Encouraging New Golfers

jonnyround

jonnyround

Medal Winner
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
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www.planetgolfuk.co.uk
We complain about the arrogance of our top multi millionaire Professional footballers for the arrogance etc of their lifestyle but nearly every single one of them puts something back into the community by visiting schools and projects etc which helps grow the game of Football. Can the same be said of our top multi millionaire Golf Professionals who only seem to do anything if there is a monetary payment involved for example "appearance fees" or for rich golfing clients such as Pro-ams etc. I also wonder if their lifestyles would stand up to the same media scrutiny as footballers because it seems that if you read any golfing press they all want to fawn over these guys other wise you cannot tell me that no one knew what Tiger was up to for many years before the "crap hit the fan". The question is could the really top professionals do more to to encourage the growth of the game. What are your opinions.
 
I don't really see the correlation twixt the work that professionals do for charity and bringing new players to the game... But anyways, here's the charity pages from the Tour's websites...

http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/playersfoundation/index.html

http://together.pgatour.com/

Let's not forget that Rory is a UNICEF ambassidor, Zach Johnson and his wife have a charity foundation of their own, the wifes of the pros have their own foundation to help underprivelaged children, Tiger has The Tiger Woods Foundation...

The info is there if you look.

They do a massive amount of work for charity.

If you're meaning that they don't do enough for grass roots then I suggest that you look at Paul Lawrie, he has a foundation specifically to help bring on talented young amateurs, as does Nick Faldo. They are not alone.
 
Sounds like you haven't done a great deal of research in this one to me.

There are many of the top pro's that have their own foundations and academy's to aid youngsters in the game.

-Tiger Woods has a foundation that helps youngsters in America.
-Lee Westwood has set up his own golf school & academy where youngsters do both school work and get help to progress in the game
-Paul Lawrie has very good programme in Scotland doing the same thing for youngsters and he's just bought a facility for them to go and work on their games.
-McIlroy is a UNICEF ambassador and goes to countries to help those in need, no better example that his Haiti trip before he won the US Open at Congressional.
-Donald does a lot for Charities in the US where he lives.
-Poulter has his own foundation in its fledgling youth to aid youngsters to achieve more and get interested in the game.

Not to Mention the Faldo series which does more for young golf in this country than it gets credit for, It was that series that help McIlroy, and Yani Tseng.

There is a lot these guys and more than I’ve mentioned no doubt do for the game by holding golf schools, and putting money into areas that help grow the game. Difference between the golfers and the footballers though is the golfers don't feel the need to shout louder than anyone else about it to satisfy their ego's. They prefer to grow the game in their own respectful way instead of as a way to get in the next gossip mag.

Also it’s not just the tour players responsibility to grow the game it's the PGA's responsibility at grass roots to bring it to schools, organize programme's to get youngsters interested & keep their interest with coaching schemes and competitions.
 
I totally agree with you about charities that the Pro's and their wives are involved in. I am talking about growing the game, increasing the number of golfers that play the game. What Faldo does is brilliant but he is a retired golfer not the current crop. Encouraging kids is brilliant but we also need to encourage the regular people and those who have drifted away to play golf otherwise your golf club and mine will be closing down and being ploughed up for farm land again because there is no one to pay for their upkeep. This has just happened to a golf club near Ipswich which has closed and is back to farmland. Local clubs are a third down on memberships this year these places are not going to be replaced by Lawries "talented young amateurs" or Faldo's juniors in the near future who in most cases are existing members of their parents golf club.
 
The Scottish Clubgolf system is working pretty well.
Introducing golf to thousands of schoolchildren, driven by the PGA teaching pros and club volunteers.
Monty, Ross Drummond and Mharia McKay are strong supporters.
Stephen Gallacher has just started his foundation in the Edinburgh area.

