Golf Pride, an industry leader in innovation and sports performance equipment, announced the introduction of CPX®, the company’s softest performance grip yet. The new CPX — standing for “Comfort Performance Extreme” — provides superior feel through a combination of extreme softness and exceptional new technology, including the company’s first-ever raised, EXO diamond-quilted pattern. For players who seek the confidence that comes from the feel of a high-performance, comfortable grip, the CPX is a game changer.

“The connection between the hands and mind is critical in the game of golf,” said Jamie Ledford, President of Golf Pride. “We’re so excited about CPX because the new design and ultra-soft rubber compound we’ve developed take this connection to the next level. Anyone who tries the CPX will immediately feel the difference.”

The new CPX — the first grip completely concepted and developed at Golf Pride’s new Global Innovation Centre in Pinehurst, North Carolina — is constructed from a very soft and responsive rubber compound that moulds to the golfer’s hands for the ultimate in comfort and stress relief. The soft and tacky material features a 45-degree diamond pattern inspired by the grips on BMX bikes. This new tactile design is raised to maximise contact-area with the golfer’s hands, enhancing performance. In addition, the innovative Control Core® in the grip’s end-cap complements the soft rubber compound to afford the best of both worlds: maximum softness and maximum control.

A Soft Grip for a Hard Game

With the introduction of CPX, Golf Pride is also unveiling a second new “feel.” The brand’s latest campaign – “A Soft Grip for a Hard Game” – is an intentional departure from the golf category’s historical focus on performance claims and product specs in marketing materials. Confidence through comfort is integral to reach the most optimal performance in the golfer’s game. “A Soft Grip for a Hard Game” is aimed at players of all types from highly competitive golfers to weekend warriors and all those in between.

“We know that golfers of every calibre quest for the ‘right feel’ when they have a club in their hands,” said Eric Gibson, Global Head of Marketing, Golf Pride. “The new CPX, and the marketing campaign behind it, focuses on exactly that. Golf is hard. There’s a lot to think about. We believe that the right grip can create comfort – for your hands and your mind – regardless of your skill level. We are excited to lean more into this approach in our messaging and feel it reflects the positive change and growth that golf is experiencing.”

The new CPX will be available from professional shops and selected retailers around Europe from April 1st. To learn more, go to www.golfpride.com/cpx

About Golf Pride

Since its founding in 1949, Golf Pride has become synonymous with the highest quality performance equipment in golf. Today, from its Global Innovation Centre (GIC) in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Golf Pride continues to lead in grip innovation by continuing to obsess over the only connection between our golfers’ hands and the club. That’s why more than 80% of the world’s highest performing golfers choose Golf Pride. For professionals, top amateurs and recreational golfers of all skill levels, Golf Pride sets the standard – in performance and style. To learn more about Golf Pride, go to golfpride.com.

About EATON

Golf Pride is a division of EATON, whose mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. We provide sustainable solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power – more safely, more efficiently, and more reliably. Eaton’s 2020 revenues were $17.9 billion, and we sell products to customers in more than 175 countries. We have approximately 92,000 employees. For more information, visit www.eaton.com

When you think about golf and professional golf in Germany, names such as Bernhard Langer, Sophia Popov, Sandra Gal, Martin Kaymer and Marcel Siem usually spring to mind…

Having produced a long list of players to have reached the upper echelons of the game, Germany can certainly boast a history of consistently shaping the very nature of European golf at the elite level. But as we see in each and every successful golfing nation, producing great players requires solid structures and foundations to have been constructed and managed by the organisations responsible for the game’s governance. Germany is no different. What interconnects the above-mentioned players is that a PGA of Germany Professional has in some way, shape and form, influenced every stage of their games.

So, if German golf is thriving, the PGA of Germany must remain as strong and as influential as possible. To find out more about the ways in which it is doing this and about the wider German market, we spoke to PGA of Germany Professional, Stefan Quirmbach, who has played a central role within the PGA of Germany as its President for over 20 years. Throughout his sit-down conversation with CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell, he shared his insight into the German golf industry and some of the most significant contributions he and the PGA of Germany have made to its growth.

Here are just three.

The organisation was not always the ‘PGA of Germany’

“When I started my apprenticeship in 1984, the organisation was actually called the ‘German Golf Teachers Federation’. This placed the members at a disadvantage because to a certain extent it limited them to experts in coaching and nothing else. At the end of the day, PGA of Germany Professionals are just that, Professionals” Stefan recalled.

“At the time, it was an association of good, collegial friends, and you had the feeling: ‘yes, they all understand each other very well’. But what I felt was that colleagues did not really talk honestly and openly about their profession. When they talked, everyone said at first that their shop was running well and that the hour book was full – but when you talked to the individual a bit more intensively, that was not always the case. The Professionals in the clubs at that time perceived themselves as golf instructors, and the situation was simple: the PGA Professional was there on the driving range giving lessons and usually he ran the shop. At that time, I had the feeling that the actual situation of golf Professionals in the clubs did not match the role we were supposed to have been playing. I did not feel comfortable with that.”

So In 1997, the organisation reorganised and became the PGA of Germany, enabling a new internal structure to be brought in, driven by Stefan himself, whilst also enabling them to utilise the PGA brand – something that Stefan places an incredible amount of value on: “We reformed the organisation into the PGA of Germany. Everybody in golf knows the three biggest letters are PGA. It is a highly marketable asset and attachment to have. It was clear back then that we needed to have this label.” This has meant the standards of the PGA of Germany Professional have increased and the German golf industry is becoming more and more reliant on their skills and expertise: “I feel now we have one of the best PGAs in the world. We have a reliable structure and the organisation has the respect it deserves in Germany. It is highly reputable and influential across the industry. It is enabling us to represent our members wholeheartedly. There is now a sense of pride amongst our PGA of Germany Professionals to wear the badge on their shirt.”

PGA of Germany members are more crucial than ever to the game’s commercial growth, and perceptions have changed

Throughout Stefan’s early career, industry attitudes to PGA Professionals were very different to present day. There were only 17,000 golfers playing the game in 1966 and the sport was, like most countries in the mid-twentieth century, considered very elitist. For Professionals, their reputations were not fully recognised by clubs: “When I started my training with Henning Strüver at the Frankfurt Golf Club in 1984, he told me that two years before he was only allowed on the terrace of the clubhouse – but not in the clubhouse. And when I chose this profession, my mother said to me: ‘You are going down to the lowest social level I know!’.

Not one to sit on his laurels, Stefan was spearheading change within the industry, through careful planning and a radical change in structure and educational delivery. PGA of Germany Professionals began to receive internationally recognised standards of education and training, meaning they could better meet the demands of the industry. “We really believe in education here in Germany. If you work on the education of your members, you improve their skills and in turn, professionalise the profession. This increases respect, trust and reliance on each of our members. We do continuously review and adapt our education to ensure we stay relevant and the workforce maintains its suitably for the demands of the market.

“The role of the golf Professional has changed radically in the last 40 years, thank God: we are all commercially minded and educated now. The profession of golf Professionals is now recognised as a business, and therefore the Professional himself is valued much more. That is also one reason why I do not want to be called a golf teacher. We are the basis of the game, but beyond that, we are also the ones who are highly competent in many other areas of the golf market. That is why I was also very happy when we changed our name from the German Golf Teachers Association to the Professional Golfers Association of Germany in 1995, because this reflects what we do much better.”

This rise in standards has also meant that the quantity of highly-trained professionals is increasing too: “When I first started, we had roughly 30 apprentices each year on the apprenticeship. Now, this number is more like 65-80 apprentices. This means we are able to satisfy the market with more highly skilled and knowledgeable PGA Professionals.”

So how does this reflect for the commercials in German golf? Well, the maths is quite simple: a highly-skilled workforce that is, as Stefan puts it: “incredibly engaged and wants to drive the game forward” means that golf clubs are far more commercially driven as they are now managed by PGA members and the connectivity between organisation and professional is as strong as it has ever been. “I wanted the association to be recognised in the golf world as a highly attractive business partner and that a partnership with us professionals is desirable for companies. Ultimately, this helps the association to be in a better financial position. There is definitely still room for improvement. I envisaged an association whose members proudly show their students and customers that they are PGA golf professionals. Because such a self-image then also radiates to the association’s partners. This is significantly better but we must continue to engage across our membership.”

The PGA owns and manages the Pro Golf Tour

The PGA of Germany owns and manages a number of different assets, which has enabled the organisation to grow and deliver a successful commercial programme consisting of revered brands such as Allianz, BMW, T-Mobile and Titleist all choosing to collaborate and partner with the association: “We first published our own golf magazine – pro!golf – which highlighted the association and our activities and was very important for our perception in the market.”

Another of these key assets if the German Pro Golf Tour: “At the time, the Pro Golf Tour was actually called the EPD Tour. Taking ownership of the tour was important for the organisation. With the purchase of the then EPD Tour, now the Pro Golf Tour, in 2005, we clearly committed ourselves to the promotion of professional tournaments.” But the work did not stop at the acquisition phase. Stefan and his board changed the way the tour was managed, primarily to ensure it enhanced the reputation of its players: “Whilst we wanted to increase playing opportunities for our members, reducing the bureaucracy that surrounded it and placing ownership into the hands of the Professionals was important too. For example, we stopped having referees on the tournaments. It meant that the players had to self-police their rounds, become more open and honest and really, this helped to increased and drive the reputation and credibility of all our members playing on the Pro Golf Tour.

“Every time we have stood for election in the past 21 years, we have brought new projects forward, sometimes internally and sometimes externally oriented, which were close to our hearts and which we ultimately successfully implemented together with the managing directors.”

Final Thoughts…

Through Stefan Quirmbach’s leadership and contributions, the PGA of Germany has shaped and developed its business significantly to ensure its PGA Members receive the highest possible standards of education and support services, whilst also enabling the organisation to further its role as a leading and influential voice for German golf. This has meant both organisation and member has increased its influence and reach to the amateur golfer and ensured that the game grows in both relative and absolute ways. German golf is thriving and with the structures and foundations that have been set by the PGA of Germany, the future looks bright for golf in the country.

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Inside the Ryder Cup with CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell, and Jeremy Snape.

The CPG Business Club hosted a live forum with Founder and CEO of Sporting Edge, Jeremy Snape, interviewing Ian Randell live from Whistling Straits, host venue of the 2020 Ryder Cup. Visit the CPG Business Club and find out how you can join future events: https://cp.golf/CPG-Business-Club​

THE WINNING MINDSET

This article is available in The Insider by CPG magazine, click here to download your digital copy.

The similarities between sport and business are often discussed, but there are few people better placed to shed light on the subject than former England cricketer Jeremy Snape. Here, he tells us what the two worlds have in common and what they can learn from each other.

CPG: You were a successful sportsman and changed tack totally on retirement. Why was that? 

Jeremy Snape: I had always considered myself a journeyman pro. I had 19 years as a professional cricketer, starting at Northants with an incredibly talented team with the likes of Allan Lamb and Curtly Ambrose and a squad full of legends that did not win a huge amount but had a great time. And then I moved to Gloucestershire, who were always underdogs. Everyone fitted together into this tight unit, and we surprised so many people, and ultimately redefined one-day cricket during that period, winning five or six trophies around the turn of the century. And that gave me the springboard to go and play for England. I was man of the match on my debut, but I guess I did not always find I was naturally confident. I was hard on myself and quite analytical – I remember playing a game in front of 120,000 screaming people in India but the loudest voice was in my head, and it was the one that was saying, “Are you sure you are good enough to be here?” I let the emotions divert me from my gameplan and no one had ever coached that, and I suppose it sparked a fascination for me in psychology and mindset and how leaders create a high-performance environment. So that is what I turned to.

CPG: I guess whatever we do we can all empathise with those doubts creeping in…  

JS: Yes, absolutely, and I have spent more time trying to understand this now over the last decade or so but often the highest performers are the ones that have the most doubt and insecurity because they have built up so much and they have got so much to lose. And part of that mindset is actually continually testing the boundaries, which means you are living on the edge and you are out of your comfort zone. Elite performers can actually find comfort in that uncomfortable space and they keep going there because they know that if they can overcome those fears, then that is where their proudest moments come from, and their best achievements.

CPG: And you studied this formally?

JS: Yes. I did my Master’s degree at Loughborough University while I was still playing actually, and there was a moment of epiphany, in the final of the Twenty20 Cup in a tight game at Edgbaston, when I needed to hit a boundary to win, and I used some of these skills that I had learnt from my Master’s degree. In India I had been so focused on what the newspapers and the media might say the next day that I forgot to watch the ball in front of me. Here, I was so focused on my breathing and my routine that I played an instinctive shot, and won the game for us.

So I saw the power of these techniques personally in my own career. I wish I had learnt them earlier but that is the way it is, and that gave me the passion to become a performance coach and help people to understand how they can use their mindset to give them a competitive edge rather than be a hindrance. And that led on to coaching in the IPL with Shane Warne’s team, the Rajasthan Royals, coaching South Africa as they went from number four to number one in the world, and then joining the League Managers’ Association (LMA), supporting the leadership development for the Premier League managers and below.

CPG: And you set up Sporting Edge. What was the aim there?

