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Ryder Cup 2010 - Rugby legend goes back to his roots
| Published: 11th November 2009 19:04 |
Rugby legend goes back to his roots to open
Carmarthen golf facility
Welsh rugby great Ieuan Evans returned to his roots today to officially open a community facility at Carmarthen Golf Club, funded by the Ryder Cup Wales Legacy Fund.
Ieuan, together with fellow Ryder Cup Wales Board members ahead of their quarterly Board meeting, gathered at the recently upgraded practice facility, which has been designed to encourage new players to the game as well as helping the club's juniors to improve their skills before graduating onto the main course.
Carmarthen Golf Club was awarded a grant of over £59,000 towards total project costs of over £75,000 and has seen the creation of an undercover 260 yard practice range and a five-hole academy course with holes ranging from 75 to 105 yards, consisting of artificial tees and a few bunkers guarding the greens, it is ideal to simulate real golf but on a smaller scale.
Officially opening the new facility, Ieuan Evans, said: "The development of these facilities in Carmarthen will be a significant boost to the local area and the creation of this new course and practice range will go a long way in making golf more accessible to people in West Wales. The objective of the Fund is to provide Wales with a lasting legacy of improved golfing facilities long after 2010 and Carmarthen is one of many projects that will contribute to this legacy.
Commenting on the sense of anticipation being felt up and down the country ahead of next year's Ryder Cup, Ieuan added: "This is a massive deal for Wales and will be the greatest opportunity Wales will have to showcase itself on a global stage. Next year's Ryder Cup is already benefiting the whole of the country and is providing a catalyst for tourism and business as well as golf itself."
With just under a year to go until Wales hosts one of the largest sporting events in the world, grassroots projects throughout the country are reaping the benefits from financial support provided by the Welsh Assembly Government's £2 million fund. The Ryder Cup Wales Legacy Fund, a key factor in the original winning bid to host The 2010 Ryder Cup, has agreed to support 41 projects in 15 different Local Authorities across Wales.
Alan Williams, Carmarthen Golf Club Captain, said: "The main driver behind the Club's original application was our desire to promote and foster interest in the game of golf amongst juniors. Recruiting and retention of junior golfers is one of the primary factors in the long term sustainability of the Club and essential to this is the need to provide suitable facilities.
"The steps we as a club have taken with the help of schemes funded by the Council and the Golf Union of Wales, plus our own initiatives to visit every school in the area over the next few years will keep this facility as busy, this is our way of showing gratitude for the funding."
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