A Slim Line Tonic for Staffordshire Clubs

GOLF clubs in Staffordshire are helping to deliver a slimline tonic to anyone looking to shed the pounds and improve overall well-being.

A study by the Yale University School of Medicine revealed that during the average round of golf players can walk five to six miles and burn off 900 calories helping to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Now the Staffordshire County Golf Partnership has teamed up with the region's National Health Service to introduce golf as part of its weight management programme.

Says Gareth Shaw, the Staffordshire CGP development officer: “A round of golf is an easy way to take part in the 150 minutes of moderate exercise that the Department of Health recommend that we take every week.

“Not everyone who is looking to lose some weight or lead a healthier lifestyle wants to spend all their time on a treadmill in the gym.

“Golf offers an opportunity to get out in the fresh air and enjoy some healthy exercise, while also enjoying the company of your fellow golfers.”

The Fit4Golf scheme is offering free golf taster sessions at Cannock Leisure Centre and the Mill Street Leisure Centre in Burton.

Follow-on coaching is available with PGA professionals at The Range in Essington and Branston Golf and Country Club with two blocks of four lessons priced at just £30 – cutting the cost of getting into golf to less than £4 a session.

Adds Gareth Shaw: “For those taking part, golf offers a sustainable way of continuing to manage their weight and lifestyle by providing an activity that they can continue to play throughout their lifetime.”

The NHS Waistline Group comments: “Golf fits perfectly into our programme of physical activity and with it being such a flexible sport, it offers a number of different activity formats including street golf, golfing circuits and driving range practice.”

For further details contact:

Cannock: Wendy Anderson - e-mail: wendy.anderson@ssotp.nhs.uk

Burton: Roger Craig - e-mail: rogercraig@ssotp.nhs.uk

Golf has also been shown as an effective way to help combat stress. A study by the University of Maryland showed that moderate exercise in the fresh air, such as a round of golf, can help reduce anxiety.

The Staffordshire CGP is also working with the Combat Stress project to offer golf as a form of exercise to benefit those taking part.

The CGP's work with the NHS is part of the national Get into golf campaign, which seeks to inspire adults to take up the game and is run by the England Golf Partnership through its network of County Golf Partnerships, supported by Sport England and National Lottery funding.

Get into golf opportunities include free or low-cost beginner courses with PGA professionals. They are a fun and sociable way to start golf – and a great way to make new friends.

Discounted lessons can cost as little as £25 for a five-week course.

To find your nearest centre visit   getintogolf.org   and look at the activity map or  call 0800 118 2766

You can follow Get into golf on Twitter twitter.com/getintogolf or on Facebook at facebook.com/Getintogolf

The England Golf Partnership (EGP) brings together the amateur governing body, England Golf and the PGA, to grow the game with the support of the Golf Foundation and Sport England.

County Golf Partnerships, involving the county men's women's and professional organisations, are part of the EGP's Whole Sport Plan for golf and an integral part of its vision to make England the world's leading golf nation by 2020 .

In Staffordshire the partnership is supported by the Staffordshire Ladies County Golf Association, the Staffordshire Union of Golf Clubs and the Staffordshire PGA.

For more details of the activities in Staffordshire visit www.staffsgolfpartnership.com .

For more information on the work of the Staffordshire Golf Partnership contact Gareth Shaw, County Development Officer, Staffordshire County Golf Partnership.

Website: https://www.staffsgolfpartnership.com/

Mobile: 07709 940891

Email: staffsgolf@yahoo.co.uk

Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/StaffsGetin2Golf
Twitter. https://twitter.com/staffsgolf