the golf foundation impact report 2 018-20 19 · the golf foundation impact report 2 018-20 19 ....

THE GOLF FOUNDATION

Impact Report 2018-2019www.golf-foundation.org

CONTENTSOUR YEAR AT A GLANCE 1

ABOUT US 2

OUR CORE ACTIVITY 3

WELCOME FROM THE CEO 4

KEY PARTNERS IN OUR WORK 6

GOLF IN THE SCHOOL GAMES 8

HSBC GOLF ROOTS CENTRES 9

GIRLS PROJECTS THRIVING 10

GOLFSIXES LEAGUE NEW FORMAT 12

MAKING GOLF MORE ACCESSIBLE 14

SAFEGUARDING & SKILLS FOR LIFE 18

RAISING AWARENESS 20

FUNDRAISING PROGRESS 22

OUR SUPPORTERS 23

A BOX OF TRICKS! 24

Image on this page and front cover by Leaderboard Photography, who have provided a number of excellent pictures in this report

1THE GOLF FOUNDATIONwww.golf-foundation.org

OUR YEAR AT A GLANCE

STARTRecruiting young people

in schools and community clubs

Player Pathway OutputsOur impact on schools, communities and clubs

OutcomesOur impact on young people

500,000+youngsters tried golf

144,469

50,303pupils played for their school in a district competition

LEARNIntroducing young people

to clubs

489HSBC Golf Roots Centres

4

21Girls Golf Rocks Counties

51,884youngsters visited a golf club

48%increase in girls visiting a golf club

20%

STAYRetaining young people

in clubs

55GolfSixes Leagues (15 in Scotland)

13058%

increase in girls joining an academy

3,422youngsters became

affiliated members (23% girls)

34%

1,863schools visited by a PGA Coach

642school golf competitions

pupils received coaching from a PGA Professional in their school

increase in juniors’ confidenceand mental toughness through golf

clubs attended Box of Tricksworkshops in Scotland

increase in junior membershipat GolfSixes League clubs

Social Media

Growth on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

726Tweets, 1.1 millionTwitter impressions

(including 18% increase in Twitter followers).

RT from Ian Poulter to 2.31 million followers.

Influencers

3 professional player ambassadors(with 180k followers),

11Young Ambassadors,

300 Girls Golf RocksAmbassadors,

6,420 School Games YoungLeaders all helping to spread

the word.

Media Coverage

Regular articles in consumer andindustry press (eg: Golf Monthly

– 300,000 reader reach),GolfSixes League feature on BBC

5 Live Breakfast Show (5.4 million listeners per week),

GolfSixes League interview with Vernon Kaye (reach of

4 million), Tri-Golf featured inSky Game Changers (kids TV).

782clubs actively working with the GF

clubs tested Unleash yourDrive life skills pilot

3,208schools delivering golf

2 THE GOLF FOUNDATION Tel: +44 (0)1992 449830

The Golf Foundation is a registered charity established in 1952 by Sir Henry Cotton, Gerald Micklem and other leading amateurs. Itsactivities are overseen by a Board of Trustees which includesIndependent Trustees as well as representatives from a number ofthe major golfing bodies.

Patron:His Royal Highness The Duke of York, KCVO, ADC

President:Sandy Jones

Vice-Presidents: The following individuals have been appointed ashonorary Vice-Presidents in recognition of their service to the GolfFoundation, their playing achievements, or their contribution to thedevelopment of golf:Peter Alliss Sandy Lyle MBESir Michael Bonallack OBE Catriona Matthew MBEDame Laura Davies CBE Alison Nicholas MBESir Nick Faldo MBE Ian Peacock OBEBernard Gallacher OBE Tony Jacklin CBEKaren Stupples Paul Lawrie MBECharles Harrison John UzielliTony Wheeler Georgia Hall MBE

Chairman:Stephen Lewis

Senior Executives:Chief Executive:Brendon PyleHead of Finance:James McAllisterHead of Development: Martin Crowder

Head of Marketing & Events:Sarah SorrellHead of Fundraising: Vanessa Bell

ABOUT US

‘HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF GOLF’

Our MissionThe Golf Foundation is a British charitythat aims to give all young people theopportunity to develop their playingand personal skills through golf. We callit Skills for Life. We believe golf is anexcellent sport for young people tohave fun, compete on a fair footing, beactive and healthy, learn new skills, makefriends, enjoy a safe environment andachieve success.

In addition, we know that golf is an idealsport for helping young people todevelop valuable personal skills such asconfidence, resilience and emotionalcontrol – qualities that will benefit themfor the rest of their lives. Golf can alsohelp young people to understand theimportance of values such as honesty,integrity and respect as it demands astrong level of personal responsibility.


OUR CORE ACTIVITY

Our AimThe Golf Foundation has a clearstrategic aim of helping any youngperson to ‘Start Learn and Stay’ inthe sport, providing a player pathwayinto golf clubs.

Core ActivityHSBC Golf Roots is the GolfFoundation’s national developmentprogramme that makes the benefitsof golf available to young peopleand helps them to ‘Start, Learn and

Stay’ in the sport. The GolfFoundation works with schools,community organisations and clubsby providing adapted equipment,training workshops, resources,grants and support from a networkof Regional Development Officers.

Objective To introduce young peopleto golf in their owncommunities and at golfclubs, irrespective of theirgender, background or ability.We aim to give all youngpeople a great experience ofthe sport so that theirperception of the sport ispositive and they want toplay more golf.

To help young peopledevelop both their playingand personal skills. We aimto provide young peoplewith coaching, playing andpersonal developmentopportunities that willbenefit them for the rest oftheir lives.

To help create a lifelong loveof golf and in turn inspiremore young people to takeup the sport.

