junior Academy

We understand the importance of encouraging young people to participate in the wonderful game of golf and that's why juniors are a huge part of club life at Essendon. Over the last decade we've built a tried and tested pathway for junior golfers, designed to provide something for a total beginner at the age of six, right up to a main junior playing in county level events.

The pathway starts with our Junior Academy. If you're between the age of 6 and 12 and relatively new to golf, then you'll most likely be perfectly suited to either our Bronze, Silver or Gold Academy. Each group is limited to 12 players, with the different groups allowing us to tailor the content of each session as well as our coaching style to best suit the age and ability of each group.

Please note, there is currently a waiting list for each group of the Junior Academy, so please register your interest sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. For more information on what's included, the pathway and how to progress please click the link to view our Junior Handbook or email PGA Professional, Freddie Russell at Freddie.russell@essendoncc.com.

The Graduate Squad

Once a player has completed the Gold Academy they are invited to join the Graduate Squad. This is designed to offer a variety of sessions that give players the knowledge and skillset required to play the two main championship courses at Essendon Country Club.

Each term includes a mixture of ‘Development Sessions' and ‘Playing Sessions'. Development Sessions cover things like speed of play, rules, etiquette, scoring as well as some technical aspects such as shot selection or how to deal with the fast greens! Playing Sessions are about getting out there for 9-holes and putting all of that into practice. There's a fun, but competitive Order of Merit that runs each term, with golfers accumulating points from each Playing Session.

The main golf course is a big step up and can often seem daunting. To help with this every new player starts from our Level 1 tees, which are roughly 50% of the full hole. Once they've reached a certain handicap they can begin their progression back to the main competitive tees. This progressive pathway allows players to all compete in the same competition, whilst playing the course at a length suitable for their age and ability.

Once they have reached a 36 handicap from the main red tees, they will be invited to join our main Hawks Section.

For more information on what's included, the pathway and how to progress please click the link to view our Junior Handbook or email PGA Professional, Freddie Russell at Freddie.russell@essendoncc.com

The Hawks Section

This is our main junior section of the club. It's filled with 30+ juniors aged 12-18, most of whom have been through the Academy and/or Graduate Squad. The emphasis of the junior section is to ensure all juniors have a form of competition to play in, a chance to meet up and socialise and are supported when it comes to their development and practice.

It includes a number of fun and friendly competitions including weekly 9-hole events, monthly 18-hole events, a Matchplay Knockout league as well as the main Hawks Squad which competes against other clubs across the county. Furthermore, once juniors reach a handicap of 12, they are encouraged to play in the main Major events at the golf club (showing the adults how it's done!).

We're a sociable club and the junior section is no different. Every Wednesday at 17:30 we put on a free Club Night for the juniors. This is a great chance to play some skills challenges, hit free range balls and meet new players.

For more information on what's included and what's available for main juniors at the club, please click the link to view our Junior Handbook or email PGA Professional, Freddie Russell at Freddie.russell@essendoncc.com.