The same core team of tournament organisers that have made sustainability a central priority for the event continued to deliver against the international criteria as well as responding well to the annual Continual Improvement Points that were set last year.

For the 2020 edition of the event, the action plan continues to deliver previous best practices plus push the boundaries on new projects and innovations. As ever, the plan is comprehensive in the range of environmental and social issues it addresses, and the scope of application across venue and accommodation; staging activities; player and family engagement; legacy projects and community outreach. This is particularly commendable given the tremendous disruption and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 health crisis.

Dan Van Horn, Founder and Chief Executive of the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation said: “This is great news, and demonstrates that we have an ongoing commitment to doing things in the right way – for the local communities and environments that our tournaments touch. This year has been particularly challenging, but we now look forward to staging a safe, environmentally friendly event in 2020, and one that also gives the community and families something to look forward to after many months of concern.”

Paolo Casati, President of Golf della Montecchia and of PlayGolf54 Group said: “If anything, environmental issues have gained even greater importance and visibility since last year, which explains why we are trying so hard to keep coming up with new ideas and solutions.  All of the team work incredibly hard and passionately on this, and I’m delighted to see them get the recognition they deserve.

We will again be focused on this for the 2020 Venice Open edition, and with great attention to all health regulations, which we will apply with rigour to guarantee safety and health for all the families involved.”

The initiative was led by the voluntary leadership of the U.S. Kids Golf Foundation and Golf della Montecchia, with strong support from the other two host venues – Golf Club Frassanelle and Galzignano Terme Spa & Golf Resort. The event is also backed by the Confederation of Professional Golf.

Jonathan Smith, Founder and Executive Director, GEO Foundation added: “Our congratulations again to everyone involved at the Venice Open. It would be easy to become complacent, and there is every reason to turn attention to other pressing human health issues – but the organisers have continued to ask questions and explore how they can do things better – and given the underlying significance of some of the issues they are addressing, this is hugely commendable.”

Venues:

• Golf della Montecchia GEO Certified® for 7 years and winner of IAGTO Sustainability Award
• Golf Club Frassanelle and Galzignano Terme are in OnCourse® sustainability program and working towards GEO Certified®
• All courses are pioneering organic management of new, warm-season grasses; and studying sustainable turf, biodiversity and water conservation, and reduced carbon footprint in partnership with NGOs and universities.

Event:

• Players, caddies and families completed an environmental questionnaire and environmental information family orientation packs
• Sustainable bamboo golf tees from Ocean Tee were supplied to player
• Sustainability themed signage across all venues and hotels
• Hotels and restaurants committed to the tournament’s sustainability policy
• Recovery of all recyclable materials and water refill stations
• Forty bicycles were provided to families by the JSH Group hotels
• Local sourcing with wine, meat, dairy and most of the vegetables from local farmlands (supplier Nautilus Fish and Wine has very comprehensive sustainability policy, more on their website)
• Local schools helped organise and stage the tournament, cooperation with local museums to promote the area’s history and culture, and fundraising for local charity, ‘Team for Children’.

VISIT U.S. KIDS GOLF

PGA Professionals at Golf Club Prise d’Eau, on the outskirts of Tilburg, can regularly be found sporting hoodies, jeans and even coaching barefoot.

Emilio Dellanzo, who heads up the coaching team, says it’s all about replicating an environment, much like a bowling alley, where young people feel more at ease.

“As coaches, it’s our responsibility to make customers feel relaxed.

“If that involves dressing in a more relaxed way, then I think we should do that.”

Where did Dellanzo get his inspiration for the club’s innovative new approach? Weekend fitness classes.

“I regularly attend physical bootcamps. Not because I want to learn how to do a push up, but because there’s a group of friends I like doing it with.

“There is a coach there. But their role is really just to create an environment where we can do it and enjoy it together as a group. That’s why I go back every weekend and that’s what I’m trying to create here.”

The recent roll out of new social coaching programs at Golf Club Prise d’Eau, including love.golf, are showing promising signs.

