James Sutherland, CEO of Golf Australia states (Inside Golf, May 2023) that “there are more than 1600 clubs and facilities across Australia. More than half of these are volunteer run – with no paid administration or PGA professional. We have an important role to support them and their role in the local community”.
Let’s hope that this is more than lip-service and the support that has been sadly lacking actually materialises beyond the common perception of “a handicap and insurance”.
Here's some ways to really help rural golf clubs.
- We don't believe any rural golf club should be paying more than 5% of any membership category fee to Golf Australia as affiliation. This would help smaller golf clubs with low income, rather than diverting large sums to elite golf. It would promote alternative forms of membership to get people into golf.
- The "double-dipping" where clubs pay twice for a member who is a non-home member should cease. It is unfair and just a cash grab.
- Hopefully the proposed “cutting edge” technological partnership between Golf Australia and DotGolf will see some initiatives that rural clubs can really use. Smaller clubs need technological help, such as a national integrated membership management system, and methodology for online tournament advertising, entry and management. Many clubs are still in the age of Excel spreadsheets for membership and paper entry forms for tournaments. However, this digital partnership will only work successfully if rural clubs are involved in the development process and not just imposed with a top-down model.
- A website enabling visitors and travellers to find local club competitions would be very helpful.
- Working with other recreational organisations (e.g. bowls and tennis), Golf Australia could research and build a case to all levels of government to improve the poor state of some rural sports infrastructure, especially clubhouses.
- There could also be a Golf Australia sponsored advice and problem-solving service for course maintenance, especially for those small clubs that only have part-time or volunteer greenkeepers.
- Similarly, assistance with architectural advice to help clubs improve their course design would be a great help.
- Clubs are starting to struggle with the the cost of accounting and audits, in some cases rising by over 250% in 2023. A list of smaller club-friendly accountants and auditors could be developed.
- Clubs need regional training seminars on subjects such as financial management and systems, marketing ideas, better tournament management and using social media.
It would be good if James Sutherland, other board members and the executive of Golf Australia occasionally escaped the world of the sandbelt, corporate golf, PGA professionals and elite facilities (that rural golf clubs are too far away from to even use) and visit a few modest volunteer-run rural clubs to find out how the clubs that Golf Australia has a “role to help” really are faring and what needs they have. That could be a starting point for making all golf “modern and progressive”.