Week 1 - Golf

Skill focus: Introduction to golf, chipping, putting

Session equipment:

Tennis Balls
Go-go balls (or similiar)
1 x golf club per player (or alternative such as a bat or racquet)
Marker cones

While some schools will not have access to the specific equipment and facilities used for golf (such as clubs, go-go golf balls and tees), it is still possible for the sport to be experienced through the use of similar equipment, such as tennis balls, soft balls, bats, racquets and cones.

Download Golf - Week 1 activity card to support teaching before and during the sport session.

Select card to download

Fast start - Capture

Equipment: 8 markers (to set out playing area), 4 sets of 8 braids or similar (4 different colours).

How to play:

Four students are designated taggers who each wear a different coloured braid. The rest of the students are 'free'.
The taggers chase the students who are free and attempt to tag them.
When a free student is tagged they then put on a braid of the same colour worn by the student who has tagged them and become a tagger.
The aim is to tag the most students and create the biggest team.

CHANGE IT!

Vary the size of the playing area.
Use equipment while moving around the playing area (eg bouncing a ball)

Skill development

Choosing teams

In a sport education approach, affiliation is promoted by students being a member of the same team over a period of time. It is intended that students remain in these teams for the duration of each sport program for the skill development and the modified small-sided games, so that they can develop and learn together.

Place students in equal teams, 4 teams is optimal, at the beginning of the skill development session. Strategies for forming groups can be found in the Game-based learning in sport and physical activity e-learning course.
To further promote affiliation students can decide on a team name.
Once the teams are determined you can add the team and student names to the Golf draw template.

Activity 1 - Kolap

Equipment: 3 or 4 Go Go Golf balls per pair (or similar balls), 1 or 2 clubs per pair (e.g. a putter and a 7-iron) or a bat or racquet

How to play: This is a modification of a throwing (target) game that was played on Mer Island in the Torres Strait. Objects (kolaps) are hit (chipped or putted) onto a target such as a mat. Players aim to reach a set score. (Play in teams of 2.)

Players attempt to hit or chip their kolaps (ball) onto the mat or target in front of them.
One player starts the game and hits 4 kolaps. A player from the second team hits next.
Vary the type of club according to ability.

Kolap - Playing for Life Activity Card

Teaching tip:

When players are chipping, make sure their swing is between 7 o’clock and 5 o’clock.

Snakes Alive - Playing for Life Activity Card

Activity 2 - Snakes Alive

Equipment: 1 Go Go Golf ball (or similar ball) per player, 1 or 2 putters (or a bat or racquet) per team

How to play: The first ball hit becomes the head of the snake. Players then hit one ball at a time, aiming to place each ball behind the previous one. The aim is to form the longest snake. (Play in teams of 4 or more.)

Use a putter to hit the ball.
Each team plays the first ball on a signal.
The second ball is played on a signal, and so on for the remainder of the balls.
To ensure the last ball is a meaningful hit, a line is placed in front of each team and the ball must go beyond the line for the ball to count – otherwise every team will finish with a python!

Activity 3 - Bombard

Equipment: 2 Go Go Golf balls (or similar balls) per player, 1 putter or 7-iron per player (or a bat or racquet)

How to play: With teams working in parallel, players hit smaller balls at a large target ball and try to move the target ball over a goal line. (Play with 2 or more teams of 4–6.)

Players chip or putt the balls at the target.
If necessary, call ‘STOP!’, allowing players to retrieve balls that are in their playing area – this may include some opposition balls. Restart play once all players have moved back out of the playing area.
Vary the type of club according to ability

Bombard - Playing for Life Activity Card

Hit and Catch - Playing for Life Activity Card

Activity 4 - Hit and Catch

Equipment: 1 Go Go Golf ball (or suitable ball e.g. a tennis ball or foam ball) per player, 1 7-iron per player (or other lightweight hitting implement)

How to play: Form pairs. One partner plays a chip shot so the other one can catch it without moving from a spot.

In pairs, one player hits a ball to their partner using a 7-iron.
The partner attempts to catch the ball while standing inside a hoop (or a designated space).
Start with players standing 5 metres apart.
Swap roles after 5 hits.

Modified small-sided games

It's time for competition!

Teams compete against each other in the game outlined below. You can use the 'Golf Draw' as a guide to organise the competition, across the 4 sessions try to ensure each team has a fair number of games.

Allocate 3 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and 1 point for a loss for each game played. Record results and points in the School sport program results spreadsheet.

Remember, to give students an update of the leader board each week.

Game - Engage All

Equipment: 1 tennis ball per game, 1 7-iron or putter per player or alternative such as a bat or racquet

How to play: A batting team and a fielding team. A ball is hit (chipped or putted) into the field. The batter runs around team-mates and all fielders run to the ball to touch it at the same time. The batter keeps running until someone from the fielders calls ‘STOP’. (Play with no more than 5 per team).