The Gate December 2017 | Page 6

National Teams Flock to Bishops Gate Golf Academy for Winter Training Bishops Gate Golf Academy played host to three national teams for their early winter training. The Danish, Scottish and Estonia National Teams used BGGA as the hub to bring their college and professional golfers together for training. The team members all live in separate places and attend different colleges, so a meeting ground is the easiest way to bring them all together to be evaluated and trained by their national team coaches. “The reason we are back at Bishops Gate is to gather all of the college players we have from Denmark,” said Thomas Larssom, Danish National Team Head Men’s Coach. “Instead of traveling around the whole U.S.A., we come here and have a practice camp to analyze all the players and set goals for the winter and new season.” BGGA offers the teams a place to stay and train at a world-class facility with great weather in the late fall and winter months. “We choose to come to BGGA because the facilities are great,” said Ian Rae, Scottish National Team Head Coach. “It’s a pure practice facility. We have loads of space on the range, 11 great holes, putting greens and chipping greens. And the weather!” Timo Karvinen, Estonia National Team Head Coach, says he chose BGGA because “of the amazing facilities.” Karvinen states there are no facilities like this in Europe. There were five men and seven women from Denmark in attendance representing colleges like Baylor, Houston and the University of Florida. The Estonia National Team brought three professionals, two juniors and one amateur with them to work on the technical aspects of their game. The Scottish National Team brought seven players who are all college based. The five men range from 150 in the world rankings to about 650 or 700. The two women in attendance are in the top 200 in the world. This is the third time the Danish Team has trained at BGGA and the second time for the Scottish team. “It’s probably one of the best places we’ve been, so we keep coming back,” said Larssom. BGGA enjoys having the teams visit and looks forward to more arriving in December and into the new year.