News from Staffordshire Golf
New group stoking up Get into golf drive in Staffordshire
Golfers in Stoke-on-Trent are clubbing together to support the drive to encourage more people into the sport.
A new Stoke-on-Trent development group has been launched with the intention of providing a united approach to the challenge of attracting and retaining new club members.
The idea is based on similar groups in the north west covering Merseyside, Derby, Chesterfield and High Peak.
The clubs that were present at the first meeting were Trentham Park, Norton Bridge, Stone Driving Range, Barlaston, Onneley and Burslem, but with regular meetings now in the diary organisers hope to involve more of the golf facilities in the Stoke-on-Trent area.
All clubs within the region are welcome to attend the meetings, which will be held bi-monthly. The next meeting is on Wednesday, March 29, at Barlaston Golf Club.
The group has been established under the umbrella of the Staffordshire Golf Development Group and will be looking to support campaigns like Get into golf, Golf Express and Girls Golf Rocks as well as establishing ways to work together to their mutual benefit.
Said Ben Johnson, Staffordshire GDG county development officer: “It was a great meeting which saw numerous topics discussed, including working together to establish greater buying power with suppliers to help tackle the rising costs of running a golf club, how to target potential new golfers within the region, and opportunities for sharing services to help one another.
“Future meetings will be driven by demands of the group and will include guest speakers specialising in specific areas.”
Gareth Shaw, England Golf Regional Manager, said: “This is a major step forward to see clubs working collectively and sharing their successes and challenges, and being able to work together with a vision to grow and retain golfers in the Stoke-on-Trent area for years to come – it is a very proud moment.
“This wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago – clubs very much looked over their shoulders to see what other clubs were doing, but now they realise they are all in this together. There are enough golfers to go around with an estimated 6,000 people in Stoke-on-Trent who are playing golf, lapsed or latent within a 20 minute drive of the town.”
Get into golf is a national campaign to inspire new golfers run by the England Golf Partnership through its network of County Golf Partnerships, which work to grow the game.
Get into golf opportunities include free or low-cost beginner courses with PGA professionals. They are a fun and sociable way to start golf – and a great way to make new friends.
To find your nearest centre visit getintogolf.org and look at the activity map or call 0800 118 2766
Can’t find time to play golf?
Why not play 9-holes instead through Golf Express? Taking just two hours, this format can fit conveniently into your busy schedule and is ideal for after work.
Playing golf can bring some impressive health and wellbeing benefits. It can help you look and feel at your best as well as being one of the most social sports ever invented.
9-holes really is all the game in half the time…
Golf Express is part Staffordshire County Golf Partnership’s work on the England Golf IMP (Increasing Membership and Participation) project. Golf Express focuses on two areas:
Visitors being able to purchase 9 hole green fees at golf clubs, with a loyalty card providing a free round after you’ve purchased five
After Work Roll Ups – social 9 hole competitions aimed a members and non-members alike
To find your nearest Golf Express venue please see: http://www.golfexpress9.org
Ben Johnson
County Development Officer (Staffordshire)
England Golf
Mob: 07702 555564
Email: b.johnson@englandgolf.org
Website: www.englandgolf.org
Ben’s 2017 in 2017
In 2017, I will be cycling 2017 miles (3,246km) in order to raise money and awareness for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).
For several years, my Mum has suffered from a neurological disorder. During this time, her physical strength has progressively deteriorated and despite countless specialist appointments, nobody had seemingly been able to offer a diagnosis. However in 2016, she was diagnosed with MND. Currently there is no known cure for MND but with continued support to the cause, we can only hope that one day there will be so that nobody will have to endure it again. Throughout this challenge of cycling 2017 miles (3,246km) in 2017, I hope to try and raise £10,000 in order to support the MND Association with continued research. I am already underway with the challenge by tracking miles on a stationary exercise bike in my local gym. From March 2017 I will be taking the challenge to the road and aim to complete the 2017 miles in September during a London to Paris ride, which covers 300 miles over 4 days.
Any donations will be greatly appreciate via my JustGiving page which you can access using the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bens2017
You can also follow my progress on Strava by visiting my profile: goo.gl/ifGXdD
Ben Johnson
County Development Officer (Staffordshire)
Mob: 07702 555564
Email: b.johnson@englandgolf.org