Youngest PGA Volunteer Coach Unveiled at Winterfield GC

Annabel Hosie

Sixteen-year-old  junior club champion, Annabel Hosie of Winterfield Golf Club, is the latest addition to the ranks of PGA-qualified Level 1 volunteer coaches. She successfully passed the tests set by the PGA at a recent weekend course held at Loretto School’s golf academy facility in East Lothian and is set to assist Winterfield’s professionals, Philip Sadler and Gordon Hillson in growing junior participation at the club.

Winterfield’s junior coaching programme was re-started last summer and 3-handicap Annabel is determined to help grow the number of girls playing at the club.

‘I am the first-ever girl junior champion at the club and having myself benefitted from starting off in Scottish Golf’s Clubgolf initiative around four years ago and I’m really wanting to help others to do the same.’

At a time when the numbers of girls starting in junior golf is gradually increasing but where moving these beginners from Clubgolf into regular competitive play isn’t quite accelerating as fast as many in the game would like, the PGA Volunteer coaching initiative in East Lothian is particularly welcome.
Golf Development Officer for East Lothian Council, Kate Green says ‘participation by girls still lags behind the boys at the beginner level and I was keen to identify a group of successful juniors such as Annabel to move into volunteer coaching. In fact, I had three other juniors on the same course as Annabel and they all passed the PGA Level 1 course and are already helping at their clubs.’

Annabel added ‘At Winterfield we already have a few girls with CONGU handicaps and encouraging and improving their skills is something very dear to me. I didn’t get my first club handicap until just three years ago but thereafter it was proper PGA coaching that helped me immensely. I really want to see more girls progressing their golf so with the girl champion title there’s certainly a role-model scenario to take advantage of.’ She added ‘it’s fuelling a desire in the younger girl juniors at Winterfield to follow suit and they’re already lining up to beat me!’