SINCE moving to Gaudet Luce Golf Club, in Droitwich, three years ago Russell Adams has seen his golf academy go from strength to strength.

At the start of 2005, Adams arrived at Gaudet Luce and made it his goal to develop a thriving and successful academy within 10 years.

Firstly, he went to California to spend time with a coach who he had admired and believed gave a different style and approach. This gave Adams a fantastic base to start from and, on his return, set up the Russell Adams Golf Academy.

The academy’s ethos is based on its motto — ‘freedom to discover’.

Basically, Adams teaches that golf cannot be learned from a book or manual, but by discovering new ways that suit the individual.

Adams also spent time training under Dr Karl Morris, who is the head sports psychologist on The European Golf Tour.

This gave him a better understanding of how people behave in pressure situations and how to help his clients see new ways of coping with certain situations in life and golf.

During his journey over the last three years, Adams has also worked closely and trained with Instinctive Golf, who offer coaching that makes golf simpler to understand.

They aim to create more feel and vision in each golfer’s approach, rather than a head full of technical movements and positions.

The main aim over the first two years was to develop the academy’s junior section.

This year, the academy has reached number one in the Young Masters Junior Academy rankings for Worcestershire and the Gaudet Luce junior team has won the Midlands Junior League.

Since the introduction of Noel Woodman, who has joined to expand the coaching possibilities, the academy can now deliver golf to schools in and around the Droitwich area.

It will also help to promote golf in all Worcester schools over this winter.

Adams’ next goal is to introduce a women’s academy with the idea of building the Gaudet Luce ladies section up to become a strong force in Worcestershire.

For more information, call Adams or Woodman on 01905-796375 or e-mail russell@rus selladamsgolfacademy.co.uk.

Fourteen-year-old Tom Waldron shot an amazing nett 55 to easily win the men’s mid-week medal. Following a fine run of form, the youngster has now seen his handicap drop to 18.

Another great prospect, 14-year-old George Palmer, fired a fantastic gross 72 (nett 61) to take the club’s junior stableford competition, reducing his handicap to 9.9.