“We’ve recruited 70 new players to our beginner classes since June alone, and are on track to far exceed our numbers from last year,” added Dellanzo.

And the increased interest from young beginners has inspired the club to go even further.

They have just installed a new bar on its driving range serving up beer and bitterballs (Dutch fried finger food) and are about to transform an old lesson room into an academy lounge, complete with industrial walls decorated by local graffiti artists.

For more information on love.golf, visit www.love.golf or email alastair@love.golf.

Follow Golf Club Prise d’Eau here

In just a matter of months, COVID-19 has shaken and shaped the mere fabric of society. Both business and the golf industry has not been spared either. Local and national lockdowns caused the inevitable closures that we have seen and it is only now that we are beginning to realise the full impact and extent of what has been such a damaging period, not just to public health but also economically and socially as well.

As we begin to recover as an industry, the need to be at the top of our game has never been more important. Clubs, golf centres, driving ranges and other indoor golfing venues are taking the health and safety of their staff and customers very seriously for two good reasons.

The first is the obvious: because right now we have a duty of care to one another; to minimise the spread of the virus and protect each other.

The second is not obvious: because doing so is good for your brand.

Here is why COVID-19 health and safety guidelines and guidance have never been more important for you…

01 SAFETY

As mentioned earlier this is the very real, serious and obvious part as to why we do this. We have seen the devastating numbers off cases, serious illnesses and unfortunately deaths that have been used by the Coronavirus. It has made us all realise that we are not invincible and something so invisible can have a real and serious impact on our health.

It has also raised our awareness of how we behave, including maintaining good hygiene and social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.

For businesses, this has also meant following and implementing various practices and protocols to reduce the spread as well. The CPG recently published its own forms of guidance to CPG Member Countries, and created a hub page with various information, links and documents to help advise and guide those who are perhaps a little overwhelmed by the situation.

These are by no means a magic bullet and they will never eliminate the risk of catching coronavirus – it is a fair assumption to think it is here to stay for the meanwhile and that whilst the chances are low, they are still real. However, what they do do is just that – they lower the chances and minimise the risk as much as possible.

I urge you to have a read and consider some of the points that are in there. Implementing them will not only help keep yourselves safe but also everybody who walks through that door into your club or golf business. I think it is fair to say we all have a moral obligation to do so.

02 BRAND CAPITAL

An inadvertent consequence of doing the above is that it might actually help drive sales and customer activity.

As the world is an incredibly inter-connected, digitally-driven place where conversations from continents away can be had in seconds, information (both positive and negative) spreads like wildfire. As a marketing concept, ‘Word of Mouth’ continues to play its part in the understanding of customer enticement. However, 21st century society has seen the addition of ‘Electronic Word of Mouth’ too and whilst it can be incredibly useful, it can also be incredibly dangerous.

As Marketers, we are constantly on the lookout for those comments, shares, reviews and observations made by customers over the Internet – it is probably the most powerful tool you can have to present your business in a way you want. However, just use the example that a COVID-19 case was traced back to a business who happened to have misjudged or even perhaps ignored some of the safety guidance. You can imagine what will happen next, right?

“Irresponsible” “Dangerous” “Lack of foresight” “DO NOT VISIT”

These are just some of the words I can imagine (and have seen) from customer reviews across the general business space related to COVID-19, and it won’t be going away anytime soon. However, flip this situation on its head to a point where your golf club has followed guidelines to the book:

“Fantastic and safe experience” “Really organised” “Safety-conscious”

I know which descriptives I would want my business to be associated with. This is not to say you will not receive the odd bad review. There will always be that one resistive (often younger) customer who complains and disagrees with what you are doing, and that you are infringing on their basic liberties. That is also happening everywhere else and there is not a lot you can do about it other than explain to them in a diplomatic manner the reasons why. Chances are, they will come round and see sense.

