I have always been a keen sportsman and it was at the age of sixteen I turned my attention to golf. Taking to the sport at a fast pace, achieving a first handicap of nine and then reducing this to five within the same year. It was at this time i was offered a position working at a local golf course under the supervision of Head Professional David Dunk.

During my PGA degree and under the wing of head professional David Dunk, I became the senior instructor at the local driving range, teaching golfers of all levels. Developing my popularity meant that i was recruited by local Government Authorities and given the opportunity to teach golf, not only in schools but at summer camps and various leisure centre’s, where I used various TRi-Golf techniques.

Increasing my teaching knowledge by working with mentor Gary Alliss (PGA swing instructor), led to my appointment as the Head Golf Coach for Walsall Council.

I aim to provide a welcoming atmosphere, it is important the kids are comfortable in their surroundings. I work on introducing basic golf technique, as well as improving fundamental movement skills, using various games and competitions. I believe giving a child more opportunities to develop these skills at a young age, will give them a better chance of achieving more later in their life.

I have now been working with Grass Roots Golf and MGW Golf for over one year developing my skills week by week. This has lead to me becoming one of the top junior coaches in the UAE.

I was first introduced to the game of golf at the age of six by my Father Stephen who was an England International golfer, like all children I loved being with my Dad playing sport, with his fantastic encouragement I soon realised I had a talent for the game. At this point my Dad decided that the most important thing was to get me tuition with a PGA Professional to ensure I understood the basic fundamentals of the game.

The journey from a six year old boy to becoming a Class A PGA Professional has been a fantastic experience which included representing my country at both under 16 and under 18 levels, I have had the opportunity to travel to some amazing countries and meet some very interesting people many of whom have become my close friends.

During my playing career I also enrolled with the PGA to complete their Advanced Diploma Programme which concentrates on all aspects of the game, it is a three year course and I passed with honours. During this period I studied hard to expand my knowledge in every department of the Profession as I wanted to be proficient in all aspects of this great game. One area I was particularly enthusiastic about was Junior coaching and in 2006 I started a Junior Academy at Ellesmere Golf Club where I was employed as the Assistant Professional. I really worked hard with the Juniors and I was extremely proud to see these youngsters who I had coached from raw beginners win the North West Junior League Championship in 2009 & 2010.

I am delighted to have joined the Team at Grass Roots Golf and I hope to share my love for a great game with lots budding golfers over the coming years.

Mark Gregson-Walters, born and raised in Rossendale, Lancashire, U.K. I started my passion for golf as a junior, I had a passion for playing the sport but I soon found my love was in teaching and whilst I was still young, I built a reputation for coaching as an Assistant Professional.

Today I coach from The Emirates Golf Club, teaching regular golfers to budding junior players, many of which have gone on to professional golf colleges in the USA. I also teach a number of players on the major tours, having had a string of successes with multiple top-ten finishes and victory in 2009 on the European Tour.

As well as my high performance coaching, my passion is with the next generation of golfers, our children. Teaching, coaching, playing and showing kids how much fun golf is, as well as highlighting how golf can stimulate, develop a child's functional movement, increase their concentration spans, I feel my coaching career has found another gear!

I formed Grass Roots Golf, a programme to give as many children the opportunity in Dubai to play golf. The program runs initially in the schools, it is devised to be fast, fun and interactive, developing children's motor skills which leads them to a greater level of enjoyment from the game of golf. Like no other sport, golf is a game you can enjoy and share between generations and if we set the passion for the game in a child that lasts a lifetime, we have achieved our goal. Golf is a sport to play, not a hobby to learn, and that's what we want to instill through our programme. We aim to unlock opportunities for children to grow with their golf.

I look forward to working with you and your children, to help them achieve the things they want in life and an enduring passion for sport and golf.