Embargoed until 00.01am on Monday, 19 September, 2005
A new director of coaching has been appointed by St Andrews Links Trust and PGA Golf Management to head up the new golf academy at the trust’s Golf Practice Centre.
Steve North joins the practice centre today (Mon) from the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Malaysia, one of the leading golf academies in Asia, where he held the post of director of instruction and worked closely with the world renowned golf instructor.
With a wealth of experience teaching golf at all levels of the game from tour professional to beginners, Steve will head up the new team of PGA professionals at the St Andrews Links Golf Academy which is scheduled to open next spring.
The Golf Practice Centre will shortly undergo a major redevelopment which will make it one of the foremost practice facilities in the UK. The redeveloped centre will feature a state of the art coaching facility, incorporating the latest video and digital analysis technology. An additional 14 indoor bays will also be built at the centre, taking the total number to 51.
Welcoming Steve’s appointment, Alan McGregor, general manager of St Andrews Links Trust, said, “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing on board someone of Steve’s calibre. I am sure he will have a major influence on the quality and breadth of golf tuition on offer at the new golf academy. This represents a major step forward for not only the trust but for the people of St Andrews as the facility will be one of the best of its kind in the UK.”
Keith Haslam, operations director at PGA Management, said, “We required a PGA member who could develop the business and deliver a world class quality of coaching, in line with the aspirations and standards of the Links Trust. In Steve we have found a highly skilled and dynamic golf professional who will ensure St Andrews is at the forefront of instruction for years to come.”
Born in Skegness, Steve turned professional at the age of 17 and held posts at Seacroft Golf Club in Lincolnshire and Royal Jersey Golf Club before joining the Leadbetter Academy in Malaysia. As David Leadbetter’s foremost instructor in Asia he has conducted clinics all across the continent. He has worked with Asian tour and LPGA professionals and has written tuition features for the Par Golf Magazine in Asia and the Malaysian Golf Association.
The practice centre extension and golf academy is due to be completed next spring. Steve will be available to give lessons from today (Sep 19).
Ends.
Notes to editors
St Andrews Links Trust is a charitable organisation responsible for the management and maintenance of the Links courses at St Andrews, including the famous Old Course, which hosted this year’s Open Championship. The Trust was established in 1974. It employs more than 200 permanent staff and seasonal workers during the high season. It manages a number of additional facilities including two clubhouses, a golf practice centre and two shops.
More than 200,000 rounds are played over six public courses, which feature two additional championship courses (the New and the Jubilee), two 18-hole courses (the Eden and the Strathtyrum) and a nine-hole course (the Balgove). A seventh course is currently under construction on a site south-east of St Andrews.
PGA Golf Management is part of the commercial division of the PGA and offer management and marketing services to owners and developers of golf facilities. In addition to working with St Andrews Links Trust, it has clients and projects in Ireland, France, Spain, Crete, Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
For more information visit www.standrews.org.uk.
Media contact
Mike Woodcock
Communications manager
St Andrews Links Trust
01334 466610
E-mail mikewoodcock@standrews.org.uk
