Ring’s fellowship keeps growing

Paul Ring has a passion for developing junior golfers and has more than proved it during his four and a half years as head PGA professional at Elsenham Golf & Leisure.

Paul, 35, launched his SharpShooters Junior Golf Academy at the Essex club in early 2016 since when it has gone from strength to strength.

Two years ago there were 30 children having weekly lessons at Elsenham. That number has soared to more than 250 benefitting from the coaching of Paul and his Academy coaches.

“Since being a coach I have always had a passion for junior golf and wanted to give as many children the opportunity to play as possible and here I was given that opportunity,’ says Ring.

“The owner trusted me and wanted me to bring in as many new people as possible and I was given the freedom to do it how I see fit for the club.

“At SharpShooters we have created a system which has a flourishing junior academy, now recognised as the largest in Essex. We have also been recognised by the English Golf Union and have been used as a case study for England Golf.

Ring has been greatly helped throughout the rise and rise of his junior initiatives by his partner Katie Herlock, a business management expert.

“Katie has had a massive impact in helping me drive the business by helping recognise how to drive more juniors and customers to the academy and build longevity,” he says.

Not content with establishing a success story within the club, Ring has been busy spreading the word about golf into nearby schools.

He and his team are delivering lessons to more than 100 school kids every week.

“One year I taught at 20 schools delivering free taster days, reaching over 5000 children,” says Ring who previously worked at Burgess Hill and, before that, The Warren.

The vision is for golf to be accessible for everyone, including children with special needs. ‘We want to be as all-inclusive as possible,’ he adds Ring.

The out-reach work is important for Ring but the hub for his dynamism remains the SharpShooters Academy at Elsenham Golf & Leisure.

His go-ahead plans have been fully supported by the club’s owner and have led to the old three-hole course being converted into a junior-friendly six-holer. Recent investment has led to the design of an 18-hole ‘Adventure Golf Course’ which is set to open this year.

“It will draw more families to the golf club for possibly their first time and help retain our current clients,’ says Ring.

The future as a whole for the forward-thinking nine-hole club looks bright. Top Tracer has recently been installed into all of the covered practice bays. Plus, a summer rebranding will see it switch name to Golf World Stansted.

“I honestly believe we have some of the best facilities in the country,” sums up Ring. “I’m very excited for the future of the club and its customers.”