Golf Academy

The UK’s Leading Golf Academy

Since its founding in 1827, golf has played a prominent role in life at Loretto. Particularly  since the founding of the Loretto Golf Academy (LGA) in 2002, the first of its kind at an independent school. 

In the two decades since it’s founding, the LGA has established itself as one of the most successful school programmes in the United Kingdom. Achieving 12 national titles and helping dozens of aspiring golfers further their golfing careers at US colleges and UK universities. 

Within the LGA we broadly have three types of golfer; club golfers who play the game for fun, social and competitive reasons; team golfers who play the game competitively but who do not wish to pursue a career in the game and lastly, those especially talented players with aspirations for a career within the game. It is important to note that all players and programmes are valued equally at the LGA.

For the club player we have designed a training programme built around one on one lessons, group training and playing sessions punctuated with a series of golf experiences along Scotland’s Golf Coast and at St Andrews. Lowering handicaps, fostering friendships and making memories are the objectives for this programme.

For the team golfer we have three age groups of player u12, u15 and u19 who compete in the Loretto Order of Merit (2 x Matchplay, 3 x Strokeplay and 2 x Foursomes competitions). From performances in these competitions, we select teams to play in inter-school matches and in the Swift National Foursomes Championship. Winning the National Championships at both u15 and u19 level are this programme’s annual objectives.

Finally for the aspiring elite level player we have created our own tour, the Loretto Junior Golf Tour. In 2024/25 we will host 7 World Amateur Golf Ranked (WAGR) and European Golf Ranked (EGR) events, along Scotland’s Golf Coast. The Tour is open to all aspiring junior golfers and is designed to help local talent gain multi-day competitive experience before they graduate up to the national tours and apex amateur competitions. The objective of this programme is to provide our players with the opportunity to be the best golfer they can be, whilst not compromising their academics or the mind, body spirit ethos of Loretto.