Kent Golf Academy is the latest addition to the impressive range of sporting facilities on offer at Baypoint Sports Club, near Sandwich.
This follows the decision of the academy’s founder, Howard Bonaccorsi, to accept an offer from Baypoint’s owners, who also own nearby Prince’s Golf Club, to re-locate his golf instruction and club-fitting operation from the Ashford area where it has been based for the past 11 years.
Bonaccorsi already has a strong connection with Prince’s where he has been a member for many years, and the same applies to Jude Read, his coaching colleague, who spent six years at the Sandwich Bay links as a trainee professional.
And now Howard, who honed his golfing skills on famous Scottish links courses such as Turnberry and Prestwick, is looking forward to using his instruction expertise to help boost the number of people “teeing off” regularly in another part of Britain famed for its links courses.
He said: “Golf has given me a lot over the years and I see this as a way of putting something back. The sport is in a temporary slump at the moment so we have a responsibility to make it more attractive to a wider demographic and that’s what we will be looking to do here.
“We have got the most up to date and technically advanced coaching and custom fitting facilities in the county, plus an outside short game practice area, and my message to the local golfing community is to come and give us a try because we offer something a little bit different from the norm.”
Read, a former head professional at Walmer & Kingsdown GC, added: “I had been teaching using outdoor facilities for many years, but weather and winter always caused problems leading to cancellations. Being warm and weatherproof, the indoor studios are the perfect solution to the unpredictable British weather and I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity because teaching golf is my passion..”
And Jude, who lives in Deal, explained some of the latest technology now in use at the academy. He said: “We’ve got two teaching studios fitted out with all the latest launch monitor equipment which is extremely accurate and gives instant feedback on ball and club data.We also use the V1 Pro camera systems and Cswing video analysis to record our clients’ golf swings and provide them with instant visual feedback.
“Another great system available to the public is the SAM (Science and Motion) Putting Lab to custom fit putters and provide putting lessons. It’s the best system available and enables us to show our clients exactly what they are doing and what changes need to be made.
“All of this digital equipment is also used to provide a custom fitting service providing our clients with the latest products from Titleist, Callaway and Mizuno.
“We want to encourage more people to take up golf and will be organising things like kids’ clubs. We pride ourselves on providing a professional, honest and trustworthy service to golfers of all ages and abilities or, as our strapline says, our goal is “Outdriving Expectations”.
For more details about the new Kent Golf Academy & Custom Fitting Centre at Baypoint, visit www.kentgolfacademy.com
Also now based at the academy is the corporate golf day provider Unique Golf Events and Southeast Amateur Golf Tour, run by events director Gemma Woodcock. For more information visit www.uniquegolfevents.com or call Gemma on 07515 856818.