THE ROYAL and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews has come to the aid of budding young golfers in Hungary.

In all, 40 sets of clubs—35 junior sets and five adult sets—have been distributed via six Hungarian golf clubs, as part of an ongoing worldwide initiative by the sport’s rules and development body.

The gifts of equipment have been made to Birdland Golf and Country Club, Old Lake and Country Club, Budai Golf Club, Budapest Highland Golf Club, the Polus Palace Golf and Country Club and Petnehazy Golf Club, all of which are participants in the country’s junior golf programme.

The Hungarian Golf Association also donated clubs as part of the project.

The starter sets are supplied to make it easier for junior golfers to get involved in golf without having to lay out substantial amounts for equipment, said a spokesman for the R&A yesterday.

Each year, the R&A gives away 1000 starter golf sets to support junior golf, with each set consisting of a bag containing 3-wood, 3-iron, 5-iron, 7-iron, 9-iron, wedge and putter, all manufactured by a top equipment company.

The starter golf sets initiative has been running since 2000 and attracts annual funding from the R&A of over £125,000.