"St. Bartholomew Primary School is down the road from the golf course, many of the kids who attend live near by and have never seen the golf course, this is why we do what we do at The Academy."
DAVID MARSHALL
SNAG
STARTING NEW AT GOLF
In Optimist year 2014-2015 President Linda Lewis introduced an American system of teaching Golf called SNAG “Starting New at Golf”. The programme would focus on teaching the basic techniques of Golf to children between the ages of 5 to 11, this encompasses our Primary schools.
The pilot programme was identified for the Bay Primary School, their Principal Marielon Gamble has numerous times in the past worked with various local Optimist Clubs to uplift the lives of her students. She and her physical education teachers were happy and excited to bring this new sport and programme into the school.
In the 2016 school year we began SNAG classes to the four class years of students at the school, the year classes consisted of approximately 40 students giving us a total of 120 children being exposed to the programme and to Golf.
The programme from the beginning was implemented under the guidance of the Barbados Golf Association’s Junior and SNAG qualified coach Mr. David Marshall, BGA Club member Harriet Lynton and Optimist Paula Persaud.
The kids were hooked!
This prompted Coach David Marshall a licensed United States Golf Teachers Federation Certified Golf Teaching Professional, US KIDS Certified, SNAG Certified and Colour Path Golf Certified to create
The David Marshall Youth Golf Academy.
The Academy encompassed the SNAG graduates and both junior and adult students of coach David Marshall. In 2019 when ‘The Optimist District Qualifier” came to the Caribbean 4 students who came through the SNAG programme and the Academy competed for a chance to go to the world’s largest junior golf tournament “The Optimist” an annual event that brings together over 600 junior golfers from 300 countries.
Today we have over 25 junior girls and boys ranging in age from 3 years to 14 years old.
OUR BIGGEST GOAL FOR SNAG IN BARBADOS IS TO HAVE GOLF TAUGHT IN EVERY SCHOOL.
"Golf teaches adults who they really are and it teaches children who they should become."
SNAG SCHOOLS
The SNAG program was conceptualised in 2014 but only started in 2016 with the Bay Primary School and then principal Marielon Gamble. Since then we have brought SNAG and golf to 4 other primary schools and 1 secondary school.
SNAG Certification
As the Academy continues to grow golf in Barbados we engage and educate our coaches to better serve the children in our schools.
This year 3 coaches travelled to Trinidad for a certification course in SNAG with Chris Richards a SNAG Instructor.
The course went over the fundamentals, benefits and administration of SNAG to large and small groups and especially the benefits to adult golfers.
Most importantly the fun ways SNAG can develop a love for golf.
