“A new driver has helped me reduce my handicap by almost half and become part of the Cheshire Development Squad”
Will Furness, age 11 from Cheshire, was awarded an England Golf Trust grant of £350 towards equipment. He used this to put towards a new driver which has helped him improve his golf.
Since receiving the funding and playing with the new driver, his handicap has reduced from 24.6 at the start of May 2022 to 14.1 at the start of October.
The handicap improvement was achieved across the summer – playing in weekly junior competitions at his home club Ringway Golf Club, in Altrincham and practicing at every opportunity at his local club Ashton on Mersey, in Sale. Will entered a number of regional junior tour events as well as more local competitions at Styal Golf Club where he won the junior gross order of merit and nett runner-up.
Will has also represented Ringway in team matches in the Mid Cheshire Junior League where the team were runners up and competed in the World Junior Championships in Ireland in July 2022. He has recently been selected as one of just 12 boys in the country to be part of the Cheshire Development Squad.
‘My golf has improved so much since I received the £350 award from the Trust to buy new equipment. I’m so happy to have been selected for the Cheshire Development Squad,’ says Will.
Mum Emily says that she has really noticed that golf has boosted Will’s confidence over the past year.
‘Will is a quiet and reserved boy and playing golf is helping to build his confidence. He is becoming better at speaking to adults and older junior players that he meets and plays with,’ says Emily.
‘Golf is fantastic, not only for Will’s fitness, but also for developing good social skills that will help him as he grows up.’
‘The England Golf Trust grant is a great way to make golf more accessible. We want to give Will every opportunity to become the best golfer he can and this can only be done with financial help that the grant provides.’
