A drive to recruit more members at golf clubs is launched by England Golf with the campaign Membership: Give it a Shot
England Golf has demonstrated its commitment to club membership with the re-launch of its ‘Membership: Give it a Shot’ campaign, designed to educate new and existing golfers about the benefits of joining clubs across the country.
The campaign, which goes live today, focuses on four core values - equality, diversity, family and community - with a suite of new consumer and club-focused content designed to help golf clubs both recruit new and retain existing members.
Working closely with its key partners and members of the golf community, England Golf will capture the experiences of club players across England, inspiring new players of all ages and abilities.
Did you know?
"Over 550,000 women are regularly playing golf, but are not members of a club."
During a challenging and difficult time for everyone, golf has offered individuals both an escape and an environment to play sport, socialise with friends, and compete, either within a friendly group or a tournament setting.
Golf club membership has proven itself to be a valuable, healthy and flexible lifestyle product throughout this period, with club membership increasing significantly in the past 12 months.
Looking to build momentum on the sport’s thriving popularity, the Give it a Shot campaign aims to attract golfers who are actively playing, whether at driving ranges, par-3 courses, pitch and putt facilities or as visitors to 9 and 18-hole courses. More than 4.3 million players were recorded as playing at driving ranges across Great Britain in 2020, as the average age of golfers fell from 46 to 41.
"During the pandemic, there was a 1.5% increase in female membership at affiliated clubs from 2019-2020 across England"
England Golf Membership Campaign
England Golf’s membership call to action of ‘Give it a Shot’ comes to life through three key messages:
‘Play is Flexible’: As golf continues to evolve in line with modern lifestyle choices, membership has also adapted to change. Flexible tee times, practice facilities, bespoke tournament formats and new entertainment activities have enabled a new ‘way to play golf’.
‘Clubs are Sociable’: A hugely popular aspect of any sport and club membership is the social benefits. The opportunity to meet in a safe environment, share stories, and build lifelong friendships through the game. Golf offers unrivalled levels of mental and physical benefits and hours of socialising, with a mixture of generations and family members.
‘Golf is Affordable’: Golf club membership has adapted to welcome a range of modern lifestyles. Designed to provide individuals with variety, flexible membership offers and carefully constructed payment options have made golf more accessible than ever.
Jeremy Tomlinson, CEO, England Golf, said:
“We would like to use this exciting period to support clubs in England with resources to help retain members and attract more golfers, with a first-class suite of digital assets and customisable templates that showcase the sport’s true personality.
“The unprecedented circumstances of the past year has provided a challenge for all of our clubs, but what has remained constant is the comprehensive and varied offer golf clubs provide.
“We believe club membership has never been more important and offers individuals, groups and families an environment that represents the best way to fully enjoy the sport.
“In this exciting time for golf, we look forward to retaining and strengthening our club membership numbers as well as welcoming new players to our game in the months and years ahead.”
To find out more about the Membership: Give it a Shot campaign, visit: englandgolf.org