Junior Membership

Junior Membership is available for girls of all abilities under the age of 18 on the 1st January who reside in the County, who were born in the County, or who are members of a Midlothian County member club. An annual subscription of £10.00 is payable and membership runs from January to December each year. The parents or guardians of all juniors (existing and new) should complete the Membership Form at the bottom of this page. Our Junior Administrator Hilary Laughland will then be in touch to progress your membership and request payment, starting from the second week in January. If you have any queries, please email Hilary at juniorcoaching@mclga.com.

Junior Coaching  

MCLGA organise monthly coaching sessions guided by PGA professional coaches at the Braid Hills Driving Range on the first Sunday of every month (except July and August). Dates for 2025 are 2nd March, 6th April, 4th May, and 1st June. The coaching is supported by the following events, to help the juniors put their skills into practice. 

• Sunday 23 March - Templar Golf Course - 2pm onwards - This is a MCLGA Braid Junior coaching session held on the Templar Golf Course. This will take a similar format to before where each group will be sent out with a MCLGA representative and be given some tips on golf etiquette. For the younger girls parents can also walk round, if they prefer. Please confirm attendance to juniorcoaching@mclga.com by Friday 14th March as this gives us time to prepare the groupings and confirm numbers to Swanston.    


• Saturday 12 April - MCLGA Wee Braids Competition - 2pm onwards - This competition is open to all MCLGA junior girls and is played over the Wee Braids Golf Course. There is a plate for the best scratch score but there will also be prizes for 2 age categories - 12's and over and under 12's, plus some hidden prizes. It's a friendly and safe environment for those girls who feel they are ready to try their first competition and playing a golf course for the first time. MCLGA representatives will be at this event to help the girls get round. This competition also has some basic rules - maximum of 10 shots per hole, no more than 4 putts and no more than 3 shots in a bunker. This is to help ensure they keep up pace and with the game in front. The course will be shortened for the very young girls. Entries can be sent now to  juniorcoaching@mclga.com and will close on 4th April, so we have time to do the draw and confirm numbers to Wee Braids. Late entries can only be permitted if there is space.


• Sunday 20 April - MCLGA Junior Spring Meeting - Dunbar - This competition will be run by the Stephen Gallagher Foundation (SGF) this year as a trial. Amy Foster, MCLGA Junior Secretary (juniors@mclga.com), is currently working with SGF and will share more information on this event and the girls 9 hole Spring Meeting in due course. 


• Sunday 14 September, Templar Golf Course - 2pm onwards - Braids Girls Coaching


• Sunday 28 September, Templar Golf Course - 2pm onwards - Adult/Junior competition 

The coaching sessions and competitions are fun and provide an opportunity to get into golf, make friends, consider joining a club, and enter competitions. No handicap is needed, but we can support anyone wishing to get one.

The cost of the coaching is £110, payable in two instalments as follows:

• £55 paid in January (to cover the February to June sessions)
• £55 paid in August (to cover the September to January sessions).

Please contact the Junior Administrator, Hilary Laughland, at juniorcoaching@mclga.com for more details.

Looking to progress to the next stage...

Juniors who have aspirations to obtain a World Handicap Index (WHI), or who have a handicap and are interested in developing their skills further are encouraged to liase with our dedicated county PGA coach, Chloe Thackery of the Swanston Golf Academy. Chloe has a wealth of knowledge on developing girls in the county having worked with our development squad for a number of years, and continues to hold group coaching sessions with our Ladies Squad. Details on how to contact Chloe can be found here.