FIELDREPORT
Growth opportunity
While the latest figures confirm a decline in golf club membership in England, the game’s national governing body is attempting to fight back. England Golf’s head of participation Claire Roberts
explains how recent initiatives like Play More Golf and National Golf Month are designed to turn the picture around
participation, they also reveal an intriguing statistic – that one in four English golf clubs are actually growing. The figure came to light in 2012, during
W
England Golf’s routine research into the playing of the game. On the back of it, they commissioned further research into those successful golf clubs. How were they bucking the trend? “The report, put together by Sports
Marketing Surveys Inc., highlights the emphasis growing clubs placed on flexible membership packages, low-cost opportunities to get into golf, and simple friendliness,” says England Golf’s head of participation Claire Roberts. “Many were encouraging younger golfers to stay within the game by offering lower membership fees to a higher age, or flexible memberships to make the game more accessible to different age categories. Others created opportunities to bring friends to the club. “Customer service came out as a
strong area, to ensure newcomers felt welcome. That involved some relaxing of the rules, such as dress codes. Clubs were also embracing a wider range of communication methods, engaging new markets, providing ‘have a go’ sessions and giving opportunities for people to
14 SGBGOLF
hile the latest figures from England Golf confirm a general decline in golf
experience the club environment with offers such as trial memberships.” So it can be done – a heartening notion
against what is generally a subdued picture. England Golf figures show club membership has dropped from 882,184 in 2004 to 744,165 in 2012. Golfers playing once a week shows a similar fall, while golfers playing once a month, 1,457,300 in 2005, now stands at 1,128,200. England Golf’s explanation for this –
reduced leisure time, more competition for that time, economic factors and changes in lifestyle – will be familiar to many. But Roberts also believes the way we access golf has changed. “Previously there were fewer opportunities for pay- and-play golf, and consequently a higher demand for membership. That has turned around since the membership peak of 874,000 in 2000.”
England Golf’s explanation
for this – reduced leisure time, more competition for that time, economic factors and changes in lifestyle – will be familiar to many.
England Golf is the game’s national governing body, and a third of the England Golf Partnership, along with the Golf Foundation and PGA. Its mandate is to devise and implement a strategy for the 1,935 English golf clubs affiliated to it – with much of the work channelled through the County Golf Partnership network – and distribute Sport England funding where it can do most good. Naturally, one of their immediate concerns is to arrest and reverse those dropping participation figures. To this end, the body’s most recent initiative has been Play More Golf – essentially a pot of cash made available to support the best game-growing ideas from the affiliated clubs who apply. The fund was announced in April, with clubs given just a couple of months to make their applications – a fairly short lead time, but one designed to encourage prompt action.
“We received 298 applications for the funding, with clubs proposing projects for adults, females, juniors and the disabled,” says Roberts. “We were looking for ideas that focused on regular activity, with the prospect of conversion to membership. Aſter an extensive review process that took into account project strength, return on investment, club contribution and local engagement, we have decided to approve 144 schemes.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44