Golf at Goodwood has a long history. The first course on the Estate was laid down in 1892 by Lady Helen Taylor, and the strong connection between Women and the course continues till this day.
The course’s attraction is based on an innovative Points Membership model, costing only £250 to join – with a ‘Pay as you Play’ model to make membership tailorable and affordable to everyone. A key part to that development can be placed on the 2013 Growing Golf in the UK Report, conducted and commissioned by Syngenta.
The research clearly highlighted a number of key points that have become the cornerstone of the club’s marketing of the sport to women and juniors. The report found that women prefer to play with friends and family, for example, which is important for clubs to understand if they are to develop an offer that appeals to and engages existing female golfers and creates opportunities for new players.
The report was also one of the first to suggest an important link between females and juniors. It found that women potentially play an important role in nurturing young golfers.
Stuart Gillett, General Manager of Golf at Goodwood expressed how the research led to a change in tack at Goodwood:
“We have a product that people see as good value for money, but it did not necessarily fit with their modern lifestyles. We realised that to develop golf for a larger audience we had to get people to look at Goodwood and golf differently, not for the exclusive thing and place it traditionally was.
“Over the last four years we have developed a contemporary business model that adapts to the needs of customers. We launched a Get into Golf programme (before England Golf) that gives people the opportunity to come down and try the game in a relaxed environment. This involves a four week program that is women only, allowing female players to progress in a social and comfortable atmosphere that creates community and is backed up by social events. It has led not only women, but many whole families getting involved in the club.”
“Our junior program has also been transformed by those initial findings by Syngenta. We saw, as the environment changed, more families were comfortable in our facilities. But we knew we had to find some way of ensuring kids stayed engaged and kept being challenged. We came up with the Angry Birds program, a relatable 10 level programme that appeals to young players and keeps them striving to improve. The entry program is followed up by a Junior League programme that progresses them through the tee’s and creates a great pathway to entering the game and becoming fully fledged members.”
Another example of how the Growing Golf in the UK research has helped Golf at Goodwood is through its findings that dated rules and etiquette could be putting new players off.
Source: EGCOA
Full Syngenta research: Growing Golf in the UK