JS: Sporting Edge is ultimately about going inside the mind of champions, elite performers from sport, the military, academia, best-selling authors, futurists, and trying and find out what is it about this high-performance mindset and this high-performance leadership style that can be broken down into tangible tools that business leaders around the world can use. For me the mindset of high-performance in elite sport and in business are exactly the same. We are trying to get the best out of ourselves and to overcome those doubts, we are trying to get the best out of our individuals that are around us, and we are trying to bring an organisation together and help them to navigate change. The lessons absolutely translate across perfectly and we have proven that with thousands of executives around the world, using our digital library of video insights to fast-track their success.

CPG: Do business leaders need to be selfish to succeed?

JS: As a professional athlete you need to be self-focused. Not necessarily selfish but definitely self-focused, and that can lead into selfishness. The team dynamic is all about selfless performance – what can I give to my team? What does my team need of me now? And we tend to think more selflessly and longer-term in a team situation, whereas when we are under pressure we tend to think about survival in the short-term in our own career. I guess in golf that is where that incredible resilience of living in the moment and being able to build a strategy for your tournament or for the day or the round that you are playing and then be able to break it down into these tight routines. So, for example, if you are playing golf for four hours you are actually only playing golf for 23 minutes and it is the transition between the downtime when you are walking up and down the fairway, what you are thinking there, and that ability to really dial up your focus onto the next shot. You have got to be able to forget the last shot, whether it was a brilliant shot and you feel euphoric or whether it was a terrible shot and you have ended up in the woods. You have got to be able to stop that last shot from contaminating the next one, and that is one of the key mental skills that golf demands.

And it relates into business in that you might be a salesperson who has had three bad sales calls but the fourth call, you cannot afford to go into with low energy, low mood and a negative mindset, because that fourth call might be the one that actually transforms your business. It is that ability to reframe and reset yourself every so often rather than just seeing it as a whole day at work or a whole round of golf. Elite performers have that ability to break the game and the day down into focused units of performance.

CPG: The idea of an individual focus is really interesting but what about when golf becomes a team game?

JS: It is very interesting, I did an interview with Paul McGinley about his leadership at the Ryder Cup, and I think there were a few key elements there. One of the things he tried to do was build this emotional connection with the team. So, clearly all the stars are incredibly successful, they are financially secure, there is nothing that they really need but this team culture has the opportunity to be the thing that they are most proud of in their career and Paul McGinley leveraged this in a couple of ways. First of all he connected them back into the emotional history of the Ryder Cup, so all the players that had gone before them in that lineage. They used really powerful, emotive imagery of people like Seve Ballesteros and tried to bring some of that mindset, almost like the ancient wisdom of these forefathers was speaking to them, that they wanted to be part of this community. And then he, sort of, fast-forwarded it again and asked the players, you know, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we were sitting in a pub in 15 years’ time when we were old and grey and we could look each other in the eye and say we did it, during those few days, we were the ones that absolutely sacrificed and delivered and we stayed true to the team spirit.”

McGinley was one of the first people to use data in an analytical review. For two years before the Ryder Cup he was looking at the course profile and the pairings and match-ups. He had got really strict rules around meetings only being 30 minutes, so he had to make sure that in those 30 minutes he had got their attention and their focus. And then he made sure he understood different people’s requirements so, for example, some leaders would have mandated a team meal every day at a particular time whereas McGinley had a rolling buffet because he knew that some of the Scandinavian golfers might have wanted to eat early and go to bed early whereas some of the Southern European might have stayed up later and gone to bed later. Having that ability to flex the environment for individuals to be at their very best meant that they did not feel as if they were fighting against the team, they were bringing their best as an individual into a team environment. And then because they had been supported as an individual, they could give as much as they could.

I have also interviewed a lot of Olympians who have spoken about individual performance being great but actually what really make them proud are when they have played their part in something bigger than themselves. Because that is not just a test of skill, but being part of a high-performing team is a test of character as well.

CPG: Are there attributes that these elite athletes, and by extension business leaders, share?

JS: Elite performers need certain core attributes, without a doubt. What I have learned from interviewing some of the world’s elite performers is that they have got this ability to visualise the endgame in high definition. They can imagine what it is going to feel like. And they can see themselves on the podium, they can build this incredible vision of what it is like and that is what motivates them. But they are also able to break that down into the behaviours and processes that are going to help them to do that. And then, more importantly than anything, they can set out a strategy. The discipline to be able to stick to these basics day after day after day is what sets them apart. So, we all see the Olympians on the podium, we all see the Tour de France cyclists in the yellow jersey, but what we do not see is them hacking up the mountains in the rain for four hours a day, for five years in a row.

The other thing I think is really important for entrepreneurs and elite sports stars is the ability to create a high-performance team around them. They rotate their hitting partners, physios, biomechanists, psychologists, nutritionists around them depending on what their game needs at the time. One of the challenges when you become successful is you get an echo chamber around you of people that just want to say that you are doing really well and they do not want to challenge you. What you actually want is a group of advisors who are going to support you and challenge you to be the very best you can be, to give you honest critique to keep you on track, and that could save you years of making the same mistakes.

CPG: Moving away from the absolute elite level, what would you say to the 12,500 professionals who are part of the CPG?

JS: The analogy I often use which is relevant here is that we are all the CEO of our own performance company. It is very easy when you are part of a big organisation to feel like you are another cog in the machine but actually when you run your own business it is critical, every decision that you make about how you communicate, your marketing outreach, the customer service that you offer, the risks that you take with the events that you are putting on. I think having real resilience is absolutely critical, having that optimism is absolutely critical, and we have needed both of those things over the last couple of years with COVID. But I think it is also important to have some kind of strategic roadmap of where you want to be.

One of the experts in digital strategy that we interviewed spoke about three time horizons being critical for leaders. The first time horizon is what’s your email inbox and your to-do list for the next few weeks or the next quarter. And then he spoke about horizon three being this disrupted future which is maybe five to ten years out where technology might have a different role to play. And the most important place to focus on is horizon two, which is this middle ground between our to-do list and this crazy world that may be very different in the future. Having that ability to plan some of these skill developments or entrepreneurial activities where a golf pro may be learning new skills or setting up a website or building some digital courses, they might seem like they are nice-to-haves in the future but if we are constantly just focused on navigating the short-term and surviving, we never build that business model in horizon two, which could be the thing that completely transforms our business.

CPG: Do you believe that golf is the sport of business?

JS: I do. First of all you get to meet lots of new contacts. If we get to play golf with a friend or a business partner and their colleague or client, then that sort of proximity is already a trusted relationship. And as the game unfolds you get to see what people are like under pressure, when they are losing, when they are winning. You do not often see that on a zoom meeting or sitting in a business meeting. Seeing somebody’s emotional profile as they go through pressure I think is a fascinating tell of what that person’s character is like. And again, you are spending a long period of time, maybe three or four hours, out in the fresh air, you are getting plenty of exercise. You are able to be creative because you have got the blood flow and your brain’s switching off from a lot of the analytical processes and often that is when our best ideas come.

In so many of our social interactions there is a power hierarchy, isn’t there? This person is a more senior leader than me, this person is a multi-millionaire, therefore we defer to their power. But in golf, you could have a multi-millionaire who is rubbish at golf and a young buck who is playing off scratch and those power hierarchies are inverted, and you get a pretty good sense from the way people interact with each other what they are like in business. So yes, I would say golf provides a great shared experience and is very much the sport of business.

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Is your business a serial shredder, tending not to think about what personal data is thrown in the waste? Have you ever thought what a cybercriminal could do after simply going through your rubbish? Now that online ordering of golf clubs, apparel and other goods and services in golf is becoming a regular way of life, the scope to be throwing away sensitive information is massive, and criminals are well aware of this treasure trove of information right on your kerbside.

Like most people around the world, since COVID-19 I started to become very good friends with my local delivery drivers as the number of items I received in the post and by a delivery service dramatically increased. From groceries to everyday supplies, my wife and I really started to buy virtually everything online.

Online shopping has come a long way in the past few years and there isn’t much that can go wrong when using reputable websites and shops with great reviews, right? Well, I’m afraid I’m about to draw your attention to yet another potential problem you need to be aware of and remain cautious.

READ ALSO: On course for a good hacking 

Your personal data is extremely sought after by malicious actors and it needs to remain private, or at least as private as you can make it. You need to be very careful of how you dispose of any sensitive data, since you never know who might just end up looking at it, including what you’ve bought online and other details that are on the paperwork that may be cast into the recycling.

I recently received a parcel and to my absolute astonishment my phone number was on the outside of the parcel, something I hadn’t seen before. Not only might this be a data protection faux pas; I wondered if cybercriminals could take advantage of this and what they could possibly achieve by joining the dots with the criminal underworld and previous data breaches and scrapes. After all, when Facebook admitted earlier this year that 533 million phone numbers were now searchable on the internet with corresponding email addresses, I thought this was potentially rather damaging.

But what about what is inside the envelopes and parcels and what if any of these contents head to the recycling bin? Assuming intercepting items in the postal and delivery services is difficult without an insider, I fear that many people may in fact just throw away parcel notes and addresses rather than destroy them with a shredder. It is my assumption that even if some people own a shredder, they may primarily use it for financial information and other extremely important documents that are no longer required, instead of using it on envelopes too.

I even hold up my hand as I was previously only shredding apparently sensitive and private information on paper, but then at the same time folding up and placing any cardboard parcels in the recycling pile – often with my address still clearly visible – but now this could contain my phone number, or maybe even an email address?

This parcel with my phone number clearly visible on it came from an eBay seller but it got me thinking about other documents that I receive now on a daily basis. Other receipts I looked at in my house from other eBay users have sometimes included my email address. Looking at some other receipts of mine – a few, including from a few independent online shops and a major shoe company – included my email address and phone number.

None of my Amazon parcels from the Amazon warehouse have ever included any more personal information in the paperwork other than name and address but one from an Amazon seller did send my email address written on the paperwork inside the envelope.

With the agreement of my friend James, who is both a good friend and also one of the school dads, I decided to test another recycling bin to see how much information I could piece together on him and his family. James happily allowed me to pilfer through his recycling bin the day before it was left at the kerb, with two weeks’ worth of paper and card in it. In 30 minutes of rummaging I found his or his wife’s name and address 24 times, email address three times and phone number twice. I was even able to profile them and piece together what they were into purchasing – something marketeers and advertisers are really struggling with at the moment due to GDPR – but it soon dawned on me that most people’s bins still remain hackers’ treasure troves!

Trash talk

Your paper and card waste can be worth rather a lot of money to cybercriminals due to the amount of sensitive information and what they can do with further tricks into manipulating people with this information. For example, with your phone number and the receipt of what you have just bought, they could potentially call or text you with an update on the product purchased and request you to visit a website that could then entice you to hand over more information such as a password or payment card details. There is the potential of them being able to then access your shopping accounts and purchase items from any stored cards or, worse still, attempt identity theft.

How else can you stay safe when shopping online?

• Shred and destroy any personal data before you place it in the trash and don’t forget to check the envelopes/parcels.
• Use unique, complex passwords and change them if they become compromised.
• Use multi-factor authentication on all accounts.

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Following the conclusion of the Ryder Cup last week, we know a lot of our clubs will be looking to host their own Ryder Cup events. In an effort to support these clubs, we have put together a Spotlight email that includes a link to some FAQs, the Ryder Cup Tutorial, and other useful information.

For many players, participating in a Ryder Cup club tournament is one of the year’s most anticipated events. Competitive spirit always runs high, and participants enjoy the camaraderie of a team format. This style event offers a memorable golf experience before the season winds down.

As much as the players look forward to this event, the golf staff takes as much pride in its preparation. Golf Genius provides the tools and features necessary to take your event to the next level and deliver that “WOW” factor you are looking to provide your players.

To assist with your preparation, here is some useful information to help ensure a successful Ryder Cup tournament.

Create a “Tour Experience”
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Immerse your players in the “Tour Experience” using the tools and features available with Golf Genius. Keep your players up to date on match results with live scoring, and even take it to the next level using walking scorers. This feature is also a great way for the entire club to follow along throughout the day. Display scores with a live leaderboard available on the mobile app, digital scoreboards in the clubhouse and an online portal keeping everyone informed up to the minute. Golf Genius live scoring has been used successfully for thousands of events, and players and fans love the feature.

Let our Tutorial guide you to the perfect setup
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When it comes to the Ryder Cup, it’s essential that everything works as expected with no surprises. Our step-by-step tutorial will help you set up a typical Ryder Cup format from start to finish. From getting teams set up, creating pairings, and making sure the leaderboard calculates team points properly, this tutorial will give you the confidence that everything will work smoothly before, during, and after the event.

To check out Golf Genius’ Ryder Cup tutorial, Click Here.

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According to new research from ESET, 80% of businesses worldwide are confident their home-working employees have the knowledge and technology needed to handle cyberthreats to company finances.

ESET surveyed the attitudes of 1200 senior managers across the UK, US, Japan and Mexico for the business segment of its global financial technology (FinTech) research, exploring their attitudes toward security and FinTech.

