Golf guru Dominic Wall. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

What Guru Greg could not do with the cricket seniors, Guru Dominic could well do with the golf juniors.

Dominic Wall, the man who shaped the fabled Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) golf programme, launched 15 years ago in Melbourne, is helping the Indian Golf Union (IGU) restructure its junior programme.

The tournament director of Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation spent a day at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club (RCGC) last week.

“I would be glad to come in with my inputs,” said the Victorian golf guru. “The concept is to create a solid training base for the players. We will try and replicate modules suited to the Indian context, and prepare programmes tailored to the situation here.”

The IGU junior programme is banking on Wall to ride the recent wave of golfing success. “We need a proper blueprint of a structured junior programme to cash in on the rising interest in the game. Dominic Wall can show us the way,” said Jaideep Chitlangia, the chairman of IGI.

The best place to tee off would be the city schools, stressed Wall, with fun concepts like Go-Go golf, where a youngster can strike a rubberised golf ball a 100 yards. “The underlying principles for initiation drills should be fun, safety and participation.”

The RCGC conclave, attended by representatives of IGU’s four zonal programmes, underlined the broad contours of the Indian golf structure and requested Wall — who has also restructured the Taiwanese elite development programme and is reviewing the high-performance scene in Singapore — to help revitalise the Indian junior programme.

The strength of Australia’s elite golf development programme lies in it interweaving a number of activities from various levels and “presenting a clear pathway for talented golfers to develop”.

The system uses unique performance-analysis techniques including 3D swing analysis, coaching assessments, physiological screening, strength, psychological profiling and training, personal development training and career counselling.

The IGU brass has given the golf guru a sweeping brief that ranges from imparting social skills to broad-basing the sport in the country.

According to Wall, a holistic approach towards grooming golfers is critical, since “golf doesn’t allow you to get away with bad manners”.

“Today, golf beckons not just as a sporting option, but as a huge career opportunity,” stressed IGU vice-president Ashit Luthra.