Investigation – What We Do
The Golf Foundation is a sporting charity committed to giving all children and young people the opportunity to experience golf and the benefits it has to offer. It works with schools, facilities, governing bodies and corporate partners to help develop programmes to engage the next generation in the sport. Sports Marketing Surveys teamed up with the golf foundation to help plan the perfect programmes.
Insight – How We Do It
We conducted a mix of qualitative and quantitative interviews with critical stakeholders, including parents, juniors, pros and golf club officials. The research was designed to help create the “ultimate golf club” from the perspective of juniors. Creative techniques including drawing and discussions in focus groups helped give free rein to juniors and parents’ desires while making sure that the recommendations that followed would be realistic and implementable.
Action – How Our Client Benefitted
The research identified a clear demand for team-based play, and the chance to represent their club and play in competitions that provided a supportive, fast paced environment. The GolfSixes league was formed to do exactly this in 2018. The League offers six-hole fast matches against other clubs in a Texas Scramble format, which builds confidence and teamwork among new and experienced players alike. The success of the initiative is evident in the expansion of the League since inception. In 2020 the League will involve more than 200 golf clubs, and engage over 2,000 young golfers in England, Scotland and Wales. The League is highly popular with club managers, PGA professionals, parents and most importantly, the juniors themselves.
Feedback
The Golf Foundation has greatly benefitted from the research expertise provided by Sports Marketing Surveys. Thanks to a comprehensive and extensive study that utilised both a survey and focus group approach, the results helped our charity design a highly successful new junior development programme called GolfSixes League that has grown from 6 leagues to 80 across GB&I in just under 3 years and secured funding support from The R&A.
The research identified a clear demand for team-based play, and the chance to represent their club and play in competitions that provided a supportive, fast paced environment.
The Golf Foundation has greatly benefitted from the research expertise provided by Sports Marketing Surveys.
The team at SMS provided an in-depth understanding of the issues facing the sport at a junior level and were a pleasure to work with. The results of the study have helped more young people and their parents engage with golf.
We look forward to working with them again in the future.
Brendon Pyle, Chief Executive, The Golf Foundation
