The JOLF Man

Today, JOLF turns 15. ❤️⛳

On 10 September 2011, after months of writing, planning and wondering whether the idea would actually work, we delivered JOLF for the very first time.

Fifteen years later, we’re still here — although JOLF looks very different.

In this special birthday episode of The JOLF Man, Neil looks back at where JOLF came from, why it was created and how the thinking has evolved through 15 years and tens of thousands of experiences with children and families.

From an original golf-club-based coaching programme built around giving children more ownership of their learning, through COVID, a move into schools, becoming a CIC, specialist SEND provision and JOLF Nurture, to today’s growing programme of schools, Family SEND sessions and JOLF in the Park.

Neil reflects on some of the biggest lessons along the way: putting the child before the technique, using fewer words, knowing when not to coach, adapting the experience rather than expecting the child to adapt, and recognising something very simple:

If children love playing JOLF and want to play again, that’s enough.

The episode also looks forward.

With the support of the Kate & Justin Rose Foundation, JOLF is now developing its work across Mid Sussex and Worthing and beginning to explore a model that connects:

Schools → Local communities → Families → Play again → Play more → JOLFer to GOLFer

The ambition is simple, even if achieving it isn’t:

Enjoyable, meaningful, inclusive and accessible experiences of golf for EVERYONE, ANYWHERE.

Thank you to every child, parent, family, coach, teacher, school, partner, funder, volunteer and friend who has been part of the first 15 years.

Here’s to the next 15. 🎂⛳

Golf for EVERYONE, ANYWHERE.

Review of the Summer ☀️⛳

The JOLF Man Podcast is back!

We haven’t recorded much over the summer — mainly because we’ve been rather busy actually doing JOLF.

In this episode, Neil is joined by Owen and Lewis to look back on an incredible summer that saw more than 2,000 children, parents, grandparents and family members playing JOLF across Sussex.

From JOLF in the Park and Mid Sussex Play Days to Boogie at the Bandstand, JOLF on the Farm, camps and community events, we took JOLF into parks, green spaces and some slightly unexpected places — and people came. And came back. And brought other people with them.

We talk about the moments that made us smile, the children and families who surprised us, what we learned from watching people play, why sometimes the best coaching is simply giving someone a club and letting them figure it out, and why seeing children who know JOLF from school turn up and play with their families felt particularly important.

There are stories of two-year-olds, teenagers, parents, grandparents, wheelchairs, volunteers, scorching sunshine, torrential rain and Neil worrying that nobody was going to turn up…

Most importantly, we talk about what the summer taught us about where JOLF goes next.

Another incredible school year comes to a close, we thought we’d sit down, look back and reflect on everything we’ve achieved. Joining me are our awesome JOLF coaches, Lewis and Owen, to share some of our favourite memories, biggest challenges and funniest moments from the year. We’ve visited 65 schools, introduced more than 15,000 children to golf, and seen some truly inspiring journeys.

We’re coming towards the end of another busy summer term. We’ve still got a few more JOLF Days to deliver, our final JOLF Nurture sessions to complete, and one last SEND Family JOLF session before we head into what promises to be a fantastic summer.

Over the holidays we’ll be out in the community with JOLF in the Park, Boogie in the Bandstand, Mid Sussex District Council Play Days, and plenty of other opportunities for children and families to have a go at golf.

But today, I wanted to talk about something that’s become a really important part of what we do – pupil voice.

Last week we visited Blackthorns Primary School in Haywards Heath, where every child from Reception to Year 6 took part in a JOLF Day. Afterwards, we collected feedback from the children, asking three simple questions:

Have you played golf before?

Did you enjoy playing golf?

Would you like to play more golf?

We also asked what they enjoyed most about the day.

In this episode, I’ll share the statistics, some brilliant comments from the children, and explain how thousands of pupil voice forms collected over the last five years continue to shape the way we deliver JOLF.

What do children really think about JOLF? Rather than telling you ourselves, we thought we'd let them do the talking. During our recent JOLF Day at Southbourne Junior School, three Year 6 Sports Leaders grabbed a microphone and interviewed the children taking part. There were no scripts, no rehearsals and no prompts—just honest conversations. The result is a wonderful insight into what children value, enjoy and remember most about their JOLF experience. I hope you enjoy listening.

This week is UK Coaching Week 2026, and I’m proud that JOLF has been invited to be part of the conversation. The theme this year is Purposeful Play, and rather than talking about coaching techniques or drills, I wanted to take some time to reflect on what purposeful play really means to me.

In this episode, I share how play has become the foundation of everything we do at JOLF, why children should spend more time doing than listening, and how meaningful experiences—not perfect technique—help children build confidence, develop skills and discover a lifelong enjoyment of physical activity.

I hope it gives you something to think about, whether you’re a coach, teacher, parent or simply someone who wants children to have better experiences through sport.

#PurposefulPlay

#UKCoachingWeek

#PlayItForward

It’s shaping up to be a very busy summer for JOLF, so I thought I’d share what we’re up to, where we’re going and how thousands of children and families will be getting involved. From schools and nurture sessions to camps, community events and JOLF in the Park, there’s plenty to look forward to.

Yesterday we launched JOLF in the Park – free, accessible golf sessions for children and families in local parks across Mid Sussex.

It feels like the natural next step from our JOLF Days, JOLF PE and JOLF Nurture sessions, taking golf beyond the school gates and into the community.

In this episode, I’ll explain what JOLF in the Park is, why we’re doing it, where we’ll be this summer, and how together we can make golf truly for EVERYONE, ANYWHERE.

This episode of The JOLF Man podcast explores the power of predictability, repeatability, and routine when working with children, especially those with additional needs. After conversations with teachers in specialist schools, and experiences delivering JOLF Nurture, cricket, and community sessions, I’m becoming more convinced that children thrive when they know what to expect. In a world that often feels loud, busy, and overwhelming, simple repeated structures help children feel safe, calm, and ready to play. Sometimes, what adults see as “boring repetition” is exactly what children need to build confidence, trust, resilience, and ultimately the courage to take part and grow.

We must get asked this question 20 times a day!