Isle of Man Golf Union (IOMGU) is the governing body for golf on the Island and one of its key aims is to promote the game to youngsters from all backgrounds. Five years ago, IOMGU created the Chip and Putt programme for the Island’s year 6 primary school children and so far have delivered fun sessions to more than 1,000 students in 20 of the Island’s primary schools. In addition, the IOMGU also introduced the first Chip and Putt festival (now Primary Schools Golf Festival) in 2023 for all schools that have taken part in the programme.
Isle of Man Sport have supported this initiative through the Support for Sport programme since its inception in 2020, alongside other sponsors such as the Tevir Group and IOMGU is now actively looking for new sponsors to become involved from within the community. If you are interested in finding out how you can support, please contact IOM Golf (details overleaf)! We caught up with Andrew Horne (IOMGU General Secretary) to find out a little bit more about the programme and how people can get involved!
Tell us a little bit more about the IOMGU's Chip and Putt initiative. How did it start and what does it involve?
The Chip and Putt programme which began in 2020 is a great way to introduce children around the Island to the sport and improve their skills. The scheme allows Year 5 and 6 pupils the opportunity to be introduced to the game of golf with a 4 to 6 week programme which teaches them the basic skills of chipping and putting through fun sessions ran by our experienced PGA professional, Andrew Patterson. The programme has evolved and thanks to Isle of Man Sport, the Golf Foundation and several sponsors through the years, this initiative has been provided free of charge to schools, along with many schools receiving a donation of specialist equipment at the end of the programme, so that golf can be continued on a year-round basis within the school environment to many students.
The long-term aim is to get Chip and Putt into all Primary Schools in order that all school children get the opportunity to discover golf and hopefully progress into a game that all can play from age 6 well into retirement!
What is the Primary Schools Golf Festival and how has this developed?
The Primary Schools Golf Festival (originally Chip and Putt Festival) is a further progression of the Chip and Putt programme and was initially introduced in April 2023 to bring together all the schools that have benefitted from the initiative since its launch. The inaugural event was attended by a UK Golf Foundation representative and took place with just over 40 children taking part and this has grown in 2024 to nearer 50 primary school children being involved. The event gives local primary schools the opportunity to take part in a fun afternoon of golf and consists of many of the games that are introduced as part of the delivery of the Chip and Putt programme in schools.
In 2024, the festival brought together 6 local schools who each entered teams of between six and eight pupils for two hours of indoor golf games and competition. It featured a variety of putting and chipping games using specific junior golf equipment and is the culmination of the Chip and Putt Programme, with this year’s event scheduled for 10th July.
Isle of Man Golf aims to continue introducing and bringing young golfers into the sport and looks forward to expanding the delivery of the Chip and Putt programme and the Primary Schools Golf Festival. For more information on junior golf, contact Andy Patterson on 466996 or Andrew Horne on 201560, or ring your local course for more information about junior training in your local area. You can also contact the IOM Golf Union for more information and details can be found on their website below.
How can someone get involved in golf on the Island?
There are lots of opportunities to get into golf and individuals can contact their local club for further information on memberships and initiatives. Currently, there are a variety of Female Get into Golf initiatives being run at Mount Murray, Port St Mary, King Edward Bay and Peel Golf Clubs. If you’re not interested in playing but want to get involved as a volunteer, coach, committee member or official, contact your local club or the Isle of Man Golf Union directly (details below)!
Information on all clubs on the Island can be found here: www.visitisleofman.com/see-and-do/active-and-adventure/golf.
Isle of Man Sport, through the Isle of Man Golf Union and the Support for Sport Programme, have been able to provide some financial support towards the Chip and Putt programme, providing funding towards both the costs of delivering the programme and investment into the equipment provided to schools. Over the last 5 years, Isle of Man Sport have provided over £8,500 towards starting up and expanding the Chip and Putt programme to provide opportunities for over 1,000 young children from 20 local primary schools to try golf.
Want to find out more information or get in touch with Isle of Man Golf? Contact us: