• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Encouraging participation in golf clubs a research report on golf club volunteering 2 | ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION IN GOLF CLUBS 3 Contents Welcome From England Golf From the research team At England Golf we were keen to enhance Volunteering has been a feature of golf our understanding of the experiences of clubs ever since the first clubs were volunteers in golf clubs to enable us to formed in the nineteenth century. From provide support where it is needed the most. the board room to the tee, volunteers continue to play vital roles in running Our strong existing relationship with golf clubs. Yet, to our knowledge, Manchester Metropolitan University and there has never been any research into their understanding of golf meant that, in golf club volunteers. Since volunteers commissioning them to undertake a PhD, represent some of a golf club’s most they would provide valuable insight. committed members, understanding them offers potentially valuable insights into Furthermore, the experience of Chris Mills participation more generally. (PhD Researcher), aligned with MMU’s knowledge of golf, has impacted our work The research has been conducted as part of from the start of the PhD, not just in the a PhD degree. It therefore benefits from the final year. intense focus of a PhD candidate and the wider involvement of an experienced team The qualitative nature of the study has built of academics. The research also builds on on what we thought we knew, as Chris was prior work done by Manchester Metropolitan able to dig into the reality of the journey and University on member retention and experiences of volunteers in golf clubs. understanding golf club volunteers. One of the most exciting elements of the We have enjoyed researching golf clubs and research is how it joins the journey of a golfer their volunteers and have met many great and that of a volunteer. Too often we have people along the way. We are indebted to considered these elements in isolation and those that took part in the research. the research highlights that if a golf club actively supports golfers to integrate and We are grateful to the team at England become volunteers this will, in effect, create Golf for facilitating this research, especially uber Members. These members are loyal, to Matt Bloor, England Golf’s Volunteer committed and keen to contribute their time Manager, whose enduring enthusiasm and Welcome 03 to help sustain the club into the future. practical support has been invaluable. Executive summary 04 We hope you find this research report interesting and that it inspires you to make Background and research process 06 some positive changes at your golf club. The participation pathway 08 The pathway to participation model 12 Life circumstances 16 Volunteer-Member Discussions 18 Final reflections 21 Richard Flint Matt Bloor Chris Mills Dr Chris Professor What high impact actions can you now take? 22 Chief Operating Volunteer Mackintosh Cathy Officer Manager Urquhart 4 | ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION IN GOLF CLUBS 5 Executive Summary We started our research with the understanding that golf clubs want to attract and retain more golfers and to engage members as volunteers in the running of their clubs. We were conscious that the long-term health of golf depends on engaging a diverse range of participants. In our research, we sought to understand volunteers’ experiences within golf clubs. We explored how members became volunteers and what helped sustain their involvement. We considered how these experiences varied across different types of people. Summary of key findings Summary of recommendations Our research highlights The research found the following: • While life circumstances We recommend that golf clubs: We provide detailed Golf club volunteering is may limit each individual’s recommendations on pages 15, • There is a common pathway to • Take a strategic approach how golf clubs are capacity to get involved, 17 and 20. By implementing these bound up with a sense of becoming a golf club volunteer. to managing the pathway essentially social places volunteering is also dependent recommendations, golf clubs This pathway involves a journey to participation to improve belonging, involvement on the availability of convenient can create an environment that in which everyday from feeling uncertain as a new member retention and create a opportunities. The availability encourages and sustains active and pride in the club. It’s member, through becoming diverse pool of volunteers. social interactions of accessible opportunities that participation among all members. not something that can be an established member shape members’ and can be fitted in alongside other • Encourage participation We recognise that clubs won’t and culminating in active turned on and off like a life commitments promotes among members with other be able to implement all of the volunteers’ experiences. participation as a volunteer. participation. life commitments by creating recommendations. We therefore tap. Volunteering thrives Some members make this accessible and convenient suggest two high impact actions journey more easily than others, • Volunteers encounter and where the club actively opportunities to get involved. on page 22 and 23. with the formation of social interact with a wide range of and consistently supports relationships being vital to this members. Many discussions • Nurture constructive member member participation and process. with members are constructive, discussion of club affairs. This but some are not. The nature should help members find where the culture is open of these interactions has a common ground and create and inclusive. significant influence on whether a supportive environment for volunteers feel supported or volunteers. frustrated. Volunteers are some of golf clubs’ most committed members. Understanding how they became a volunteer and what sustains their involvement is important. We can use this knowledge to encourage participation and commitment among all golf club members. 6 | ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION IN GOLF CLUBS 7 Background The Research Process There are approximately Over Qualitative research Who did we speak to? 44,000 Since we were interested in the experience of golf We interviewed 28 golf club volunteers. The club volunteers, we listened to what volunteers volunteers performed a range of roles, including had to say – in their own words. It was also vital board members, captains, committee members, volunteers that we, as researchers, understood the golf club junior organisers and grounds maintenance helpers. in English golf clubs. They make an enormous 99%of golf club volunteers are environment. The research, therefore, collected We talked to a diverse range of volunteers: contribution to our enjoyment of the sport. members of their golf club. and analysed a range of qualitative data. • A third were female. We collected data via the following means: • Half were aged under 50 and in work. • Observing activities at four golf clubs, covering a range of geographies, size, cost of • 28% had played golf continuously since being a golf club membership and club culture. junior, 40% had taken up golf as an adult, and 1 in 6 32% had returned to golf as an adult having members are female. • Reading documents from golf’s governing 2 in 3 initially learnt to play as a junior. bodies, golf media and golf clubs. golf club members We are enormously grateful to all those volunteers • Conducting in-depth, semi-structured are aged over 55. golf club that took part in the research. Without them telling 1 in 3 interviews with golf club volunteers. Participation in golf volunteers are female. their rich and vibrant stories, this report wouldn’t clubs is not evenly 5 in 6 Data was analysed using coding techniques have been possible. distributed across golf club volunteers Only 1 in 6 which facilitated the analytical comparison of the generations. are aged over 55. club directors are female. similar and different experiences. Number of live births in England and Wales Golf clubs are heavily Silent Baby Boomers Generation Millenials Latest Aged 75 Aged 55-75 Aged 40-54 Aged 20-39 Under 20 reliant on 900,000 the ‘baby boomer’ 850,000 generation, 800,000 both as members 750,000 and volunteers. This presents golf clubs 700,000 with a challenge 650,000 because younger generations often have 600,000 different attitudes and 550,000 expectations. 500,000 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Generational averages shown as dashed lines For the long-term health of the game, golf clubs need to diversify participation. 8 | ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION IN GOLF CLUBS 9 The Participation Pathway From our research, we discovered a common pathway to becoming a An interviewee described how she felt as a new member: golf club volunteer. The process involved several stages, with transitions “ The three of us would come down late in the evenings. Out of sight! between them. We term this a ‘participation pathway’ to reflect the idea We were frightened of getting involved in the golf club. We used to that participation comprises different levels of involvement, from playing park up at the far end of the carpark and zip on to the course to play golf to volunteering. We describe this process over the next three pages nine holes and back in the car and out. We never ever came in the clubhouse. We got people coming up to say, “When are you going to and provide some illustrative quotes from interviewees. We then make get your handicaps?” Very scary. We just thought it was very scary.” recommendations for managing the pathway on pages 14 and 15. The interviewee is now a volunteer at her golf club and runs a program to help new members settle into the club. On joining a golf club, new It’s important to note that Social relationships also play members are faced with a range not all new members make an important role in activating of uncertainties.

Load more

  13

Copy Link