Initiatives HSBC Golf Roots CentresJunior Golf PassportUnleash your Drive

GolfSixes LeagueBox of Tricks

Start Learn Stay

Our ValuesThe Golf Foundation isproud of its unique historyand position in golf, createdby Sir Henry Cotton in 1952,to take golf into schools andultimately to make the gamemore accessible to youngpeople. We believe that theGolf Foundation can helpyoung people to enjoy theplaying and personal benefitsof golf by making it

FUN

CHILDCENTRED

INCLUSIVE

INSPIRING

INNOVATIVE

ENRICHING

Photo: Vibrant Parternships

Tri-Golf StreetGolfHSBC Golf Roots PLUSSchool GamesGirls Golf Rocks


Brendon PyleCHIEF EXECUTIVE

50,000 milestone for Sir Henry Cotton’sCharity The Golf Foundation continues to introduce over half a million youngpeople to golf in schools and community projects on an annual basis butmore recently has been working towards the ambitious goal of annuallyhelping at least 50,000 youngsters to experience golf at a golf club. TheApril 2018 to March 2019 operational year saw the charity achieve thisfeat for the first time in its 67 year history.

With 51,000 youngsters visiting a golf club for an introductory event orlesson at an HSBC Golf Roots Centre in England and Wales, the charityachieved its goal of helping at least 10% of the 500,000 youngsters itreaches each year in schools and the community to experience the sportback at a golf club. This is a landmark result for the Golf Foundation andcomes on the back of recognition from The R&A in the same operationalyear, making a £2million commitment to the charity over the next 4 years.

The results are built upon the success of the HSBC Golf Rootsprogramme, reaching almost 500 golf clubs in England and Wales, andincluding clubs in Scotland for the first time. The ‘Golf Roots’ flagshipinitiative, generously supported by HSBC for a further two years untilDecember 2020, encourages clubs to reach out into schools and thenwelcome new youngsters into the club environment, with the PGAProfessional at the heart of delivery. Safeguarding policies and proceduresare crucial as well as the willingness of the golf club to nurture andprogress juniors on their journey into regular golf.

Playing opportunities for youngsters are also vital of course, which is why therapid growth in popularity of the Foundation’s GolfSixes League initiativeover the past 12 months has been outstanding. In the past 18 months, the6-hole team event for juniors involved in coaching programmes has grownfrom 6 pilot leagues to 55 leagues in the 3 home nations. The initiative ledto a 34% increase in junior membership at the clubs involved (42% inEngland) and has been a major hit with parents and clubs alike.

Another success for the sport has been the Golf Foundation’s involvementin the national School Games – over 50,000 pupils (50% girls) played golffor their school in a district competition as part of the School Games, alegacy of the 2012 Olympic Games. 113 golf clubs hosted Tri-Golf Festivalsand StreetGolf Sixes events as a way of encouraging more young peopleand their parents to visit their local golf club. Both the School Games andGolfSixes League formats are played as mixed teams of boys and girls,which is also why more girls than ever before are entering our network of

WELCOME FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE


golf clubs and converting tomembers (growth from 19% in2017/18 to 23% in 2018/19).

In terms of raising awareness, theGolf Foundation enjoyed success inattracting a number of professionalgolfers as ambassadors over thepast 12 months. Andrew ‘Beef ’Johnston brought a smile to all onthe Golf Foundation stand at theBMW PGA Championship wherehe helped launch our upgraded Tri-Golf equipment, Felicity Johnsonwas inspirational to the Girls GolfRocks ambassadors at a nationalleadership day at The Belfry inOctober, and Graeme Stormcontinues to make golf more

inclusive to all young people bydonating his own time anddelivering Tri-Golf in schools andfestivals across his home Hartlepoolregion. HSBC Ambassadors TimHenman and Brian O’Driscollhelped launch the HSBC Golf Rootsprogramme in Scotland during TheOpen Championship, where inpartnership with Scottish Golf, anumber of Golf Foundationinitiatives have been helping thejunior programmes of golf clubsacross the country.

The year has not been without itschallenges with the European Tourand England Golf stopping theircore donations to the Golf

Foundation. However, with theappointment of a Head ofFundraising role at the Foundation, anew fundraising strategy has beendeveloped that will open up newincome opportunities to the charity.

With the launch of its new life skillsprogramme, Unleash your Drive, thecontinued expansion of GolfSixesLeague and the support of newambassadors such as LET playerMeghan MacLaren and televisionpresenter Kerr Drummond, the GolfFoundation has a very exciting yearto look forward to. I hope that youenjoy reading about our continuedimpact, helping more young peopleto 'Start, Learn and Stay' in golf.

INSPIRATIONAL NEW AMBASSADORS

Abhisaran Singh Sohal was involved in a serious car crash when he was five, which led him to struggle to mix withothers. A chance visit to a local golf facility sparked an interest; golf became his passion and by nine he was welcomedby Strawberry Hill GC, London, and became a junior member, taking part in Junior Golf Passport sessions, the focuson Skills for Life helping to develop his game and express his sense of sportsmanship. He now has a handicap ofseven, has played for Middlesex, and is Junior Captain. He is always happy to encourage the new players.

How golf shapes lives and how young people shape golf

Photo: Getty Images


The Golf Foundation is extremely proud of its positive working relationship with a large number of organisations,both inside and outside the sport, and is extremely grateful for their support.

Through our ability to engage with young people focused organisations outside of golf such as Sport England, the YouthSport Trust and StreetGames, the Golf Foundation has continued to provide over 500,000 children and young peoplewith an introduction to golf in 2018/19. The innovative Tri-Golf and StreetGolf adapted initiatives remain thecornerstone of the Golf Foundation’s ability to take golf to a new audience but it is only through engaging with thedifferent local delivery networks provided by the organisations above that the Golf Foundation can reach such a largeaudience and help more young people with an enjoyable ‘Start’ in the sport.

The charity will continue to seek out new opportunities with local delivery partners such as housing associations andinner city youth focused charities to develop innovative community golf projects with a wider emphasis on supportingyoung people with life skills. The HSBC Golf Roots PLUS initiative funded by both HSBC and the Gerald Micklem Trustwill enable the Golf Foundation to reach a more diverse audience.

The Golf Foundation is also committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible are given the opportunity toexperience golf at a golf club, receive PGA Professional Coaching and to develop a lifelong love of golf. Considerableprogress has been made in helping young people to ‘Start Learn and Stay’ in the sport and this has been made possible bythe Foundation’s desire to develop excellent working relationships with key golfing organisations such as The R&A, the PGA,England Golf, Wales Golf, Scottish Golf, European Tour, GCMA, BGIA, BIGGA and the Confederation of Golf in Ireland.

