Golf loses £500k

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Fish

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News filtering through that Sports England has cut £500k from grassroots funding!

At a time when clubs are struggling and having a 'home' Ryder Cup, surely this year above all others should be a massive campaign to get young people involved, their our future!
 
Just heard this unbelievable! Golf is really struggling nowdays and to put the boot in funding is being cut by a massive £500k! I think we can forget about any British champion golfers coming through in the future.......
 
shivas irons said:
Just heard this unbelievable! Golf is really struggling nowdays and to put the boot in funding is being cut by a massive £500k! I think we can forget about any British champion golfers coming through in the future.......
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I really don't think that it's that bad. In the grand scheme of things £500k nationwide is a drop in the ocean. Plus, what about the likes of the current crop of players? I'm assuming that Rose, Poulter, Westwood, Donald, Gmac etc all got by before Sport England funding was around, if not the Faldo, Monty, Woosnam definitely were. According to their own figures the numbers of people who played golf has gone down by 20k. Out of a population of 63millon it's gone down by 20k.

And is it golf that is struggling or just poor management? We've all heard tales of woe that a clubs subs are going up and that golf is becoming unaffordable but what about the many, many clubs there are doing just fine?

Maybe there are simply too many golf courses? Supply and demand and all that. After the boom in the 80's 90's and 00's when courses were popping up everywhere it's inevitable that there would be a breaking point, and it seems that we've reached it.
 
Duckster said:
I really don't think that it's that bad. In the grand scheme of things £500k nationwide is a drop in the ocean. Plus, what about the likes of the current crop of players? Rose, Poulter, Westwood, Donald, Gmac etc all got by before Sport England funding was around. According to their own figures the numbers of people who played golf has gone down by 20k. Out of a population of 63millon it's gone down by 20k.

And is it golf that is struggling or just poor management? We've all heard tales of woe that a clubs subs are going up and that golf is becoming unaffordable but what about the many, many clubs there are doing just fine?

Maybe there are simply too many golf courses? Supply and demand and all that. After the boom in the 80's 90's and 00's when courses were popping up everywhere it's inevitable that there would be a breaking point, and it seems that we've reached it.
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Very good and valid point.
 
Heard on the radio this morning that Sport England have also cut 1.5 Million from footy support, and the drop in people playing footy at grass roots level is quite a few more than the drop in golfers. I'm not saying that cutting golf funding is right or not, just adding some perspective.

I was also under the impression that their was an injection of funds for golf this year in an effort to boost the game at grass roots level. Maybe that's from an alternative source?
 
I imagine that the R&A contributes a great deal more to grassroots golf. I'd be surprised if £500k from sport England would make much difference.

didn't they axe the £ for synchronised swimming altogether? that is a real travesty....
 
BoadieBroadus said:
I imagine that the R&A contributes a great deal more to grassroots golf. I'd be surprised if £500k from sport England would make much difference.

didn't they axe the £ for synchronised swimming altogether? that is a real travesty....
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yeah ah they did. And water polo. Apparently the swimming association are appealing on the synchronised swimming decision. From what I've read, they all had targets at Olympics, failed miserable so have had penalties against them auctioned. Hope similar targets aren't set for wc or we could lose more footy funding!
 
Papas1982 said:
yeah ah they did. And water polo. Apparently the swimming association are appealing on the synchronised swimming decision. From what I've read, they all had targets at Olympics, failed miserable so have had penalties against them auctioned. Hope similar targets aren't set for wc or we could lose more footy funding!
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Seems like an excuse rather than a reason to me. There are no increases reported, though that may just be reporting style! So maybe just a re-allocation of a sinking amount of funding.

I'm a bit puzzled why the FA, with turnover of £300M needs additional public funding for something that is in its own interests anyway! But that opens a can of worms about what level should be self-funding. Tennis should be able to be, but doesn't seem to be able to do it - mainly because of the approach to indoor facilities imo.

As for basing overall funding on Olympic results, that's daft imo. Grass roots participation and elite level performance are so far apart that the funding should be separated also, though maybe it is and there's more lazy reporting! For elite performers, the 'punishment' of reduced funding for not performing well (enough) surely means that they are less likely to perform well in the future!
 
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londonlewis said:
Would you recommend doing the opposite?
Cutting funding for those that perform and keep ploughing in the cash for those that don't?
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Somewhere in between - based on need and incentive. If athletes no longer need funding, then maybe the next tier or 2 down can be brought on by taking a chunk (not all) from those performing well and assisting the lesser lights. I doubt whether Andy Murray needs, or gets, any LTA assistance anymore. But those with potential a level or 2 down could benefit - on a planned basis.

Tough getting the balance right though!
 
Foxholer said:
Somewhere in between - based on need and incentive. If athletes no longer need funding, then maybe the next tier or 2 down can be brought on by taking a chunk (not all) from those performing well and assisting the lesser lights. I doubt whether Andy Murray needs, or gets, any LTA assistance anymore. But those with potential a level or 2 down could benefit - on a planned basis.

Tough getting the balance right though!
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i think ink their logic behind the targets is that, if athletes are succesful then they should put more money into it as there is likely to be a surge in participation. When most athletes are asked about heroes they rarely say it was joe blogs who finished 6th in their event.

So whilst it may appear harsh, re the two Olympic events of synchronised swimming and water polo. I'm happy to see them scraped.
 
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