Youth on Course’s Post

A time for change The current steady decline in golf club membership and vastly reduced income from the clubhouse generally, are itches that clubs are struggling to scratch. There are a small number of clubs in Scotland, relatively speaking, mainly the ‘Trophy courses’ that notice little difference or an even an increase in clubhouse income, but for the majority, these holes need plugged. The reality is that this will worsen steadily for the majority. The is no evidence to suggest otherwise as all the facts point to: 1. The impact of the financial crisis and energy costs still loom large; 2. The Covid bubble has well and truly burst. Clubs will probably reduce prices, make offers that will irritate existing members and cut costs in the wrong places. Make no mistake, there is no magic wand for the majority, but there are good practices that can reduce costs in the right places, which may offset reduced income. There have been a number of articles recently about the ‘Race to the Bottom’ and they are absolutely accurate. The race has started. Don’t be sucked into this competition as it will damage your club, maybe irreparably. We offer experienced advice at www.golf-insights.co.uk where our help may cost your club nothing at all. Don’t wait any longer or until your next committee meeting. Get in touch if you have noticed this change at your club and allow Golf Insights to help you. #scottishgolf #sgcma

Who didn't love putting contests as a junior golfer? Playing against your friends for £1, for golf balls or event for a plate of chips, these were serious events. They were more than that though, they allowed us to bond over short contests whilst working on the most important parts of our games. They made us feel like we belonged as part of the junior golf scene at our clubs. In our 11th White Paper, we addressed the issue of belonging. Making new golfers feel like they belong as part of the golfing community is crucial to grow our sport. One idea is to build leagues at your club so that people we can foster this feeling of fun competition and build that feeling of belonging. Discover how to build your golf business by leaning-into making people feel like they belong: https://lnkd.in/eXRvRKPS 📸 : Lukas Opekar (Unsplash)

A Time For Change The current steady decline in golf club membership and vastly reduced income from the clubhouse generally, are itches that clubs are struggling to scratch. There are a small number of clubs in Scotland, relatively speaking, mainly the ‘Trophy courses’ that notice little difference or an even an increase in clubhouse income, but for the majority, these holes need plugged. The reality is that this will worsen steadily for the majority. The is no evidence to suggest otherwise as all the facts point to: 1. The impact of the financial crisis and energy costs still loom large; 2. The Covid bubble has well and truly burst. Clubs will probably reduce prices, make offers that will irritate existing members and cut costs in the wrong places. Make no mistake, there is no magic wand for the majority, but there are good practices that can reduce costs in the right places, which may offset reduced income. There have been a number of articles recently about the ‘Race to the Bottom’ and they are absolutely accurate. The race has started. Don’t be sucked into this competition as it will damage your club, maybe irreparably. We offer experienced advice at www.golf-insights.co.uk where our help may cost your club nothing at all. Don’t wait any longer or until your next committee meeting. Get in touch if you have noticed this change at your club and allow Golf Insights to help you. #scottishgolf #sgcma

How to get a tee time at St Andrews? There are a few ways of getting a tee time on the Old Course at St Andrews: Option 1: Purchasing a guaranteed time. Select tour operators offer guaranteed tee times one-to-two years prior to play. These guaranteed tee times are generally more expensive than those obtained through the Application process described below, through the Ballot or by Standing-By, also described below. Option 2: Apply through the annual lottery in late-August of the year prior to play. The key is to start your planning early and to have your group names known by July / August. Results of the lottery are announced toward the end of October. This is a guaranteed tee time; however, St Andrews receives many more applications than they have available tee times. Option 3: A Tee Time by Ballot or Stand-by. This option is known as the “ballot.” It is essentially a lottery that takes place daily for play two days ahead. While there is no guarantee of success, chances are quite reasonable, especially if you are to be in the St Andrews area for four or five days. We would enter your names into the ballot each day except Friday as the course is closed on Sundays and do it in such a way as to avoid conflict with tee times on other courses. Option 4: It is possible to walk-on to the Old Course. You can advise the starter that you wish to do so, and he’ll try and fit you in if and when an opportunity arises. Chances of getting on depend on the time of year and how early you arrive at the starter’s box. FOLLOW #trustedgolftravel for more golf content! #golfcoursemanagement #golffitness #golftravel #golflife #golfclub #golfswing #golfevent #golf #golftips #golfsimulator #golf

Golf Pros: Here's why every golf club should consider Operation 36: structured milestones, a supportive community, and a clear path for beginners to fall in love with golf. Bring this program to your club and watch your golf community thrive! Learn more about our Summer Jump Start Promotion >> https://bit.ly/4aegTOF

So interesting to hear Gary Neville's insights on the challenges beginners face in golf. It's disheartening to witness newcomers being chastised for not knowing every rule and piece of golf etiquette. No one should be made to feel unwelcome or intimidated, especially kids. This is such a key driver for us at Love Golf UK, breaking down barriers with free equipment hire, coaching sessions and community engagement. Rory McIlroy is spot on - we need more accessible entry points like driving ranges and public golf courses to bridge the gap between interest and actual play. Let's keep asking, what more can we do to make golf inclusive and welcoming for everyone? ⛳ #LoveGolfUK #InclusiveGolf

What You Didn’t Know About Augusta National Golf Club? (The US Masters, April 11-14, 2024) Cheapest tickets for each of the three practice rounds are going for just over $1,200 with individual day tournament passes starting between $2,000 and $2,500. The 4-Day pass gets you access to all four of the tournament rounds. Membership is strictly by invitation: there is no application process. In 2004, USA Today published a list of all the current members. Membership is believed to cost between $100,000 and $300,000 and annual dues were estimated in 2020 to be less than $30,000 per year. Masters tickets are considered the second-hardest to obtain in sports, trailing only the Super Bowl. Tickets — or badges — are cheap if you are lucky enough to be a patron or win the annual lottery which opened on June 1. If you don't get tickets directly from Augusta National, be prepared to spend thousands. Augusta National Golf Club is a private club and is only accessible to club members and their guests. The public may visit the course only during the Masters Tournament and only with the proper ticket or badge.

Great little 9 hole short beginners course - my first hole-in-one

Easy to read and full of interesting facts and photos. A good overview of the development of golf in Barbados.

Greenlight Advisors Welcomes, Alamo City Golf Trail to GolfClubBenchmarks.com — MediaContacts.co — Greenlight Advisors, #developer of GolfClubBenchmarks.com is pleased to #welcome #San Antonio's eight municipal #golf #courses and the Alamo #City Golf #Trail to its expanding #membership #list of municipal, #public and #private golf courses from across the #country By participating in the GolfClubBenchmarks.com #service the Alamo City Golf #Trails eight courses will now have #online #access to benchmark their courses #financial and operational #data #40 financial metrics and #20 operational metrics