The Tiago Sousa Golf Project is allowing children to try the sport for the first time
The Tiago Sousa Golf Project has achieved its first goal of bringing what it considers a misunderstood sport to a new generation of players in the Algarve.
This month saw the first lessons take place at Quinta do Lago, where students from Almancil’s local school group were given a unique opportunity to try golf. The first lesson took place on October 4 and was affected by a school strike, with the number of participants limited to 10 children and one teacher. The second was held on Monday, October 14, with 17 children and two teachers taking part, while the next will take place on Friday, October 18, followed by another eight until the end of the year.
Born from a tragic accident that took the life of 18-year-old golf prodigy Tiago Sousa in the USA, the project aims to honour Tiago’s memory by making golf more accessible to children who would otherwise never have the chance to play.
“The kids were smiling and having fun,” a delighted Kenneth Starreveld, Tiago’s father, told the Resident, adding that many of the children said they want to return for the next classes.
The goal is to eventually expand the project to other schools once it proves successful in Almancil.
Aside from giving children a chance to try golf, another major goal is to demystify golf and make it more accessible. As Kenneth points out, there is a common misconception in Portugal that golf is an expensive sport, reserved for the wealthy. However, he insists that for children, the cost of playing golf is often lower than other popular sports like football. “There’s a wrong assumption about the cost of golf in the Algarve,” Kenneth says.
“It’s less expensive than other sports, but people don’t know because everyone says it’s expensive. It’s not,” he insists, explaining that he ends up paying more for his youngest son to play football at a local club than to play rounds of golf.
The project’s goal to bring the joy of golf to others is inspired by Tiago’s own “genuine desire to help others, particularly younger players”.
You can learn more about the ‘Tiago Sousa Golf Project’ at www.tiagosousagolf.com, where donations can also be made, or by reading an in-depth article about the project in Clubhouse Algarve