While many businesses expressed confidence in the face of cyberthreats, the same research also showed that nearly three-quarters (73%) of these businesses also think they are likely to be impacted by a cybersecurity incident, and half said they had experienced a cybersecurity breach in the past. Could businesses be overestimating how safe their employees are?

It is no secret that since the COVID-19 lockdowns began, we have seen a significant increase in cybercrime targeting remote workers. COVID-19 has created a range of opportunities for cybercriminals, with the panic around the coronavirus and the uncertainty caused by the rapid transition to remote work setups affording malicious actors a greater chance of success in their attacks on individuals and organisations.

As employees left the office and dispersed across various locations, devices and networks, certain deficiencies in some businesses’ security stance have likely been exposed. Many companies have had to transition from the firewall approach of the traditional office to a new distributed model. While ESET’s research shows that the majority of businesses feel that their employees are able to handle the accompanying risks, there are a series of new challenges that they may be underestimating.

The inherent risks of remote working

Working from home means employees are connecting to the internet via their personal home router, and this means that company data can be exposed to all the dangers of public networks. So when accessing corporate intranets, using a virtual private network (VPN) is vital to creating a secure, encrypted connection.

However, issues such as slow internet, domestic distractions and simple forgetfulness can cause even the most security-conscious employee to make a mistake and connect without a VPN. This has the potential to expose individuals to malicious actors looking to spy on personal and company data. Therefore, don’t allow employees to connect to your company’s internal systems without using a VPN. For extra security, require your employees to enter a one-time code (multifactor authentication) in addition to a password in order to access your intranet.

Another issue posed by home working is that it can be tempting to switch from device to device. We live in a highly connected world, and with opportunities for socialising and leisure activities limited, we are all spending more time on our personal computers and mobile devices. Using said personal devices to check work emails or do a small task here and there can be potentially dangerous, as non-work devices are less likely to have the same levels of protection that work devices often have installed.

Similarly, it is just as easy to make the same mistake the other way round, by visiting risky websites such as torrent pages or adult sites. These may expose work laptops to online threats, which is particularly dangerous when the device in question can provide hackers with access to invaluable corporate data.

Lastly, there is the ever-present threat of phishing, which has been a prominent threat through the pandemic. With the health crisis providing new hooks for creating convincing phishing emails and text messages, there is a heightened risk that employees will click on malicious links or attachments and allow themselves to be duped by social engineering attacks.

How to secure your employees and your business

Because remote working has changed the way in which we interact with our teams and our colleagues, it can be hard to keep tabs on the extent to which each employee is aware of the steps they need to take to protect themselves and the company. This is why it is important to have regular training and guidance on the importance of cyber hygiene.

It is crucial that every member of staff is proactive in making sure that their devices and files are secure, and in order for this to happen they must be made aware of the dangers that can be caused by behaviours such as using an insecure connection or device, indiscriminately clicking on links, or visiting risky websites. For some pointers on how to stay safe when working remotely, check out ESET Chief Security Evangelist Tony Anscombe’s top tips on WeLiveSecurity.

With that being said, the internet can be a dangerous place, and threats can be difficult to keep track of. No matter how much we know about cybersecurity, it is always possible that we could slip up. As a result, it is more vital than ever to have trustworthy, reliable security software to protect your business. To find out about ESET’s solutions for businesses, head over to their website for more information.

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It was in the midst of the Solheim Cup jubilation that the deep sense of European unity and team spirit shone through for all spectators and observers to see. For the European captain, Catriona Matthew, there must have been inevitable signs of relief as she lifted that crystal trophy in triumph. It was a moment to saviour and one where you could truly appreciate what she and her team of 12 had just achieved.

For the European Solheim Cup team, whilst the hard-fought 15-13 victory over the United States was just reward for three days of teamwork, intense concentration and spectacular ball striking under serious pressure, it was also a signal of something far greater for the sport.

“Irrespective of the result, I was fixated on the standard of play, the international representation on show and the sheer scale of the spectacle that had been put on for the fans and TV audiences to immerse themselves in. This year’s Solheim Cup demonstrated how strong the women’s side of the game is right now.” For the Confederation of Professional Golf’s Chief Executive, Ian Randell, who himself was Tournament Director and Chief Referee at the 2000 Solheim Cup at Loch Lomond and oversaw the success of 2003 at Barseback in Sweden as the former Ladies European Tour [LET] Chief Executive, his words will ring true for everybody who watched the events unfold in Ohio.

The very make-up of the European team demonstrated this strength impeccably. There was a breadth of international representation within that victorious side from multiple European nations including Germany, Sweden, Spain, France, Finland, Denmark, England and Ireland. Bolstering this success even further was the fact that the next generation of possible Solheim Cup players will continue to span from all four corners of the continent, as during the PING Junior Solheim Cup that took place in the days preceding, there were players within the victorious European team representing the Czech Republic and Italy, as well as from some of the aforementioned nations.

“This was what was most impressive about this year’s event. Having so many nations represented under one flag illustrates the depth of talent that is emerging from many countries that not so long ago would not have had as much representation. It is testament to organisers from the LET and LPGA, as well as the monumental and long-standing support from PING that we are where we are today with the Solheim Cup – it has truly grown to be one of the greatest events in our sport,” Randell added.

Supported by their caddies, psychologists, nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches and PGA Professional coaches, today’s players have built a strong and elaborate system of support networks that have enabled them to shine on one of golf’s biggest stages. In respect to the latter of those supporting roles – the PGA Professional – it represents a much deeper meaning to Ian, the CPG and the 43 Member Countries that the organisation collectively represents.

“All of us involved in golf in Europe can take pride in the success of the European Team as the international makeup of the side is testament to the investment in sharing of knowledge and expertise across the continent and the hard work of National Federations and PGAs to provide opportunities, not least through expert coaching from PGA Professionals at all levels from beginner to elite player.

Supported by their national PGAs, the PGA Professional is golf’s true influencer and by providing internationally recognised standards of education, development and training, our collective of CPG Member Countries are helping to produce a highly-skilled workforce to better support the development of players such as Emily Pedersen and Matilda Castren. If there was ever a signal that the work from our PGAs, national Federations and others was paying off, this Solheim Cup and the team that was represented would be it.”

In fact, it was these two players that had the final say over last night’s result, as Matilda Castren holed a nerveless eight-foot putt to win her match on the 18th green and claim Europe’s 14th point, before Emily Pedersen made sure of the victory by winning the last match on the 18th. On her putt, emotions were clear to see on Castren’s face: “It’s just crazy, crazy, I can’t believe I made that putt.”

It sparked an outpouring of joy among the Europeans, who were considered rank outsiders in the build-up, having won just once previously in the US, but have now won four of the past six editions of the biennial event. By completing such a compelling victory, it creates an exciting narrative for the next staging in 2023 at Finca Cortesin in Spain and only furthers the reputation and impact that the biennial contest will have on growing golf.

“Using the example of the Ryder Cup, we have seen how great an impact events like the Solheim Cup have on grassroots golf,” adds Randell.  “By supporting golf development programmes and grassroots initiatives through the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, not to mention the millions of eyes who watch the spectacle every two years, the Ryder Cup has been able to help create a thriving sport across all levels. The same can be said for the Solheim Cup so this result, delivered by a diverse European team, means you can only feel excited about the future for the event and for the growth of women’s golf. Congratulations to Team Europe.”

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This demand has been heightened even more recently with a string of major sporting events such as the European Football Championships and the Olympics in Tokyo. The BBC recorded a record-breaking 104-million online viewing requests to watch the Olympics, up from 74.4 million in 2016. It highlights an increase in viewership but also demonstrates the evolving nature of viewing behaviour and the online types of media now being consumed by fans.

The conclusion? Major sporting events have the power to attract significant swathes of the population to watch their favourite athletes and teams. Sports viewership has also inevitably become one of the few benefactors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With two of the biggest events in golf taking place over the next few weeks in the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup, golf has one of its biggest opportunities to continue this trend – something that both events have historically been exceptional at. The Solheim Cup in 2019 and the Ryder Cup in 2018 attracted attendances of over 90,000 and 270,000 respectively. The Ryder Cup generated 22 billion social media impressions and 11.1 million minutes of coverage; US broadcaster NBC reported an average of 2.7 million viewers during the final round alone. With these sorts of numbers there is no wonder team golf in the women’s and men’s games continues to punch above the rest when trying to engage wider, harder-to-reach audiences.

A possible explanation for this is in the very nature of team sports. The likes of football, baseball, cricket, rugby and hockey satisfy people’s craving for affiliation and belonging. In other words, they provide that platform for people to connect and interact with others through their support of a particular outfit. For some, a team has such an influence on their identity and behaviour that it actually becomes a part of who they are. The result from all of this is an unrivalled and unmatched level of engagement and fan loyalty.

For most weeks of the year, golf’s individualistic nature as a sport creates less opportunity for people to truly connect to one athlete, and they often opt to support and wager on a number of players instead. Whilst viewership remains popular week-in week-out during these events, they don’t have the same effect that Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup have.

Team golf also elevates the athletes to levels of stardom they do not usually attain. The matches give them the chance to become a hero. Some inevitably do – you only have to look at the likes of Suzanne Pettersen, Ian Poulter and Seve Ballesteros to recognise that fact. For golfers of all ages and abilities, watching them create history for a team they are backing stirs the senses and elevates their emotions to levels unmatched by regular strokeplay tournaments (with the exception of the majors and the Olympics).

So, when you mix increased viewing figures with the spine-tingling, hair-raising and enthralling moments that unfold during these two events, team golf inevitably creates a cocktail of opportunities for the game’s lasting sustainability and prosperity. They provide a chance to capture the imagination of millions of young people; to showcase the sport in a different light; to create genuine enthusiasm to learn and play the game. For golfers and fans alike, there will always be a huge appetite for team competition in golf.

As golf prepares to stage two of its biggest occasions in its calendar over the space of just a few weeks, one can only imagine the levels of excitement, passion and nervous energy that will be on show for all to witness and experience. It begs the question: should team golf become a more permanent fixture?

What is The Solheim Cup?

The Solheim Cup combines the game’s traditions with passion for one’s country and continent. This biennial, transatlantic team match-play competition features the 12 best European players from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the 12 best US players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour. Since 1990, both teams have come together over three days of competition to provide audiences with a mix of fierce rivalry, shot-making skills and significant exposure for the women’s game.

Through its relationship with the event, it is perhaps one of PING’s most significant contributions to the women’s game – it was named in honour of Karsten and Louise Solheim, the founders of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, which makes PING equipment. Off the back of the success of The Solheim Cup, the PING Junior Solheim Cup was also formed, an event that sees twelve of the best European amateurs go up against their American counterparts.

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Words by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf

Ben Hogan once famously said: “As you walk down the fairway of life, you must take time to smell the roses, for you only get one round”.

That sentiment has arguably never had more meaning nor more relevance to golf – perhaps also to wider society.

We all know that the pressures on the natural world have never been greater. There has never been a more important time to stop and think about the value we derive from the ecosystems around us – that we gain so much from – that, in fact, we depend upon.

For hundreds of millions of players, the wonders of the natural world are literally right in front of us, around us and under our feet.

We escape into greenspaces. We immerse ourselves in grasslands, forests, wetlands and coastlines. We expose ourselves to the elements on hillsides and clifftops. We socialise. We laugh. We breathe deeply. We strengthen our bodies and replenish our minds.

The product and experience we enjoy so much is determined by the climate, the availability of natural resources, the health of the soil – often more than golfers ever know, but facts that are not lost on those that manage our courses.

Our great sport also advertises versions of nature. Hundreds of televised events are beamed out through sports media outlets to hundreds of millions of fans. Top athletes stand in front of stunning landscapes on different continents. Landscapes that have provided the backdrop to the drama, the spectacle and the revenue.

We gain so much, and we can give so much.

Golf is better with nature

Isn’t it interesting that so often we celebrate the most natural courses as amongst the best courses. They are the ones we talk about, most want to play, remember most vividly.  That narrow tee shot through the trees, the iron that flies the wetland onto the green, the par three with the sand dune and ocean backdrop?

Nature gives us the richest stage.  It can give us focus, thrill and reward.

Texture, shape, character, atmosphere – the sense of time and place – are all enhanced by each course’s unique combination of plants and habitats. These being the things that transform a bland, homogeneous landscape into a unique and vibrant place with an abundance of life. So often an oasis of biodiversity in a wider context of intensive agriculture; residential and industrial estates; and rapid tourism development.

Communities are better with nature

So as golf embraces nature, and golfers enjoy a better experience as a result, wider communities also benefit.  Clean air, clean water, carbon storage, more pollinators, more birds, urban cooling, flood alleviation. If golf is an ecosystem, then it delivers ecosystem services to everyone. If courses also allow or provide some other forms of recreational function, then the benefits are even more direct and profound. This is golf as a force for good, spreading wider benefits to local people and families.

Time to reflect, time to do more

It’s not always understood just how much of golf already embraces nature and delivers this value to players and communities. Look more closely and you will see thousands and thousands of examples of how golf is already actively protecting and restoring ecological spaces. Add to that the growing movement in direct species conservation – whether it be birds, bats, mammals, amphibians, insects and pollinators – and the contribution of the existing 34,000 golf courses on an area roughly the size of Belgium is already pretty large.

