Over seventy established golfers, coaches, guides and beginners to the sport took the opportunity to hone their skills last weekend at the Wellsgreen Golf Academy near Kirkcaldy.

All the participants had a disability or serious health problem and took part in a day-long session with PGA Professionals partly funded by the Big Lottery Fund's 2014 Communities programme.

The day was organised by the Scottish Disability Golf Partnership and recently the SDGP has organised over a dozen of these training events and invited people, especially those who have never played before, to come along and "Give it a Go".

Jim Gales the SDGP Chairman, said, "Almost fifty people took up the chance of a golf lesson with the Pro's and another twenty plus went out onto the course to play and be coached. In addition to that number a group of around a dozen brand new people to the sport came to find out more by watching players and coaches develop their golfing skills. We held an Open Forum Meeting where anyone could come in and find out more or comment on the SDGP's events and development."

Donald McKay, Head PGA Professional at Wellsgreen said, "This type of training day was a great opportunity for the Partnership to demonstrate to golfers and the general public that having a disability should not be a barrier to continuing to play or to try to take up the sport. People travelled from as far as Dumfried and Aberdeen to play, which was great!".

The 2014 Communities is a new micro grants programme, offering local sports clubs, voluntary and community organisations, and community councils and schools grants of up to £1,000 to support and stimulate grass roots involvement in sport and physical activity. The programme aims to encourage more people to take part or volunteer in sport or physical activity as well as encourage greater community cohesion in the run up to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The PGA Professionals team on 19 September was lead by the Head Professional Donald McKay who has provided tuition for golfers with disabilities for some seventeen years. He will be assisted by several other PGA Professionals including, Henry Wong, Stewart Whiteford, Scott Spence, Paul Wytrazek and Scott Gillespie.

The SDGP Committee and organisers would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the Big Lottery Fund's 2014 Communities programme and the staff at Wellsgreen for their kind assistance in the organisation of this event.

The Scottish Disability Golf Partnership is the only group in Scotland which actively encourages and involves anyone of any age, with a disability, serious health problem or mobility issue and their coaches, who wish to play golf and includes amputees, the blind, deaf, those with learning difficulties, downs syndrome, stroke and heart attack victims, wheelchair users and anyone with other similar issues, who wish to learn or play the sport.

The SDGP has evolved rapidly in recent years and provides golf training and competition for many hundreds of people and is this year targeting youngsters and junior members in an attempt to introduce them to the game.

We have encountered many new health conditions and mobility problems and want to encourage anyone to come and have a go as such problems should not stop anyone playing golf.

Further information about the event and the SDGP can be found at www.sdgp.co.uk or by email at sdgp@btinternet.com

SDGP Media Release courtesy of Jim Gales