Hoerman Cup golf for Tobago

GOVERNMENT has announced several bold initiatives to boost the development of golf in Trinidad and Tobago.

This comes on the heels of the biggest tornament in the region, the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships to be staged at the Plantations Beach and Golf Resort, Tobago from August 3 to 10. Yesterday, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes made the commitment to the organisers of the tournament at the launch of the championships in the Flamingo Room of the Hilton Trinidad in Port-of-Spain. Present were president of the Trinidad amd Tobago Golf Association Clarence Wilcox, Bernard Pantin of the Sponsorship Committee, Tournament Director Bill Agard and former top player Robert Charlett representing Tobago Plantations.

Minister Boynes said apart from making a financial contribution towards the staging of the $1.5 million competition, Government will soon provide the services of two qualified coaches to assist in the overall development plans for the game. He said he was impresssed with the Golf Association’s programmes which turn out at least 45 juniors every four months who benefit from learning the basics of the game. “It appears that golf is now in the hands of the youth,” said Boynes.  It is also planned that golf, previously seen as a hobby for well-established retirees, will play a key role at the recently opened and highly touted Academy of Sports at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus.

Boynes also revealed that a new golf course will also be constructed in east Trinidad by Home Contruction Limited and the Trinity Millennium Housing Project. Also, the sport is set to occupy pride of place in a major thrust to promote Trinidad and Tobago as a leading sport/tourism destination in the Caribbean in a soon to be announced mega-project under the auspices of the Government. Boynes also confirmed that the only public golf course in the Caribbean at Chaguaramas will be upgraded to 18 holes which he assured will raise further interest in the game and expand the possibilities taking into consideration TT’s penchant for producing elite athletes.

Among them are Stephen Ames, world ranked professional golfer; Ato Boldon, world champion runner; Jean Pierre, international netball star now deceased; Brian Lara, world batting double-record holder and Hasely Crawford, this country’s first and only Olympic gold medallist; and world boxing title-holders Claude Noel and Leslie “Tiger” Stewart. Wilcox said the tournament, popularly known as the Hoerman Cup, but actually comprises four championship division — which will be extended by one more this year — will attract at least 120 golfers from 10 countries.

The last time TT staged the tournament was ten years ago when the hosts made a clean sweep of the honours at St Andrew’s Golf Club at Moka, Maraval. He said apart from the impact the tournament will have for the game locally, there are also significant benefits to be derived from the tourism aspect since the teams will be accompanied by scores of supporters. Wilcox stressed that the young upcoming golfers need incentives to aspire to the highest standards similar to what are afforded by the Caribbean Championships and their development can be hastened by the availability of coaching facilities. “Only then can they be expected to take their place on the trail currently being blazed by Stephen Ames,” said Wilcox.