Golf Express, Backed by Justin Rose - Good Idea?

[Foliage Finder]

Just read this on twitter via Justin Rose - another scheme aimed towards increasing participation by offering 9 hole green fees and fun competitions for after work where you don't need a handicap to play.

Anyone live near the clubs mentioned, or has had any experience of this? Sounds like a good idea to me and is definitely something I'd try out if the scheme was local.

http://www.englandgolf.org/news.aspx?itemid=7825&itemTitle=Golf+Express+launches+in+Staffordshire&sitesectionid=38&sitesectiontitle=News

 

[davidg2010uk]

Sound's like a great idea for getting people into the game. Good luck to them.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Sounds a great solution, I wish the 9 hole game had the competitive and membership equivalent nationwide. It would increase participation without a doubt.

 

[garyinderry]

Wonder how you play in the roll up without a handicap?

 

[ScienceBoy]

Wonder how you play in the roll up without a handicap?

With golf clubs and a sombrero

 

[garyinderry]

Lol it will be interesting to hear how they go about it.

 

[Foliage Finder]

It will indeed! I quite like the loyalty card idea too, play 5 rounds get the 6th free. In some ways, I think if you were to roll up and play and just be placed with a randomer regardless of handicap, a potential mismatch would be a great learning experience for both people, seeing as there's no serious competitive stakes. Bring it up north!

 

[sev112]

Wonder how you play in the roll up without a handicap?

Probably with the same level of fairness as people who currently have "real" handicaps

 

[fundy]

Ground breaking stuff. Oh no hang on, I believe our club offers 9 or 18 hole greens fees, a loyalty card that gets you the 6th game free and a 9 hole roll up on a thursday evening throughout summer. ok you need a handicap but still.

Good to see them doing things like this for sure but it really isnt hard for well run clubs to do be doing these sort of things on an ongoing basis

 

[ScienceBoy]

Ground breaking stuff...

Really does not need to be groundbreaking, it just needs to be available!

Your club is setting the example that many more should follow!

 

[Bert]

We have a pros night on a Wednesday. Roll up pay £5 play nine and you even have some food chucked in. Brilliant evening.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We have a pros night on a Wednesday. Roll up pay £5 play nine and you even have some food chucked in. Brilliant evening.

We have a Wednesday supper club. £4 (in our case) nine holes in different formats each week (follow the flag, off the reds etc) and a couple of set meals on the menu after. Winner takes the cash and then expected to buy a round so usually goes home with maybe £10 tops. All good fun.

There have been so many initiatives to get more participation and speed golf up over nine hole (anyone remember Powerplay and the GM day at the Grove which Region3 cleaned up on). Of course it's great to encourage people to play especially without the need for handicaps etc but they all seem to come in a blaze of glory and peter out not long after.

 

[Region3]

(anyone remember Powerplay and the GM day at the Grove which Region3 cleaned up on).

Woah there Tiger, you'll get me a reputation!

I had 5 birdies in 9 holes and came third. I guess I picked the wrong holes as my power plays

 

[fundy]

Woah there Tiger, you'll get me a reputation!

I had 5 birdies in 9 holes and came third. I guess I picked the wrong holes as my power plays

cleaned up? you got robbed by the format if memory serves me right (and the less said about my trolley the better lol)

 

[Region3]

cleaned up? you got robbed by the format if memory serves me right (and the less said about my trolley the better lol)

Aye, not one of your finer moments

 

[drew83]

I would definitely be up for some of this! Though it takes me 9 holes to get in my stride!

 

[GB72]

In my opinion anything like this will prove to be a waste of time. If clubs want to attract new golfers etc there are plenty of options open to them and the simple fact is that few clubs do anything. They pay lip service to the idea of expanding the game but in reality they are happy with their aging memberships, cliquey groups, standard 18 hole medal comps and their outdated attitudes. The sooner we can get it accross to those is charge that they may want to change the image of golf but too many at grass roots level are quite happy with what they have and intend to preserve this self interest the sooner we can actually look to start something that may catch on.