iGolf has been a big success in its first year but its 25,000 subscribers are still largely male. Richard Flint, England Golf’s chief operating officer, said the governing body wants to change that…
This article is part of GCMA Insights – topical content for golf industry professionals, discussing the things that matter to those who work in golf clubs.
“We need to do more.” That’s the pledge from England Golf’s chief operating officer Richard Flint as the governing body looks to attract more women and girls into its iGolf scheme.
The programme, which offers a World Handicap System index to non-club members in return for a £40 yearly subscription, has been a big success in its first year – hitting its ambitious 25,000 subscriber target.
But while the governing body is pleased to see the positivity behind the scheme, following a controversial unveiling, its figures showed the large number of participants were male.
In many ways, that shadows the membership market as around 85% of the 737,000 golf club members in the country are men or boys.
But England Golf have made equality, diversity, and inclusion a central point of their strategy and they have announced a commitment to make golf an inclusive sport in the country.
“Women and girls continue to be a real focus for the organisation, not just in terms of grassroots and getting more women and girls playing and into membership but within volunteer roles and within leadership roles,” said Flint.
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“We’re working closely with the R&A in terms of some of the training and education they put on. We’re conscious that the percentage in iGolf is low and we obviously want to increase that.
“The market, compared to males, is smaller but, nonetheless, we are looking at different ways of increasing female activity from a marketing and communications perspective – so engaging with different organisations and different communities.
“While we have got 25,000 golfers within the scheme, we are looking at how we can build that community of like-minded individuals supporting new iGolfers coming in.
“You will see a different approach over the next three to four months – in terms of trying to target that female market. There is a lot more we are going to do.”
Asked why he felt the iGolf scheme hadn’t initially proven as attractive to women and girls in its first year, Flint added that England Golf were gathering evidence and research to answer those questions.
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“The important thing for us is getting more insight into why we haven’t got a higher percentage of females within iGolf”, he explained.
“Obviously, the index, handicapping, and competitive element isn’t necessarily for everyone. So, for us, it is about how can we build that community – and really link that into Get into Golf, Girls Golf Rocks, into iGolf, and then into membership.
“There is more insight that we’re looking to get from our various channels and research and we recognise that it’s really important for us.
“We need to do more, and we’ve got some plans that will come to fruition over the next two to three months.”
To learn more, visit England Golf’s iGolf website.
This article is part of GCMA Insights – topical content for golf industry professionals, discussing the things that matter to those who work in golf clubs.
Get involved in the debate. To join the GCMA, click here, or to organise a call with a member of the GCMA team, just complete this form and we’ll be in touch!
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