DRIVE, determination and dedication – three key ingredients needed to succeed in any sport and all coursing through the veins of teenager Emma Harris.

Each month the 14-year-old and either her mum Caron, her dad Ash, or both parents, travel to Sandburn Hall Golf Club on the Flaxton Road off the A64 for expert coaching from one of the north’s most esteemed golf gurus, Steve Robinson.

So what, you may ask? What’s the big fuss about that, you may further demand?

Well, the journey made to Sandburn Hall head pro Robinson’s academy starts out from the small town of Crosby, which is on the Isle of Man.

Yes, you read that right. The Isle of Man.

Emma, accompanied by her mum or dad or both, travel from their home in Crosby, near Peel, on the Isle of Man slap bang in the middle of the Irish Sea between the mainland and Northern Ireland a total of approximately 170 miles to the North Yorkshire course.

It’s a pilgrimage that can involve car, ferry and plane and car and depending on connections and the conditions prevalent on the sometimes roaring Irish Sea involve ferry or Sea-Cat, and ports of call at either Liverpool or Heysham ferry terminal in Lancashire.

Then it’s an overnight stay in York ahead of a 90-minute tuition session under the canny tutelage of Robinson before heading back on the protracted return journey to the island.

As Robinson succinctly said: “Now that’s being dedicated to your sport.”

If heads are scratching at the resolve to regularly undertake such a cross-country journey across land and sea, many readers could wonder if there is no adequate coaching any nearer.

Well, the talented teenager, who currently plays off a stunning handicap of 1.2 at the age of 14, was identified three years ago as one of the most prodigious prospects by county powers who immediately put her in touch with Robinson.

The Sandburn Hall head pro is the coach for several national girls’ and women’s teams and so the link with training the Isle of Man marvel was established.

Since then Emma has consistently journeyed to York to continue her rapid improvement which was capped earlier this month when, even though still a junior, she won the Lancashire Ladies Senior championship at Ormskirk GC.

She recalled: “I just wanted to do my best against the older players and it ended with me winning. I really enjoyed it.”

Her mum confided too that Emma also loved Robinson’s informative and effective tuition, which has helped to shape her game to such success in the senior circuit.

“Making the journey is not always easy, but it’s the price of living on an island like we do,” she said.

“Emma loves coming here to Sandburn Hall, where she trusts what Steve does, and we love York as a city.”

She added that some help is granted from the Lancashire Golf Union, to which Emma is an affiliated player, and also from the Isle of Man’s Sports Aid Foundation.

“Emma has always been very competitive in whatever sport she does,” said her mum.

“She gets what we believe is the best coaching here and the main thing is that Emma loves what she is doing at golf.

“So if myself and her dad can facilitate that then we’ll continue to do it.”