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Presented in partnership with Eagle One Golf Products YOUR GAME
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20/20 gets golf ready
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David Pillsbury, the president of PGA Tour Golf Course Properties, was one of the presenters during the Golf 20/20 conference last fall. Photo courtesy of Golf 20/20 |
GCSAA’s collaboration with its golf industry brethren continues on the player development front with the creation of the Get Golf Ready initiative.
Introduced at the Golf 20/20 conference late last fall, the concept is based on introducing or reconnecting adults with the game. The key points of the program are its low cost and on-course learning activities. The experience not only involves the actual skills of striking the ball, but it also includes elements of etiquette, behavior, rules, values and golf course features.
The initiative is designed to bring adults into the game in a comfortable, enjoyable manner through a series of five introductory lessons in a small-group environment. Each of the five sessions features significant on-course learning opportunities. The program will be offered in many locations at $99, although pricing may vary by facility. Following the completion of the five-session program, students will be offered the opportunity to smoothly transition into other playing opportunities, such as leagues, family programs and additional instruction.
Golf 20/20’s executive committee, which features a broad cross-section of industry leaders, has spearheaded development of the new Get Golf Ready initiative. GCSAA CEO Mark Woodward, CGCS, sits on the executive committee and participated in the conference along with the association’s officers and select staff members. GCSAA contributes to the effort financially, while its members will be asked to participate in the series of lessons.
Beginning in 2009, Get Golf Ready programs will be offered at several hundred golf facilities around the U.S., with a goal of having 3,000 facilities offering the program by the end of 2011. The program is seen as a complement to the numerous local, regional and national efforts to grow the game.
“The principles of the program are solid,” Woodward says. “The feedback from adults is they want to speed up the process in which they learn the game and get onto the course. This program has the opportunity to succeed because it is affordable, it is not intimidating and it does not require an intense time commitment.
“The program will not succeed, however, if the facility does not embrace it. Everyone at every level at a facility must make it welcoming to the golfers.”
A unique feature of the Get Golf Ready roll-out is that each facility that agrees to offer the designated curriculum and use the Get Golf Ready brand in local promotions will be eligible to receive a stipend of up to $1,000 from the World Golf Foundation. Those facilities signing up to offer Get Golf Ready will be provided with a package of basic curriculum, branding, and education and marketing materials to ensure the program’s consistency across the country.
Facilities interested in participating should contact the World Golf Foundation at 904-940-4000.
The National Golf Course Owners Association gives its Player Development Award annually to a course that offers programs to introduce golf to a wide audience, including juniors, women, couples and families. This year, The Golf Courses at Incline Village in Lake Tahoe, Nev., wins the award in large part because 10 player development programs have been implemented at the course since 2005. Cathy Jo Johnson, director of golf at the 36-hole layout, says Incline Village’s “Golf in the Schools” with area elementary and middle schools has introduced more than 300 students to golf every week. The program also was expanded to local Boys Clubs and Girls Clubs. Incline Village also offers player development programs for professionals, senior women and couples. The American Express Women’s Golf Month attracted 9.2 percent more women participants over last year’s event. The event, which generated a projected $2.7 million in new revenues to the golf industry, also is thought to have had a positive economic impact on the golf industry of $4.7 million over the past two years. The month-long promotion provides women the opportunity to learn, relearn or play golf in a friendly and fun environment. The event is coordinated by the Executive Women’s Golf Association, GCSAA, the LPGA, NGCOA and the PGA of America, and is part of the national Play Golf America campaign. |
