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Deaf kids’ driving ambition

0 Comments | Evening Times; Glasgow (UK), Jul 27, 2010 | by RACHEL LOXTON

CHILDREN with hearing difficulties are being encouraged to learn golf as part of a ground-breaking pilot project.

Glasgow Life and the Glasgow Deaf Golf Club have teamed up to provide golf tuition to deaf children from the city.

The club hopes that once the young golfers have developed an interest in the sport and feel more confident they will be more inclined to become involved in mainstream clubs and competitions.

The drive was launched at Ruchill Golf Course, designed by Colin Montgomerie, and included a taster session.

Gary Taggert, golf coach and development officer with Glasgow Life, said there had been a “good response” to the project.

He said: “The initial plan is for it to be a long-term project that will involve coaching the kids for a number of weeks and then getting them to a golf festival before coaching them again.

“We hope to get adult golfers who are deaf or have hearing difficulties involved so we can develop programmes for them, too.”

Councillor Archie Graham, city council Executive Member for the Commonwealth Games, said: “The launch witnesses the first steps taken to provide children with hearing difficulties with specialised golf tuition.

“Golf is first and foremost about having fun and this programme will allow young children with hearing difficulties to learn the game in a relaxed environment.

“Through our sports development programme we want to ensure that we encourage as many people as possible to take part in sport.

“It is essential that people from all backgrounds are included in this and that is exactly the case with this new coaching initiative.”

The 2010 World Deaf Golf Championship will take place at the Fairmont Torrance Course in St Andrews next month.

The Scottish Deaf Golf Association is aiming to establish a legacy of the championships for the future benefit of the deaf golf community within Scotland.

A vital part of this is to ensure deaf children have equal opportunities in the national golf club programme, which intends to introduce more Scottish children to golf as a legacy of the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

If the project is successful it could be extended throughout Scotland.

A further golf session for children with hearing difficulties will be held at the Glasgow Club Gorbals next Monday.

rachel.loxton@ heraldandtimes.co.uk