Intro

A special coaching session for Oh Fore beginners was arranged on a lovely sunny July evening, matching up three members that are fairly new to golf with three more experienced players for one-to-one coaching over the first nine holes at Thornbury’s excellent par 3 Severn View course. The beginners were allowed to pick the best of two balls played until a ball was putted for each hole, with hints and tips provided along the way by their coaching partner. Three pairs set out and completed the course in around two hours. It was an enjoyable event for all involved, with a chance to relax and compare notes afterwards in the bar. The beginners all felt their game had improved through the session and there were many positive comments, as shown below.

If you are interested in joining the Oh Fore golf special interest group, please e-mail Ian Watt: ianwatt2@outlook.com.

Stephen Browne

It felt very much like deja vu driving from Bishopston to Thornbury last Monday! The massive delay due to closures, road works and a broken-down car blocking one lane meant that I was not in the best of moods on arrival at the golf centre - having had very similar delays the last time I drove there! However, the calm atmosphere and friendly faces on arrival soon mollified my anxiety! My "coach" was Ian on the nine-hole course and it was great to go over all the pointers, procedure and etiquette again, which I had forgotten, although some of his analogies to playing the piano were perhaps a little far-fetched! I forfeited many brownie points for not having arranged golf insurance, despite Ian's previous instruction to do so, but the ensuing round of golf and excellent advice was just the ticket! Unnervingly, Ian kept saying I was a "natural" which really didn't help when I missed the ball or it dribbled just a few feet from the tee, but all-in-all it was most enjoyable in lovely surroundings on a beautifully sunny late afternoon. The welcome drink in the bar afterwards capped off an encouraging session - and I'm pleased to say that I have now purchased golf insurance, enabling me to fire the ball to all and sundry with complete confidence! Thank you to all concerned and especially to Ian for organising.

John Dunn

Many thanks, Barry, for your golf coaching yesterday evening. It was a valuable experience from my perspective as well as being an enjoyable evening on the golf course in lovely weather. It’s a credit to the 04 club that this sort of opportunity is available to members.

Tacey Bain

No one would turn down the opportunity of one-to-one coaching or training with an experienced professional in a sport that they had committed time and resources to. So it was that when Jo Harrison suggested that three able players might give up their time to support 3 novices there was a rush to our Diaries. Ian Watt and Barry Agar agreed to coach with her. The evening was a total success, even allowing for the slight hiccup caused by road works on the way there. We played the 9-hole course in pairs, congregating at the end in the bar for a very light shandy before returning home, tired but satisfied!

Comments in the WhatsApp group immediately afterwards Included the words successful, enjoyed, convivial, and valuable - no surprises for anyone who plays regularly, but much encouragement for those who are just starting. The learners didn’t set out to find out how they had been allocated their coaches, but we were all very well matched: lessons learned weren’t necessarily new, but they were given more relevance besides an experienced player. These started with my discovery that my coach, Jo Harrison, didn’t play before she retired, so I think we can say that it’s never too late to start and even at the point of leaving paid work you can expect to become a really good player with enough practice. I also learned that the practise shot before the real shot really makes a difference and that there is no point in relaxing when you get to the green because you can waste a lot of shots putting badly!

There was a special rule which made the whole process both more enjoyable and more useful than the conventional game, but you will have to come along to one of these sessions to find out what it was.

Arrangements are in hand for another session, possibly on August 24th, 2026. If you are interested, please e-mail Ian Watt: ianwatt2@outlook.com.