Therefore, acting in a responsible and safe manner and follow the guidelines and advice to the book (whether you agree or disagree with them), will help enforce a healthier and safer environment for everyone and in turn, a better experience for customers. I like to view this situation (as with most new customer-related situations and journeys) as a job interview or talent audition – customers are there to interrogate you and your business, and they want to know your strengths, your weaknesses and whether you can stand up to the task in hand of serving their needs and wants safely.

If you can’t, they will pick you up on it.

If you can…well…positive impressions are the most powerful tool you have in your armoury and they will thank you for it.

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The 2020 Penati Slovak Open Championship, held at Penati Golf Resort, has been confirmed by the PGA of Slovakia and organisers that it will take place once again this year from 13-15 September.

The prize fund has been heavily increased to a total of €20,000 this year (with 1st place receiving €10,000 alone), making it one of the most lucrative and attractive tournament propositions in the European region in 2020 for Professionals. The event will be held across three days and consists of a Pro-Am format on day one, followed by the two-day Professional tournament after.

Registration is now open for both PGA of Slovakia and non-Slovakian Professionals. To enter, click the button below or contact info@golfslovakopen.sk

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

VISIT PENATI SLOVAK OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

VISIT THE PGA OF SLOVAKIA

With the recent announcement that the PGA of Ukraine have joined the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] as its newest Member Country, the signals of positive intent from both parties – to extend and grow the game of golf both in Ukraine and more globally – are there for all to see.

The CPG chatted to PGA of Ukraine Deputy General Secretary, Veronika Rastvortseva, about the association and its current goals and driving motivations for the future of the sport in Ukraine…

TB: Can you shed some more light on the PGA of Ukraine as an association? It is obviously new and relatively unknown to a lot of people…

VR: The last 9 months have been very busy for the association, with a lot of change seen. We are excited to have a dynamic and visionary new President, Vitaliy Khomutynnik, overseeing the introduction of both a new General Secretary – Volodymyr Pylypenko – and a new Board of directors. We have also expanded our resource from just 1 to 5 staff members, reflecting the increase in projects and initiatives that the Ukrainian Golf Federation is involved in.

In line with an increasing level of collaboration within the country, a new structure has been developed to help better incorporate the leading bodies and associations involved with golf in Ukraine. These include the PGA of Ukraine, 4 Committees (Sport & HcP, Women in Golf, Deaflympic & Paralympic) and other key individuals.

The main purpose of this was to give each committee or individual member a more precise role to better achieve success in achieving our strategic objectives. Our focus has been on eliminating previous problems of having too much responsibility concentrated across just one or two individuals.

To give just one example of how these changes work in practice: after signing the Women in Golf Charter we immediately created a Women in Golf Committee. Each of the 6 female members now have a defined role, covering a range of initiatives including promotion of junior golf amongst girls and spreading the sport to different locations.  While there is much work to do, we are now on a much more sound footing with the system, and are better protected from the loss or absence of a member of staff.

TB: What sort of numbers is golf working to at the moment in Ukraine?

VR: Presently we have over 400 golfers but this number is constantly growing, generally distributed across Ukraine’s 5 golf clubs and 3 centres with golf-simulators. We are also working closely with each to establish playing opportunities and tournaments.

We are very proud to be working with and partnering to a number of global golf organisations, in order to fully represent their interest in Ukraine as well. Thee include European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA), obviously the CPG, European Golf Association (EGA), the International Golf Federation (IGF), The R&A and others, all of which hold the aim of developing the game and widening participation across youth, women and people with disabilities. Using the specific context of our role within the CPG as a member, we have instigated teaching and certification of golf coaches (Golf Coaching Framework) and have joined the CPG programme ”Parents in Golf”.

These actions all impact on both the quality and quantity of participants in golf, and the Ukrainian Golf Federation is planning to take these developments further to make the game available for everyone.

TB: What are the key goals of the organisation for Ukrainian golf over the next 5 years?

VR: This is very much in line with our strategic plan, where we hope to give all areas of golf equal and considerable attention. Disabled golf, Women in Golf, our coaching pathway for PGA members, national team development and support for our increasing number of clubs and facilities will all be provided with support and assistance from our Federation’s offices. We have started from a low number of golfers and coaches and the plan is not simply to increase the numbers but to do so whilst making known to our public the great values, standards and traditions that golf has to offer. It is the beginning of an incredibly exciting journey and it is wonderful to be a part of.

