Spread the love
Post Views: 0

In a new model that an increasing number of golf clubs in Asia may consider replicating to generate revenue, more than one in two golf clubs in England now offer nine-hole green fees.

Data has shown many people are put off golf because the time it takes to play 18 holes is considered too long. In a bid to combat that perception, 52 per cent of clubs in England have now provided the ability to pay for and play nine holes, according to England Golf.

Some 18-hole clubs even market themselves now as facilities that offer two loops of nine holes.

According to a report in The Golf Business, the figure is revealed in England Golf’s annual review of 2018, which also finds that 69 per cent of English golf clubs want to attract more women members.

Reflecting on the year in his foreword, Nick Pink, England Golf’s Chief Executive Officer, said that his organisation and clubs have been working hard to attract more women and children to the game.

“We extended the opportunities for club players, particularly beginners and returners, with our partnership with the European Tour and the introduction of our GolfSixes tournament,” he wrote.

“We continue to work hard to refresh and improve the image of golf. This paid dividends when we led the first Women and Girls’ Golf Week, an online and social media campaign to unite the industry and highlight the fantastic female side of the game. The results and reach were outstanding and reflect the enormous interest in developing the women and girls’ game and, in turn, family golf.

“For example, almost 70 per cent of our clubs want to attract more women members and we are helping to support their ambitions. The Girls Golf Rocks campaign, which we run jointly with the Golf Foundation, has proved hugely successful in attracting new girl players and it is pleasing to report that over 1,600 attended taster sessions during 2018.

“Get into Golf was another example of our bold approach and we relaunched the campaign with a modern look which was designed to shake up ideas of the sport and inspire more people to have a go.”