To answer your question, Of course they could do more.
Out of interest, what are you doing to support your passionate interest?
 
jonnyround said:
I totally agree with you about charities that the Pro's and their wives are involved in. I am talking about growing the game, increasing the number of golfers that play the game. What Faldo does is brilliant but he is a retired golfer not the current crop. Encouraging kids is brilliant but we also need to encourage the regular people and those who have drifted away to play golf otherwise your golf club and mine will be closing down and being ploughed up for farm land again because there is no one to pay for their upkeep. This has just happened to a golf club near Ipswich which has closed and is back to farmland. Local clubs are a third down on memberships this year these places are not going to be replaced by Lawries "talented young amateurs" or Faldo's juniors in the near future who in most cases are existing members of their parents golf club.
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Thats a different matter entirely then, and is the responsibility of the clubs to attract new members by offering incentives to get people to come play there and get into golf or to keep their members from leaving by offering a more attractive package and not pricing them out of playing.

More of retention than attracting new players, new players will only be attracted if clubs don't price them out of it.
 
I just wish that I could afford to do more but not being a multi millionaire does make it more than difficult. I have been in the golf business over 30 years and in that time I have always done what I could to encourage people to take up the game of golf. My eldest son was an Assistant Golf Professional but gave it up because he got fed up of earning less than min wage for a 70 hour week and being treated like boot sweepings by the members
But putting my name in lights and attracting massive commercial sponsorships for my Golf Foundation which is what a lot of our top professionals do is not an option that I have
 
Fader said:
Thats a different matter entirely then, and is the responsibility of the clubs to attract new members by offering incentives to get people to come play there and get into golf or to keep their members from leaving by offering a more attractive package and not pricing them out of playing.

More of retention than attracting new players, new players will only be attracted if clubs don't price them out of it.
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I again totally agree with you but where are the clubs going to get these members from. It is not as though the fee paying courses are overrun with golfers they are in exactly the same position as the members clubs same overheads etc etc. How hard is it to get to play on a municipal golf course these days they are deserted. I can remember when you had to queue for hours at the weekend for a game. Sure some members are being priced out by high prices but they are not going to other cheaper clubs they are just leaving the game. All I am asking is what can we do to arrest this decline. Sure I admit I have an interest in this problem because I rely on golfers for my livelihood but I also think unless we do something about it this great game of ours will just go back 60 years and become an elitist minority sport played only by the wealthy.
 
I don't really think that the golf clubs are putting prices up because the want to, they have to. The country is in recession, so cost of operating a golf club is going up, as is the cost of living for the majority of us. When jobs and salaries are being cut in every sector something has to give, and if there's a decision about buying food, fuel and paying the mortgage or paying your golf subs I'm certain you know what most people would choose to do.

I'm not sure what pros could do about this. I certainly wouldn't expect them to subsidise my subs. That would be a disgrace. There are starving people in this world (in this country!) and a pro golfer chooses to pay for some middle class, tweed wearing eejits to bat a ball about a field?

Golf will survive, no matter what. It survived the recessions in the 70s and 80s and it will survive this one too.
 
Just so I've got this clear in my head, is the suggestion that tour pros should be doing something to get people to join golf clubs? I don't get it?
 
Airlie_Andy said:
Just so I've got this clear in my head, is the suggestion that tour pros should be doing something to get people to join golf clubs? I don't get it?
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Sorry but I am talking about taking up the game of golf and encouraging people to carry on playing. As to subsidising our golf club fees I dont know where that came from!!
 
jonnyround said:
I again totally agree with you but where are the clubs going to get these members from. It is not as though the fee paying courses are overrun with golfers they are in exactly the same position as the members clubs same overheads etc etc. How hard is it to get to play on a municipal golf course these days they are deserted. I can remember when you had to queue for hours at the weekend for a game. Sure some members are being priced out by high prices but they are not going to other cheaper clubs they are just leaving the game. All I am asking is what can we do to arrest this decline. Sure I admit I have an interest in this problem because I rely on golfers for my livelihood but I also think unless we do something about it this great game of ours will just go back 60 years and become an elitist minority sport played only by the wealthy.
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I actually completely disagree with this comment. I am far from wealthy and only started playing about 19months so am still relatively new to it. I am a member at a public course and we get plenty of business as do other public courses nearby where I live. I'd say the public courses are actually doing a lot better now that private courses are starting to price people out of memberships.