As part of our strategic plan, the coaching pathway and the development of our own coaches here in Ukraine is of huge important to us. Because of the generous support of The R&A, through their National Body Development Grant, we now have time and resource to spend on this particular strand of our development. Our own internal coach education support at training camps and at tournaments, plus the CPG programmes that will begin in September, should see us well placed to provide practical and theoretical support for Ukraine’s PGA members.

We enjoyed a very strong start to the support for the National Coaching framework, with an excellent camp in Turkey from 20-28 February. Three coaches and our Consulting Coach, David Kearney, spent the preceding weeks planning an effective camp which would deliver coaching opportunities and learning experiences for the coaches involved, with feedback on an individual basis.

TB: Why is being a part of the Confederation of Professional Golf important?

VR: Education, in all walks of life, gives us a splendid opportunity to reach our goals, both professionally and personally. As we embarked on year 1 of our strategic plan, we looked to align with a strong educational partner and are thus delighted to be working with CPG Director of Education and Development, Martin Westphal, and the entire team at the organisation. Our aim, with the help of CPG, is to provide a world class education system for our PGA professionals. We know this will take time, a lot of energy and vision to establish but the Federation knows that the growth of golf in the country is in many ways dependent on the quality of coaching that we have, the facilities available, and the passion and enthusiasm that our professionals instil in the golfing population right across Ukraine.

Along with the CPG, the UGF is excited to be partnering with The University of Physical Education Kiev (NUPPES). This is a highly promising collaboration that will enable expansion of the UGF/PGA of Ukraine coaching plan. It will aim to develop the Golf Education programme for college students wishing to play college golf but not necessarily having the opportunity to travel to the USA to do so. The programme will commence in September 2021 and students will be invited from all over Eastern Europe to enrol in a 4-year college degree programme. This will include improving their golfing skills, and they will be expected to take part in the R&A tour.

TB: Your thoughts and feelings that you have finally joined the CPG?

VR: This marks a great step forward for us. It is wonderful to be a part of a community that has the growth of the game and development of educational programmes at the heart of its function. But as important, it acts as a motivator for us and as a catalyst to work even harder so we can be judged alongside the best in the world and hold our heads high. We have looked from the sideline for a while, but now we are at the table, we also hope to be able to contribute to the conversation. We are ambitious in Ukraine and keen to learn and grow. We are confident our energy and motivation, combined with acquisition of new skills and knowledge thanks to our association with the CPG, will be a winning formula.

All the initiatives undertaken by the UGF are with the strategic support of the Golf Development team at The R&A. Their support in helping us develop golf for all has been unwavering and we are very appreciative. And now with bodies like The R&A and the CPG partnering and supporting The Ukrainian Golf Federation, we are confident we will reach our strategic goals.

Visit the PGA of Ukraine

“My lesson bookings have never been busier – how do I keep these customers moving forwards?”

“With long-term prospects and consumer confidence looking fairly low, we are not sure this high will last.”

It is an interesting conundrum, and one that most PGA Professionals and facility owners find themselves in right now. Golf courses, ranges, simulators and clubs are busier than ever with existing and new players to the game. So how can you manage this uptick in participation properly, whilst engaging, enticing and retaining their custom?

First I think we need to answer the question of: Is this going to last?

The answer to that, to a large extent, depends on our actions. If as an industry, we play this situation well by utilising resource effectively, managing our time and creating innovative solutions to meet the excess demand, I don’t see why this pent-up consumption can’t be turned into real and sustainable consumer spending in the years to come.

There is that key comment of “people have been unable to do other things and golf was there first…it won’t last” to deal with. For sure, a large proportion of this increased demand is made up of consumers who have been unable to fulfil their normal spending habits, such as watching their local sports teams (football, cricket, rugby, tennis etc.) and have therefore been on the prowl for something else to fill their time. During this search, golf has provided that short-term solution to satisfy a need but what happens once their usual spending habits reemerge? Most believe golf will be cast aside once more.

