Are you doing all you can to contribute to the growth of your sport, or do you believe that is the responsibility of someone else?

With sports all actively targeting children as the next generation of players and fans, junior participation programs are now viewed by every sport as the cornerstone for future success and golfers, volunteers, clubs and golf industry employees must all play a positive and active role in this area.

Golf has an obligation to itself to compete strongly in the junior participation landscape and a fully united commitment is required if the sport is to reach its true potential.

In past years, golf lacked a unified approach from the sport’s national and state governing bodies in relation to junior participation programs, but with this issue now fully addressed via the development and establishment of MyGolf and its associated programs, now is the time for all clubs and facilities to commit to their role in the growth of the sport.  MyGolf is a program without barriers that is designed to introduce children to the sport, facilitate their learning and prepare them to play on course.

If golf is to take-on and compete with the large and well established junior participation programs as offered by other sports such as AFL Auskick, Tennis HotShots and MiniRoos, golf clubs must be unwavering in their support of MyGolf in order for the sport to thrive in the future.  Golf clubs that are not offering their community a junior golf program, or clubs that are offering a non-MyGolf junior program are not providing the sport with the best opportunity for long-term success.

AFL, cricket, tennis and soccer all have the distinct advantage over golf in that every one of their local clubs and facilities are dedicated to their respective national junior participation programs, with none offering a competing product or brand. Local cricket clubs, football clubs and basketball clubs also all understand that local responsibility for junior participation programs will lead to growth in participation at the local level, where the sport is played and enjoyed.

Now is the time for golf clubs and facilities to act and follow the successful and proven formula of other sports.  All clubs and facilities must fall into line behind one junior participation program and brand.  With the MyGolf Clubs Program available, complemented by MyGolf Schools (Sporting Schools) and the MyGolf Junior League, the pathways from schools to clubs and participation to playing are now established and accessible under a structured and recognised national brand.

MyGolf Benefits

The MyGolf Program (Clubs), MyGolf Schools Program and MyGolf Junior League have all been designed to increase junior participation in the sport of golf and develop the next generation of golfers and golf fans for the industry.  The benefits of the program include the following:

• National branding, marketing, promotion and communication under the MyGolf brand.
• National MyGolf Centre search functionality, registration and payment portal for parents.
• Consistent national curriculum with flexible delivery permitted.
• Ability to set flexible program fees, with no fee payable to governing bodies.
• Participation packs provided to all MyGolfers.
• Program specific training provided to PGA Members, PGA Trainees, Community Golf Instructors and school teachers to deliver the program safely, effectively and consistently.
• Unique MyGolfer-only engagement opportunities available.
• Access to the MyGolf Junior League to provide participation based competition for children.
• Link between MyGolf Schools (Sporting Schools), MyGolf Club and MyGolf Junior League to create a pathway for juniors from schools through to clubs for sampling, learning, on-course play and competition.

Benefits of full club and industry support of MyGolf

Whilst the benefits of the MyGolf Program are obvious and significant, without support from all golf clubs and facilities, the program will continue to be limited in its capacity to attract the attention of parents and children amongst the variety of offerings available in junior sports participation.  Other sports will continue to hold a significant advantage over golf when vying for registrations with their unified and effective ‘one brand, one program and one message’ approach.  In summary, the benefits and advantages of full industry, club and facility support of the MyGolf Program include the following:

• Elimination of any confusion about golf’s junior participation program.
• Provide golf with an opportunity to fully compete with other sports for juniors.
• Provide an increased chance of securing commercial support of the program.
• Maximisation of marketing spend and investment to increase awareness.
• The question now has to be posed to all clubs and facilities not offering the MyGolf Program to their members and wider community – why not?  If you are committed to the sport, why are you not delivering your sport’s national junior participation program?

Now is the time to act. We have a national junior golf brand, MyGolf which gives the sport a chance to compete with the offerings from other sports.  The program is well structured and offered in approximately 300 golf clubs and facilities around Australia, but imagine the impact that could be made by golf if over 1600 golf clubs and facilities were fully engaged with MyGolf?  For the future of the sport, if you are one of the approximately 1300 facilities not delivering MyGolf, you need to go to the MyGolf website and take action now.

What action can I take?

All golf clubs, facilities and individuals have MyGolf options and can take immediate action and align behind the MyGolf Program and brand:

• If you do not currently run any form of junior golf program – go to the MyGolf website and register your facility.
• If you currently run a non-MyGolf junior program – go to the MyGolf website, register your facility and transition to the MyGolf Program.
• If you have registered as a MyGolf Centre but are not active – activate your MyGolf Program as soon as possible.
• If you are currently an active MyGolf Centre – look for ways to grow your program, such as offering a MyGolf Girls Program, MyGolf All Abilities Program or MyGolf (Sporting Schools) at local schools to generate further interest in the sport in your area.  Go to the MyGolf website for further information.
• If you are a parent or golf club volunteer wanting to be involved as a MyGolf Program deliverer, go to the MyGolf website and Community Golf Instructor website to find out how to be involved.

It is never too late to take action in the area of junior participation – golf’s future successes can be built on MyGolf.