Kids Gourmet Golf

Article & Picture Above: Port Stephens Examiner – Thursday 23rd July 2015

Port Stephens’ budding young golfers and master chefs attended a ‘Gourmet Golf Event’ at Pacific Dunes today, Tuesday 7^th July.

The event was received very well within the community, booking out within a couple of weeks.

With 44 participants, aged 6-12, both girls and boys, they were coached by the Head Chef & Golf Professionals in both the kitchen and on course.

Starting the day in the Lake View Marquee, the kids made tasty pizzas with various toppings and lots of cheese. They rolled and manipulated their own dough to make creative shapes and letters to atop their creations for identification and creativeness. Wearing aprons, listening to fun kids music and helping out their fellow siblings and friends, the cooking session, led by Head Chef, Sheldon Black, was great fun.

Whilst the pizzas were making their way through the oven, the kids were split into two groups and Pacific Dunes’ husband-wife duo, Cherie Alison (Former European and LPGA Tour Professional) & Mark Alison (2014 PGA Australian Trainee Of The Year) coached the kids on golf skills and ensured they had a ‘ball’ on both the practice putting green and the driving range.

The practice putting range was set-up with multiple holes, markers and obstacles for the kids to learn the basic principles of reading greens and the ball roll, speed and distance to score points rolling their balls through the hoops and holes.

On the driving range, the kids were coached on the correct technique to hold and swing a club, whilst picking and aiming for colourful pool-noodles, on the range, with many kids demonstrating wonderful technique.

From the moment the children were dropped off, to when they were enjoying their pizza-creations and heading home, parents highlighted how positive the event was and the success and fun enjoyed by all. Pacific Dunes have certainly been encouraged to continue the success of the school-holiday activity for future holidays, and it was even requested (by multiple parents) for an adults fun day to be devised (perhaps cocktail making may replace the pizza making).

As a great introduction to the basic skills for golf, all of the children have been encouraged to join the teaching staff (there are 4 PGA Members teaching) at Pacific Dunes on Wednesday afternoons, for the junior clinic (which continues through the school holidays):

Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm, children 6+

Price: $10 per person, per lesson

Skills:

Grips/ basic swing on driving range

Chipping/ putting on driving range

Chipping/ putting/ bunker play

Woods/ iron play and full swing