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SOUTH EDITION
Fraudsters face sunburn
The DWP have warned of a clamp down on benefit thieves in Spain. PAGE 6
Your English Newspaper
iSSUE 653
20 APR -26 APR 2012
Nightclub signs cause fury
Costa Blanca residents and visitors are in uproar following the opening of a new nightclub which uses offensive language to promote their business. PAGE 8
Charlie Dimmock is coming to the Costa Blanca! PAGE 33
Sam has eye on big prize
With a 100 percent pass rate, Sam is now a fully qualified WGTF golf teacher by louise clarke JUST OVER two years ago Sam Curtis from Torrevieja, was applying to be part of RTN’s Golf Factor Experience. Now the 18-year-old is a fully qualified WGTF golf teacher and joins his fellow Golf Factor companion, Natasha (Nats) Woodhams and RTN’s golf guru, Noel Eastwell as three of just four WTGF coaches in the Alicante province. Sam took his teaching exams at the end of last month and passed them with flying colours. RTN caught up with Sam and Noel at El Plantio Golf Club near Alicante, where all four WTGF teachers are based and Sam explained what happened: “The exams were taken over seven days. Half a day was spent in the classroom and half a day was on the golf course practising strokes and doing drills and learning how to teach them.” 100% PASS RATE
Noel and Sam
Sam, along with nine other students from other European countries such as Serbia, Sweden and Ireland, were constantly assessed and given a ‘dummy’ golfer to teach. Sam continued: “They then assessed us on our teaching practices and on how we coped as a teacher.” Noel, who was part of the assessing team, said: “All nine who took part passed the course which is a first; usually there are two or three that can’t cope with the intensity of the course. But this was the first time ever that we’ve had a 100% pass rate and that
just goes to show the calibre of Sam and his fellow students.” Sam, who finished school last September and now works at Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, was the youngest of the golfers taking the exam. He told RTN: “I came here for a week and I basically ate, breathed and slept golf! In fact, I had very little sleep as we had so much to study!” PROFESSIONAL Noel is so proud of his two young prodigies; both of whom were two of four youngsters picked out from hundreds of applicants for RTN’s Golf Factor. He said: “To say that we had one of the Golf Factor kids qualify as a WTGF coach was an achievement, but to now have two is absolutely brilliant!” Sam is now looking at teaching full time, but ultimately he still has his eye on the big prize and intends to play as much golf as he can over the next few months so that he can improve his game, get his handicap down to scratch and hopefully register as a professional. “I have lots of ambition,” Sam said, “and I fully intend to work as hard as I can to reach my ultimate goal of becoming a professional golfer.” If you would like to book golf lessons with Sam, Nats or Noel, please contact Noel at golf@roundtownnews.com and RTN will keep you informed on the progress of both Sam and Nats as the year progresses.