Dec. 15, 2004 – In order to continue promoting the game of golf and the opportunities that exist for beginners and golf club members the English Golf Union (EGU) has produced a short film highlighting their golf development work.

Copies will be available for all golf clubs and County Unions to communicate this work with their members and other golfers. The film will also be used by the EGU when conducting seminars and conferences to promote the game.

The EGU’s golf development work continues to grow each year. The number of golf clubs now receiving EGU grants to help deliver ‘taster’ sessions has quadrupled over the past 12 months, attracting over 5,000 newcomers to the game so far this year. In addition, 600 clubs have accessed funding to support their junior coaching programmes and almost 50,000 boys and girls have benefited since the initiative began six years ago.

The EGU Associate Membership Programme (AMP) supports both players new to the game as well as more experienced golfers across the country who are unable to join golf clubs due to a variety of personal circumstances. The Programme encourages players to develop their game through its own events and initiatives but clearly also benefits club membership, with current research showing that 74% of the Programme’s members have gone on to join a golf club.

The launch of the EGU’s Golf Development Strategic Plan (2004-2014) earlier this year has provided a more integrated approach for the game at local, regional and national level and the film provides a simple way of communicating some of the plan’s initiatives quickly and easily.

The Golf Development film can be downloaded from the EGU website, www.englishgolfunion.org.

The English Golf Union (EGU) has served as the governing body of male amateur golf in England since it was founded in 1924. Responsible for the training of England’s top amateur golfers the EGU organises all the major English amateur championships. Based at the National Golf Centre in Woodhall Spa, the EGU is the largest sports governing body in England looking after the interests of over 1,900 golf clubs and 740,000 club members.

The EGU also works to increase the continued interest and participation in golf through its golf development initiative ‘Get into Golf’ and its Associate Membership Programme.