Last month, the English Golf Union (EGU) and English Ladies Golf Association (ELGA) published the results of their Golf Club Membership questionnaire. They provided ample evidence of the problems that English clubs are currently facing and that Golf England are looking to solve. Of the clubs that responded to the survey, 89% have membership vacancies and 75% are actively seeking new members. This problem is being solved via a grant allocation and Associate member scheme.
Richard Flint, EGU Golf Development Manager commented, “It is now vital to take heed of the findings and address priority areas such as membership vacancies, in order to help develop the game further. Golf England offers excellent avenues to help clubs fill the current 40,000 vacancies.”
Golf clubs are being helped to solve the vacancy shortfall via two schemes: First, via the allocation of English Golf Union grants. Clubs will be able to use these funds to, amongst other projects, actively seek new members and run initiatives to aid this process. As the number of clubs that join Golf England increases, so does the amount of money made available as grants. Clubs will apply to the English Golf Union for a grant as they would do for the lottery money.
Secondly, the Golf England Associate member scheme provides an ideal stepping stone to golf club membership by allowing budding golfers to secure and maintain a handicap. The scheme aims to attract more people of all ages on to the fairways and to help boost golf participation, especially at a grassroots level. It is expected that most Associate members will go on to become full club members (approximately 50% of them do so right now).
Golf England www.golfengland.com