However, the world is changing, we all need to do more, and if we’re honest in golf – we don’t always get it right.

Golfer’s demands often lead to manicured landscapes, pushing nature out and building resource consumption in. Like the slow creep into a diet with too much salt and sugar, our tastes have changed over recent decades and not necessarily for the better.

Think of the landscape, think of your surroundings, think of your watersheds. Think what you can do, this time, to capitalise on nature. Let it come in and add value and interest to the wonderful experience you offer. Let it push out costly maintenance and resource use. Let it even cut to the heart of your brand, marketing and customer satisfaction.

As we all need to do as much as we can to heal our one planet, let’s proudly demonstrate how your business, course and golf club stepped up and played its part.

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Words by GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf

The pressures on the natural world have never been greater. There has never been a more important time to stop and think about the value derived from the ecosystems around us – that we gain so much from – that, in fact, we depend upon.

For golf, this sentiment runs deep and true. In fact, for the game’s ongoing growth and success it is now, more than ever, a crucial consideration requiring significant action from all parties.

So how and why is environmental sustainability important to golf, and who are some of the kay actors that can drive significant change moving forwards?

Experience

There are countless reasons why golf is such a special, unique and cherished sport. As golfers, we are fortunate enough to understand and experience these on an almost daily basis as we play and practice.

4-5 Hours of fresh air; exercise; prolonged social interaction all bring about an abundance of health benefits that continue to shine a light on the sport and demonstrate why it really is, and can be, a sport for everyone to enjoy and benefit from.

But it also brings everybody closer to nature. It strengthens that connection between us and the outdoors – the wildlife, the plants and the trees.

Inevitably however, the product and experience we enjoy so much is determined by the climate, the availability of natural resources, the health of the soil and the landscapes – from mountains, grasslands, forests, wetlands, sand dunes and coastlines. Each depend on it.

Golf is better with nature. So often the most natural courses are celebrated as amongst the best courses. They are the ones we talk about, most want to play, remember most vividly.

Nature gives us the richest stage.

Texture, shape, character, atmosphere – the sense of time and place – are all enhanced by each course’s unique combination of plants and habitats. These can transform a bland, homogenous landscape into a unique and vibrant place with an abundance of life, an oasis of biodiversity.

To drive sustainability in the sport and reduce the use of natural and harmful resource that facilities often depend upon, we will actually create a more valuable and cherished experience for everybody.

As golf embraces nature, and golfers enjoy a better experience as a result, wider communities also benefit.  Clean air, clean water, carbon storage, more pollinators, more birds, urban cooling, flood alleviation, spreading wider benefits to local people and families.

It’s not always understood just how much of golf already embraces nature and delivers this value to players and communities.  Look closely and you will see thousands of examples of how golf is already actively protecting and restoring ecological spaces. Add the growing movement in species conservation – whether it be birds, bats, mammals, amphibians, insects and pollinators – and the contribution of the existing 34,000 golf courses is significant.

PGAs and PGA Professionals

Inducing change is never easy. No matter what the challenge (or opportunity) is. It requires concerted action from a significant majority that are each pulling in the same direction.

To create a more environmentally-friendly sport, this principle doesn’t change. Golf’s workforce are the people on the ground who can make a difference. In fact, they have to be the one who make the difference. Club managers, driving range attendants, senior executives, food & beverage managers, head agronomists, directors, volunteers and golfers. They all will make the difference.

As spearheads for education in golf, national PGAs are at the forefront of developing the workforce for the game. They continue to be the organisations educating, championing and shaping the modern PGA Professional. It is those PGA Professionals, who number in their tens of thousands across the planet that we are looking to protect, that can be at the centre of inducing real and positive change.

The PGA Professional so often finds themselves at the epicentre of their facility or golf club, helping to shape the future direction of each respectively. They are golf’s key influencers – influencing golfers and colleagues. We are already seeing this with new and ambitious campaigns such as #CaringForCourses. As gatekeepers of the sport, their position is enviable yet crucial.

By informing, educating, supporting and leading, PGAs can shape a PGA Professional that continues to be considered the expert in the game and an influential figure at their facility, whilst also being more environmentally-conscious and increasingly sensitive to the impact that golf has on the ground and surrounds in which we grace.

GEO Foundation

GEO Foundation is the international not-for-profit dedicated to accelerating sustainability in and through golf. The organisation delivers programmes that help people on the ground to evaluate, improve and credibly communicate their work of fostering nature, conserving resources, strengthening communities and taking climate action.

GEO delivers practical guidance, tools and solutions through its OnCourse programmes for developments, golf clubs and facilities and tournaments all around the world, backed up with credible certification.

GEO Foundation is certainly the driving force behind change in this area. The organisation reaches millions of people and has the opportunity to be a catalyst by raising sustainability awareness and leading by example.

Concluding Remarks

Creating a sustainable sport is perhaps golf’s greatest challenge yet at the same time, its greatest opportunity. As universal attitudes and public perceptions shift towards creating and needing an environment that is better looked after, golf cannot afford to be left behind.

In fact, golf has the opportunity to shine. It has the opportunity to lead from the front. COVID-19 showed to the masses what the sport can bring to the table as a health benefactor, it should now be able to demonstrate to the masses why it is an activity leading the charge to create a sustainable future.

Like with COVID-19, the impact of creating such a positive perception and backing it up with action will create knock-on effects through increased demand and participation. People want to associate and identify with entities and activities that are doing their bit.

Throughout this vital Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, launched by the UN on World Environment Day in June, as we all need to do as much as we can to heal our one planet, let’s proudly demonstrate golf stepped up and played its part.

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Have you ever wondered how a cyberattack takes place? Many people question it, but few think it would actually happen to them. However, the simplest of cyberattacks target the human aspect, which can be easily manipulated with the right knowledge and tools – and the outcome of a successful cyberattack can be catastrophic.

I’ve not played golf in a few years but back in my uni days, I spent a good number of weekends with a tee time booked, hacking up the course with my 7-iron. However, more recently, I have turned to a different kind of hacking which is far more fun and much less ego-bruising for me.

I have 14 years’ experience in the cybercrime and digital forensics unit in my local police force and now work as a Cybersecurity Specialist for internet security firm ESET, where I hunt and analyse potential cyber threats facing businesses. Being able to understand criminal hackers often means becoming one (ethically of course), revealing insights which can help potential victims better protect their security.

I was recently asked to investigate the security of an independent UK golf club and like with any good heist, research is vital. Although I am familiar with the surroundings, lingo and attire of a quality golf club, I needed to learn everything I could about the staff and specific club in question; and this is where Google is your best friend. Armed with my online findings and a couple of quality techniques in my back pocket, I was pretty confident I could have some fun with my target golf establishment.

Firstly, I need to add a little disclaimer. Before I embarked on my escapade, I was granted full access and permission by the owner of the club to go wherever I wanted and to do whatever I desired – within reason, of course!

I decided to pose as an ITV employee, enquiring to do a reconnaissance for a new commercial and requesting to take some photos to report back to my producer. I rang the club up a week in advance and gave them my pre-context story. The business development manager answered and (naturally) loved the idea, inviting me to visit the club the following week.

I arrived at the course one sunny morning and headed straight to their reception shortly after 9am, equipped with my laptop, USB, DSLR camera and a trusty hi vis jacket. Once I had met with the business development manager who I’d previously spoken to, I walked off for an hour with my camera and pretended to take some photos of the course. On return, I showed him the photos and asked if I could use the private WiFi, requesting the password which was happily given to me. I then mentioned that I’d forgotten some paperwork, so I asked him if I could pop my USB in his machine to print off a release form. He obliged and even said, “I probably shouldn’t let someone I don’t know do this.”

It was then that I witnessed the true horror show which I did not ever expect – they were still using Windows XP! Support for this operating system was ceased in 2014 and it is highly dangerous when connected to the internet. To make matters worse, XP was running on the machine in the shop with the point of sale software on! With all the financial and sensitive data being run through this device, it would make for a very dangerous outcome if it were targeted.

Once I had pretended that the document I needed to print was missing from my USB, I sent a fake pre-release form via Google Forms in order to obtain some additional personal information from him, along with one of his passwords. He clicked on this link immediately and filled it out. In fact, he then took a call and left me with full access to two further machines with no one looking.

Of course I didn’t actually exploit the network at this golf club, but the lessons learnt were vital. The simplicity of hacking anywhere is eye-opening impressive and relatively easy: a quality backstory, a touch of charm and a spot of luck will get you into most areas all fit enough to exploit. A high vis jacket just helps to seal the deal.

On report to the golf club’s owner, he was somewhat shocked yet equally unsurprised. He thought it may have been easy and said himself that he never thought anyone would ever hack his business. The truth is, however, every business is a potential target and whilst they remain so easily penetrable, they will remain potential victims.

So here’s how to keep a golf club secure:

1. Install the latest, most up-to-date operating system on all computers
2. Implement a guest WiFi and never allow anyone other than staff access to the main WiFi connected to the network
3. Never assume anyone is who they say they are when they request to use a club computer or desire access into rooms unsupervised
4. Keep all passwords away from prying eyes and never write them down
5. Educate your staff on phishing emails and ensure policies are in place should staff need to report something.
6. Encrypt any sensitive data and never leave computers unlocked
7. Never click on unsolicited links or attachments
8. Use a robust antivirus product on all computers

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Words by Phoebe Torrance, Women’s Golf and Development Manager, Metropolitan Golf Club, Australia

Despite historical and well-documented gender imbalances in the sport, golf is booming across all ages, abilities and genders. In 2020, more women and younger people played golf compared to the previous year – a testament to the efforts and initiatives from organisations around the world working hard to further the game of golf.

By creating positive change for all and taking a more collective approach to tackling the persistent, yet decreasing, gender imbalance in the sport, some of golf’s leading organisations are championing the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’.

The R&A

Launched in 2018, the R&A Women in Golf Charter has been a catalyst for improving women’s representation within golf, not only from the perspective of participation but also as a mechanism to encourage more women to pursue a professional career in the sport, across all areas of the industry.

As signatories of the charter, golf clubs and organisations (which includes the Confederation of Professional Golf, the Ladies European Tour, European Tour and many amateur federations) recognise the need for positive change for women in golf, and have pledged their support to induce such change.

Whilst there is a focus on increasing the number of women playing golf at grassroots level, the Women in Golf Charter also places emphasis on organisations to incorporate into their thinking a drive to create further opportunity for women in the workplace as well.

Without greater female representation across the industry, which will provide a greater number of female role models, younger generations will inevitably struggle to see a future career in the golf industry. Furthermore, provoking a change in culture and attitude to inclusivity is significantly more achievable if more women have the opportunity to hold senior, decision-making roles in the industry.

Overall, the charter is a statement of intent that brings accountability to golf clubs and other organisations when driving this change. It will ultimately help to bring a significant number of people together, united by the goal of improving the game for women and girls.

Working alongside the charter, the R&A recently introduced their #FOREveryone campaign as a creative movement to help unite golf clubs through a common goal and encourage them to pledge their support to the Women in Golf Charter.

#FOREveryone provides clubs and facilities with knowledge, resources and a comprehensive toolkit that will help them to take further action and, in time, increase the number of women playing golf.

This movement is gaining significant and exciting momentum, with many golf clubs making their own pledges to the Women in Golf Charter. With further uptake and more golf clubs making substantial internal changes, the campaign has the capacity to change the face of golf and inclusivity in the sport significantly.

PGA of Canada

To ensure the game of golf is both diverse and inclusive, the PGA of Canada (a CPG Member Country) has taken a number of measures to highlight and further encourage diversity across its membership and organisation.

This has included some incredible content and storytelling that promotes women’s golf and female members of the PGA of Canada. On 1 June, the organisation saw Women’s Golf Day as the perfect opportunity to highlight female members across the country and produced a short video featuring 14 female PGA of Canada members, each discussing what golf means to them.

In addition, the CPG member country has taken a number of other measures that highlight and promote inclusion, including the addition of two new awards at their annual prize-giving: ‘The Brooke Henderson Female Player of the Year Award’, given to the top performing female player in national and regional events, and ‘The Lorie Kane Award’, given to the winner of one of the PGA of Canada’s National Championships.

Changes have also been seen at a structural level, with regulatory amendments being made in 2019 to ensure that women can participate in all of the organisation’s national championships (at a yardage of 86-88% the length of male competitors).

The Ladies European Tour

As the leading professional tour across Europe, the Ladies European Tour (LET) plays a crucial role in providing opportunity for elite female golfers to compete and showcase the sport to global audiences. In 2021, this will include a schedule comprising approximately 30 tournaments in multiple countries such as Sweden, Japan, the USA and Italy.

Aside from its main tournament schedule, the LET has also ensured that it provides a strong development journey for its member professionals with the introduction of its Ladies European Tour Access series (LETAS) in 2010.

As the equivalent to the men’s Challenge Tour, LETAS has provided aspiring women golfers aged 18 and above and with a handicap 2 or less with more competitive opportunities and a supported pathway onto mainstream LET events.

More recently, the LET has taken strong action in ensuring sustainability and stability was added to its schedule, announcing a ground-breaking partnership with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).

