Signs Abound On Golf Courses Across The Country.
By David Newbery
Other signs are less serious, carrying such
instructional notes as “golf balls on this
course may not be found until they have
stopped rolling”.
Jack Newton says some signs send the wrong
message because they tell golfers what they
can’t do – or wear.
“There is no sign saying ‘welcome, come and
have a good time and have some fun’,” he
said.
Of course, there have been telltale signs
around for years warning of declining
membership, the shortage of juniors,
especially girls, and the difficulty capturing
the 25-45 demographic.
In recent years, the game’s ruling bodies
have been reading the signs with the hope
of returning golf to the boom period of the
1980s and 1990s.
In an effort to grow, or should that be regrow,
the game agreement for combined meetings
of administrators has been welcomed.
Golf Australia’s MYGolf program and some
of its other initiatives are now gaining
traction and so is the PGA of Australia’s
Pump Golf junior program.
In NSW and Queensland, Jack Newton
Junior Golf and the Greg Norman Golf
Foundation have been operational for more
than two decades and willingly share ideas
with other states and bodies.
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PGA of Australia general manager (member
services) Gavin Kirkman said the PGA and
Golf Australia were working together to
develop specific pathways for juniors.
The consensus is that GA’s MYGolf program
will be positioned as a golf development
program through schools and clubs while
the PGA Pump Golf program will be the
events program with PGA club professionals
running the shootout.
“We are trying to ensure the market is
not overly confused about these junior
programs,” Kirkman said.
“
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At Sea Temple Resort at Port Douglas in
Tropical North Queensland golfers are
warned that crocodiles inhabit a dam on
the ninth and “attacks may cause injury or
death”.
“There is no sign saying
‘welcome, come and
have a good time and
have some fun’,” he said.
program was starting to make an impact.
“We are delighted with the cooperation of
the states,” she said. “The collaboration and
the sharing between the states is fantastic
and that’s very important.”
Crampton said more than 3000 children had
already enrolled in the MYGolf program.
“That encouraging,” she said. “We have 400
golf clubs signed up as MYGolf centres,
which proves they are seriously interested in
juniors.”
The Australian Sport Commission has seen
the benefit of the program and has injected
enough funds to allow the state bodies to
employ enough people to take the program
to schools.
“The feedback in the junior area has been
positive, but we need more budget to
promote the program,” Crampton said.
“If we had a major sponsor like NAB with
the AFL or Milo Cricket, then we might be
able to do more.
“The Pump Golf program has consistent
growth with more than 130 clubs involved.
“We need a promotional budget so we can
get on to kids’ television program.
“A lot of the professionals have their own
junior programs and they bring the juniors
into the Pump Golf program as the event
part of golf outside the ot