Let’s Raise Our Game, the England Golf training and education programme for clubs, has launched with a hugely successful series of Business Growth Forums.
More than 1500 delegates from 600 golf clubs – almost a third of all those in England – signed up to attend the 24 forums, which were held across the country.
Now, all clubs have the opportunity to attend demand-led practical workshops, which are being organised over the next few months. These will cover topics highlighted by clubs during the forums, including marketing, customer service, revenue generation, recruitment and retention of members.
These workshops will be open to all clubs, not only those which attended the forums, but places will be limited. More information is available on the Training and Education page of the England Golf website or by visiting the Golf Education Calendar
The Business Growth Forums were free and aimed at key decision makers in clubs, both staff and volunteers. They helped clubs take a fresh look at their opportunities, identify their goals for growth, including identifying ways to recruit and retain more members, and to find out about the support available from England Golf.
They prompted enthusiastic feedback from delegates, including:
- “We are meeting as a group next week to talk about how to take the ideas forward. Thank you for a truly stimulating day – I cannot remember the last time I stayed alert and interested all day and came away full of energy!” Lynn Thornton, Director, Kingsdown Golf Club, Wiltshire.
- “The delivery of the forum was excellent and I fail to see how anyone cannot have benefitted from it and the stimulus on some relatively easy steps so many can undertake to secure and improve their futures.” Chris Pountney, County Secretary, Cornwall Golf Union.
The Business Growth Forums were tested and developed from England Golf’s pilot project, Increasing Membership and Participation, which is trialling new approaches in Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire.
Laura Rushby, England Golf’s Head of Training and Education, said: “We realised very quickly that these forums would be of great practical use to clubs everywhere and we rolled them out across the country. The response has been fantastic.”
The Business Growth Forums were led by Jane Carter, a golf industry expert who has worked with more than 400 golf clubs in the last five years to develop successful business and marketing strategies.
‘Let’s Raise Our Game’ is part of England Golf’s strategy to create stronger clubs, and the forums support the work of the County Development Officers and Regional Managers. Laura said: “We are all working together at club, county and national levels to grow golf and ensure it thrives across England.”
England Golf www.englandgolf.org