“We are giving out awards and have a person
on staff who monitors the Tweets and
Facebook entries.”
Another initiative developed by Golf
Australia is a Golf Leaders program designed
for schoolteachers.
Crampton said the benefits of the program
would not been seen in the short term.
The four-hour golf leaders’ course provides
teachers with the basic knowledge and allows
them to teach children the basic golf skills.
“That’s been successful and already 250
teachers have been through the course,”
Crampton said.
“Research done in the US and UK says 65
per cent of people who touch golf in primary
school come back to it later in life,” she said.
“We don’t see all these kids transitioning
into golf, but the MYGolf program links the
schools with the local golf club and hopefully
these clubs will nurture the children and
their parents who bring them along into
some sort of membership.
“But if they don’t they can come back later in
life because they have a level of comfort.”
Crampton said it was up to clubs to convert
kids from the MYGolf school program to
club golf.
“Clubs have to look at reducing fees because
you can’t charge little kids the same fees as
18-year-old,” she said.
“But the bottom line for many clubs is having
enough money to stay alive, keep the course
going and pay the staff. So, a full paying
member is more attractive than a kid, but the
child is the future.”
I ask Crampton if golf clubs should be
targeting the parents of children in the junior
program.
“Yes, I have said to golf clubs ‘if you are
running a program for children, then what
are you doing for the adult that comes
with them’,” she said. “Why don’t you do
something for them at the same time?
“Nine out of 10 people bringing their kids
to golf are women and one of our core
objectives in the next financial year is getting
more women into golf.
“So whether they are helping with the
children or going off and doing their own
clinic or playing a couple of holes, it’s a way
of getting them into the system as well.
“Clubs have to think more laterally now
because of the ever declining membership
although golf is still the biggest participation
sport in Australia.
“The numbers are declining yet more people
are playing golf more than ever.
“Clubs have to think very differently about
their membership and product offerings and
well as their fee structures.
“The clubs that have gone to pay by the
month have probably benefitted because a
lot of people in the 25-45 demographic don’t
have ready cash.”
Golf clubs will soon be able to benefit from
a Best Practices Manual, which is currently
being designed by a committee made up
from Golf Australia, the PGA and Golf
Management Australia (GMA).
“We are looking at the whole governance,
management, best practices, career pathways
and other things,” Crampton said.
“We are saying to clubs, ‘you do need to
think differently’. “Most clubs are now
advertising for members so things have to
change and here is an avenue with young
kids and their parents to get involved. “We
have a massive amount of material we are
working though, but we are not going to
reinvent the wheel.”
The online resource should be due for release
later this year.
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Golf Industry Central May 2012
11