Bid to broaden golf appeal is paying off

Programs are luring more Tasmanians keen to have a go, says Simon Weston

REPORTS of the death of golf in Tasmania are greatly exaggerated, to borrow from Mark Twain.

While we know that the demographic of our 68 clubs across the state in general is ageing, the results of the MyGolf junior program are especially encouraging.

Nationally, MyGolf registrations reached a new record of more than 15,000 for the first time, up from 9600 in 2016-2017.

In Tasmania we have seen an 86 per cent increase in registrations from the previous year. This year, we have 752 registrations, up from 405.

Having Jason Day and Min Jee Lee as MyGolf ambassadors has helped raise the profile nationally.

In Tasmania, we now have 16 active MyGolf centres, which is 24 per cent of the affiliated golf clubs in Tasmania.

All golf clubs have the opportunity to offer MyGolf and PGA professionals, PGA trainees or Community Golf Instructors who are able to deliver MyGolf programs.

The great thing for some of our smaller clubs is that the Community Golf Instructor training is online. It’s open to all amateur golfers, allowing all golf clubs the opportunity to offer the MyGolf program.

Golf Tasmania can provide equipment kits, signage, posters, flyers, digital images and marketing grants to clubs who participate in MyGolf to help attract junior golfers.

During MyGolf sessions, the youngsters learn key skills such as putting, chipping and driving in a games-based environment.

Keeping the activities fun and rotating between different activities is critical to keep the kids engaged. Importantly, there is no cost to our clubs.

We are seeing great success at some of our smaller clubs with MyGolf, for example, Scottsdale in the North-East, North West Bay in the South and Port Sorell in the NorthWest. When clubs of their size can attract 6 to 10 new young golfers, that can have an impact now and into the future.

There are some positive signs for junior golf in Tasmania and Australia.

“MyGolf Sporting Schools” is also offered in primary schools across the country.

In Tasmania, 41 schools have held a MyGolf Sporting Schools program in the past 12 months. This represents more than 4000 students given the opportunity to play golf, many of those for the first time.

Golf Tasmania is forming links between these local schools and the nearest golf club. The main purpose of the school programs is to feed new participants into MyGolf programs in local golf clubs.

Golf Tasmania is keen to support all clubs in their efforts to attract new juniors to their clubs, because increasing junior golf participation is a key focus for us.

If you want to know more about MyGolf, go to www.mygolf.org.au/.

The other great success in the past few years has been the growth of Swing Fit for new women golfers.

Clubs big and small have been offering free “Come and Try Days” for women. They don’t have to have golf gear or equipment, they can just wear their gym gear or comfortable clothing. Swing Fit is a fun, healthy and social way for women to get started in golf. Clubs typically follow the come and try sessions with a program over six weeks.

Women learn the basics of golf in a social and interactive way and get their bodies moving through some light conditioning and movement exercises including some modified yoga and pilates.

The program teaches women how to swing, strike the ball and sink putts.

Claremont Golf club ran a Swing Fit come and try session 12 months ago and 44 women turned up. Even more importantly, more than half have joined the club since. Golf Tasmania is keen to work with clubs that wish to attract women to their membership.