THANK YOU TO OUR KEY PARTNERS

Positive working relationships

Photo: Sam Stephenson

EnglandThe Golf Foundation values its strongworking relationship with EnglandGolf at all levels. The twoorganisations work closely onsafeguarding and helping golf clubs toaction plan their individual juniorprogrammes. More specifically,England Golf and the GolfFoundation jointly deliver Girls GolfRocks, a girls developmentprogramme that grew to 21 countiesand reached 1,600 girls in 2018/19.

In the 12 months leading up toMarch 2019, the Golf Foundation’sheadline programme, HSBC GolfRoots, provided 132,651 pupils witha taster session in their school oryouth club and helped a record50,112 enjoy an activity at a golf club– 20,151 youngsters progressed to acourse of PGA Coaching.

As a direct result of HSBC GolfRoots projects in England, 3,099extra new junior members werecreated.

WalesThe Golf Foundation is an integralpart of the Wales GolfDevelopment Group and part-funds3 Regional Development Officersand 2 Community Officers in Wales.

The HSBC Golf Roots programmecontinues to be delivered in itsentirety across the principality andfor the second year running hasreported an increased level of

participation at all levels. 33 HSBCGolf Roots Centres introduced atotal of 11,818 youngsters to golf intheir school or community groupand 1,772 enjoyed a taster at thegolf club. 1,130 joined aprogramme of PGA Coaching and747 young people continued to playon a weekly basis. 323 juniorsbecame affiliated members at golfclubs delivering HSBC Golf Roots.

HSBC Golf Roots programmes inWales show a significantly higherpercentage of girls involved at alllevels of the pathway.

ScotlandIn Scotland, the Golf Foundationcontinues to fund 2 full timeRegional Development Managers,where school to club links is a keyfocus of the role, as part of itscommitment to supporting thestrategic objectives of Scottish Golf.

The Foundation has also made acommitment to release more of itsScottish Fund capital in order tosupport a range of operationalprogrammes in Scotland. Afterinitial training provided to theirRegional Development Managersby the Golf Foundation, ScottishGolf has actively promoted anddelivered both the Box of Tricks andGolfSixes League initiatives. The Boxof Tricks is designed to help golfclubs retain juniors and wasdelivered to 130 clubs and 200delegates in workshops at clubs

across Scotland during the winter. Inaddition, a successful pilot of 2 leaguesin Scotland, has led to the GolfSixesLeague initiative being expanded to15 leagues in Scotland over 2019,culminating in a grand final at theSolheim Cup thanks to match fundingfrom the Solheim Cup DevelopmentGroup and the proactive approachfrom Scottish Golf.

Following the launch of HSBC GolfRoots in Scotland, by HSBCAmbassadors Tim Henman andBrian O’Driscoll at The OpenChampionship at Carnoustie in July,48 clubs applied for funding forHSBC Golf Roots projects towardsthe end of the operational year,with 15 clubs completing theprogramme by March 2019.

The Golf Foundation has alsofunded Tri-Golf and StreetGolfequipment bags for 10 tutors whowill be delivering training to a newnetwork of young golf leadersacross Scotland.

IrelandThe Golf Foundation has beenworking with the Confederation ofGolf in Ireland (CGI) in preparationto jointly run The R&A SwingZoneat The Open Championship inPortrush in July 2019.Representatives from the CGIvisited a GolfSixes League event inHertfordshire in October 2018with a view to testing the initiativein Northern Ireland.


Supporting the Home Nations

IN ENGLAND, HSBC GOLF ROOTS PROVIDED 132,651PUPILS WITH A TASTER SESSION IN THEIR SCHOOLOR YOUTH CLUB AND HELPED A RECORD 50,112ENJOY AN ACTIVITY AT A GOLF CLUB.

The Golf Foundation has a key strategic aim of helpingyoung people to ‘Start, Learn and Stay’ in golf. We helpyoung people to ‘START’ in the sport via Tri-Golf andStreetGolf outreach programmes in local schools andcommunity groups, including mass competition events aspart of the School Games. HSBC Golf Roots Centresare child-friendly golf clubs that provide a warm andwelcoming introduction to the sport for young peopleand their parents. Young people ‘LEARN’ about allaspects of the game via PGA Coaching and the nationallearning programme, the Junior Golf Passport.Interventions such as the ‘Box of Tricks’ and theGolfSixes League have been tailored to help clubsencourage young people to want to ‘STAY’ in the sport.

Golf in the School Games


‘HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE TOSTART, LEARN AND STAY IN GOLF’

The School Games is a legacy of the London 2012Olympics, a national programme run by the Youth SportTrust, to encourage more competitive sport at school,district and county level in state schools. Thanks to theSchool Games and the Golf Foundation’s adapted formats(Tri-Golf and StreetGolf), the sport is now an accepted partof the competition structure in schools across England.

The ease of delivery and capacity to support massparticipation (some events cater for over 200 primaryschool children playing golf together) have made the Tri-

Golf Festival and StreetGolf Sixes formats hugely popularwith the network of 300 School Games Organisersacross England. The Skills for Life focus within all activitiesalso fits well with the School Games values taken fromthe Olympic Games.

With over 3,000 schools in England signing up to delivergolf as part of their School Games Mark accreditation,golf ’s involvement in the School Games provided theplatform for the Golf Foundation to enable half a millionyoungsters to ‘START’ in golf last year.

Golf at Individual School Level• 3,208 schools offered golf in the 2017/18 academic year (Sept to July) UP13% from 2016/17

Golf at District Level• 50,303 pupils played golf for their school in a district event UP 23% • 642 inter school district events (151 hosted by golf clubs) UP 7%• 12,381 pupils took part at the golf club UP 33%• Estimated 6,420 young sports leaders helped deliver a school golf event

Golf at County Level• 42 out of 46 Active Partnerships (formerly County Sports Partnerships) delivered a golf activity in their multi-sportCounty Final

• 52 County Golf Finals were held (some counties delivered more than 1 golf format for different age groups)• 4,610 pupils took part - 509 with a disability • 650 young leaders supported these events

Photo: Steven Laurence

HSBC Golf Roots Centres

THE NETWORK OF HSBC GOLF ROOTS CENTRES SITS AT THE HEART OF GOLF FOUNDATION ACTIVITYIN CLUBS.