Also with things like eBay and other auction sites golf is more affordable now than when people used to have to buy directly from retailers. I bought all my first clubs through either eBay or 2nd hand, only this year upgraded everything by dipping into what savings I do have.

In my opinion its public courses and 2nd hand sellers that will be the ones that can attract new players more as they offer better deals than many private members clubs do. I've mentioned on another thread on here before as an example my membership for unlimited golf and gym memberships to all the local council run gyms is £53 a month, compared to the lowest priced private club which is over £30 dearer and I'd get less for my money at a course that isn't all 'that' and isn't overly friendly anyway.

It's the pricing structures of private clubs that needs looking at to bring in new members and retain them, along with retailers offering better deal to new players as lot of them cannot afford all the latest high end gear. Those 2 factors will stop the elitist, wealthy minority you refer to.
 
jonnyround said:
Sorry but I am talking about taking up the game of golf and encouraging people to carry on playing. As to subsidising our golf club fees I dont know where that came from!!
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Well no your OP started out as an in accurate rant about golf pros never giving anything back and then moved onto how the game of golf is dying. There are numerous examples of tour pros giving back to the game of golf, just yesterday Rory tweeted "Had a great time teaching kids in Brooklyn, New York with the City Parks Foundation". People play golf for numerous reasons but I'd imagine anything a tour pro says or does is probably quite low down the list. What exactly did you have in mind?
 
Hi Fader What you say is music to my ears. It is great that you have taken up golf and bought the equipment that suits your pocket not the marketing ideas of the big companies. "High End" does not mean better golf. Allthough your bag seems to contain "High End" golf clubs. Can I congratulate you on reducing your handicap down to 9.1 in only 19 months maybe you could let us into your secret.
 
Sorry but am I being cynical but is there more publicity value in "Teaching Kids in Brooklyn" than going to the local muni to meet the average golfer who cannot afford Sky Golf or go to the extremely rare pro events in this country and the closest he is going to get to a tour pro is his picture in the paper.
 
jonnyround said:
Hi Fader What you say is music to my ears. It is great that you have taken up golf and bought the equipment that suits your pocket not the marketing ideas of the big companies. "High End" does not mean better golf. Allthough your bag seems to contain "High End" golf clubs. Can I congratulate you on reducing your handicap down to 9.1 in only 19 months maybe you could let us into your secret.
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As I said this year I have upgraded by dipping into my savings but haggled on prices of pretty much my whole bag. I still have a 2nd Ping Carry bag, 2nd Hand PowaKaddy trolley bag and 2nd hand putter. My Adams wedges were an eBay shop purchase got them both for £68 (new), my irons were as a result of a free cobra day at my local range and were on offer for £389 and included the free trusty rusty. As for the Woods bought those at my local range as was done a deal, but used some Christmas money from my family and the Hybrid was bought 2nd hand from someone that had it about 3weeks.

So yes I have managed to upgrade to high end gear but on a budget and looking at whats available that doesn't cost thousands. As for my handicap lessons, lessons, lessons, and more lessons, aided by being divorced with to much spare time.
 
jonnyround said:
Sorry but am I being cynical but is there more publicity value in "Teaching Kids in Brooklyn" than going to the local muni to meet the average golfer who cannot afford Sky Golf or go to the extremely rare pro events in this country and the closest he is going to get to a tour pro is his picture in the paper.
Click to expand...

I think you are being overly critical and cynical about that yes, he is in New York as he will be playing there this week in the FedEx so teaching local kids in Brooklyn is far more feasible than flying home to his native N.Ireland to do the same thing and then flying back to play.

It's not the tour pro's job to attract players to local clubs, thats the clubs responsibility and the PGA's grass roots responsibility to encourage new people to play the game.
 
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