As Newport looks forward to welcoming the Ryder Cup in just over 12 months time, Welsh golfing legend, Ian Woosnam, is throwing his weight behind the next generation of golfers taking to the green.

With four of the city’s golf clubs signing up to the Sports Council for Wales’ Dragon Sport campaign, the former Ryder Cup captain hopes the programme will help hone the skills of future successful Welsh golfers:

"Dragon Sport provides an excellent opportunity for youngsters to learn golf in a fun, simple and safe way. It will enable those who are new to the game to get involved in this fantastic sport as we look forward to welcoming The Ryder Cup next year and to be inspired by the Welsh golfing stars of the future that are coming through the ranks."

The lottery funded Dragon Sport programme – Wales’ biggest campaign to get primary school children hooked on out-of-school-hours sport – is helping draw more children into sport and is now active in 96% of primary schools across the country.

As well as golf, Dragon Sport also introduces youngsters to rugby, athletics, cricket, football, hockey, netball and tennis.

Llanwern, Tredegar Park and Caerleon Golf Clubs - along with The Ryder Cup 2010 hosts Celtic Manor - are the latest in a long line of clubs across Wales to get on board with the Sports Council for Wales and are offering Newport’s 7-11 year-olds the opportunity to learn the tricks of the golf trade and use their rated facilities.

Over 550 youngsters in the area have already picked up their putters and taken part in the programme, and Wales’ own Jo Pritchard – who is currently travelling the world on the Ladies European Tour – is playing her part in encouraging even more to try their hand at the sport.

The golf professional, who runs Dragon Sport sessions for Caerleon Golf Club, comments:

"Dragon Golf is a fantastic way of introducing children to the game as the sessions can take place anywhere. Being able to take such a bright, fast and fun session into a school environment is a successful way of showing the children just how much fun they can have when playing golf."

The clubs are organising five week taster sessions in primary schools, where local golf coaches and professionals, like Pritchard, teach the youngsters the basic skills needed to play.

The budding young golfers then try their hand at playing on a real course, in the hope that they’ll continue building on the skills they have already learnt and take up regular lessons at the club.

Pritchard continues:

"We’re running a very successful Dragon Sport programme at Caerleon which has already involved us working alongside eight different primary schools in the area. At each school we spend an hour a week with pupils for a five week period, during this time we teach them all the different aspects of golf in game-based, fun sessions – 69 children participated in our latest festival."

Over 35 of Newport’s primary schools have now experienced golf taster sessions through the Sports Council for Wales’ programme, which is run at a local level by the sport development team at Newport County Council.

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

"As the Ryder Cup draws nearer, we hope boys and girls across Wales take up the many opportunities on offer to take to the course. Dragon Sport is exceeding all expectations and I’m pleased that so many schools and clubs are providing fun and safe sports sessions for primary school children."