An extensive network of golf clubsfunded as HSBC Golf Roots Centresnow sit at the heart of GolfFoundation activity and are key to thestrategic aim of helping more youngpeople to ‘Start, Learn and Stay’ in golf.

All HSBC Golf Roots Centres have aSafeGolf coach, an up to date

safeguarding policy and a trainedClub Welfare Officer.

Junior Participation in Golf Clubs inEngland and Wales

From April 2018 to March 2019, arecord total of 445 golf clubs (409England, 36 Wales) were registered as

HSBC Golf Roots Centres, delivering1,138 funded projects to over 2,000schools and community groups.

Taster in school

KPI

Growth in Number of Youngsters Participatingin Golf Clubs Supported by HSBC Golf Roots

Visit to golf club

Structured club coaching

Regular club coaching

Academy membership*

Affiliated membership**

109,982

2017/18 Results

35,342

14,251

10,895

4,250

2,501

144,469

2018/19 Results

51,884

21,281

15,898

5,827

3,422

31%

% Growth from 2017/18

47%

49%

46%

37%

37%

160,000

140,000

120,000

100,000

80,000

60,000

40,000

20,000

0Outreach Club taster Coaching Regular Academy Membership

* Academy membership istypically operated by a PGACoach, separate to a golfclub’s affiliated juniormembership

** 7% of youngsters visitinga golf club became affiliatedjunior members via HSBCGolf Roots

Junior Participation in Golf Clubs in ScotlandFor the first time, the HSBC GolfRoots Centre initiative was adaptedto suit the needs of golf clubs inScotland, supported by theDevelopment Officer network of

Scottish Golf. 48 golf clubs weresigned up by the end of theoperational year (31 March 2019) and15 completed their programme withmonitoring returned. 4,428 pupils

were given a taster session in theirschool and 744 visited a golf club.The remaining clubs will report ontheir progress in the 2019/20operational year.

17/18 18/19


The results for girls participation in 2018/19 reflect positive signs of growth, particularly around conversion to golfclub membership.

GIRLS PROJECTS THRIVING

Girls Participation in HSBC Golf Roots Centres - England and Wales

Photo: Leaderboard Photography

Growth in Girls Golf 70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0Outreach Club taster Coaching Regular Academy Membership

17/18 18/19

The growth in junior participation atall levels of the ‘Start, Learn and Stay’pathway in golf clubs is reflected bya similar pattern of growth in thenumber of girls playing. 61,515 girlsreceived coaching in their school,15,412 visited a golf club and 6,497went into PGA Coaching. The

percentage of girls taking partremains broadly the same as theprevious year for the introductorylevels – 43% outreach, 31% clubtaster and 29% coaching.

However, the number of girlsconverting into academy members

has grown from 22% to 25% andinto affiliated members from 19%to 23%. Also, the number of girlsgirls taking up academymembership grew from 4,250 in2017/18 to 5,827 in 2018/19 (a58% increase compared to 37% forboth boys and girls).

THE GOLF FOUNDATION IS PROUD TO BE A SIGNATORY OF THE R&A WOMEN IN GOLF CHARTER AND HAS SET SPECIFICTARGETS IN OFFERING PLAYING AND PERSONALOPPORTUNITIES TO GIRLS.


The promising figures of more girlsplaying golf at all levels of the playerpathway reflect a concentrated effortby the Golf Foundation to provide

more opportunities for girls. Inaddition to its normal HSBC GolfRoots Centre projects that are fullyinclusive, the Golf Foundation has

funded 22 girls only projects at thecentres and 18 girls only projects atsatellite clubs targeting 14 to 18 yearolds.

Participation of Girls at HSBC Golf Roots Centres in England compared to Wales

Taster in school

KPI

Visit to golf club

Structured club coaching

Regular club coaching

Academy membership

Affiliated membership

42%

Girls in English Projects

29%

30%

28%

25%

22%

47%

Girls in Welsh Projects

44%

37%

37%

31%

37%

A comparison between England and Wales of the percentage of girls playing golf at each KPI shows that Wales has beenparticularly successful in recruiting and retaining girls, specifically in encouraging the girls to attend a taster session at thegolf club and in converting them to affiliated members.

(Note, the sample size of clubs in Wales is much smaller – 36 clubs – compared to 409 clubs in England.)

Jointly run with England Golf, Girls Golf Rocks issuccessfully encouraging hundreds of girls to take freetaster sessions followed by coaching courses at golf clubswith PGA Professionals.

In its fourth year of operation, the scheme expanded to 21counties involving 98 clubs – 1,638 girls had a taster, ofwhich, 1,185 continued into structured coaching. 26counties are offering Girls Golf Rocks in the season ahead.

Girls Golf Rocks

2014/15 1 COUNTY

2015/16 8 COUNTIES

2016/17 15 COUNTIES

2017/18 21 COUNTIES

90 72624 520

869731

1638

1185

Girls Golf Rocks Participation

Taster Session at Club Structured Coaching

The Golf Foundation is proud to be a signatory of TheR&A Women in Golf Charter and in this charity’spledge to this has set specific targets in offering playingand personal opportunities to girls and young womenas they make progress. A key niche focus in the last year has been in ourtraining of girls to become confident Young Leaders to

mentor others; and also to help them on their paths ineducation and jobs, including supporting interest incareers in the sports sector. One highlight of this came with the Girls Golf RocksAmbassadors Leadership Day at The Belfry inOctober, supported by the Anita White Foundation(AWF), which supplied a generous ‘Catalyst Grant’.

Leadership training for girls


GOLFSIXES LEAGUE: HELPING MORE J

New format proving highly popular with families

Photo: Getty Images

The Golf Foundation’s GolfSixes League initiative, part-funded by Sport England and supported by theEuropean Tour, has quickly become a flagship initiative toencourage more young players to ‘STAY’ in club golf, andour monitoring confirms it has been very positivelyreceived by club volunteers, PGA Professionals, parentsand the youngsters themselves (see infographic).

After a successful trial in 2017, GolfSixes League wasexpanded to 102 clubs in 2018, and for the first timeincluded venues in Scotland and Wales. The Leagueswere supported by the Foundation’s 10 Regional

Development Officers in England and the teams fromScottish Golf and Wales Golf. In all, there were 24Leagues with 1,160 boys and girls playing 161 fixtures.

