Shine Sponsors Golf Initiative

Shine Telecom is pleased to be the main commercial sponsor of a new initiative to promote golf in UK Universities. The initiative, which has been launched in the North West, aims to create playing opportunities for young golfers with a wide range of handicaps and eventually to introduce coaching and player development for those who want to improve their skills or take up the sport. The pilot scheme is working both with existing university golf clubs to help them organise and publicise events for all golfers and also universities with no existing schemes to help them get off the ground. British Universities & Colleges Sports Manager, Tom Gee, explains, "Our estimate is that there may be up to 18,000 students who are already golfers in English Universities, but less than 2,000 are members of University golf clubs. On a national basis, there is a very real issue in retaining people in the game between the ages of 18 to 40 and helping them to continue playing whilst at University has an important part to play."

"With the proportion of 18 year olds now going to University, it is also a great opportunity for golf courses that are local to a large student population, for example West Derby Golf Club who have kindly agreed to host events for Liverpool University."

The sponsorship by Shine will support the staging of a regional competition, culminating in a championship final to be contested by all 10 Universities in the North West of England.