Cheshire boys training plan breaks new ground

Feb 12 2008 by Harold Brough, Liverpool Daily Post

CHESHIRE BOYS, pacesetters in junior boys coaching, have taken a group of 12 to Menorca to start a period of intensive warm-weather coaching under the direction of senior county coaches, Alan Thompson from Heswall and Peter Barber of Didsbury.

The county record includes multiple wins in the annual Four Counties Tournament and its coaching system with boys has become a model for other English counties.

The warm-weather training is a new trial exercise and is based at Son Parc during the boys’ half- term holidays.

County boys manager Michael Jones says: “This is a first for Cheshire Boys. It is difficult to coach certain aspects of the game when it is wet, when greens are soft, bumpy and slow.

“Also, with chipping, the coaches want somewhere with a firm surface, not off muddy surfaces or soft greens like you get on parkland courses in Cheshire at this time of year.”

The boys, from the A squad, are Captain Martin Thomas, Tom Boys, Tom Greenfield (Royal Liverpool), Martin Leese (Astbury), Josh Evans, James Guterman (Mere), Sam Connor (Sandiway), Dominic Barnes (Caldy), Mark Geddes (Prenton), Jon Little, Charlie Berry, Oliver Carr (Heswall). Cheshire has also introduced a new under-14 coaching scheme of 12 boys, mostly selected from the Driving Range Trials carried out in November.

The county sends forms to club junior organisers asking about their most promising youngsters and, based on the returns, about 150 are invited to a one-hour session at the Sandfield Driving Range, near Mickle Trafford, for assessment and coaching.

About half are then selected for follow-up coaching and from these 12 are selected for four Sunday morning sessions at Didsbury with Peter Barber and Rob Thompson, the professional at Prenton.

Those taking part in the sessions are:

James Newton (Prestbury), Matt Taylor (Crewe), Andrew Crosby (Caldy), Rob Potter (Disley), Ted Kaye (Chester), Charlie Greenwood (Bramall Park), Neil Turner (Dukenfield), Jordon Jones (Frodsham), Tom Christie (Disley) and Cameron Massey (Chorlton-cum- Hardy).

The group also include Haydn McCullen and Lewis George from Crewe, both aged 11 and with handicaps of 12.

Cheshire pays tribute to the cash support of the English Golf Union, which has allowed the county to introduce its under-14 scheme. The Cheshire pride in the success of its coaching with boys includes particularly the achievement of Dave Horsey from Style and Bromborough’s Paul Waring, who was Cheshire Boys champion in 2002.

Horsey was the most successful GB & I player in the Walker Cup last year. Waring won his European Tour card at his first attempt. Both emerged from the ranks of Cheshire Boys coaching.

Waring is grateful for the part Cheshire’s youth scheme played in his development.

“Being part of the Cheshire set- up opened up so many doors for me and helped me towards my England career,” he said. “It helped give me the experience of top level golf and the chance to work with some great coaches.

“It actually takes time to learn how to be coached and understand that while you will receive a lot of good advice, you can cherry pick the bits that suit your game the best.

“It is great that the younger players are getting the chance to train in warm weather conditions.”