Squads of 12 boys and girls wore GolfSixes Leaguebranded coloured team shirts and represented their clubsin regular fixtures; six-hole matches against other clubs in afun ‘Texas Scramble’ format designed to create a sense ofbelonging in junior sections, while also forging a respect forregular practice among young players. There has been a significant 34% increase in affiliated juniormembership (42% in England) at the golf clubs involved.

GolfSixes League: Here come the girls!With an early request for mixed teams, 25% of theplayers were girls in 2018 and there is the aim ofincreasing this ratio further in the year ahead to at least33% (including a number of girls teams). In the 2019season, there are 55 Leagues in action, featuring 260clubs and 3,000 youngsters (the Foundation is aiming toexpand the initiative to 366 clubs by 2021).

The number of scheduled Leagues in Scotland has alsogrown quickly to 15 leagues, partly through theenthusiasm to include more girls in matches in thebuild-up to the 2019 Solheim Cup in September, and aGolfSixes League Grand Final will take place atGleneagles on the 8th September in the build-up to thehistoric match.

played in161fixtures

2018

from 24 Leagues

Players1160

25%were female

34%increase in affiliated junior membership(42% in England)

68%of players

attended regularpractice sessions

93%of players rated the initiative as 8 out of 10

82%would like to play

more golf

“I loved GolfSixes as I played with different

people and had a great time.” (player, aged 12)

65%of parents

volunteered atleague events

38%of parents were non-golfers

88%described GolfSixes as

FUN

“My daughter was new to golf, the GolfSixes League

was a great introduction to playing and meeting new friends.”

(non-golfing parent)

Golf ClubsGolfSixes League increased junior membership and practice

58%of clubs providedextra practice

sessions for theirplayers

££Golf Clubs reported an increase in revenue

Golf Clubs enjoyed a greater

connection with parents and juniors

WHAT WE LEARNT FROM GOLFSIXES LEAGUE

Parents/FamiliesParents were significantly engaged and supportive

JuniorsGolfSixes League encouraged childrento play more golf

“I truly believe that this is a fantastic format for children to play.” (Swansea Bay GC)


JUNIORS TO STAY IN GOLF

Continued positive feedbackSurvey feedback from young playersrevealed that the top 3 elementsthey enjoyed most about GolfSixesLeague were the opportunities toplay on different courses, be part ofa team and make new friends.

GolfSixes League has had a positiveeffect on the golf clubs, stimulatinggrowth in junior membership andattendance, boosting revenue andimproving connections with parentsand children.

Parental engagement with theGolfSixes League initiative has beensignificant. High numbers attendedevents as spectators, or played avaluable support role to ensure theevents ran smoothly. It waspromising to see that 38% ofparents were from a non-golfingbackground and recognised thepositive and social aspects of thegame.

Our thanks to Titleist for providingbranded GolfSixes League golf ballsto every competitor, and to ScottishGolf, Wales Golf and England Golffor promoting the initiative.

In its goal of helping more young people to ‘Start’ inthe sport, the Golf Foundation aims to introduceyoung people to golf in their own communities,irrespective of their gender, background or ability.The objective is to give all young people a great

experience of the sport so that their perception ofgolf is positive and they want to play more andengage with the sport. Wherever possible, links tothe local golf club through the HSBC Golf Rootsprogramme are encouraged.


MAKING THE SPORT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO YOUNG PEOPLE

HSBC Golf Roots PLUSHSBC Golf Roots Plus projects (funded by HSBC andThe Gerald Micklem Charitable Trust) are a key initiativewithin the Golf Foundation’s drive to help more youngpeople benefit from golf. A number of these havesupported young people with a disability, specialeducational needs (SEN) or behavioural issues, whileother projects have backed young people by offeringfurther social and community benefits.

These have included charity/local authority led groups indeprived economic areas offering playing opportunitiesfor young people who could experience golf for thevery first time.

An HSBC Golf Roots Plus project should reflect thecore values of the Golf Foundation and be linked to a

local HSBC Golf Roots golf facility, involve a PGACoach, and train young people as volunteers.

Here are examples from the last year :

Brodick Primary School on the Isle of Arran developeda community based project, linking golf activity with therealities of coastal erosion. Brodick GC has a seriousdrainage problem due to its position at sea level alongwith coastal erosion. The purpose of the project was tocreate a sustainable school-club link and developcommunity cohesion. The pupils took part in golfsessions but also worked with a local design company tocreate flags for the golf course. The project has had apositive impact on the club as 20 young people (10girls) have become members.

Through Plus funding, Active Schools Plus Leeds has



Excellent donation from London Welsh Golf SocietyThe Golf Foundation was also fortunate to receive an excellent donation from the London Welsh Golf Society lastyear, allowing the charity to fund two more ‘Plus’ projects in Wales this season. One of these is being led by TomBowen, a Golf Foundation Award winner, who is a PGA Assistant Professional and volunteer at North Wales GolfClub. Through funding, Tom is able to offer ongoing inclusive golf to people of different ages who have mental healthissues. Tom was helped himself by the team at North Wales GC as he suffered from depression and he is now puttingsomething back into the club by supporting this innovative scheme.

A second project that can be carried out thanks to the London Welsh donation, includes encouraging more youngpeople from BAME backgrounds to get involved in learning golf while offering them wider Skills for Lifeeducational training. The project will be run by Cardiff-based BME Connect Cymru and will look to help youngpeople to develop personal skills that can help them obtain education or employment opportunities, whileencouraging them to enjoy golf with follow-on opportunities at a golf club.

THROUGH PLUS FUNDING, ACTIVE SCHOOLS PLUS LEEDS HASOFFERED GOLFING OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUNG PEOPLE WITHSPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITY (SEND) IN BOTHPRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

offered golfing opportunities to young people withspecial educational needs and disability (SEND) in bothprimary and secondary schools. Taster sessions havebeen held in the schools and there will be a Tri-Golffestival that will take place at three local HSBC GolfRoots Centres this summer. These sessions and follow-on opportunities are focusing on developing thepersonal skills of young people and personalachievement, as well as providing healthy competition.

