Gary Alliss Spreading the Gospel of Golf in Israel
PGA Cup captain and PGA Master professional Gary Alliss has taken his expertise to Israel in another joint venture between the PGAs of Europe and The R&A.
Alliss, head professional at The Belfry, is quickly establishing himself as a modern day golf missionary along with the other Golf Development Consultants who travel the world in this way, supported by surplus income from the staging of The Open Championship.
The 54-year-old embarked on a visit to the country, where its professionals are aiming to improve their understanding and coaching of the game. With just two golf courses in the country, one of which is closed for redevelopment and the other a nine-hole course, plus just 16 Israeli PGA members the region is ripe for growth.
“Having done a couple of overseas visits it struck me how very American orientated they were and the idea that nothing was worth having unless it was from the US,” said Alliss.
“I think part of it is cultural, and the fact they have close ties with America, but now they appreciate just how much The R&A and The PGAs of Europe have to offer. That alone made the trip worthwhile.”
Alliss has undergone similar trips to advise growing golfing nations - his previous assignment being to Slovakia. He reflected on his time in Israel and how they could move forward in a bid to increase golf’s popularity.
“We went to give them a training programme and went through all the training that the PGA trainees go through in three years,” he said.”We did some rules and some basic sports science. We did two full days in the classroom and were out in the field doing technical teaching. We also did clinics for adults and juniors which gave me the opportunity to see how the Israeli professionals taught.
“Their knowledge is good, their ability to spot a fault is good but because of a lack of formal training they lack structure and tend to flit from one place to another.
“I hope, and I think they hope, that in another 18 months they can have another visit and begin to put together a study programme that would focus on teaching, rules and a bit of sports science that would be recognised by the PGAs of Europe.”
He added: “I think more people would like to play and they’re crying out for more facilities, even driving ranges, as there is tremendous potential but it’s very difficult given the background and culture of the country.” As always the appropriate report will be considered by The R&A and The PGAs of Europe’s Education Committee so that a suitable programme can be put in place.
Adrian Milledge
PGA Professional
