Firm Foundations

PGA Professionals are being given the opportunity to publicise their junior coaching programmes courtesy of The Golf Foundation’s new website.

The site, www.golf-foundation.org, features a facility for families considering golf for their youngsters that enables them to access an easy-to-navigate Golf Facility Finder powered by Get into golf.

Complementing this is the facility for PGA pros to log-in and download brand new marketing materials to aid their junior coaching programmes.

The PGA is a core funder of the Golf Foundation, the nationally recognised golf charity that aims to provide any young person, regardless of background or ability, with the opportunity to enjoy the playing and personal benefits of golf.

Its HSBC Golf Roots programme reaches 500,000 young people a year and aims by early 2018 to create 15,000 extra regular young golfers annually.

The new website will help in this aim. It offers users a highly visual new look with smooth and easy navigation in all subject areas including ‘Golf for All’, Schools, Community, Clubs, Fundraising and News. In each area the signposting is clear, with informative case studies and good news stories standing out, assisted by high-standard photography.

The site showcases all the Foundation’s work in encouraging more boys and girls to ‘Start, Learn and Stay’ in the sport. Visitors will find dynamic content on the recruitment and retention of young people in golf, including the ‘player pathway’ from school and community first experiences to supervised coaching opportunities at the local golf club.

All content is underpinned by a strong ‘Skills for Life’ message referencing how the learning of life skills when playing golf – examples being honesty, resilience, respect and good sportsmanship – can help young people as they develop.

The site is configured to be viewed on the full range of mobile, tablet and PC devices and has easy and immediate links to social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

The Golf Foundation newsletter, Junior Golf Matters, is also available, as are links to the Foundation’s supporters and national development partners.

Sarah Sorrell, The Golf Foundation marketing manager, said: “Our team is very pleased with the new website which has more visual appeal and is more user-friendly than our former site.

“Combined with the new Facility Finder and new resources available for PGA coaches, this should help to bring in more readers, who will view more material, and this can only be good news in terms of raising awareness of our work.

“We can also expect more contact from golf-lovers who wish to find out how they can support our programmes. Fundraising is a very important aspect of our work as a charity and the new site offers clear signposting to a range of exciting fundraising opportunities which may be of interest to golfers and golf clubs everywhere.”