A golf club in Suffolk has been redeveloping its facilitiesto build a StreetGolf Zone which will attract morejuniors and families to play golf. Stonham Barns GolfCentre is offering its coaching and facilities to youngpeople from deprived communities and those withspecial educational needs.

Northamptonshire Sport & Brampton Heath GC hascreated a successful inclusive golf project over twoyears. Young people who attend six mainstream schoolsthat have SEN units were encouraged to take part.

Plus funding has supported additional projects in areasof social deprivation in 2018. In Wales for example,

Conwy Youth Service has introduced StreetGolfsessions at leisure centres, club coaching and amentoring programme to develop young leaders, allwith the aim of reducing anti-social behaviour.

Future Proof CIC created the GoSketch project whichfuses golf and design in schools in Sussex. At the end ofeach 60 minute golf coaching session (provided by aqualified coach) participants are invited to get creativeand design a character inspired by golf. The project aimsto increase creativity, confidence and highlight theeducational and employment opportunities in thedesign and sport sectors. Young people have learned toplay some golf while producing some excellent artwork!


Feel Inspired Additional grants were awarded to HSBC Golf Roots Centres looking to work with local Special Educational Needs andDisability (SEND) schools. 15 projects enabled taster sessions in school for 556 youngsters, a visit to the golf clubs for 304boys and girls, progression into PGA coaching for 151 and membership for 3 youngsters.


STREETGOLF SATELLITE CLUBSHELP KIDS TO CONNECT

Satellite clubs are a governmentflagship scheme designed toencourage more teenagers over theage of 14 to become active.

The role of the PGA Professional andthe golf club are pivotal to thesuccess of a satellite club in attractingregular participants into the game.StreetGolf provides the perfectintroduction with adapted equipmentin a school setting followed by theopportunity to play on a golf course.The player pathway is slightly differentfor satellite club participants withmore sessions spent on thesecondary school site, delivered bythe PGA Professional, but theobjective remains to introduce theparticipants to the local golf clubwhere they can filter into the HSBCGolf Roots programme.115 satellite clubs were funded - 18of which were girls only.

The results for 2018/19:

• 3922 – One-off introduction onthe school site• 2550 – 2 sessions in SatelliteClub on the school site• 1910 – 5 sessions or more onthe school site• 1817 – Introduction to a GolfClub • 376 – Membership (Academy orAffiliated)

Engaging Inactive YoungstersDuring 2018/19, a clearer directivewas given to Satellite Club projects

including the PGA Professional, golfclub, and the school, about engagingwith inactive young people.

Participants were asked: “In the pastweek, on how many days have youdone 30 minutes of sport and/orrecreational physical activity outsideof curriculum time prior to joiningthe Satellite Club”. This questionwas asked before the start of thesatellite club and at the end ofMarch 2019. The positive impacton the physical activity habits,comparing the past 2 years, areshown below:

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Numberof days Active

2017/18

Start of Satellite Club

End of March 2018

15%

25%

18%

12%

15%

5%

2%

6%

0%

18%

22%

22%

16%

12%

2%

4%

2018/19

Start of Satellite Club

End of March 2019

23%

23%

19%

20%

8%

4%

1%

2%

0%

25%

20%

28%

14%

5%

5%

4%


The Golf Foundation represents one of only 6 sports to receivefunding from Sport England for the initiative.


National StreetGolf Final70 satellite clubs took part in regional StreetGolfcompetitions with the goal of qualifying for the thirdNational StreetGolf Final at the 3 Hammers GolfComplex near Wolverhampton, on the course designedby this charity’s co-founder Sir Henry Cotton. Some40% of the finalists were girls, who like the boys, hadonly recently experienced golf on an actual golf coursefor the first time after their first golf coaching in thespring.

From 10 regions of England, with support from a team

from Wales, 44 youngsters in 11 teams qualified throughschool events and regional finals involving satellite clubs(18 clubs had a specific girls’ golf focus, while all projectsencouraged girls to take part).

In the final, RDO Stacey Mitchell scored for youngstersfrom The Way Youth Zone, a Wolverhampton charitywhich supports young people in the area. Stacey said:“One of the girls told me, ‘this is the happiest I’ve everbeen playing sport’. She’s only been playing golf a fewweeks and she was awesome!”

“ONE OF THE GIRLS TOLD ME, ‘THIS IS THE HAPPIESTI’VE EVER BEEN PLAYING SPORT’.”

StreetGames Doorstep ClubsStreetGames is a key national partner of the Golf Foundation and helps over 900 organsiations across the UK totake sport to the doorstep in disadvantaged communities.

24 Doorstep Clubs delivered StreetGolf to 1,350 participants (44% aged 14 and over, 34% female).

18 StreetGolf events were held and 16 coaches attended StreetGolf training.

149 participants attended sessions at the local HSBC Golf Roots Centre.



Skills for LifeThe mission of the Golf Foundation is to help young people enjoy both theplaying and personal benefits of golf. The belief in helping young peoplelearn transferable skills that can benefit both their golfing and wider livesunderpins all of the Golf Foundation activities. Over the past 12 monthsthe Golf Foundation has delivered its Skills for Life philosophy in thefollowing ways:

SAFEGUARDING ANDSKILLS FOR LIFE

SafeGolfSafeGolf, the UK & Irelandpartnership working to promote asafe and positive environment foreveryone in the sport, was developedover the summer after its launch atThe Open Championship.

SafeGolf is the next step for thesport’s safeguarding partners who inrecent years have supported thedevelopment of a robust safeguardingframework in golf for all those playing,volunteering and working in golf.Thename is new and clear, but the missionremains the same: to safeguard andpromote the welfare of children andyoung people, as well as adults at risk.SafeGolf created a new website –www.safegolf.org – through whichanyone who may have a concernabout the welfare of any player, or areconcerned about the behaviour orpractice of a coach, volunteer,organiser, parent or a player, cancontact the lead safeguarding officer attheir national governing body.

Members of SafeGolf include: EnglandGolf, Wales Golf, Scottish Golf,Confederation of Golf in Ireland, theProfessional Golfers’ Association,Ladies European Tour, the GolfFoundation, Golf Club Managers’Association, the British andInternational Golf GreenkeepersAssociation and The R&A.

The Foundation sits on the CaseManagement Group, a group of leadofficers on child protection andvolunteer independent experts fromsocial care, police and child law.

