What an amazing summer!
After 2 summers of inactivity due to the pandemic, it was great to get back to camp life welcoming players from around the world to the UK to develop their golf. To make the most of the summer we offered our longest stretch of camps with 4 back to back camps running throughout July and launching a new location basing our first 2 weeks at Wellington College.
Wellington turned out to be a perfect location and was a huge success. Their amazing golf facilities include a 9 hole course, driving range, short game area and putting green as well as their clubhouse with indoor analysis suite combining with their world renowned boarding facilities was the perfect base for our golfers. During our time at Wellington we were treated to the hottest summer on record with our golfers often having to retreat to the air conditioned clubhouse to cool down. The players received their coaching at Wellington each morning before playing a combination of local courses in the afternoon. The High Performance players also competed in a 54 hole WAGR ranked tournament and were treated to rounds at Sunningdale, Woking and East Berks golf clubs along with several others. Fuelled by three fantastic meals a day in the school dining room, the players were able to relax in the boarding house after golf as well as taking part in a selection of evening activities to include football, table tennis, quiz and movie nights.
After 2 great weeks at Wellington the coaches and 9 players transferred to St Andrews to join up with a new cohort of players. Once again we based ourselves in McIntosh Hall within St Andrews University only 100 yards from the 18th green of The Old Course. Arriving the day after The Open it was a great atmosphere and experience for the players to witness around the town and to take a walk down the 18th between the stands.
Following a similar program to the Wellington camp the players received their coaching at Elmwood Golf Club before playing a variety of courses in and around St Andrews. Players tested their skills around the Strathtyrum and Eden courses in St Andrews with the High Performance players also playing the New course. Further afield they played Crail, Carnoustie Burnside, Scotscraig, Leven and Lundin Links to name a few. The High Performance players also competed in a 54 hole WAGR ranked event at Elmwood Golf Club which produced some fantastic scoring with Camp Intern Timothy Chan winning the event with a fantastic score of -16. Based in the heart of St Andrews evening activities included beach football, town walk and photos on the Swilken Bridge.
Whilst the players made great strides forward with their golf and shot numerous personal best scores, the greatest success of the 4 weeks was the atmosphere, new friendships and support the players gave each other. No matter the differences in age, ability or nationality the players made new friends and enjoyed each other's company both on and off the golf course.
With players this year joining us from around the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Holland, Greece, and Switzerland and further afield from USA, South Africa, Thailand and Qatar we look forward to growing this diversity in future years.
“The camp was the best one I ever attended. The staff, the lessons were very helpful to improve my golf and I found new friends. The training was very intense. St Andrews was a great location,” Luis, Germany.
“I loved it , I want to go back next year and play at St Andrew. I am very happy to have improved my golf and learn,” Marius, France.