By coming together and collaborating with the LPGA, the two major professional tours have been able to combat reducing season lengths and create a thriving schedule for elite women to compete on a full-time basis.

The organisation’s visual rebrand and new slogan ‘Raise Our Game’, also hopes to inspire young women to achieve their goals and share its desire to continue driving women’s golf forward.

Whilst this strategy aims to inspire women and girls, it also acknowledges the importance of those who surround and support women in golf, including tournament promoters, sponsors, friends, family and the media, all of which play important roles in creating a thriving sport at the elite level.

PING

As an equipment manufacturer, PING have long been advocates and pioneers for encouraging greater inclusivity and the number of women playing and working in golf.

Just last year, PING announced Lisa Lovatt as the new Managing Director for its European division. Having been at the organisation since 1994, Lovatt is now responsible for driving the company forward and becomes one of the leading female figures in the industry.

Another of PING’s most significant contributions has been its relationship with the Solheim Cup – the women’s equivalent to the Ryder Cup, named in honour of Karsten and Louise Solheim, the founders of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, which makes PING equipment.

The Solheim Cup combines the game’s traditions with passion for one’s country and continent. This biennial, transatlantic team match-play competition features the 12 best European players from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the 12 best US players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.

Since 1990, both teams have come together over three days of competition to provide audiences with a mix of fierce rivalry, shot-making skills and significant exposure for the women’s game.

But the opportunities for women do not stop at senior level. To ensure girls under the age of 18 are provided with the same level of experience and opportunity, the PING Junior Solheim Cup was introduced in 2002. Like the Junior Ryder Cup, this has enabled the event to take full advantage of its position as the most coveted trophy in women’s golf and foster further appetite and desire for girls to enjoy the game.

Changing the Face of Women’s Golf

The impact many leading organisations are having on inclusivity in golf is clear to see.

Historically, golf has come under fire and faced many challenges when it comes to the point of inequality. The sport is in a completely different position now thanks to pioneering organisations such as PING, the Ladies European Tour and the PGA of Canada. As a collective, they are positively showcasing the game to far greater audiences and are bringing about fundamental changes for women to play and enjoy the sport in greater numbers.

As Chief Executive of The R&A, Martin Slumbers said at the launch of the Women in Golf Charter: “We are changing the face of golf across the globe, for the betterment of our sport”.

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It is a hot topic. It is a key talking point. It is a focal point of many. But it has to be more than just talk. Bringing more women and girls into golf and making the sport more inclusive in general must be a fundamental thread of any golf stakeholder’s activity.

Together, the CPG and its Member Country PGAs are fully committed to working in a variety of ways to achieve this and are proud signatories of The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter that aims to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture within golf.

Furthering inclusivity in golf is important for multiple reasons. From a moral standpoint, it fosters better and more equal opportunity for all, removing the barriers to entry that are often faced by women and girls. From a social perspective, it enables more women and girls to benefit physically, mentally and socially whilst playing golf. And from an economic perspective the maths is simple: more women and girls playing golf = more players playing golf = further revenue and growth.

The CPG is an individual signatory of the Charter, whilst a number of PGAs have committed one step even further by creating their own tailored charters, specific to their markets and their activities, that will inform and direct their strategies and activities in the future.

As part of the CPG’s own charter, and acting as core threads within individual member Country PGA charters, there are five key areas of commitment and action.

Benchmarking and increasing numbers of female PGA Professionals

Understanding where we are right now is as important as understanding where we want to get to – Member Countries have been measuring the demographics of their memberships for a long time and the data shows that on average 7.8% of PGAs’ memberships are female.  This is trending up, but until recently has been very slow.

A number of countries are seeing an increase in female membership following conscious efforts to make the profession a more attractive and relevant career path for women and in highlighting the experiences and work of existing female Members.  The PGA of Nigeria recently saw its first ever female Members join; the PGA of Poland previously had four female members for a number of years but currently has six women in training; the PGA of Ukraine also has four members currently but are committed to doubling this by 2024 as part of their strategic plan and regularly showcase their female Members across social media channels and media activity.

Supporting and promoting programmes for female participation

Member Countries are committing to work with the CPG and various other stakeholders on the delivery / activation and promotion of programmes that encourage female participation in golf in general, as well as those that look to increase the number of women in leadership roles in the sport.

The PGA of Poland has an official cooperation with the national Polish Women’s Golf Association to work with them on initiatives; the PGA of Ukraine and Ukrainian Golf Federation work with the National University of Physical Education Kiev (NUPES) which helps in part to expose golf as a career path to women and girls through an academic route; and the PGA of Belgium and PGA of Holland have each requested information and knowledge directly from their memberships to better understand the activities that are taking place across the countries.

Increasing involvement in workforces and governance of organisations

Highlighting the possibilities for women to not just be a part of workforces, but in fact leaders of golf workforces is vital. As tennis legend, Billie Jean King, put it “You have to see it to be it” showing it is hugely important to foster those who have the desire to be in leadership positions and ensure that their examples are shown and promoted to future leaders.

The CPG and its Member Countries are passionate about identifying and shining a light on these individuals whilst ensuring

The PGA of Belgium has had at least one female Board Member since 2012 and PGA Professional, Sophie Leten, was the first ever President of their PGA from 2017-19; The PGA of Holland have always had at least one female Board Member since 1995 and are seeking additional representatives; the PGA of Ukraine aim to have at least one Board Member by 2024 but already have three women on the Board of their sister organisation, the Ukrainian Golf Federation, with 9 women on various committees as well.

Sophie Leten, 2017-2019 PGA of Belgium President

Educational activities sharing good practice and fostering environments

Education is key in encouraging more women and girls to play golf, to create welcoming and enjoyable environments and in ensuring good practice is shared. The CPG and its Member Countries are addressing this in various ways through the addition of related content within education programmes to the creation of specific Continuous Professional Development [CPD] events and activities.

The PGA of Poland have partnered with love.golf for a pilot of the popular programme and proven approach to women’s coaching that is backed by research to help educate their Members and create new opportunities to bring women and girls in to the sport; the PGA of Belgium have already hosted webinars on coaching women and girls and, similar to the PGA of Holland, have made conscious efforts to create communications campaigns around this topic for Members to engage with and learn from.

Enhancing playing opportunities for female Members

For many years PGA events have often had mixed components allowing male and female PGA Professionals to compete against each other on an equal footing.  The CPG’s own events are played with the commonly-agreed standards of a course of 10-14% shorter length for female PGA Professionals to ensure they can compete for the same prize fund as their male counterparts, with most Member Countries following suit.

For example the PGA of Sweden and PGA of Nigeria, like many, operate open golf events allowing male and female Members to compete alongside each other, often with events including amateur golfers as well helping to build their experience; the PGA of Belgium operate both mixed events as well as those specifically for female Members to compete in; the PGA of Holland again allow male and female members to compete together and in the last few years PGA Professional, Marjan de Boer, won the Senior PGA Championship, its first ever female winner.

Whilst these five broad areas show significant efforts and steady progress there is clear understanding and commitment from across the CPG’s network of 42 Member Country PGAs that more should and will be done to create better playing, learning and career opportunities for women and girls.

RECEIVE FUTURE CPG NEWS

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Ander Martínez has been elected as the new president of the PGA of Spain for the next four years. He replaces David Pastor who has been in charge of the association for the last eight years.

The new Board of Directors of the PGA is composed of Ander Martínez, as president of the PGA of Spain; José Vicente Pérez Cuartero, vice president; José Marcellán, Alfredo Borrás, Antonio Planells, Marta Prieto, Carlos Vivas, Vicente Blázquez and Victoria Martín.

In recent years, Ander Martínez has coordinated the National Circuit of Professionals (Seve Ballesteros PGA Spain Tour) as Head of the Male Professionals section.

Ander has been a PGA Professional and a PGA of Spain Member since 1996, running his own golf school for 25 years. Across his career, Ander has claimed three professional victories: the Challenge Ciudad de San Sebastián in 1999, the Open Zarauz 2005 and the Laukariz Peugeot Loewe Tour in 2008. From 2012 to 2019 he worked as a golf course manager and has also worked as a caddy for different professionals on international circuits.

“Being a member of the PGA of Spain all these years has been a great experience and I am proud to be part of this spectacular family ”, Ander commented when he was inaugurated.

In the vice-presidency role he will be accompanied by José Vicente Pérez Cuartero, who will continue with his work acrosss the Association’s Education department. José Vicente is a Level II Sports Technician, a Confederation of Professional Golf (CPG) Golf Development Team Member and Director of Training of the PGA since 2013. He also teaches classes, in addition to being a Tutor at the National School of Sports Technicians of Golf and Tutor by the CPG.

“During this electoral process, the union of three different candidates has been the key to form a single collective leadership, which will lead the PGA of Spain more effectively and grow its influence” said Ander Martínez.

“I also want to take this opportunity to publicly thank the work of our previous president, David Pastor, and the previous Board of Directors for their efforts, work, dedication and loyalty to the PGA of Spain.”

A luxurious hardback title, Seve – His Life Through the Lens, charting the life and career of Spanish golfing legend Severiano Ballesteros has been released today. The new 176-page book has been produced by award-winning photographer David Cannon, who has lovingly put together the most iconic pictures from Seve’s life and career, many of them seen for the first time by the general public.

The CPG is delighted to offer its members and supporters a 10% discount to celebrate the book’s release. Please click the link below and enter code at checkout and the discount will be applied.

CODE: CPG Discount

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY

To find out more about the book, please contact Tim Munton [tm@cpg.golf] or Tom Bentley [tb@cpg.golf].

 Medinah Country Club, Illinois
The 39th Ryder Cup, Day Three
September 30, 2012

Something was in the air. All through the afternoon the impossible had felt weirdly within reach, as if events were being controlled by forces beyond the merely rational. At around 7pm that evening, as Germany’s Martin Kaymer settled over a routine six-footer, the world held its breath. Seconds later, Kaymer was buried in oceans of blue.

In those mad wild moments after one of the greatest comebacks in sport, a camera was bustled through the melee to land on José María Olazábal, Team Europe’s captain. Olazábal was there, but not there. Drenched in sweat, soaked in tears, he turned to the skies and cried out to his friend.

Sixteen months earlier, Severiano Ballesteros had succumbed to a malignant brain tumour. This Ryder Cup was the first since his death. His presence at Medinah was not mere fantasy: he was there, his image embroidered on the bags of Europe’s finest golfers, and in the myths and stories freshly dusted off for the new ceremony. When José María flung his head back, he was not alone. A whole golfing continent exhaled with him.

Seve. Just the name is enough. He flipped the whole show. Five Majors, including two green jackets. Five Ryder Cup wins (both as player and captain). A total of 89 tournament wins around the world. And a game forged on instinctiveness and creativity that would change how golf was seen and played forever.

The youngest of five brothers, he was raised in the small fishing village of Pedreña on the northern coast of Spain, where his humble background, such as it was, permitted him only to walk the fairways of his local club as a caddie. He had no choice but to learn the game by alternative means. “I taught myself a different game,” he once explained. “Because I was born next to a golf course, there were times when I would go onto it at night and play in the dark. I learned my feel for the game and how to play unusual shots.”

When not sneaking on to the course under cover of nightfall, he played on the beaches near his home, often skipping school to do so. Primarily using a 3-iron given to him by his older brother Manuel, it was during this time that he developed the flair for shotmaking that would shape his genius. By the age of 16, he had begun to develop as one of Spain’s most promising young players. Months later he turned professional; three years on, at the 1976 Open, he finished second. No one in golf would be asking who that Spanish kid was again.

His American alter ego Jack Nicklaus once said of him: “He was a great entertainer. No matter the golf that particular day, you always knew you were going to be entertained. Seve’s enthusiasm was just unmatched by anybody I think that ever played the game. Seve was, without argument, a terrific player – his record speaks for itself – but more important was his influence on the game, especially throughout Europe. Through the years, his involvement with the Ryder Cup, as both a player and captain, served to further elevate the stature of the matches. He was probably the most passionate Ryder Cup player that we’ve ever had.

”Popularising the sport in Spain was his proudest achievement. After scrabbling in the backwoods for much of his early life, he was driven to democratise the game, founding an annual tournament for young kids in Pedreña to seek out and support talented young golfers, helping them overcome the difficulties he himself had experienced.

The PGA of Spain, of which Seve was a passionate advocate, carries its own crucial role in developing golf across Spain. “As a supporter of our work, Seve was and continues to be a very important figure to the PGA of Spain and his drive to give back to the game that had given him so much was clear to see. He continues to be an inspiration to all golfers here in Spain”.

Such sentiments from the Head of Education for the PGA of Spain, José Vicente Perez, are continuously echoed by those who knew him well.

His company Amen Corner (an ode to his Masters triumphs), has been responsible for organising over 50 international European Tour events in his home country, including the Spanish Open and The Vivendi Trophy (formerly The Seve Trophy). Later he became a renowned course architect, helping design over 30 courses, the majority of which can be found in Spain.

Since the Ballesteros era, there has been a near conveyor belt of stars emerge from the Iberian Peninsula. José María was the first; next was the cigar-toting and seemingly ageless phenomenon that is Miguel Ángel Jiménez, followed by the generational talent of Sergio Garcia – perhaps the closest in spirit to the original.

