GolfMark

The GolfMark award is an accreditation scheme for golf clubs in the area of junior golf.
The scheme assesses golf clubs in the following three key areas:

• Coaching & Playing
• Club Environment
• Duty of Care & Child Protection

Clubs accredited with the GolfMark Award provide:

• A structured environment in which you can develop as a player and a person
• A fun, enjoyable, welcoming environment
• Access to appropriate levels of coaching and competition
• The opportunity to progress to your chosen playing level
• A sense of belonging to and involvement with a proactive club
• To be part of a game that will teach you respect, social and life skills, discipline, honesty, integrity, motivation and much more

GolfMark is currently being up graded in two ways.
Firstly, an online self-assessment scheme will be available from late February 2006, enabling clubs to identify for themselves areas where action is required, before having their formal assessment with the EGU/ELGA Regional Development Officer. Secondly, GolfMark is being upgraded, from February 2006, to include the Sport England ClubMark accreditation which covers the whole club, not just the junior section. Such accreditation is recommended if a sports club wishes to apply for any sort of grant from Local Authorities or other public funding body.
For those clubs who have already obtained GolfMark - or are in the process of doing so - this accreditation will be valid for a period of three years from 2006. Those clubs may require further actions in order to upgrade to the full ClubMark accreditation.

Clubs within Surrey who have currently (May 2008) obtained GolfMark are:

• Bramley
• Epsom

Clubs within Surrey who have currently obtained junior GolfMark are:

• Betchworth Park
• Burhill
• Camberley Heath
• Horne Park
• Sutton Green
• Woodcote Park

The Golf Partnership plans to run a number of seminars for clubs wishing to apply for GolfMark, using the experiences of those already accredited to help new applicants or those considering application.

For more information go to www.golfmark.org