Safety Considerations:  

*** PRIOR TO ALL ACTIVITIES - STRETCH OUT MUSCLES USED IN SWINGING AND WALKING ***

(this includes trunk / shoulders / arms and leg muscles)

 

Putting Practice (inside the gym)

-  Have students either putt in a well defined and spaced out area, or if space is limited then have all students putt in one direction to avoid balls hitting each other and students slipping on rolling/stationary golf balls.

-  Have students remain at least 2 arms lengths distance away from each other to ensure proper spacing and avoid club contact with other clubs or with individuals.

-  Have students all retrieve their balls at the same time (once everyone is finished hitting).  This should be applied whenever anyone is hitting, no matter what type of stroke/swing. 

Hitting Irons (outside on school fields)  

-  Use plastic golf balls, whiffle balls, or sponge balls to eliminate the chance of injury in being struck by an arrant ball.  The use of these balls also reduces the chance of damage to property of the ball is miss hit.  These balls should also be used on the chipping course and when playing virtual golf

-  Have all student hit from a line on the field and keep three club lengths in between each golfer.  Observing students should stand 5 meters back from the golfers 

-  Students should not retrieve struck balls until the teacher has given permission and all students are finished hitting.

-  Introduce students to the term 'fore'  - when and where to use it, and what to do when you hear someone else say 'fore' 

Driving Range

-  Students should remain in their own designated stalls/sections for driving practice.  Students must hit off the appropriate mats or grass in each stall.

-    When classmates are observing each other, they must stay 5 meters back from the student that is hitting to avoid being struck by stray golf balls or back-swinging clubs.

·        Students must under no circumstance go beyond the from of their stalls to retrieve golf  balls whether they are 2 feet in front of the stalls or 200 feet.

Golf Course

-  In foursome groups (or other groups), have all students stand far behind the student who is hitting.  This allows students to follow where their classmate's shot goes and also keeps them from getting hit by the ball or the club.

-  Wait until group ahead of you has finished the hole and has moved onto the next hole before you proceed to play on.

-  Teacher should move around between different groups to ensure safe play and assist students when needed.

-  Remove pin from hole and place off green when players have reached the green to avoid interference with shots and a possible tripping hazard. 

 

VIDEO ON IMPROPER SAFETY  -- >       < --  SCROLL OVER BOX TO WATCH

(Above Video Courtesy of Chipshot.com)

 

~Special Safety Considerations~

    If there are students in the class with  ADD/HD, they should not be paired together for the exercises or for the golfing foursomes as they might feed off each other and cause more difficulties for you as a teacher and for their fellow students.  Extra supervision is required for the foursomes that the ADD/HD students are included in as they may find it hard to be patient while the rest of their group golfs, or they may be easily distracted and struck by a ball.

    Teachers must also be aware of foreign students that have a hard time with the English language (ESL students) as they may also be a safety concern. Safety issues must be well understood by these students and due to the partner work in this unit, these students should be paired up with fellow students that are good communicators and understand and can speak English. 

    For visually or hearing impaired students, again, they should be paired up with an able bodied peer and it is also advised that if they are going to participate that they have their guide/aid help them with the activities. 

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