Tommy Fleetwood Academy on a mission to encourage youngsters to take up golf

The Tommy Fleetwood Academy (TFA) is leading the charge to inspire young people to take up the game of golf in Dubai thanks to a partnership with DP World, recycling a shipping container into a mobile golf studio that is taken to local schools to deliver get-into-golf sessions.

Since its inception in 2023, the TFA team has visited five schools, for one week at a time, where they deliver fun golf-based games and activities to children of all ages and abilities.

The container was also on-site during the 2023 DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates, for children and families to use during the tournament.

Originally a shipping container, it has been refurbished into a state-of-the-art studio with the front side folding down to create a hitting bay with Trackman technology and practice hitting the net. The studio also features an AI-generated picture of Tommy Fleetwood in the studio for selfies.

Tim Backhouse, Head Professional at the Tommy Fleetwood Academy in Dubai, said, “All of us at the Tommy Fleetwood Academy Dubai are extremely proud to be involved in this amazing project with DP World.

It’s been so fulfilling to see the container studio come to life and the team begin to deliver get-into-golf sessions to children around the city.

“The container swing studio enables the kids to try the sport in familiar territory, with no pressure to buy any equipment upfront, and they can enjoy competing with their friends,: he added.

“Keeping the sport simple and engaging for junior golfers instils not only a love of the game but a desire to get better,

"By providing the equipment, the expertise, and the opportunity, we hope to continue inspiring young people to fall in love with this great game," Backhouse concluded.

Trackman technology enables youngsters to engage in the game in several unique ways, with various formats and competitions between 30 and 40 kids at a time.

There are between 40 and 60 sessions carried out in the week before the shipping container continues across Dubai to the next school.

When there is an accessible sports pitch on the school grounds, the TFA team can set up hitting mats and targets on the turf; to help the kids work on their hand-eye coordination.

A handful of schools are offering golf as an extracurricular activity, where once a week the juniors visit the TFA at Jumeirah Golf Estates with the TFA team now providers of extra credit in schools.

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