Accreditations and Policies

Safeguarding Policies & Procedure

Children & Young People Safeguarding Policy & Procedures

Safeguarding Adults Policy and Procedures

 (paper versions and forms are available from the Office at Oswestry GC)

Golfmark / Clubmark

Golfmark is a prestigious measure of how individual clubs are successful in looking after new and current members. Oswestry was one of the first clubs in England to be awarded the original ‘Junior Clubmark Award’ in 2003, and again in the vanguard in achieving ‘Clubmark’ in 2006 and a year later was one of first clubs in England to be recognised as a ‘Golfmark High Achiever’. No club is allowed to rest on its laurels and all Golfmark clubs are re-assessed every three years to ensure that their high standards are being maintained.

But what is Golfmark?

• Golfmark (incorporating Clubmark) is the national scheme that identifies and recognises junior and beginner friendly golf facilities.
• Sport England’s Clubmark is a cross sport accreditation for sports clubs with junior sections. National governing bodies, such as the EGU (English Golf Union), EWGA (English Ladies Golf Association) award Clubmark to proven high quality clubs.
• The three key areas within the golf club which are assessed are:
• Coaching and Playing
• Club Environment (including sports equity and ethics)
• Child Protection and Duty of Care

Oswestry has worked hard to earn Golfmark status and Junior Organiser, Judith Thornell, adds to work done in the Club by visiting schools to introduce the game to children. Many of those children move on to the Academy sessions held on the practice ground and, in due course, join as Junior members.

We are particularly proud that only recently Oswestry has been nominated by the County Golf Partnership as Shropshire & Herefordshire’s entry for the 2010 National Golfmark Club of the Year. Let us hope for national recognition.

Whilst much of Golfmark’s emphasis is upon juniors, there is also work done in encouraging new people to golf and most of you will have seen not only the Junior Section coaching and other activities on Friday evenings, pre-membership Junior Academy sessions on Saturdays and Sundays and school holidays, but also ‘Taster’ sessions for Ladies and Men new to the game.

With the added support of the County Golf Partnership we will be running further Taster sessions and if you know of anyone who would wish to take part in Taster Sessions please contact PGA Professional Richard Edwards, Secretary Manager John Evans or Junior Organiser Judith Thornell.

As with all Clubs Oswestry needs a steady flow of new members to maintain its vitality and if you have a friend or relative, or know of someone who is interested in playing or beginning to play, please introduce them to what we believe is the best club in the area. Golfmark is very much a quality mark and Oswestry is the only Club in its catchment area to have ‘Golfmark High Achiever status.

Environmental Awards

The game of golf often gets bad press when environmental matters are discussed. More often than not this is far from the truth and some years ago the English Golf Union and STRI (Sports Turf Research Industry) set up an awards scheme to encourage clubs to improve their local environment.

Oswestry was one of the first Clubs to take advantage of the scheme and STRI Environmental Officer Lee Penrose visited the Club on a number of occasions. He recommended ways in which the Club could improve its ecological environment and at the same time enhance the overall appearance of the course. The work undertaken over a few years was assessed by EGU and STRI and the Club achieved the English golf Environment Award in 2004. The Head Green Keeper and his team were delighted to help implement the environmental policy and are very proud of how the course is presented. Actions taken to achieve the award included:

• Introducing deeper rough to more areas of the course to provide habitat and ‘highways’ for wildlife. These areas are usually well away from normal play and the sowing of wild flower seeds and planting of bulbs enhance the appearance of the course, especially in spring and summer when there is that special meadow effect as the long grasses and flowers gently wave in the breeze. An added benefit is the greater definition to individual holes.
• Locating bird nesting boxes throughout the course.
• Rather than burning logs from fallen trees, placing these logs in key locations to rot down and provide habitat for insects and small mammals; thus providing food for birds etc.
• Continuing the ‘Tree Programme’ by managing the trees on the course to take out the none natural trees and plant feature trees and hedges which provide improved habitat for wildlife.

The whole of the Environmental Programme is long term and is one of which the Club is proud. Work continues year on year to make further improvements.

When you next play the course or visit the Club hopefully you will be a little more aware of the work that has been going on behind the scenes for many years, the benefits of which have been evidenced by a gradual improvement in our environment and in providing a Club of which we can all be proud.