.
“In 2024, we won the Cheshire Junior Team Championship and went on to represent Cheshire at the national finals at Woodhall Spa.
“Our philosophy is all about getting those ‘faces on the fairways‘ and developing players so that they can enjoy golf.
“Along the way, we’ll get some exceptional players, but it really is about having an environment where juniors can enjoy playing golf with their friends.
Coaching, Facilities, and Future Plans
“Our Junior PGA Coach, Harry Shaw, is a key part of our recruitment and development, running his group and individual lessons.
“I sit down with Harry and discuss how the youngsters are getting on. When they’re ready, we now take them out to play some ‘Sixes Scramble’ on the course – just from the 100 or 150-yard markers, but it’s a great way to start the children off on the right path.
“Lessons continue throughout the year, often in quite horrible weather… so back in 2023, we started a fundraising campaign to get some covered practice facilities so that we could keep the children dry during their lessons.
“After various activities, including a crowdfunding project and ‘buy a brick’, we raised £34K and got our covered practice bays built just in time for winter 2024.
“These are going to be great for the juniors and also the club as a whole, meaning we can keep the children dry and not have to cancel lessons… Harry gets to stay dry too!
Expanding Junior Golf in 2025
“Over the last couple of years, we have delivered golf into a local school and have run golf sessions for the Cubs (golf/rounders was a huge hit!).
“In 2025, we want to get more girls into golf, so we’ll be running some specific programmes for the girls and are in the planning stages now.
“This will be complemented by a more general programme for younger players, and we’ll look to hook up with the Girls Golf Rock and Get into Golf Rookies programmes from England Golf.
“Earlier this year, I qualified as a Community Golf Instructor, so I can provide a pair of helping hands to Harry when he needs them.
“We also run group lessons for the older players, so those at high school can learn in their peer group.
A Team Effort for Junior Success
“Running a junior section is not a task for one person, and it needs a team to make it work.
“Dave Griffiths and Andy Cunningham have been fundamental to the success of the juniors, and Lou Simmonds has been great running our social media.
“It also needs the willingness and backing of the club to allow us to get on with things.
“Of course, being golfers ourselves means that we recognise what we can and can’t get away with – after all, we are part of the club and want our juniors to become an integral part of the golf club.
“I’ve been contacted by various other Junior Organisers for ideas and help, and I am more than happy to share what we have done and the lessons we have learnt.
“Getting more juniors into golf can only be a good thing, and having thriving junior sections will be good for the future of the game.”
