National Golf Month, the annual programme aimed at growing UK participation in golf, has welcomed this week’s announcement by the R&A to modernize some of the Rules of Golf.
‘Golf is often perceived as complex and ‘rule bound’. Simplifying the rules is one positive step towards modernizing golf so we welcome the steps being taken by the R&A and USPGA,’ said Doug Poole, Project Director of National Golf Month.
‘The rule changes couldn’t come at a better time for this year’s National Golf Month in May because we will be giving away 50,000 free taster sessions to new and lapsed golfers to try the game. The change in the rules is a signal to people who have been put of in the past to ‘get golfing,’ he concluded.
This year’s National Golf Month will address some of the key barriers currently putting women off starting the game in the first place: the cost of taster sessions, easy access and the chance to try the game with their friends. These factors were highlighted by Syngenta’s recent global report ‘Unlocking Golf’s True Potential’.
Core to National Golf Month 2017 will be 50,000 free one hour trial sessions worth over £2m, which will be the industry’s largest ever promotional offer aimed specifically at getting women started in the sport. As well as providing a substantial inventory of taster sessions, National Golf Month will provide a better understanding of how clubs and professionals can attract more women through new or innovative approaches. The National Golf Month web site will use the booking platform, supplied by fibodo, to match consumers with golf professionals. The website will be live on March 5th at: www.nationalgolfmonth.com
- Data is taken from ‘Unlocking Golf’s Potential’ Syngenta 2016 and KPMG’s recent ‘Golf Participation Report for Europe’.