Dec. 27, 2004 – Northern Caribbean University (NCU) is teaming up with the Jamaica Golfers Association (JGA) to begin an introductory course in golf, come August 2005, the university has announced.

The course, which will be offered within the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS), will be a one-credit elective. Students may choose between golf or health and physical education, which currently values two credits.

NCU has not yet determined the source of the teaching staff and the details of the course content, but says the JGA will be assisting the university with technical and professional expertise.

Plans for the course were formalized at a December 9 meeting between NCU president Dr Herbert Thompson; chair of CNAS Dr Paul Gyles; JGA president Gordon Hutchinson; and Carl Lawson, consultant with the Manchester Golf Club.

Gyles reported that the course is being added to popularize the sport among students.
"Golf needs to be more popular at the tertiary level and among young people. We need to break away from the stigma that golf is a rich man's sport," said a NCU release quoting Gyles.

"We feel that this will broaden the exposure of students to this international industry and this exposure will build character and skill for students." The idea was first mooted by Thompson, an avid golfer who has long expressed the view that sporting interest ought to extend beyond those types of play that are common in Jamaica.

NCU already hosts the annual Manchester Golf Open.