Many attempts have been made over the years to improve and widen the appeal of the game of golf from PowerPlay to FootGolf.
However, at the beginning of 2014, some of the well-known golfing names from the world and the golf media including Tony Jacklin, called for the game to be made quicker, more accessible, and more fun, and so the campaign for REAL golf was born!
“It’s been a great year and we are making waves! The Campaign for REAL Golf was launched at the end of February 2014 and already it has made significant progress, underlining the need to bring the game back to its roots and restore it as Recreational, Enjoyable, Affordable, and Less time-consuming. And we’re very pleased when Tony Jacklin CBE became our President, bringing on board a passionate desire to save golf from ‘dying on its feet'”.
“We recently staged a ‘restricted ball tournament’ designed to examine the effects of playing with restricted balls on shorter courses.
And The R&A has just launched a members’ survey to examine the question of slow play.
Our own website realgolfcampaign.org is building up a substantial response to the survey that seeks to gather opinions worldwide on the key issues in the game.
This is causing a serious decline in the number of young people (as well as women and men of all ages) taking up the game and enjoying it.
Our Campaign was founded by five lovers of golf dedicated to its restoration.
Myself, Stig Backen from Denmark, Michael Coffey (publisher of Golf Club Secretary), Malcolm Peake (advisor on sustainable courses), and Nick Park, whose knowledge of course management was an inspiration to so many for most of his life.
All gave their time and effort to the cause without reward. Sadly, Nick passed away soon after our launch and is grievously missed.
Inspired by him, we now pursue our Campaign’s objectives with vigour in the confident hope that people who love the game will rally to our cause.
As such, members of The Social Golfer are invited to take part in the survey and so help us to pursue our objectives . . . before it’s too late!
Clubs are closing and players leaving in droves all over the world. Help us to reverse that trend NOW.
For more information on the campaign for Real Golf and to take part in the survey…
TSG would like to thank Michael for his time.
By Ian Mullins
