Hull heads for Rutland

Ladies European Tour rookie of the year Charley Hull will visit Rutland County Golf Club to officially open its innovative new junior facilities. 

The 17-year-old Solheim Cup star will also play a nine-hole exhibition match with county prospect Imogen Huxley during her visit on February 21.

Head professional Jasen Barker has transformed the facilities since returning to the club he left in 1999, and has introduced new coaching initiatives in order to make it attractive to young golfers, particularly in the hard-to-reach girls group.

He explained: “At present we have just one girl junior here, Imogen Huxley who ironically is a great prospect and the current girl's county champion.

“In order to correct the situation the club has constructed a five hole putting green at Casterton college nearby, students there are given the chance to try the game out, up to 25 of them can be transported to the club for free coaching, interested parties are then offered free membership to our par-three course”

On a younger level there are several initiatives including an annual Junior Golf Scholarship for four boys and four girls aged 7-11 and a new “Tiger Tots” play yard for 3-7 year olds.

Barker enthused: “It's a free of charge facility and supervised by the parents, we start evaluating the children's performance when they reach five years, after which they have the opportunity to progress to the scholarship or the academy programme.”