John Pritchard: The Volunteer Coach Behind 282 Sessions in a Single Year

John Pritchard's route into coaching started with a favour. Willie White was running a popular Saturday junior session at Niddry Castle Golf Club when John, overheard chatting about getting his grandchildren into golf, was asked if he'd like to help out. The club put him through his PGA Level 1, and John has been coaching ever since. "It was as simple as that," he says.

These days, that simple start has grown into something remarkable. In 2025 alone, despite some serious health challenges, John delivered 282 coaching sessions, including girls' programmes, 85 Unleash Your Drive sessions in schools, and work with the Beavers and Down's Syndrome Scotland, alongside his own fundraising through a half marathon and bucket collections. It's that scale of commitment that saw John awarded the Sir Henry Cotton Award at this year's President's Awards.

He isn't slowing down. John has started working with schools to understand how the P4 curriculum can align with golf, and how the mental toughness tools taught through Unleash Your Drive can carry into the classroom and beyond. He also plans to use his award donation to help fund transport, taking pupils to the course for Lesson 6 of Unleash Your Drive, when they get to plot their way from tee to green on the shorter holes. "For many, it will be the first time to see all the features of a golf course."

For anyone weighing up volunteering in golf, John's advice is grounded and practical. "They must work out how many hours they can commit to and keep it realistic. They should not worry about skill level. Often no prior experience is necessary, passion matters more than technical skill, and until they find their feet, they will be working with a more experienced coach. The club will evaluate their time and suitability, and advise on training and safeguarding steps so that they are fully prepared."