LACK OF DRIVE
This Gold Coast idol has made almost $50m from golf so why aren’t local youngsters rushing to follow in his footsteps?
THE nursery that produced golfing greats Adam Scott and Jason Day is in decline and the game’s governing body is about to hit the schools to help arrest it.
The Gold Coast District Golf Association (GCDGA) said it was “genuinely concerned” about the falling numbers of young players in the area, having lost a third of those in the junior (under18) category in less than two years.
Competitors in open junior events have dropped from 140-150 to 110-115.
The junior pennants series has also suffered. Last year, nine clubs were part of junior division one and another nine in junior interclub.
This year, only six clubs are in division one and the interclub series has been canned.
Not long ago, golf was an appealing avenue for budding stars looking to emulate the likes of Scott and Day, Gold Coast products who have forged hugely successful careers overseas.
“It is something occurring statewide and something Golf Queensland is trying to address,” GCDGA chief Neil Steinhardt said of the drop in junior numbers.
“It is a very genuine concern.”
Steinhardt said there were a number of issues behind the decline, none the least the closure of memberships at a number of Coast courses such as Lakelands, Palmer Colonial and Palmer Gold Coast (Robina Woods), as well as cost.
Royal Pines Resort fielded a pennants team last year and lost the final to Southport. This year there is no team from that club.
“Look at Sanctuary Cove, they have no more juniors,” Steinhardt said.
“That club has produced some of our top juniors of the past.
“And Colonial, Robina Woods and Sanctuary Cove Palms do not participate in pennants but have academies there.”
Steinhardt felt a catalyst for the decline in junior numbers was the cost.
Getting a foot in the door at clubs was another.
“It is one of those things where I feel it is difficult because of members’ competitions,” he said.
“Part of the issue is the expense but it’s just the difficulty of getting nine and 10-yearolds who walk in with just a couple of clubs through some proper coaching to the point where they are confident to walk out on to the course.
“The clubs have to be giving of that time, to give them that pathway.”
Depending on the club, it can cost youngsters at least a couple of hundred dollars to play competitive golf on the Gold Coast.
Steinhardt said the GCDGA would hit the schools towards the end of February to push the game of golf to parents and children.