THE BELFRY ACADEMY GROWS PARTICIPATION THROUGH EXCITING NEW GOLF PROGRAMMES

The Belfry Academy at the legendary Midlands resort has experienced great success in growing the game at all levels following the introduction of new junior and beginner golf programmes. In the last month, the programmes have introduced an incredible 57 new juniors and 320 new adults to the game, 40% of which have been female.

This success can be attributed to the introduction of two new development programmes by the expert team of PGA Professionals at The Belfry Academy, looking to complement the world class facilities on offer. Sessions for both programmes have proved incredibly popular and successful in educating new golfers of all age groups.

The ‘Belfry Junior Golf programme’ aims to develop junior golfers as more rounded individuals and help them realise their golfing potential. The sessions are available for juniors aged between 6 – 16 and aim to ignite a passion for the game by adopting a holistic approach and allowing children can learn in a positive environment.

At the other end of the spectrum, the ‘Start Golf Programme’ for adults strives to give novice golfers the best possible start to their golfing journey in a fun, informal and informative environment. The sessions cover all aspects of golf from technique to the mental game, rules, etiquette and much more.

Ian Knox, Director of Golf at The Belfry commented: “We are thrilled to see the success of these new programmes and excited about welcoming new golfers to the game. The aim is to create thriving development programmes for golfers of all abilities to match the exceptional facilities.”

“It is also pleasing to see a relatively equal split between male and female within our sessions, as we look to promote the benefits of golf for all and welcome more female golfers to The Belfry. The team deserve a lot of credit and we hope this is just the beginning as we look to bring even more people in to the game and create the largest hotbed of junior golfers in the UK,” continued Knox.

For more information on these programmes and The Belfry Academy visit www.TheBelfryAcademy.com.

For further information please visit www.thebelfry.co.uk , email enquiries@thebelfry.com or call 0844 980 0600  

The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Lichfield Road, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 9PR.

ENDS

THE BELFRY ACADEMY’S NEW DIRECTOR OF JUNIOR GOLF AIMS TO CREATE UK’S TOP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The Belfry Hotel & Resort has announced the appointment of Phillip Akers as the new Director of Junior Golf at The Belfry Academy. The ambitious PGA Professional aims to build and develop a holistic junior golf programme at the legendary resort, which looks to set the standard across the UK.

Phillip comes armed with the experience of having designed and delivered the Future Elite (FUEL) Golf Programme in Yorkshire, where he worked as Golf Programme Director at Oulton Hall Golf Academy. He was previously Head Golf Professional at Deer Park Hotel, Golf & Spa in Ireland. He has been coaching since 2010 and qualified as a PGA Class A Professional in 2011.  

“I am extremely excited to be joining The Belfry Academy as it’s such a world-class venue,” stated Akers. “I am a passionate coach with a desire to be working with European Tour players in the future. Having developed my knowledge through work with a range of players, from children taking their very first golf shots to professionals on the EuroPro Tour, I enjoy developing young golfers of all levels and abilities.”  

“My aim is to implement the UK’s leading junior golf development programme, and ultimately create the largest hotbed of young golf talent in the country,” continued Akers. “I’ll be taking a holistic approach to junior coaching with a philosophy of developing the person first, the athlete second and the golfer third.”

In line with this approach, the new junior programme at The Belfry Academy will have a unique grading and credit system where children are motivated to develop their social, physical and golfing skills in a fun, friendly and informative environment.

Akers will work under the Academy’s Director Rob Spurrier, who took up his role earlier this year and has hired Akers as part of his aim to take The Belfry Academy on to the next level of excellence, as the centre of golf performance in the UK.

“Thanks to his experience with juniors and his incredible ambition, Phillip makes for a fantastic addition to the team,” commented Spurrier. “Our aim is ultimately to make The Belfry Golf Academy into the ideal place for anyone to learn and develop their golf, and establishing an excellent specialist junior programme is a huge part of that. Phillip will have some of the finest facilities in the UK at his disposal, and I know he’s excited about using them to create a hub where junior golfers of all levels can get the best out of themselves.”

For more information on The Belfry Academy visit www.TheBelfryAcademy.com. 

EXCITING START TO 2016 FOR THE BELFRY GOLF ACADEMY AS ROB SPURRIER IS ANNOUNCED AS NEW ACADEMY DIRECTOR

The Belfry Hotel & Resort has announced the experienced Rob Spurrier as the new Academy Director for the Midlands Resort’s renowned PGA Golf Academy. Spurrier will look to further develop the structure and coaching at The Belfry Golf Academy, whilst also implementing his own GLF.Locker Academy management software to create a new, comprehensive website for the facility.

