Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club in Cumbria has launched a new coaching programme which aims to help players of all ages and abilities.
It is being led by new full-time head teaching professional Ellie Broome, who has just returned to her home-town club for a second spell.
“From the beginner to established single-figure players we are striving to create the perfect golfing environment,” said the club’s head professional Andy Duncan.
The coaching will take place as part of Ellie’s EJB Golf Academy. “I am delighted to be back at my home club,” said Ellie, 27, who lives at Kirkby Lonsdale. “I am relishing the role and looking forward to helping existing golfers and those who want to try their hand at the game.”
As part of the project the club’s coaching studio in the pro shop has been fully renovated, and now includes a sophisticated system which allows golfers to play a range of virtual holes from courses across the country and gain specific data about their shots, including their trajectory and flight path and club data, such as angles and spin rates.
“It can make a huge difference to improve a player’s technique and performance, whatever their level of ability,” said Andy.
The club is creating a series of coaching pathway steps, from an initial introduction to golf, through coaching groups and ‘buddy programmes’ all the way through to when players are ready for the 18-hole course.
“We want to make sure everyone is enjoying the process and is comfortable on the course and with golf club life,” said Andy. “It is all about growing the game and getting more people playing.”
As part of the pathway Ellie is relaunching a junior academy for four to 18-year-olds of all abilities, which will include weekly group sessions, individual sessions and holiday camps. “There will be more advanced sessions for more experienced juniors – we want to ensure there is something for everyone,” said Ellie.
She is also launching beginner golf sessions for all ages, including family sessions for mums, dads, children and grandparents who want to have a go at the popular sport.
Ellie will also provide individual coaching sessions for experienced current members and non-members who are striving to reach a higher game level.
“For the past couple of years I have coached the Cumbria County Ladies Junior Girls Squad, a development squad which includes girls from across the county, and I shall continue that here at Kirkby Lonsdale,” said Ellie.
In addition, Ellie will provide coaching for ladies and seniors, including group and individual sessions.
“The great thing is that Ellie will be around the club full-time and available to talk to anyone about coaching, development and performance,” said Andy. “With all these initiatives she will be supported by the other professionals and club members.
“Golf is a game where it is always possible to improve – people often refer to it as a lifetime’s study, where you are always striving to be a better player.
“We are a friendly club with a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere and this academy will only add to that.”
Ellie first started playing golf aged six, after watching her father and grandfather play. She joined the club at the age of 11 and got her first handicap two years later. “I played and practised and within a couple of years I was down to scratch,” said Ellie.
At 16, Ellie was both the club’s first female junior captain and the youngest-ever winner of the Ladies Club Championship. She currently holds the ladies course record at the club with a round of 67 – six under par – having broken the record four times in a single month.
After playing junior golf at international level and representing Cumbria with distinction at both junior and senior level and captaining the Cumbria Junior Team in 2016, she turned pro in 2018 and became a fully-qualified PGA Professional in 2022.
She left the club in April 2022 and spent three and a half years as a full-time coach at another golfing venue before returning to Kirkby Lonsdale this month.
Kirkby Lonsdale Golf Club was established in 1906 and has been at its present site since 1991. The 18-hole course measures 6,594 yards and is laid out in more than 160 acres of spectacular countryside. The layout provides two nine-hole loops out and back to the clubhouse.
Each of the holes has its own unique character and has four tee options, providing different degrees of difficulty. The River Lune and Barbon Beck both run through the course, which offers amazing views of Barbon Fell and the Howgills.
Other facilities include a swing room with launch monitor; a short game chipping area and six-hole par three course; a pro shop selling equipment and clothing; and ten driving range bays, four of which are covered.
