19 March 2024
Since the start of the year, our new Woldingham School Golf Society (WSGS) has gathered opposite the old kitchen garden to practise on Fridays after school. Open to all year groups, around 25 students have taken part to date. Woldingham’s on-site facility is a 90-yard chipping range fitted with mats and also nets to allow longer hitting. A hardy bunch, WSGS members have been undaunted by rain, wind and sleet. However, the summer term will soon be upon us, with further fantastic opportunities for student golfers, as Mr Marsh, who set up and runs WSGS, explains.
Mr Ollie Marsh, Head of Golf
Golf is a unique sport where beginners can have competitive games with advanced players due to a globally recognised handicap system. I won’t bore you with the ins and outs, but it does mean golf can be enjoyed alongside friends, family and colleagues of varying levels. It’s a sport for life.
My mission with WSGS is to make the wonderful world of golf more accessible for those taking their first steps into the sport, with all its nuances and frustrations, whilst developing top players to reach their full potential. It’s a sport that tests patience, but also teaches how to perform under pressure, and I want to encourage this in a fun and positive environment where, as in life, we must learn to overcome failures as well as celebrate successes.
Our on-site facility is a great resource for all ability levels to dial in their game. Not many schools can boast this level of access to golf within their grounds. This element of WSGS is free to join and we will remain on-site year round.
However, we are very fortunate that our school is just a 10-minute drive from Tandridge Golf Club, which features in the Top 100 Golf Courses in UK & Ireland. From the summer term, we’re launching a new programme, which gives WSGS members access to Tandridge Golf Club’s impressive course and facilities, as well as weekly coaching from one of the club’s professionals. Access to this incredible opportunity, off-site at Tandridge Golf Club, will involve a termly cost and students will become part of the Development Squad section of WSGS.
The Development Squad will have the opportunity to play for Woldingham against other schools in organised fixtures, using Tandridge Golf Club as our home course. WSGS will provide a route for students to have an active handicap, allowing them to play all over the world, as well as being able to enter competitions. Students will also be able to join Tandridge Golf Club’s Junior Section via a fast track route curated for WSGS, though this will be a separate entity in its own right.
The future is looking bright for Woldingham School Golf Society and I am excited to see students grasp this opportunity. Do remember that the Society’s mantra is built around welcoming everyone and providing a platform for anyone to ‘give it a go’.
For further information about Woldingham School Golf Society, or to sign up, please get in touch: marsho@woldinghamschool.co.uk.