With a strong background in Golf Academy management since becoming a PGA Professional, having played a key role in Player Development at one of the UK’s largest Academy groups from 2007 – 2013, as well as further roles in the USA, Spurrier aims to bring his experience to The Belfry Golf Academy and reinvigorate it as the centre for golf coaching and custom fitting in the UK.

The Academy has also launched a new comprehensive website, which utilises the GLF.Locker software, pioneered by Spurrier, and creates a much simpler online platform that allows coaches and students to book in lessons, track progress and trends, or manage marketing promotions. The new system will save time for the Academy staff and help provide a broader base of programming that can easily set-up group lessons, junior academies and golf schools.

Spurrier commented: “The Belfry Golf Academy has always been renowned for its impressive facilities in the heart of the country, but I feel there is a great opportunity to take this on to the level, aligning ourselves with the first class standards set across the wider Belfry resort during recent years.

“We have an incredibly talented team here at The Belfry Academy, and my aim is to put suitable structures in place to harness all of this knowledge, creating the best team of golf experts that can provide the highest levels of coaching and custom fitting expertise for golfers at every level of the game,” continued Spurrier.

“We have received a wealth of great feedback on the GLF.Locker platform from Golf Academies across the UK and USA since it was launched in Autumn last year, and I can’t wait to see how it will revolutionise the systems here at The Belfry Academy. It is going to make it so much easier for the team to manage lessons and golf schools, and create a dedicated programme for each student.

“Our aim is to ultimately make The Belfry Golf Academy into the ideal place for anyone to learn and develop their golf, no matter whether they are from the local area, visiting the resort, or want to travel from further afield to use our outstanding facilities.”

To further help kick start the 2016 golfing season, The Belfry Golf Academy is also launching a series of brand specific fitting events throughout February and March. Utilising the dedicated custom fitting suites at the Academy, these events will provide the opportunity for golfers to experience the latest products from leading brands such as Titleist, Callaway, Ping, TaylorMade and Nike.

Golfers can visit the website www.TheBelfryAcademy.com for more information, or follow ‘The Belfry Academy’ on Facebook & Instagram or @thebelfrypros on Twitter.

For further information please visit www.thebelfry.co.uk , email enquiries@thebelfry.com or call 0844 980 0600  

The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Lichfield Road, Wishaw, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, B76 9PR.

ENDS

For further information on The Belfry Hotel & Resort, please contact

Adam Perfect

Account Manager

Professional Sports Group

Direct line: +44 (0) 1276 858 930

Mobile No: +44 (0) 7808 242 298

Email: adam@profsports.com

Website: profsports.com

CHRIS RYAN SELECTED TO INSPIRE WARWICKSHIRE GOLFING TALENT AT THE BELFRY

Chris Ryan

Chris Ryan, Senior Instructor at The Belfry’s PGA National Golf Academy, has been selected to coach young golfing talent within the county through the Warwickshire County coaching programme. As part of a restructuring to the programme for 2016, Ryan has been elected to become Warwickshire County Boys Coach for the U16 Elite Boys Squad.

The Warwickshire County coaching scheme looks to select the leading boys and girls from within each age group, and develop their golfing skills and experience through a dedicated programme of coaching covering all aspects of the game, with expertise from the county’s leading coaches.

Ryan will take the lead for the U16 Elite Boys Squad and conduct six specific coaching days throughout the year with the support of one of the County’s U18 Elite Boys Squad coaches. These sessions will take advantage of the superb practice facilities available at The Belfry Golf Academy, from the latest technology in the dedicated custom fitting suites, to the immaculate short game area and putting greens.

During these sessions, Ryan will set skill tests for each of the players on the programme to assess performance, and then review the results with each player individually. From this point, he will work with each player on their technique, before re-testing and monitoring improvements.

Chris Ryan commented upon his delight at the new role: “Personally, I think it’s great to be involved with the County at this level, and have the opportunity to play a part in developing new up-and-coming golfers across the region. It is a great honour to be part of this development process, and I can’t wait to witness the progression of the squads.

“As part of the County coaching programme, our aim is to produce some great players over the coming years, and the programme aims to do everything to give the guys the best possible opportunity to improve their all-round game. I can’t wait to get started and work with the squads here at The Belfry.”

Chris Ryan works alongside the talented team of PGA Professionals at The Belfry Academy, who offer the finest golf tuition in the area for golfers of all abilities, and work with the very latest fitting technology across the four dedicated custom fitting suites, to give every golfer the opportunity to experience the latest products from the likes of Titleist, TaylorMade, PING and Callaway.