A £1,000 donation from Fibrus Broadband’s Play It Forward Fund suits Dunnerholme Golf Club’s thriving junior section in Askam-in-Furness to a tee.
The junior section at Dunnerholme, a 10-hole golf course that dates back to 1905, was reinstated in April 2021, shortly after Covid lockdowns eased.
Volunteer junior organiser Irene Brough recalled a memorable first evening. She said: “It was a lovely sunny night and 14 children turned up.
“Our then captain gave a speech recalling when he was a junior and how he played down there with his family. It was just a wonderful night.”
By the following week, 16 children attended, and the section has gone from strength to strength ever since.
The club now caters for youngsters aged seven to 17, with more than 70 juniors registered. Around 30 attend weekly sessions during the main season, which runs from April to September on Monday evenings.
The club has worked hard to maintain momentum through the winter months. Indoor coaching has become a key part of the programme, allowing juniors to keep learning skills, socialising and staying active even when the playing conditions are unsuitable.
The grant from the Play It Forward Fund has been split between new junior golf clubs and equipment, and the hire of indoor facilities such as sports halls and driving ranges.
Irene said: “It’s made a massive difference. The children get to still play golf and meet regularly rather than it stopping through the winter months.”
During the winter, the juniors use Furness College’s sports hall for indoor coaching with specialist weighted clubs designed for safe indoor use, as well as putting mats and fun skill-based activities.
They also travel to Ulverston’s driving range in the early months of the year, and plans are under way to use golf simulators at Furness Academy for more advanced coaching.
Providing equipment is another vital part of keeping the section inclusive. Golf can be an expensive sport, and Dunnerholme ensures that cost is not a barrier.
Irene, who has been involved with the golf club since 2013 and whose own grandchildren now play, said: “We provide clubs for the youngsters. They can use those until they decide they’d like their own set.”
With numbers growing, the Fibrus funding has helped the club keep up with demand, including for left-handed clubs.
The junior section also offers competitive and social opportunities. Dunnerholme entered the regional Sixes competition in its second year and now fields two teams annually, competing against clubs in Barrow and Ulverston.
Irene added: “The last two years, our green team actually won it. It’s unbelievable really. It’s great to see the friendships forming, the camaraderie, the respect.”
Some juniors have gone on to gain handicaps, join county academy training and even represent Cumbria, but Irene is clear that success is about more than results.
She said: “You can see some friendships forming and skills, which will be with them for life.”
The club is planning another away day and a trip to the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham, giving juniors the chance to see elite players up close.
