Club Systems International, Europe’s leading golf club IT specialist, has awarded more than £20,000 in grants to help small golf clubs prepare for the introduction of the new World Handicap System in 2020.
Grants of more than £500 have been made available from CSI to qualifying clubs – a total of around £60,000 – to enable them to purchase a CSI 10-inch PSiTouch screen, allowing club members to input their own scores – an essential piece of hardware, as player input of scoring is a prerequisite of WHS.
So far, 44 grants have already been awarded by CSI, following offers made to clubs by England Golf, which administrates the application and approval process.
Darren Wood, CSI’s relationship manager, joined England Golf’s handicap and course rating manager, Gemma Hunter, at the first installation, at Haigh Hall Golf Club, in Wigan.
He explained: “Since announcing the offer at the England Golf roadshows last year, we have seen a steady flow of enquiries and, subsequently, accepted offers. Our financial support continues to help smaller clubs acquire the same cutting-edge technology used by their larger counterparts. Giving something back and helping to grow and progress the game, is very much at the heart of CSI’s philosophy and something about which I am, personally, very passionate. I’m very proud that CSI is at the forefront of this movement.”
Clubs need to meet at least one of three criteria to qualify for a grant: having fewer than 300 members; an annual revenue of less than £250,000; or employing fewer than three full-time staff. Clubs meeting the required criteria will qualify for a grant totalling 25, 50, or 75 per cent of the normal PSiTouch price of £695 +vat.
CSI, which owns and administrates Europe’s largest online golfing community, HowDidiDo, has been designing, building and supporting IT systems for golf clubs since 1982. Now, with nearly 2,000 golf clubs in the UK and Ireland – along with customers as far afield as Dubai, Ghana and Sri Lanka – CSI has grown to lead the UK and Ireland golf club market.
To apply for a grant, clubs should email clubsupport@englandgolf.org to request an application form.
The picture above shows (L-R) Darren Wood (relationship manager, Club Systems International); Steve Eyres (honorary secretary, Haigh Hall GC); Ian Lee (head professional, HHGC); Keith Bergman (general manager destination parks, Healthy Lifestyles); Johnathan Shepherd (HHGC captain); and Gemma Hunter (England Golf’s handicap and course ratings manager).