The Hindu : Sport / Golf : National Golf Academy inaugurated

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National Golf Academy inaugurated

Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Very few National sports bodies in the country have realised the importance of focussing on not only adding new coaches but also upgrading the knowledge of the coaches. The Indian Golf Union (IGU) has been quietly doing its bit in this direction.

The National Golf Academy of India that was officially inaugurated by the Governor of Punjab and Administrator Chandigarh S.F. Rodrigues here on Wednesday holds certification courses under the supervision of experts from Royal and Ancient (R&A) Golf Club of St. Andrews. This is the first Academy in South Asia to offer courses for four levels.

The R&A, the ruling authority of golf except in America and Mexico, has given IGU £1,50,000 for the promotion of golf since 2004.

So far, 191 coaches have been certified and 50 more are likely to join the list later this week. These courses will be available once a year.

The two representatives of R&A, the Director of Golf Duncan Weir and Chairman Golf Development Committee Keith Hodgkinson reiterated the continued support of the R&A to the IGU and said the “R&A will keep a close eye on how the IGU takes the project forward.”

The coaches aspiring to gain certification from the R&A are first put through a Playing Ability Test (PAT) spread over two days.

Those who shoot a maximum of seven-over on each of the two days qualify for the Level ‘D’ test before moving up to ‘C’, ‘B’ and ‘A’.

Renowned instructor Dr. Donato de Ponziano, Vice Chairman, PGA of Europe, who has been coming to the Academy here and interacting with some of the Indian coaches regularly in the past, could not be present during the inauguration.

In a prepared statement, he hailed those behind the Academy and said, “With your strong desire to improve, today you have arrived at the finish line.”

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