Golf: Maybole on Junior club shortlist

A FEW years after its clubhouse doors were almost closed, Maybole Golf Club in south Ayrshire has capped a remarkable recovery by making the shortlist for the RBS Junior Club of the Year Award.

After beating off the threat of the clubhouse being condemned – it cost the equivalent of £32,000 in terms of free man hours and materials – staff and members turned their attention to attracting juniors.

Working with the clubgolf junior initiative and the Active Schools network over the past six years, the club now has six Level 1 coaches and 84 children registered on its programme. It now has a junior section for the first time since 2000 and, having secured grants for £18,500, is also developing the concept of a junior academy. All of which has put Maybole in the running for the RBS award, worth £1000 to the winning club, along with Dundas Parks in West Lothian, Dollar and Kemnay.

They have been shortlisted from a list of 29 clubs that were nominated, while there are three runners for a Volunteer Award – Iain Holt (Turnhouse), Iain Ross (Inverness) and Sandra Ross (Rosehearty).

The winners will be announced at the Scottish Golf Awards in Glasgow on 23 March.