In their own words: Golf Foundation CEO Brendon Pyle

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir January 9, 2018 08:49 Updated

Brendon looks forward to working with golf clubs in 2018 to introduce the game to more children

Brendon Pyle

The Golf Foundation has a strong track record of developing innovative programmes to help grow the sport. ‘Tri-Golf’ was designed to take the sport to a mass audience in primary schools and has reached more than five million schoolchildren since its launch in 2000. The ‘Box of Tricks’ was designed to help clubs with practical and often highly creative ideas to help juniors stay in the game. It is targeted for 900 clubs over the next four years. Both of these interventions were based on intuition, a gut instinct about what is required for the sport to attract and retain more young people.

However, more recently, the Golf Foundation has also drawn upon a range of detailed independent studies to help guide its new programmes. ‘GolfSixes’ is a perfect example of turning intuition into science (almost!). We know from asking young people and their parents that many young golfers say they want to play fewer holes (as the sport must compete with a raft of other leisure choices today), in different formats and on different courses. The result – the GolfSixes Academy – is based on the European Tour’s event at Centurion Club but tailored to meet the motivations and needs of young people in golf clubs.

‘Girls Golf Rocks’, now being delivered in 15 counties in England (20 in 2018), is based on the understanding that many girls want to learn the game alongside other girls, in a friendly, social environment and inspired by role models and ambassadors. These are provided by more than 100 county association players, all trained by the Golf Foundation to mentor and support new girls sampling the sport (both Girls Golf Rocks and the Box of Tricks are joint initiatives with one of our key partners, England Golf).

Young people with disabilities require the opportunity, adapted equipment, a supportive environment and an understanding coach who can adapt the activity to the individual’s needs. In this area of activity we are constantly challenging ourselves to offer greater support to young people and were delighted to be a part of The R&A Symposium on Golf for the Disabled at St Andrews just before Christmas.

By learning through insight and experience, the foundation is today able to offer wider diversity in our work as we strive to make golf more accessible to young people from all backgrounds and of all abilities. I would like to thank all those coaches, club managers, volunteers and organisations that have helped more young people than ever to sample golf at a golf club through our headline programme, HSBC Golf Roots.

The Golf Foundation is the child-centred golf charity that helps young people to enjoy the playing and personal benefits of the sport through its ‘HSBC Golf Roots’ programme.

See more at www.golf-foundation.org

 

Alistair Dunsmuir
By Alistair Dunsmuir January 9, 2018 08:49 Updated
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