Unleash your DriveThe Golf Foundation has conducted a successful pilot project to deliver andmeasure the impact of a life skills programme for young golfers. With thehelp of mental toughness experts, Yeast, and 4 junior focused PGAProfessional Coaches, the youngsters involved at 4 golf clubs showed a 20%increase in confidence, commitment, emotional control and overall mentaltoughness. These results were presented to key stakeholders at the GolfForum in St Andrews and were launched at the beginning of April throughan innovative video book with the help of marketing agency, Medi8. Thetraining will be rolled out to more coaches and wider school andcommunity groups over the course of 2019/20.

Broader research in this area shows that mental toughness has a positiveimpact upon wider areas of life such as achievement in exams and tests,behaviour (lower anti-social behaviour), employability and wellbeing.



Hessle Golf Club in Yorkshire awarded 12 year-old Grace Lambert its Skills for Life trophy.Apart from working hard to cut her handicapGrace has also helped her Dad, Mark, on thegolf course. When Mark won the ClubChampionship he thanked Grace for hersupport, which has made him a more relaxedplayer! Junior Organiser Dianne Kingswood said:“Grace is also an Ambassador for Girls GolfRocks and she was brilliant with all of the newgirls. I think a well-deserved award and I thinkher face says it all! Everyone who saw thetrophy thought it was beautiful.”

Skills for Life Trophy53 trophies were sent to individualclubs and the 124 clubs competing inthe GolfSixes League. The trophieshave proved highly popular with theclubs concerned, providing plenty ofpositive feedback. Dr John Ingram, ofChumleigh Golf Course, Devon,wrote to say: “Many thanks for thetrophy and the medal. They arrivedyesterday just in time for a golf societydinner so they were passed aroundto look at and all the adults are nowjealous of the juniors’ great trophy!

“We have started a roll of honouron the junior notice board and

each week will award the trophyand medal to two of our juniors. Iaim to use them for the children totake into school and show atassembly with the message: ‘Whydon't you come along on Saturdaymorning and try our Junior Golf ’.”

Thanks to the 80:20 Trust and GolfMonthly magazine for supportingthis project.

There have been many othermemorable and inspiring storiesabout how golf has helped youngpeople with their wider personaland social skills through this trophy. Photo: Matt Greaves

An enduring benefit of our Skills for Life ethos is theencouragement of many young volunteers who findthemselves thriving on mentoring roles in their clubs orschools, bringing on the younger children and supporting theadult membership in clubs, or their teachers in schools.

Emily Furniss, of Gaudet Luce Golf Club, Worcestershire, won theFoundation’s young volunteers’ Montgomerie Award in 2018.Emily joined the coaching academy aged 12 and progressed asboth a player and volunteer, offering to help coach and becomingGolf Captain at her school. In 2015, Emily was diagnosed with atumour in her knee and needed surgery but this only made hermore determined; while on crutches she attended Pre Countytraining days and coaching. Emily has joined England’s YoungAmbassadors, while she helps the junior section at Gaudet Luceand County Girls Coaching. Emily’s friendly nature ensures younggirls always feel welcome. She also volunteers as a Guide for theBlind Golf Association.

Photo: Getty Images


Telling our story, celebrating successThe Golf Foundation continued to develop a multi-channelcommunications strategy, with particular emphasis on socialmedia around major events. New for this year has been theaddition of an Instagram presence and a profile on LinkedIn.

The Foundation enjoyed significant spikes in social mediaengagement when attending large professional golf eventswith well-known players visiting the Tri-Golf activity stand.These included the announcement of Andrew ‘Beef ’ Johnstonas an ambassador at the BMW PGA Championship and thepresentation of the Spirit of Golf Award to Paul Lawrie OBE at The Open Championship, Carnoustie.

The support of players is key to helping the Foundation reach more people as demonstrated by the tweet from IanPoulter above.

RAISING AWARENESS

Ambassadors Great progress has been made this year inrecruiting new Golf Foundation Ambassadors -Andrew ‘Beef ’ Johnston, Felicity Johnson andGraeme Storm - all signed up to help promote theGolf Foundation's philosophy of encouraging youngpeople of all abilities to enjoy the benefits of golf.

Back in May ‘Beef ’ helped launch the new, improvedTri-Golf equipment which now supports over3,000 schools.

Graeme Storm is following in the footsteps of thecharity’s Co-Founder, Sir Henry Cotton, who tookgolf into schools, by delivering Tri-Golf in localprimary schools in Hartlepool and attendingdistrict Tri-Golf festivals.

LET player Felicity Johnson was keen to become aGolf Foundation Ambassador to help introduceand encourage more girls into the sport,understanding the need to work together toprovide the warmest possible welcome for all girlswho want to give golf a try. She herself benefitedfrom the Foundation’s Merit Award Scheme, thepredecessor of the Junior Golf Passport learningprogramme.

Photo: Getty Images


Photo: Andrew Bryson

The Open platform For the whole of Open week in ‘The R&A SwingZone’ atCarnoustie, as the kids played Tri-Golf and chipping games,and all ages enjoyed the ‘Putting Challenge’ supported byTitleist, the focus was on engaging with youngsters and theirfamilies, as the Golf Foundation, Scottish Golf and the PGAall worked together to inspire children new to the sport.

The Golf Foundation team was able to welcome EuropeanTour stars competing in The Open, Tyrrell Hatton and MattWallace, and former Open Champion Paul Lawrie, to takepart in fun Tri-Golf challenges.


Spirit of Golf AwardPaul Lawrie OBE waspresented with the Spirit ofGolf Award at his spiritualhome of Carnoustie. Sincewinning The OpenChampionship at Carnoustie in1999, Paul has gone on to buildhis own charity, the Paul LawrieFoundation, that introduces golfto thousands of youngsters inAberdeenshire.

HSBC HourThe HSBC Hour promotesopen access to HSBC GolfRoots clubs in England,Scotland and Wales during theweek of The OpenChampionship. This year, itwas launched at Grange GolfClub near Carnoustie byHSBC Ambassadors, TimHenman and Brian O’Driscoll,with a particular focus onencouraging juniors to bringalong their parents to join inthe coaching sessions.