However, this isn’t and shouldn’t be a certainty whatsoever.

If we can focus on converting just a small percentage of those people into consuming golf as a more regular habit, say once a month for the next year, it can yield worthwhile returns. Here is an example taken from a local course, who have seen an average increase of 40 visitor green fees per day since lockdown restrictions were lifted.

1. Average green fee charged: €20.00
2. Average number of surplus visitors (using pre-lockdown figures as a baseline): 40
3. Additional revenue per day: €800.00
4. Additional revenue per month: €24,000

Notice how the last figure was calculated for monthly, rather than annually. This is so that you can take into consideration that 40 extra golfers, like with your existing customers, will drop off significantly during the off-peak, winter months. However, it paints a picture of the potential increases golf courses can (and have) seen recently. Just converting 10% of these golfers permanently (4 players!) is worth a significant amount of revenue to your business.

01 BETTER UNDERSTAND THE SEGMENT

Perhaps you already collect consumer data of your visitors, perhaps you don’t. Understanding this segment to a degree is going to be important in order to effectively manage and exceed their expectations and retain their custom.

First you need to set up a system of data collection. This doesn’t even have to be a fancy, state-of-the-art cash register that requires an input mechanism for every player. It can be as simple as staff observations and reporting. Whatever it is, create a procedure or system that your team works with and can work well to, and gain an understanding of a number of things:

1. How often does this consumer play?
2. What points in the day do they play? (AM, PM, Twilight etc.)
3. Do they consume additional services aside from green fees? (golf carts, range, bar, restaurant etc.)
4. Simple demographic breakdowns (Age, gender, occupation, proximity to course)
5. Contact details and GDPR conformity!

02 TARGETING

This really should be with point 01 but it is easier to explain separately. This is because you can’t have a targeted campaign without the previous stage of data collection. The two go hand-in-hand. How you go about creating a targeted campaign is dependent on the data that you have about your consumer, and generating the data that you need is dependant on the campaign you want to create.

First identify a business goal of the campaign. Is this to acquire a set number of additional members? Is this to sell a block number of lesson vouchers? Is this to drive green fee revenue? Golf cart revenue? We will continue to use the example of increasing visitor green fee revenue.

Now that we have a goal, we can begin to narrow down our focus for data collection. We don’t need to find out more about our members as these are not visitors. We also don’t need to focus on our existing pool of regular pay-and-players (assuming you have a database for these golfers already as they will have booked countless of times already).

We need to focus our efforts on those new visitors that we have no data for. Utilising point one, begin to collate data (and therefore understanding) of this consumer, so that you have the information and direction you need on what needs to change or be focused on to increase this golfer’s experience moving forwards.

*As a side point, also ensure they provide GDPR consent to receive marketing information from yourselves when doing so*

Now you better understand them as people, you can provide these new ‘Post-COVID’ golfers with tailored products, services and offerings to entice and engage them for further consumption. Be creative with how you do this, you don’t need to just offer them heavily discounted green fees, mostly because they’ve been paying stated prices already with no complaints, haven’t they? Ask yourselves: why are these people enjoying golf? What is it about their consumption of golf that differs to our existing consumers?

You might find that they enjoy the social benefits of golf such as having a drink after playing, or that they want to try a new sport, or that simply enough their Saturday’s are now free and they need something to do. Well, how about streaming live sport in the clubhouse after? With some heavy promotion and communication to them about this, they will realise that they can now play golf and watch their favourite teams play at the same time…

This is not a magic bullet but the premise of the point is that tailoring your services to each individual better will improve their experience and encourage their future custom.

03 COMBATTING A CULTURE CLASH

A separate point, but nonetheless crucial to maximising your returns.

So often, we hear about the barriers to entry faced by many new golfers. This includes attitudes of existing members and players, strict club regulations and enforced rules on etiquette and behaviour. I am not for one minute suggesting these all need to be disbanded, in fact I would be extremely surprised if they could anyway – golf has been trying to remove them for decades and for various reasons, has failed.

