European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is backing ClubGolf’s bid to get more children into golf by giving his support to the £20 Junior Membership Offer, which is now available across Scotland.
Funded by the Scottish Government, the scheme – which returns for a second year – offers youngsters involved in ClubGolf coaching a terrific money-saving voucher. This can be redeemed at ClubGolf clubs against the cost of the child’s first membership to help boost junior numbers around the country.
McGinley, who played alongside a group of former ClubGolfers during the recent Ryder Cup ‘Year to Go’ celebrations at Gleneagles, is calling on young golfers to take advantage of this fantastic saving so they, like him, can benefit from the sport.
“Becoming a member of a golf club offers children so many things; not least the chance to play this great game and have fun out on the golf course, but also the opportunity to learn the etiquette and manners, which sets our sport apart from so many others,” said the Irishman.
“The £20 Junior Membership Offer, therefore, is a terrific incentive to make that all-important first membership even more affordable for families and it would be great to see as many youngsters as possible take advantage of it.”
In 2013, more than half of all first-time junior members joined a club after taking part in ClubGolf coaching (50% of boys and 61% of girls), representing an important milestone for the programme.
Over 4,500 children enjoyed coaching at Scottish clubs immediately following their introduction to ClubGolf in primary schools last year. ClubGolf Manager Jackie Davidson hopes assisting parents with a £20 saving, which could reduce junior fees by more than half, allows a great number of these young novices to join a club.
“I’m delighted that we have been able to bring such an incredible offer to children taking part in ClubGolf coaching in schools and clubs, and owe a great deal of thanks to the Scottish Government for their ongoing funding support,” she said.
“As well as introducing as many young people as possible to golf ahead of the Ryder Cup in 2014, it’s our mission to increase the number of junior club members in Scotland for the foreseeable future.
“Hopefully, over the coming months, we’ll see that our £20 discount has made a real impact for kids and clubs, and, ultimately, created more lifelong members, who will be so important to Scottish golf clubs in the years and decades to come.”
First Minister Alex Salmond, one of the strongest supporters of ClubGolf, is delighted the Scottish Government has been able to extend its backing of the £20 Junior Membership Offer, through its additional funding of the annual ClubGolf Festival.
The First Minister said: “Scotland is the home of golf – we want to ensure this sport has a bright future, which means generating and sustaining an interest in golf from an early age.
“Clubs help keep this great game alive and we therefore have a duty to offer access to as many youngsters as we possibly can. I am delighted to support this superb offer for children who are involved in ClubGolf, giving them the chance to take up a discount on their first junior golf club membership.
“Hopefully, with the help of the fantastic team at ClubGolf and offers such as these, more young people than ever before will decide to become club members for the first time in 2014”
Parents can download a voucher for their child by completing the application form on the ClubGolf website www.clubgolfscotland.com
When taking out their child’s very first junior membership, parents should simply present the voucher at the club where their child receives ClubGolf coaching to receive their £20 discount.
Participating ClubGolf clubs can be located at www.clubgolfscotland.com/clubfinder