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Join our Facebook group: Sanddancer Community Japan Park Golf to get updates with what is going on.

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Follow our Facebook page: Sanddancer Community Japan Park Golf to get updates with what is going on.

Introduction

'Japan Park Golf' is a new game which we would like to introduce to England, which is already played in Scotland, Japan, USA, Brazil, Paraguay, and Sweden.

Community Park Golf aims to encourage members of the community, of all ages and abilities, to come along and have fun playing the game.

'Sanddancer Community Japan Park Golf' offers a barrier-free, recreational form of golf to members of the local community who are massively under-represented in sporting activities. We proactively engage with people who face life challenges, to uplift their confidence and sense of health and wellbeing by playing and socialising with others.

Why Park Golf?

Park Golf recognises the physical, mental and technical challenges of taking up golf. Traditional golf is played on lengthy courses, It's not a game that you can immediately start to play as it takes a lot of practice and patience to control the distance and direction of your shots. 'Park Golf' removes all the technical challenges of playing traditional golf.

The game is extremely simple and safe - it involves a player, one club and one ball, played over a short course.

The course we have provisionally mapped out and tested at The North Marine Park, South Shields, is ideally suited to 'Park Golf'. It is a six-hole course, appropriate for people of all ages and abilities.

The custom-built course is ready to welcome individuals and groups who could benefit massively from taking part in this new game. Moreover, 'Park Golf' can be played on any grass area. All that is required is the setting up of temporary tees and holes/flags, which we can supply, making this community amenity immediately available to everyone.

Health and Wellbeing Benefits

Research has shown that the following five actions can help to improve a person's mental and physical well-being:

• Connect - Connecting with people helps to fulfil and enrich your every day.
• Be Active - Any form of physical activity, however mild will make you feel good, especially if you enjoy it and it suits your level of mobility and fitness.
• Take notice - Being aware of the world around you and what you are feeling is very good for your health. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you
• Keep learning - Try something new , like a new game. Learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun
• Giving of yourself - Being linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

'Park Golf' ticks all of the boxes for the above criteria and is ideally suited to benefit the local community of South Tyneside in regard to mental and physical well-being. We will follow the same pathway that has been so successful at Dunnikier Park Community Golf in Scotland.

Here is some of the feedback from people involved there:

“Made me forget all my troubles. Enjoyed the tea break after the round!”

“Good fun, social and fresh air. Felt relaxed”

“Fantastic day, so much fun. Will try again”