TICKENHAM Golf Club presented three lucky juniors with scholarships.

TICKENHAM Golf Club presented three lucky juniors with scholarships. This is the ninth year of these prestigious awards giving the most promising young golfers from the Tickenham Tigers programme the reward of free golf membership for a year.

In eight previous years, Tickenham has given up to five junior memberships. This year, three have been given, showing the tremendous success of the programme. Junior membership at the club encourages gaining a handicap and playing in all competitions with members of all ages.

At the recent ceremony, Hugo Miles was presented with a full junior membership, and Zoe Hawkes and Tom Henley standard memberships.

During April and May, the club held free lesions for beginners under the English Golf Union and English Women's Golf Association scheme enabling over 200 adults and children to try golf for free for their first time.

Tickenham also runs in conjunction with North Somerset Council, eight-week courses of lessons for youngsters under the Sports Unlimited programme, an initiative to get more young people involved in sport. These have been successful during the summer term, enabling up to 24 young people to try golf with partially funded lessons. Two more eight-week courses will be starting in September, again under the Sports Unlimited programme.

Tickenham was the first golf club in Somerset to gain GolfMark accreditation, demonstrating its hard work and dedication to junior and beginners' golf. Club owner and head PGA professional Andrew Sutcliffe is proud of the success of the junior programme where every week around 150 children take part in tuition and play.

The PGA professionals Sarah Jarrett, and junior organiser, Alan Johnston and Kirsten Nicholls host the after-school teaching using the structured Golf Foundation Passport scheme. Junior schools and competitions are held during holidays.

Tickenham is a busy teaching centre, ideal for new golfers of all ages.