This week the first ever Ladies’ Golf Academy got underway at Sidmouth Golf Club, writes Andrea Milton.

Sidmouth Herald: The Sidmouth ladies’ Mixed Texas Scramble winners, Janet Humberstone and Anne Blackler pictured with ladies captain Sheila Faulkner and club captain Colin Macklin.The Sidmouth ladies’ Mixed Texas Scramble winners, Janet Humberstone and Anne Blackler pictured with ladies captain Sheila Faulkner and club captain Colin Macklin. (Image: Archant)

It has proved to be so popular that two separate academy sessions will be run each week to accommodate all the ladies who signed up.

Ladies’ captain Sheila Faulkner was on hand to welcome the ladies with coffee and biscuits then academy co-ordinator Andrea Milton gave a run through of the planned lessons and a tour of the clubhouse, before introducing the ladies to our PGA professional Ross Troake. In glorious sunshine, Ross took the group of nine ladies onto the golf course for what was, for many of them, their first time of picking up a golf club. There was lots of good instruction, plenty of banter and many very good strikes of the golf ball during the hour long lesson.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and were chatting with their new friends in no time.

We are looking forward to the second group of academy ladies who start their lessons this Saturday (May 19).