These days “I don‘t want to join the sort of club my father joined” is the attitude that confronts golf clubs. Until it is understood, says the Association of Golf Club Secretaries, numbers of members will continue to decline. The 2005 Conference of AGCS explores this situation and suggests how to tackle it.
Setting the tone of the conference will be Peter McEvoy; famous as a player and Walker Cup captain, Peter is equally fearless in putting forward his views on how golf should be modernised.
Conference delegates will hear presentations from outside experts explaining what people want today from their leisure activities, and how to market the ‘new‘ golf club to them. They will also be informed how the English Golf Partnership is planning to spend the extra £8m Lottery money that has been allocated to English golf with the aim of increasing participation over the next four years.
Other topics will include the new UHS (handicapping) system, and the ‘private‘ handicapping database, golf course maintenance and improvements, developments in IT and, importantly, how to make clubs more business oriented – ‘working behind the scenes to keep the club prosperous‘.
The implications of recent legislation will be discussed, especially that concerning child protection – making golf safe for children – as well as new laws that affect the club on licensing, disability discrimination and the ‘right-to-roam‘.
All these topics are of vital importance to the success of the golf club and attendance will benefit club officials as well as secretaries and managers.
Accompanying the conference will be an exhibition where many suppliers of equipment and services to golf clubs will be available to talk business.
The AGCS conference takes place at the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, from 11 – 13 April 2005. More details are available from: Sovereign Conference: Tel 01527 518777
e-mail: association@sovereignconference.co.uk