With golf club memberships generally stagnating, the Te Puke Golf Club is keen to attract young players to the game.
The club is offering free memberships to schoolchildren and has begun free coaching clinics every Tuesday from 4pm-5pm with head professional Nick Davey and new trainee professional Reuben Macnamara. The sessions have been attracting 10-25 players each week but the club wants to increase the numbers to start a Sunday juniors day.
"We would love to get that number up to 30-plus and get into a position whereby we can split the players up into groups of different abilities, so kids can learn easier," Macnamara said.
He recently arrived from Christchurch club Waitikiri.
"I want to run a golf academy for junior players," he said. "I have been lucky enough to do a lot of coaching with juniors in the year I have been training and love creating great experiences for the kids so they enjoy the game."