Port Macquarie junior Will Martin's a golfer to watch

The 14-year-old has loved the sport since he took it up when he was nine.

"Whenever I've got a golf club in my hand, I just want to play all the time because it's so much fun," he said.

The Port Macquarie athlete has excelled at the sport; from starting at the Port Macquarie Golf Club cadets clinic to becoming the youngest captain of the Lower North Coast Junior team.

He recently competed in the North Coast Junior Masters on Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7 at Kew, placing 5^th in the 14-15 age group and 3^rd in the net competition.

At 12-years-old he had moved his handicap down from 27 to eight.

It's now down to four.

"In some ways, it's a little bit bittersweet because he's now 13 strokes better than I am," his father Paul Martin said.

"On the one hand, I'm a really proud father, on the other I'm shown up by a youngster."

Mr Martin had played 16 years of rugby and only started playing on his own handicap to play with his son.

The proud dad has seen his son grow in the sport over the past five years.

"The lessons it's taught him have been very good," he said.

"He's always been really passionate and really enjoyed it.

"And it's been him driving the amount of training, the amount of practice, the amount of competitions rather than me doing it."

Will joined the Hunter Academy of Sport and through Your Life Fitness Centre he's improved his flexibility and strength.

He dedicates five to six days a week to practice on the green.

"I want it to be my job one day so I've got to be able to train to get there," he said.

"It's a bit like if you were doing a university degree. You've got to do all the training and the notetaking in class.

"For me, it's practising."

With role models like Rory McIllroy, Will has been focusing on his short game.

"That's the thing at the end of the day that's going to win competitions," he said.

Will first got into the sport in part due to the prizes that could be won, but now he sticks with it for the challenge.

"I wouldn't say it's that easy to hit a golf ball," he said.

"There's a lot to think about and for me that's fun."

The young athlete has an eye on the future but still remembers his roots.

He's now one of the coaches for the very same cadets clinic he started at and takes the time after school to help train other kids interested in golf.

"It's been great fun," Will said.

"I've loved it."

The young athlete wants to one day take a gap year after school to play pro-ams and get a tour card.

"I also think it would be really cool to go to America, and try to get into a US college," he said.

In the meantime, he's keeping busy on the golf course.

"A day missing the golf course is a day wasted for him," Mr Martin said.

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