However you view these points (Whilst I personally appreciate the etiquette of the game and standards of behaviour, I cannot understand why wearing a jacket and tie and not using your mobile phone in a clubhouse is still even a rule in 2020), the fact remains that these will no doubt dismay and dissuade the consumers you are trying to target here to continue playing. They are accustomed to freedom of choice, the ability to go where they want and when they want and quite frankly, golf doesn’t – it remains bogged down and unable to offer the same sort of atmosphere because of its traditional nuances.

This last point I am trying to focus on is about engagement – engaging both the new consumers you are targeting and engaging the existing members that you have to work with you in doing so. If you can encourage and create an atmosphere that furthers inclusion, reduces stigmatisation and promotes friendliness, one can be confident that new golfers and visitors will be far less likely to play, dislike the experience and the unwelcoming atmosphere and never come back.

One simple idea could be to create a ‘mentor system’ between guests and members, or have themed nights in the clubhouse that focus on socialising and fun. Even something as simple as how you arrange your clubhouse seating (COVID-19 complying of course) might encourage increased dialogue between different groups, rather than having uninteractive, unsociable bubbles.

By combing a renewed and refreshed atmosphere, with better understanding and targeting, the ‘COVID-19’ golfer might just realise that golf is for them, that it isn’t a sport for the affluent and that in fact they can have as much enjoyment from golf that they would have from other sports and pastimes…

Let us seize this opportunity, whilst we still have it.

In a joint initiative, AEGEAN and SETE, the Greek Tourism Confederation, offer full holiday package, including flights and accommodation, to the Civil Protection frontliners, as small token of gratitude for their continuing effort to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 since its very beginning.

Leading hotel industry companies and AEGEAN offer a 6-day holiday package to popular Greek destinations, so that all those working for Civil Protection against COVID-19 are able to enjoy a unique and memorable holiday experience with their beloved ones.

AEGEAN offers round-trip tickets for its entire domestic network for all beneficiaries while SETE provides for their accommodation through its hotel members – MITSIS HOTELS, TEMES (Hilton and Costa Navarino), GRECOTEL, PHAEA RESORTS, LAMPSA HELLENIC HOTELS (Sheraton Rhodes Resort), ATRIUM HOTELS, KONTOKALI BAY RESORT & SPA/ AEOLOS BEACH, COMPANY, GIANNIOULIS HOTELS -. throughout Greece

Nikos Hardalias, Civil Protection Deputy Minister said: “Keeping all of you safe is our utmost priority and mission. Either this entails protection from natural disasters or other emergencies. This year, our mission was mainly focused on the management of COVID-19 pandemic. An unprecedented circumstance that our country is so far handling successfully, thanks to the cooperation and commitment of the entire Greek people. On behalf of the Civil Protection and all those that are at the forefront of combating COVID-19, I would like to thank AEGEAN and SETE for their kind offer and let all of you know that we will continue to make every possible effort to keep Greece a safe destination.

Yiannis Retsos, President, Greek Tourism Confederation SETE, Greece said: “Tourism sector leads the way of supporting those who are at the forefront of the health crisis. This joint initiative is a small token of our appreciation for their commitment and vigorous efforts all through, the past few months, for their continuous effort to cope with the unprecedented situations that our country is experiencing, every day. It is our wish, that the people of the Civil Protection, will have the chance to travel and enjoy a relaxing holiday in one of their favorite destination in Greece, after a very difficult period and in view of new challenges ahead.”

Beneficiaries* are invited to visit the dedicated AEGEAN website (https://el.aegeanair.com/milesandbonus/civilprotection-form), from 1 until 14 August 2020, and submit their contact details. After completing the registration process and verifying their details, beneficiaries will be entitled to receive two (2) round-trip tickets for the entire domestic network through AEGEAN’s Miles+Bonus Program and choose their stay in one of the participating SETE member hotels.