6 ways golf courses can strengthen local communities

6 ways golf courses can strengthen local communities

If the global pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of communities, with pockets of light emerging from the cloud of COVID-19 in every tale of camaraderie and companionship.

And golf has been no exception, whether it has been the release of pressure via a four-ball with friends, or merely providing a space for people to stretch their legs alongside rolling fairways and comforting woodland.

So how can your golf club provide even greater links with its local community? Read on for six ideas that could strengthen the bond without breaking the bank.

Golf for the next generation

Research led by The R&A reveals that the average age of golfers dropped by five years in 2020, and one club seeking to lower that even further is Golfpark Zurichsee in Switzerland. Anyone under the age of 16 can receive lessons and equipment for free as the club looks to ensure both the future of the game and their own golfer numbers. With a return on investment of the project estimated to be in the region of €20million in 20 years, it’s clearly a win-win situation all-round.

In Denmark, local students help Hørsholm Golf to pick up the balls on the driving range - as many as 20,000 on some weekends. By having the students help, they feel like part of the team, and in return for their contribution they earn pocket money which goes towards their golf studies.

Caring in the community

The Springs Golf Club in England has been collaborating on preparing and helping to deliver food to the area’s most vulnerable residents, while over in South Africa, Umhlali Country Club & Golf Estate’s support for its local school includes supplying 20-liter water containers for each class, meaning children don’t have to leave the classroom during the summer months to have a drink of water.

Cultural heritage

In New Zealand, the newly-built Te Arai Links helps preserve areas of significant cultural value. Middens - havens from human occupation and sacred to the local Iwi tribe - have been designated as out-of-bounds and staff at the club help to protect and honor these special sites.

Over in Cyprus, Aphrodite Hills Golf Club maintains The Hani, a unique property that was formerly an inn and a staging post for cart drivers and their animals. Outside, a large stone cistern has been carefully preserved as a testimony to a more traditional way of life.

Fishing for compliments

In Oman, Al Mouj Golf hosts the Annual Seeb Fishing Competition, an initiative that contributes to the development of the local fishing industry and promotion of sustainable and environmentally-friendly fishing practices.

Meanwhile, the programme at Hirsala Golf, Finland, includes the annual planting of trout roe in the stream, which runs through the golf course and ends up in the Finnish Gulf; the ultimate goal is to have a thriving trout population by the end of 2023.

Welcoming all

Golfclub de Dommel, in the Netherlands, is open for recreational walking for non-golfers, in connection with the adjacent public nature reserves. C.J. Van Schaardenburg, Club Chairman, explains: “In this way, we can also give something back to the residents around the golf course. We notice that this is appreciated by many."

In Italy, Golf Les Iles is designed as a multi-purpose center - a sports, social and cultural reference point for the local community and tourists, while at PGA National Czech - Oaks Prague, there are nine kilometres of recreational trails for horse riding, jogging and cycling which link the surrounding countryside with the golf facility.

Cleaning up

The coastline at Dunbar Golf Course, Scotland, is under threat from litter that builds up, harming the local wildlife. ‘Robin's Walk’ is an annual event in which thirty volunteers meet to remove any rubbish, cleaning the area at the same time as building community spirit.

Twice a year, staff at the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club remove rubbish from the creek edge, while colleagues at Quinta do Lago Resort in Portugal carry out an awareness-raising action on waste reduction, reuse and recycling with their beach clean-up event.

How has your club been strengthening the local community? Share your Sustainable Golf Highlight now to get recognition and inspire others.