Al Buteen school kids take first swings at Yas Links Golf Club

Part of an intensive ‘Catch-Them-Young’ programme, the session was aimed at helping Emirati kids have fun while learning rules, etiquette and sportsmanship. Encouraged by the early response to the EGF will be inviting Emirati boys and girls from different schools in the country to keep the momentum going.

During the session, players are assigned by age into groups to ensure a quality experience. These are the early days, but once the love of golf is born, true instruction can begin. “The intention is to have a separate National School League in the near future,” said Saeed Albudoor, general manager of the Emirates Golf Federation.

"At this early stage, learning golf skills is less important than just having fun. Once they have that enthusiasm, they'll work on it themselves,” he said. “Golf, of course, is becoming very popular here, but we need to have strong base if we aim to produce a future generation of champions.

“For that to happen, we also need the support of parents. They shouldn’t be too serious about their performance at this early stage, otherwise the child will lose interest quickly,” he added.

Steven Morgan, head professional at Yas Links, said: “We are delighted to be part of the EGF’s development programme. The children will attend complimentary coaching for a total of five weeks which will give them an insight into the game. Initially the children will be using the SNAG kits before moving onto real golf equipment.

“In the first couple of sessions, the children have had a great time learning new skills and we hope to see some of them become regular golfers at Yas Links, some day leading to the first Emirati Tour Professional. Who knows.”