THE HSBC HOUR PROMOTES OPEN ACCESS TO HSBCGOLF ROOTS CLUBS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALESDURING THE WEEK OF THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP.

Photo: Mark Newcombe

Photo: Getty Images


FUNDRAISING PROGRESS

Thank YouAs a registered charity, the Golf Foundation is extremelygrateful for the generous donations and grants receivedfrom individuals, clubs and organisations which allow us toremain at the forefront of golf development and continueto provide golfing opportunities to children and youngpeople regardless of their gender, background or ability.

Pro-Am supports girls’ golf projectsIn October, the Golf Foundation staged its major annualPro-Am fixture at London Golf Club, supported by theEuropean Tour Foundation. In its 32nd year, the eventraised more than £13,000 to support initiatives focusedon girls’ golf. Increasing girls’ participation levels is a keyaim for the charity and funds will go directly intoencouraging all school, community and club projects towelcome more girls to specific initiatives such asGolfSixes League, delivering golf with regional Girl Guideand Brownie groups and supporting the further growthof the thriving Girls Golf Rocks project.

Ian Baker Finch and The R&AIan Baker Finch, Open Champion at Royal Birkdale in1991, returned his Gold Medal to The R&A to bedisplayed in the clubhouse at Birkdale. In return, TheR&A made a number of donations to charities of Ian’schoice including the Golf Foundation. A donation of£11,781 was received with the objective of providingevery girl completing a 6-week coaching block throughthe Girls Golf Rocks initiative with a 7-iron.

Brooch AppealLadies’ sections across the UK signed up to take part inthe annual Brooch Appeal to raise £12,997 in support ofgirls’ golf. Every £50 raised from the Appeal will enable15 girls to have the opportunity to start their journey ingolf by taking part in an introductory session with a PGAprofessional.

Gerald Micklem Charitable TrustIn 2018, the Trustees of the Gerald Micklem CharitableTrust kindly agreed to renew their funding for a furtherthree years to support the PLUS programme with a focuson targeting ‘hard to reach’ groups and disability groups.

The Golf Foundation is very proud of the strongpartnerships that have been established with the trustsand foundations which have given support over theyears. We are always keen to develop new relationshipswith funders who share our aims.

PGA EuroPro TourThe PGA EuroPro Tour teamed up with the GolfFoundation to work with both club and tour professionalsin delivering Tri-Golf activity to local school children attheir tournament sites. The sessions were filmed with thesegments aired on Sky Television during their tournamentcoverage, helping to raise awareness of the charity. TheTour also raised £1,454 for the Golf Foundation.

Future PlansFundraising has a number of new projects in place forthe forthcoming year. The annual golf day will be takingplace at Goodwood in October and this should be anexciting new event for our supporters.

The Golf Club Managers Association has made the GolfFoundation its nominated charity for the next two years.England Golf has also confirmed its support through theCaptains’ Network and is encouraging its members tosupport the Golf Foundation throughout their tenure asCaptain.

Photo: Getty Images


OUR SUPPORTERS

Funding and support In order to be able to undertake its work, the Golf Foundation relies heavily on donations and grants. In 2018/2019,hundreds of organisations and individuals provided support which helped to fund the charity’s activities.

The Golf Foundation is hugely grateful to The R&A, which has invested £2 million over the next four years to supportthis charity's work in growing the game.

The Golf Foundation is particularly grateful to the European Tour,which provided the venue (The Ballroom at Wentworth Club) for ourPresidents' Awards, and a location in the Spectator Village during theBMW PGA Championship to promote golf to youngsters and theirfamilies during that tournament.

Core funders: The R&AProfessional Golfers' AssociationRyder CupEngland GolfSport EnglandBritish Golf Industry Association (Grow Golf Fund)

Main sponsor: HSBC

Suppliers:Titleist: Official Golf Ball PartnerGlenmuir: Official Clothing SupplierSunderland: Official Rainwear SupplierAdidas Golf: Official Footwear Supplier

Major donations:The Stanley Morrison Charitable TrustHSBC Premier Golf DaysCrown GolfGerald Micklem Charitable TrustETIQUSThe 80:20 Charitable TrustThe All-Party Parliamentary Golf Group

THE GOLF FOUNDATION WISHES TO THANK ALL THE INDIVIDUALS,CLUBS AND ORGANISATIONS FOR THE DONATIONS AND GRANTS THAT

PROVIDE FUNDS FOR OUR DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.

Photo: John Millard

Photo: Chris Vaughan


INNOVATION AND FUN:THE BOX OF TRICKS!

The Box of Tricks helps clubs with nearly 50 top ideasThe Golf Foundation always seeks to be innovative in its programmes and this is perhaps underlined in the collectionof proven positive ideas for golf club junior sections contained in the ‘Box of Tricks’. Every suggestion has come from asuccessful project or golf club, tested by PGA Pros and Junior Organisers to help welcome and keep youngsters keenon their golf. Distribution of the Box has now reached nearly 400 clubs, around 100 in the last year, including rapidand enthusiastic adoption in Scotland for the first time.

The Box of Tricks resource supports golf clubs with nearly 50 innovative ideas on how to retain juniors and promotea culture that enables them to play more frequently. Feedback for the ‘Box’ and the accompanying workshop theFoundation provides has been highly positive; each workshop focuses on junior retention in four areas of the clubconcerning: Skill, Play, Social, and Marketing.

The Box of Tricks was introduced to Scotland and in just three months the results were impressive. The Foundationdelivered a detailed training session in Edinburgh so that Regional Club Development Officers for Scottish Golf couldpass on some of the magic of the Box to this nation’s golf clubs. Scottish Golf then held 13 training workshops,welcoming more than 200 delegates from 137 golf clubs, from as far north as the Highlands and Islands, to downsouth in the Borders.

Ross Duncan, Development Director at Scottish Golf, said: “The Box of Tricks workshops have proved hugely popularup and down the country and the feedback we have had from junior convenors and other volunteers on using theresource has been fantastic.The workshops have been really interactive and it’s great to see people leaving the roomwith so many ideas for their clubs and enthusiasm to try different things. It’s vital that clubs create a welcomingenvironment for junior members and their families and the Box of Tricks provides great content from which to do that.”

Photo: Matt Greaves

Tel: +44 (0)1992 449830 www.golf-foundation.org

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