The European Ryder Cup Development Trust is supporting Golf Roots, an inner city junior golf development project throughout 2009 and 2010.

Golf Roots is an initiative operated by the Golf Foundation that makes it possible for ‘hard to reach’ children and young people to experience golf for the first time, and hopefully to encourage them to take up the sport as regular participants. The project not only increases participation in golf amongst this new audience, but also promotes the benefits offered by golf in terms of health and the development of personal skills.

Each year for two years grass roots junior golf development activity will be delivered in 16 inner city or urban areas across England and Wales. Golf Roots will target children of school age and aims to:

• Raise the profile of golf in inner city and urban areas
• Challenge the perceptions of golf
• Create sustainable opportunities by engaging with a local delivery partner
• Demonstrate how golf can be used to develop a range of life skills and personal qualities
• Encourage more young people to become volunteers

In addition, as golf is well known for its standards (‘golfing etiquette’), the Golf Roots project also aims to promote the development of personal skills in order to encourage positive citizenship.

The projects in each city/urban area will consist of the delivery of Tri-Golf sessions in primary schools and Golf Xtreme sessions in secondary schools, with training workshops for teachers and volunteer leaders, with special emphasis on the training of young volunteers. Follow-on coaching with a PGA professional in a local golf facility will also be encouraged.

Golf Roots aims to introduce over 12,000 children to golf each year.

BBC Five Live presenter DJ Spoony is the main ambassador for the programme, and he will continue to support the project, along with The R&A, Grow Golf, National Sports Foundation and the European Tour.