Most recently, there is Jon Rahm, the swashbuckling youngster with the golfing world at his feet.

Rahm may be today’s icon. But he too knows where it starts. “Seve means everything to me. He was my hero and he is a truly indisputable benchmark in Spanish golf. I took up golf thanks to Seve. He inspired me to be where I am today.”

In keeping with Seve’s long history of supporting the PGA of Spain, the kind words that are so often uttered from his playing compatriots are put into action too. Only recently, a number of those that Seve helped to inspire followed in his footsteps by sharing their experiences with PGA of Spain Professionals at a time of great challenge for all.

The legacy of Seve flows deep into the soul of every Spanish player. From genial hacker to budding maestro, it’s there, forever alive, in any golfer who ever addressed a ball lying deep in the gorse or hanging on the edge of a car park and thought, “Now then, what would Seve do?”

A luxurious hardback title, Seve – His Life Through the Lens, charting the life and career of Spanish golfing legend Severiano Ballesteros has been released today. The new 176-page book has been produced by award-winning photographer David Cannon, who has lovingly put together the most iconic pictures from Seve’s life and career, many of them seen for the first time by the general public.

The CPG is delighted to offer its members and supporters a 10% discount to celebrate the book’s release. Please click the link below and enter code at checkout and the discount will be applied.

CODE: CPG Discount

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY

To find out more about the book, please contact Tim Munton [tm@cpg.golf] or Tom Bentley [tb@cpg.golf].

Shot #1 – “The greatest shot I ever saw”

The Venue: PGA National, Ryder Cup, 1983 

The Hole: 18^th, 578 yards, Par 5

The Club: 3-wood

The Context: Matched up against two-time major champion Fuzzy Zoeller in the singles, Seve has his work cut out to gain a crucial point for the Europeans. Having charged into a three-hole lead by the turn, the Spaniard looks to be cruising to victory, but this is the Ryder Cup. Zoeller claws the match back to all square, heading down the last. When the shot happens.

The Moment: Finding deep rough with a duck hook off the tee, Seve manages to navigate his way out of the long stuff, only to find himself in a fairway bunker and seemingly further trouble. He approaches the sand to find a dire sight. Facing a six-feet-high lip, with the ball sitting halfway up the face of the bunker, hopes are fading of rescuing a half, let alone a win, and salvaging something, anything, from the match. Not to mention the sizeable lake that lay between the bunker and the green. While most golfers would have adjudged a lofted wedge sideways as the only sane course of action, Seve was not most golfers. After sizing up the shot and circumstances, he utters to his caddie “tres de madera” (three wood). While privately thinking this to be an absurd idea, Nick DePaul acknowledges his employer’s higher authority and reaches for the persimmon-headed club. Seve composes himself and swings – those snake hips swivelling almost 180 degrees, the downswing connecting with the cleanest of contacts. This was it. Make or break. The ball miraculously manages to ascend above the bunker lip into the sky, carrying Seve’s slim hopes of salvation along with it.

The Outcome: The ball flies 245 yards through the air, over the lake, landing safely by the fringe of the green, arriving to stunned silence. In true Seve fashion, the Europeans’ talisman proceeds to get up and down for a stunning par, halving the hole and with it, the match. The Americans would go on to edge the contest 14½ to 13½ but it was a watershed moment. It was the Europeans’ strongest performance on American soil to date – a precursor to their dominance in the event over the next decade, with Seve leading the charge. 

What was said: “It was the greatest shot I ever saw” – high praise from arguably the game’s greatest player, Jack Nicklaus.

Can we see it? Famously, no footage of the shot exists to this day, mysteriously lost in the mists of time. With many eye-witnesses accounting for the shot however, the legend will go on.

The Ryder Cup European Development Trust (RCEDT) is a registered charity that supports the development and progression of golf throughout Europe by assisting and guiding various projects, initiatives and programmes in the sport.

As sole partner of the Trust, the Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] – a leading body representing around 42 national PGAs, which holds over 30-years of expertise in the provision of golf development expertise and delivery on a global basis – is responsible for the control and management of the RCEDT.

VISIT THE RYDER CUP EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT TRUST [RCEDT]

Shot #2 – The Spanish Wedge

The Venue: Wentworth, World Matchplay Championship, 1983

The Hole: 18^th, Par 5

The Club: 8-iron

The Context: It’s the first round of the World Matchplay Championship. Seve is up against it as he heads down 18, a hole down to America’s favourite son, Arnold Palmer. With Arnie safely on the green in three and putting for birdie, Seve’s second shot has nestled up to a greenside bunker, 50 yards from the hole. A half on this hole is no good. He needs to win the hole to extend the match and have any chance of progressing further in the Championship. He needs to do something special.

The Moment: With his ball resting in the semi-rough and looming sand narrowing the angle of his chip onto the sloping green, Seve opts to pull out his 8-iron to tackle this seemingly precarious situation. Many in the watching galleries would have deemed it an unconventional club selection, given the shot that was required. A lesson learnt – never underestimate the wizardry of Severiano Ballesteros. He grips down the shaft and bunts a low chip towards the green.

The Outcome: Landing on the front edge of the green, the ball hops, skips and jumps before beginning its menacing advance towards the pin. Navigating the right-to-left contours of the green, it dials in on its target at pace, cuffing the pin and dropping into the hole. An eagle three. A sudden death playoff it would be. Seve triumphs on the third extra hole to knock out The King.

What was said: “I should be mad,” said Palmer. “But I have done that to so many other people in the past I suppose I can’t complain.”

Watch it here: https://cp.golf/3uJZl8Z

Shot #3 – Seve, a swimming pool, and a sand wedge 

The Venue: Crans-sur-Sierre, European Masters, 1993

The Hole: The 18^th, par 4

The Club: Sand wedge

The Context: What is it with Seve and final hole drama? Heading to the 18^th tee, he is sat at 16 under par, just one shot off the lead. Having put a run of birdies together, the momentum is with the Spaniard, needing one more to have any hopes of catching Barry Lane atop the leaderboard.

The Moment: Things don’t quite go to plan. First, a wild swing with the driver sends the ball miles right into what looks like a forest, the ball settling just shy of an eight-foot-high wall guarding a neighbouring swimming pool. Finally locating it and surveying the scene, his caddie Billy Foster prepares for his boss to chip out sideways. Seve crouches down on the pine straw and points towards a small gap in the overhanging branches. He has other ideas. Against the advice of his caddie, he reaches for his sand wedge and aligns himself as though he is somehow going to attempt to go over the wall. With bowed knees and steely determination, an almost crouching Seve manages to take a swing.

The Outcome: Miraculously, the ball is lofted almost vertically above the tip of the wall, but still low enough to slot through the narrowest of gaps in the branches, careening over the far side of the swimming pool to rest up just short of the green. The galleries go wild and the roars ring out around the course. Foster stoops down on to his knees, mock-bowing in acknowledgment of the greatness he has just witnessed. Seve proceeds to chip his next shot in for a birdie three. Of course he does. On this occasion however, his heroics are not quite enough, with Lane making a brilliant finish of his own, but Seve’s fighting spirit and sheer ingenuity would last long in the memory of all those present that day.

What he said: Quizzed later why he took on such a risky shot, Seve replied: “I just like to keep going forward…”

See it here: The TV cameras never picked up the shot, however renowned photographer and close friend of Seve, David Cannon, captured two images of the moment. Check them out here: https://bit.ly/3ocOp1e

A luxurious hardback title, Seve – His Life Through the Lens, charting the life and career of Spanish golfing legend Severiano Ballesteros has been released today. The new 176-page book has been produced by award-winning photographer David Cannon, who has lovingly put together the most iconic pictures from Seve’s life and career, many of them seen for the first time by the general public.

The CPG is delighted to offer its members and supporters a 10% discount to celebrate the book’s release. Please click the link below and enter code at checkout and the discount will be applied.

CODE: CPG Discount

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR COPY

To find out more about the book, please contact Tim Munton [tm@cpg.golf] or Tom Bentley [tb@cpg.golf].

Following the successful introduction of the all-rubber PRO ONLY putter grip series in 2019, Golf Pride has produced a fully corded version, with sleek, white styling that delivers ultimate feedback to give golfers more confidence in every stroke.

Years of design and development as the #1 grip brand on Tour have culminated in the company’s most advanced putter grip collection to date. The three modernised shapes have been individually crafted for hand comfort and positioning. Each model is instantly recognisable due to the colour coordinated star on the end cap.

PRO ONLY Red Star

• Modernised horseshoe shape with an arched paddle front for thumb placement
• Utilises a slight pistol kick in the back for hand heel pad placement
• 72 cc size and 78.5g weight

PRO ONLY Blue Star

• Angled profile with a wide, flat paddle front for thumb placement
• Utilises an angled back shape for comfortable finger positioning
• 81 cc size and 88g weight 

PRO ONLY Green Star

• Oval shape with an arched paddle front for thumb placement
• Slight upper hand flared back for optimum finger comfort and hand positioning
• 88 cc size and 90g weight

“Our Tour-preferred PRO ONLY series has proven to be extremely popular since its release last year,” commented Bruce Miller, Product Manager, Golf Pride. “With three time-proven shape options, now available in a sporty, white design, there is a corded PRO ONLY grip to suit every golfer.”

The new PRO ONLY Cord putter grip series can be purchased at retail now. For more information on Golf Pride’s putter grip selection and the entire 2020 range of products, click the button below.

VISIT GOLFPRIDE

In a recent blog I wrote, I focused on the ‘COVID-19’ consumer and how golf clubs can take advantage of increased expenditure, rounds played and engagement from those people who decided to take up golf in the aftermath of national lockdowns.

This exemplified a process of consumer segmentation – a marketing technique that allows us to tailor prices, products and promotions to various people based on differing characteristics. If we do this, we can encourage increased consumption and therefore, increased revenue.

So, how can we segment our consumers beyond that ‘COVID-19’ characterisation? Ordered from the simplest forms, all the way through to the very deep, ambiguous, subjective (and influential) ways, I list and explain some very simple ways that can help guide your own future marketing practice below.

01 DEMOGRAPHIC TRAITS

To breakdown a consumer down based on their objective, easy-to-identify physical traits would be to conduct a demographic segmentation. Such traits include:

• Gender – Female / Male
• Age Group – Teenagers / Young Adults / Middle-Aged / Retired
• Ethnicity
• Occupation
• Education

This is a very simple way of collecting data on consumers to then group and break down, and can be done through various ways such as filling in an online questionnaire or recording data through your tee time booking systems.

How does this affect tailoring prices, products and promotions? Well, consider the fact that men will most certainly choose to play 18 holes of golf together more than women; teenagers will consume easier forms of golf such as the driving range and mini golf; people of higher social classes with higher disposable incomes will spend more at your club and on specialist services such as golf lessons than those of lower classes; and people of white-ethnic backgrounds are more likely to consume golf in general than people from BAME communities.

We now have some valuable insights that we can then focus our marketing activities on to encourage behaviour and consumption. The downside of this form of segmentation is that it is rather generic – it doesn’t factor in individual differences (for example, people from the BAME community do choose to play golf, just less so than white ethnicities). We need to look deeper than demographic traits more often than not to gain more insightful and more influential data.

02 BEHAVIOURAL: CONSUMPTION HABITS

This form of segmentation focuses on the way in which your consumers interact with your brand. There are various ways in which you can do this:

• Frequency – How often do they play golf or have a lesson? Once a week? Monthly? Annually?
• Time – What times of the day do they play? Twilight? Full rate? Weekends? Weekdays?
• Occasions – Do they consume golf during set periods or special occasions? Such as bank holidays, Christmas, easter?
• Type – What product do they consume? Is it a 9 hole green fee? Some PING Golf Clubs? Golf Pride Grips? Junior golf lessons? Golf Carts?
• Spend – How much do they spend relative to the product / service type they are consuming? Low / Medium / High?

This will give you a very good picture of the consumer from a consumption point of view, rather than just who they are as a person demographically. This is more useful and influential, as it allows you to tailor and target key products and promotions to each individual.

For example, as a golf coach I might create a special Christmas offer with discounted golf lessons. There’s no need to send this to your regular pupils who have a lesson every week. Rather, send it to the people that you know buy golf lesson packages at Christmas, historically, and entice their spending with you again.

The only problem with this is it is a data-heavy form of collecting consumer information. Whilst you will build a pretty good picture of each of your customers (and is something worth investing the time in) it is just that – time consuming. If you can allocate part of your week to this task and focus on just the key areas you want to collect data on, then this might be a more efficient and effective way of segmenting based on consumption habits and your available resource. For example, if you just want to increase green fees, then focus on the green fee frequencies, times, occasions and types that are purchased…

03 BEHAVIOURAL: HUMAN IDENTITY

Human identity is perhaps the deepest, most subjective form of understanding consumer purchasing decisions and behaviour. It takes the previous behavioural form of segmenting based on habits to a much deeper level of understanding.

Consider this – those who identify as a male and those who identify as a female (ignoring the biological characterisation) will consume very different products and services. Males watch more gory, action-focused films, generally play heavier-contact sports, wear certain clothes and listen to certain music. Females will lean towards comedies and chick-flick films, play socially-focused sports and wear very contrasting clothes choices to males!

