Project Road Trip
In our last article, we informed you that we were about to embark on Project Road Trip. The plan was to research how different golf clubs look to increase engagement in the sport among young people.
Well, we’ve almost completed the project now and, in this article, we’re going to summarise our findings. Could your club gain some new ideas on how to develop your junior section?
Membership
Let’s start with membership. Our research led us to discover one simple tip for clubs: ensure that the increase in membership fees is as gradual as possible.
Young Ambassador Tom found that in the North West, the average monthly membership fee is £5.16 for under 12s and £8.98 for 13-17-year-olds.
Young Ambassador Sam found that in East Anglia, the average fee for someone entering the adult form of the game is just £31.78 per month, compared to a full adult price of £83.87. Some clubs then gradually increase the fee each year until the player reaches the full subscription sum around the age of 30-35.
This method ensures that players aren’t put off by sudden price jump from a small junior fee (usually around 11% of a full adult fee) to a full adult fee once they turn 18.
The Golf Foundation’s Junior Golf Passport
Young Ambassador Anya found that encouraging new players to participate in The Golf Foundation’s Junior Golf Passport is beneficial for their development. The Junior Golf Passport introduces new juniors to the game and helps them progress to the golf course so that they are ready to play in competitions.
As Young Ambassador Katie discovered, one way of running the Junior Golf Passport is through holiday golf camps. In these, young people learn the basics and engage with fellow beginners.
Before you know it, October Half Term will be on our doorstep. So, could your club get these programs set up in time?
If your club is interested in the Junior Golf Passport, take a look here:
https://www.juniorgolfpassport.org/
Is your club successful at engaging juniors? Do you have any ideas you’d like us to share? Get in touch:
Email: young.ambassadors.getgolfing@gmail.com
Twitter: @GolfAmbassadors
Instagram: getgolfing