They do all of this to subconsciously –  to exert and portray their chosen identities. In other words, they watch the films they do, they eat the food they eat and they purchase the goods that they purchase to show that they are a male and show that they are a female. It is a complex social construct that we are not aware of most of the time but this form of segmentation looks at our decisions as consumers in a whole new, subconscious way. And that is why this is so influential and must be exploited, as leading golf marketeers.

Now take this premise, and apply it to the fact that there are endless facets and contributory variables that make up our overall individual identity, and not just the male and female role identities mentioned – in golf, there are those people who identify as ‘Golfers’, and those who identify as ‘somebody who plays golf’. You can already assume that there will be consumption differences between these two, right? But in what ways?

For my University thesis, I took this exact idea to try and better understand consumer behaviour in golf and identify the varying consumption habits of such types of ‘golfing identity’. What I found was insightful at the very least but could actually have influential implications for golf marketing practice. Some of the findings between these two forms of golfing identity included:

Golfers

• Travel abroad for golfing holidays
• Hold golf magazine and journalism subscriptions
• Listen to golf podcasts and various other online content
• Take regular golf lessons
• Value playing different courses in their local areas
• Plays at least twice a week
• Volunteer for clubs, counties and other golf bodies
• Value custom fitting and high-spend equipment

Somebody Who Plays Golf

• Usually play one key golf course, within very short driving distances to their homes
• Rarely take golf lessons
• Play golf once a month
• Generally use second-hand, value-focused equipment

So, by segmenting your consumers using these three different strategies, you have begun your journey to better understanding your consumers and in creating a system for targeting of your products and services. It is now a balancing act on how you decide to segment, based on some set questions – How much time do you have? What do you specifically want to find out? What goals do you have? These will all dictate your choices.

Then, ongoing data collection and analysis is necessary to ensure you are continuously understanding and improving your knowledge of everybody who wants to play golf at your venue, or have lessons with you, or buy those new sets of golf clubs and balls in your shop.

If you do, then you can effectively drive your revenue and returns.

Longstanding CPG Member Country, the PGA of Italy, play a crucial role in growing and developing the game of golf in Italy, and will continue to do so during what is a hugely important period for Italian golf with the staging of the 2023 Ryder Cup in the country.

The CPG chatted to PGA of Italy Operations and Event Manager, Francesco Gatti, about the association and its current goals and driving motivations for the future of the sport in Italy…

CPG: What does the golf industry look like in Italy?

FG: Due to increasing cultural and competitive attractions and past times, golf in Italy is currently seeing periods of stagnation in the numbers of playing golfers across the country. This highlights some key points, most notably the need to utilise effective national programs and marketing strategies to invert this trend.

Currently, over 90,000 golfers are registered players across the country, enjoying and engaging in a diverse and large national product offering in the form of over 400 facilities and clubs (ranging from 9, 18, 36 hole venues, driving ranges and indoor facilities).

What is really exciting is the Italian golf prospects, particularly with the 2023 Ryder Cup matches being staged at Marco Simone in Rome. This, along with effective marketing activity from the PGA of Italy, will most certainly help reach an ever-growing audience and encourage access and participation across all levels of the game.

CPG: What about the PGA of Italy? What roles do they play in trying to develop and grow the game?

FG: As a representative body of Professional Golf and Professional golfers, the main objective of the PGA of Italy is to safeguard the rights and influences of its members – the PGA Professional.

Our main activities can be divided into three categories:

1. Professional tournaments – We organise many golf tournaments, including Pro-Ams and Championships across the year in what is one of the most comprehensive schedules in Europe.
2. Education – Like with tournaments, we also organise CPD and learning opportunities and events across the year. These come in the form of seminars, workshops and meetings.
3. Promotion and Marketing – This is of the association and its activities, its members, and golf more broadly to the wider public.

CPG: What does the PGA of Italy Membership look like? 

FG: In order to become a member of the PGA of Italy, its associates have to be either tournament players or teachers affiliated with the Italian Golf Federation.

We have three different programs available to our members. The basic level includes the main services, previously explained, without access to certain competitions. This is tailored for younger and assistant professionals, who recently joined the association.

The second program – the annuity membership, grants full rights to the members. The is tailored for professionals with at least 20 years of industry experience and / or are over 60 years of age.

Lastly, the honor program is for those professionals who no longer play golf and teaching, however stay members of the PGA of Italy as honorary members.

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

FG: As an internationally-natured association, the CPG is a vital political and institutional reference point for the PGA of Italy. It helps foster a globally-connected work environment for PGAI, which benefits us from the international networks and benefits  it provides.

CPG: What direction do you see the association, and golf in Italy heading in over the next few years?

FG: The situation and association is an ever-changing, dynamic situation. We always strive to better ourselves in everything we do but I would say our main focus right now surrounds improving our marketing strategies and communication activities and so far this has been very positive. With the current situation surrounding COVID-19, our hope is that this won’t slow or impact our gains and progress too much.

CPG: Will the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone help the PGA and golf in Italy achieve its goals?

FG: Absolutely, I believe the Ryder cup would be an incredible opportunity for the PGA of Italy and for the growth of golf in Italy overall. We think the Ryder Cup would be able to engage with a much wider audience of people, and help make golf a more widely-known and easily-accessible sport for players and non-players alike.

Visit the PGA of Italy

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

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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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.

1. Why? Why are we doing this?
2. What? What is golf’s promise?
3. Who? Who are we?

Now available to purchase from authorised retailers worldwide, the MCC Teams collection boasts 15 unique colour combinations to choose from, allowing golfers to represent their favourite sports team every time they take to the course.

The MCC is the #1 Grip Series Worldwide™ and has been used by both amateurs and professionals to win over 250 times on Tour. The patented multi-compound design fuses the positive performance of rubber and cord for the ultimate in feel and responsiveness while providing an opportunity for golfers to demonstrate their passion for their sports team through unique styling.

“The MCC Teams grips are an extremely exciting collection that will enable sports fans across the globe to show their support and passion for their team every time they grip the golf club”, said Bruce Miller, Product Manager, Golf Pride.

“Available now, this latest addition to the MCC family maintains the same high-level performance and quality that the multi-compound design has consistently delivered to win over 20 major championships.”

The MCC Teams grips are available in both standard size and midsize and feature a price of £12 and £13 or €14.50 and €16.00 respectively. MCC Teams are now available at retail in standard size and midsize in July 2020.

With many golf shops back open following the outbreak of Covid-19, golfers can now speak to their local professional or authorised Golf Pride retailer about their favourite colour combination today. Golf Pride are also giving golfers the opportunity to help select the next MCC Teams colours by heading to www.GolfPride.com/mcc-teams.

VISIT GOLFPRIDE

Regardless of our sector, discipline or team size we all have attended or have held a meeting at some point in our working lives. They are a core part of our working and organisational culture that open the doors to create new ideas, collaborate with each other and solve issues to real-world and working problems.

Unfortunately, this has been impacted heavily by the current global issues we are facing, which have forcibly created remote working environments for us all and detached ourselves from one another considerably [and it is also worth assuming that this is a situation we will find ourselves in for the foreseeable future].

So, taking all this in, how can we adapt ourselves and our way of working [in this case, the way we meet] to overcome current difficulties? What is the most productive form of meeting virtually? Is there even a ‘most productive’ form of meeting virtually that currently exists? A few thoughts to consider…but here are some ideas, collated from the CPG’s recent experiences and a wider look at the area.

1. Setup is Important

Unfortunately when we say ‘setup’, we are not talking about stance, ball position, grip or posture here…

To give a very brief explanation [because we highlighted this in our other recent blog for hosting webinars], we need to decide on the platform that we meet on – Zoom and Skype were good places to start.

Then, devising goals for the meeting are still an important part of meetings, albeit pretty different to a webinar. Once these are established, you can devise a reasonable structure to the meeting that considers:

• What are the key topics / proposals / ideas up for discussion?
• Who is best placed to lead each of the above?
• Who is best placed to coordinate the entire meeting, and the above two points?
• How long do you have?
• Do you provide much scope for open-ended discussion?

Just as an example for our own way of working – we have a weekly ‘Catch-Up meeting’, held on a Thursday for approximately an hour. This follows an approximate 50/50 structure where for the first half a set agenda is followed based on various things and points to tackle that we work through. This is then followed by the final half where each team member provides an update on their own work in a more open-ended discussion.

It has worked really well for the past six months, and has provided that much needed, regular information and connection with colleagues to function as a team, combined with the day-to-day frequent individual contact that takes place.

2. Create a Network of Meeting Bubbles

There needs to be an acceptance that it is going to be pretty difficult to get through as much as you would normally do in person and as a group. Practically, it is impossible – connectivity issues often persist and there are those amusingly-awkward time delays where we realise we have both spoken at the same time and then decide to wait for one another to speak. These are simply unavoidable elements of online meetings.

Therefore it is important to use a ‘whole-team’ meeting as one to catch up and provide overview to the current ongoings and developments, not necessarily as a time to solve every issue that the organisation is facing. By having smaller ‘bubbles’ [excuse the COVID-19 buzzword], we can collaborate more effectively with one, two or three members of our team outside the normal meeting space.

For example, there are regular Communication and Events catch-ups during the week with specific team members to solve issues and work through various documents and content together. We can then go away on our own and action these points, and then report this work to everybody at the team meeting later.

The key premise from this is that it is more important than ever to trust one another, and understand that colleagues will be working with one another without direct knowledge or awareness they have been used to in an office. This can pose challenges with tracking work, but there is a growing body of research that supports remote-working environments to be more productive than the office scenario.

3. Maintain Colleague Engagement

The premise of chatting to colleagues through a laptop screen can quite easily encourage technological fatigue, loss of concentration and enthusiasm across the board. Online meetings certainly fill a sociological void, but they do not offer a complete solution to satisfying our innate need to interact face-to-face with others.

Therefore, encouraging greater interaction with one another is an important part of online meetings. This can be achieved through simple tasks such as group breathing exercises [check out Dr. Brian Hemming’s Webinar – 14min 30 secs for a good example on this], allocating time for a quick fire quiz, or allowing everybody to introduce themselves and discuss various non-work related topics that would normally form a natural part of general work chit-chat.

The most important part of this is for the meeting leader and moderator to be aware of the situation – that it is a team meeting and not just a presentation. By ensuring every person has their time to speak and become involved in discussions, they will not only be more engaged but will contribute positively to a more productive online team meeting.

4. Share notes

Once you have conducted your online meeting, the key final stage is to ensure everyone has the information they need from it. Sharing notes is often a lot easier in person because you can physically hand them agendas, outcomes and minutes as you see fit. Doing this over the internet is slightly trickier.

A platform to share notes is the best port of call. Outlook’s Planner function is a really easy way to do this. You can create various sub-topics for each meeting, based on the agenda set. In the CPG’s case, these sub-topics include tournaments, education, members, golf development etc. Then list all the key actions and tasks for each.

It is really easy to use, provides a ‘live’ access point for all colleagues to see and add notes to and ultimately keeps everybody you need to in the know about what is going on, or has gone on from various meetings.

If this is too much, creating a word document from the meeting that can be shared with everyone via email afterwards is a perhaps more laborious way of doing things, but nonetheless equally as effective…

The CPG chatted to PGA of Austria President, Matthias Mezei, about the association, its current goals and driving motivations for the future of the sport in the country…

TB: What does golf look like in Austria?

MM: Currently, there are 156 golf facilities in Austria, servicing the 100,000 active golfers in the country (which out of a population of juts 8,000,000, is really good!).

From research, there is an estimated 700,000 extra people in the country who are interested in trying and playing golf, for which we continue to target our activity towards.

Like most countries, we have strong amateur federation that have close links to various golf facilities across the country and the PGA itself. These inter-organisational ties only strengthen our collaborative efforts and work across the country, which ultimately benefits the golfers themselves.

Such work includes a youth golf league, golf in schools and adult golf leagues, all of which are proving successful but as with most grassroots programmes, more can always be done. The PGA of Austria constantly strives to better itself and its work for the benefit of golf in the country.

TB: Tell me more about the PGA of Austria? It clearly plays a huge role in the development of the game in Austria…

MM:We are actually celebrating the 40th anniversary of the PGA of Austria, which is a huge and significant milestone!

With over 350 members, the association continues to develop and grow its membership, through various activities. These include education and training programmes of prospective and current members, the organisation of a national tournament schedule and implementing a developed marketing and communications plan with both the federation and the general public – this is a key part of delivering messages about the PGA Member being an expert in the game, and that they are somebody’s first point of contact for dining out more about the sport.

By identifying a key target market mentioned previously, we believe we are maximising the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns across the country, and ultimately the overall growth of the Austrian game.

TB: So with a steadily growing membership, your members are working across the country. What sort of roles do they fulfil?

MM: Around 85% of PGA of Austria members are currently coaching, predominantly in a traditional club environment on a daily basis. From there, the rest are predominantly full time players, playing PGA of Austria events and other schedules for a living.

Whilst there are a limited amount of PGA Members working in managerial and business-focused roles currently, the PGA of Austria and Federation have identified this as a key area to focus on, and will continue to develop with future activity and education programmes.

TB: Why do you value being a Confederation of Professional Golf Member Country?

MM: Initially, being a part of the CPG was crucial to involve the organisation within the collective network of more established PGAs at the time. This provided us with insight and understanding to learn from and develop.

More recently, this view has evolved along with the size of the organisation, whereby we engage with various work alongside the CPG. For example, engaging in the EELS programme, the CPG Annual Congress and other development activities have all benefited the organisation and its members, and it is hugely valued to be able to be a part of.

TB: What direction do you see the association, and golf in Austria heading in over the next few years?

MM: We are currently working on developing a closer relationship with the Austrian golf federation, to help better channel financial resource and activity into growing the game.

We are also looking to form closer ties with other PGAs. For example, our relationship with the PGA of Germany could spell huge benefit for Austrian golf because it will enable better access to new partners, information sharing, identifying target audiences and a growth in our tournament schedule.

By doing both, we believe we can offer greater educational possibilities to our current members, encourage an increased number of golfers within Austria and develop stronger ties with neighbouring countries.

Visit the PGA of Austria

Whilst COVID-19 has forced an inevitable online environment for the way most of us work, function and hold such forms of educational sessions, it is tough to tell what the future holds for webinars and their uses.

Some argue that companies will choose to stick with this virtual way of working meaning webinars will hold a crucial role moving forwards. Others argue that the latter simply cannot replace the classic lecture theatre, classroom or boardroom, and all of the social benefits that these spaces bring.

What is for certain however, is that most of you will have created, taken part in, or listened to an online webinar over recent weeks, which raises numerous questions: Did you find them useful? How engaging were they? How easy was the registration and joining process? Is there another way to host one?

The Confederation of Professional Golf [CPG] have been functioning in a virtual, flexible environment for almost six months now, pre-empting what most people are doing. Here is the CPG’s take on answering these questions, using our own recent experiences.

1. Pick a Platform, Any Platform…

First you need an appropriate platform and there are lots to choose from. Skype has been around for years and something most people are familiar with in some form. Whether that has been speaking to family overseas or catching up with friends from afar, it is a good starting point.

SKYPE

Pros of Skype:

• Hold video chats and make local, domestic, and international calls.
• Conduct both screen and document sharing with large files.
• It has a variety of interactive functions such as white-board, post a poll, and Q&A sessions.
• Free version available, which works well for smaller teams.
• Integrates with Microsoft Teams, which is a useful platform used by a lot of companies already.

Cons of Skype:

• A number of technical issues during calls, such as freezing, connectivity issues etc.
• There is not a large amount of support or help options in such circumstances.
• What if you are using something other than Microsoft Teams?

Overall though Skype is a good option. But how about Zoom? This seems to be a buzzword at the moment, so does it live up to expectations? Or is it merely a shadow of Skype culture?

ZOOM

Pros of Zoom:

• Conduct live video chat.
• Access to various meeting analytics.
• Easily screen-share during a call.
• Use the recording feature to save and document your sessions.
• Hold brainstorming sessions with Zoom’s on-screen whiteboard feature.
• Access in-depth support such as live help, online chat, phone support, FAQs, help articles, and video tutorials.
• Free (up to 100 participants and 40 minute calls).
• A relatively easy registration-creation process.

Cons of Zoom:

• If you host more than 100 participants regularly, you will have to pay (Starts from $14.99 a month…)
• Picture quality is sometimes an issue.

Both are great platforms with some minor hiccups and glitches but overall they do what they say and will be great options for your next online webinar. Think about what you want, factor in your budget and how much support and guidance you want from each service and it should help you make your decision.

2. Identify Your Goals and Structure The Webinar…

This is a relatively straight-froward, self-policing matter. Ask yourself these questions: what is the main point of the webinar – Is it to inform? Create a discussion? Find answers? Provide answers? Will you require a presentation to achieve the answer to these questions? Who’s presenting? How long for?

Once you have done that, you can start to formulate a plan as to how you want the webinar to go. In the recent CPG Masterclass Series – a two-month programme of online webinars – we primarily focused on a presentation model. If we were to answer those questions it would have looked like this:

• Is it to inform? Yes
• Create a discussion? Not primarily, but we can if necessary.
• Find answers? No
• Provide answers? Yes
• Requires a presentation? Yes
• Who’s presenting? External speakers
• How long for? Short bursts of information

Now we have a basis to form our structure. Generally, we followed a presentation-style webinar, whereby the external speaker presented on a certain topic for 20-25 minutes, to provide expertise and knowledge about it and then the listeners could ask questions at the end, and spark a discussion if warranted.

By answering these goals, you can create an effective webinar template.

3. Communicate Clearly…

This is key to delivering an effective, highly-sought after webinar. If your participants do not even know about it, how can they join? Promoting your webinar is therefore important but must be done in the right way.

Think about the channels you use (social media, email, website, blog) and tailor the message to each. Coincidently, we held our own CPG Masterclass Series webinar on just that very premise here. Once you have drafted out some promotional posts (remembering to include the sign-up link in every single one!), get posting.

Then you need to think about the user-registration journey. How do you simplify the process of registering for a webinar? If it is complicated, people just will not join or be interested. Zoom’s registering system is very straightforward – it creates a registration link which takes you to a separate landing page, you fill in a few of your basic details and you receive an automated email to say you have registered along with the timings and access link (the host also receives an email to say they have received a registrant – important data!).

People’s time is precious. Pitch to them what your webinar is about, why it is of use to them and then once you have grabbed their attention ensure they don’t fall at the last registration hurdle.

4. Don’t be Camera Shy, do be Camera Conscious

Once you have completed all of the above and have created a webinar with registered participants, you need to think about how you deliver the actual webinar itself effectively. This is not as complicated as it needs to be, it just needs a little bit of confidence and preparation from you or the presenter beforehand.

Do you stay on camera? Do you turn it off? Personally, we like to stay on camera…the current circumstances have already limited our social contact considerably and whilst Zoom is a good substitute to meet, do you really want to alienate your registrants even further by not showing your face on camera? Its a tricky one but I think your attendees would appreciate seeing who they are listening to.

On a final note if you do choose to go onto camera, ensure you have considered yourself and your surroundings. As we have all seen, there have been some terrible (albeit amusing) examples in the past of meetings being interrupted by children, slightly inappropriate photos in the house or somebody not wearing appropriate office clothing! Whilst you might be at home, preparing the environment you are in appropriately has never been more important.

On a final note, make sure you have as much fun and confidence as possible whilst planning, organising and holding your webinar!

We share these experiences below from Canada, Denmark, Holland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden, to provide insight into the varying challenges each organisation has faced during the pandemic.

Do not forget that the COVID-19 Resource Hub is available for all to use and access relevant support from, accessible by clicking the button below.

CLICK TO VIEW COVID-19 HUB

PGA OF CANADA

“COVID-19 struck just before the beginning of the golf season in most parts of Canada.

“The pandemic thrust our members into new territory, but I’ve been amazed by their resilience, adaptability and enthusiasm to adjust to the new normal and provide safe golf experiences for players across the country.

“From the onset, our goal as an association was to provide immediate resources and guidance backed by a wide range of industry experts. Our team sent regular communication, created a platform for members to connect, sought out strategic partnerships, embarked on an ambitious member outreach program and provided flexible financial relief for those continuing their professional development journeys.

“Collaboration, listening, and reacting to the needs of our membership continues to be the key driver of success for us. As a result, the PGA of Canada professional has continued to be the lifeblood of the game, the facility, and the safety of golf in Canada.”

Matt Allen
Chief Innovation Officer, PGA of Canada

PGA OF DENMARK

“We have worked closely with the Danish Federation during lockdown, offering advice and recommendations to enable safe coaching during COVID-19.

“Throughout this pandemic we have also supported members significantly, such as by providing advice on accessing financial support from the government, and by staging free-to-access webinars.

“Denmark began the reopening of golf courses in early April, along with retail stores and coaching academies / facilities. There has been a surge in demand ever since – facilities and courses are busier than ever, financial forecasts for PGA Member’s shops and businesses have jumped and clubs are experiencing huge interest from beginners and former players of the sport.”

Steffen Jacobsen
Chief Executive, PGA of Denmark

PGA OF HOLLAND

“As like most countries, lockdown in Holland was fast, abrupt and incomprehensible for most.

“However, the situation was the making of our members, who revitalised their businesses and through the creation of online instructional content, continued to interact with clients (who have now started to return the favour through lesson buying). We are incredibly proud with how they overcame what is a difficult situation.

“The PGA of Holland engaged in various reforms and activities to support our members. This included regular newsletter communications, a webinar-style educational series, developing a digital learning system and working closely with the Federation to filter consistent guidance to our Members for reopening etc.

“Finally, with the resumption of tournament activity beginning in early July, we will once again be able to provide competitive opportunities to our members, and are currently working with clubs to stage events successfully and safely.

“COVID-19 has strengthened the PGA of Holland as an organisation, and we feel very positive for the future.”

Frank Kirsten
Chief Executive, PGA of Holland

PGA OF ITALY

“Italy was affected by the pandemic earlier than most, with the Northern parts of Italy (where the majority of clubs and PGA Members are located) being hit the hardest in early March.

“Throughout lockdown, the PGA of Italy provided unprecedented support to members, through an extensive educational webinar series, sourcing financial help for members, delivering career advice, and working closely with the Italian Golf Federation to provide appropriate safety guidelines for golf operations and facilities.

“A gradual return of golf activity from the middle of May has meant we have now been able to resume our tournament activities, which has been welcomed greatly from across our membership as well.”

Filippo Barbé
Head of Education, PGA of Italy

PGA OF SLOVENIA

“Lockdown measures were finally eased in Slovenia on the 21st April, which was earlier than most countries in Europe. This allowed the resumption of various golf activities.

“A key part of our support throughout this whole situation, which has been highly valued by our members, has been the financial advice and legal information offered to them.

“Gradually from this initial reopening, we have then seen the reintroduction of golf lessons and competitions within the country, providing that both could be done in a safe manner.

“To support members with this, we published COVID-19 information and guidance from both the CPG and the Slovenian National Institute of Public Health to them.

Jernej Semolic
Chief Executive, PGA of Slovenia

PGA OF SPAIN

“During lockdown the PGA of Spain has been incredibly active with its membership, ensuring a continuous line of communication was kept open with them all.

“We coordinated various educational webinars, that provided all sorts of topical discussions ranging from debates about the PGA of Spain as an organisation, the future of the PGA of Spain Member, and discussions with other key stakeholders in the Spanish game including the Federation and Golf Manager’s Association.

Having support from leading and well-known Professionals such as Jon Rahm, Jose Maria Olazabal, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Adri Arnaus and Pablo Larrazabal was also an added bonus, and definitely helped unify the Professional game across Spain.

“As we exit lockdown, we will continue to focus on how as a member organisation we can best help everybody to move forward.”

José Vicente Perez
Head of Training, PGA of Spain

PGA OF SWEDEN

“Sweden addressed the epidemic in a way that made it possible to keep golf courses open throughout. As a result demand has soared, with memberships up by 28,000 (+6% from 2019), rounds played surpassing 4,000,000 (+1,000,000 from 2019), and both lesson and shop sales have increased.

“Similar to other countries, PGA of Sweden members struggled to find tournament opportunities throughout the crisis but with Professional Tours restarting their operations within the next month, this is set to change.

“From the outset, the PGA of Sweden formalised a support strategy suited to dealing with the given situation, which adjusted workflow and focused on strengthening relationships with our members and partners, as well as with other stakeholders, including the Swedish Golf Federation.

“The collaboration with the Federation has been crucial, as it has supported PGA Members and golf clubs for the current surges in demand that they are experiencing, and has also prepared them both for the anticipated increases in play in the near future.”

Johan Hampf
Chief Executive, PGA of Sweden

That’s the view of leading environmental psychologist Professor Jenny Roe of the University of Virginia, who says golf course environments possess many of the natural features – including water, biodiversity, spatial variety and light patterns – that help reduce stress and induce calm.

In a new multimedia editorial feature from Syngenta Growing Golf, broadcast on World Environment Day, Prof. Roe is joined by Olympic golf course architect Gil Hanse, who explains how golf courses can be beneficial for the environment.

VIEW: The new value of golf’s green spaces

The comments come as many golf clubs report strong demand for play and membership following periods of course closures during the Covid-19 pandemic.

And it builds on global market research from Syngenta that suggests prospective players are attracted to the game because 1) it is outdoors and 2) offers relaxation and stress relief. (Physical exercise benefits ranked fifth.)

The feature poses the question: in the new normal, post Covid-19, could golf clubs and courses reposition themselves as valuable green space destinations in an increasingly urbanized world?

Mark Birchmore, Syngenta Global Head of Marketing, Turf and Landscape, who commissioned the feature, said: “On World Environment Day, at a time when the globe continues to face the challenges of Covid-19, this is a timely exploration of the deeper value and benefits golf and its course environments offer both people and the planet.

“In a world where access to green spaces is becoming more important and more valuable than ever, this is also an opportunity for golf to reposition and make itself relevant to a larger, more diverse audience.

To read the full article and watch the interviews, click here.