David Orr, PGA Professional at Whitecraigs Golf Club, continues to push female and junior memberships at the Glasgow club, and highlights the importance of member support to kickstart new initiatives, programmes and schemes for new golfers to develop. In the six years that he has been based at Whitecraigs, the former Scottish PGA champion has helped promote considerable growth across a variety of categories.
“We have upwards of 85 junior members now,” said Orr. “We have a Wee Wonders programme which is for 5 to 10-year-olds. I started with around 35 kids and it’s now at 110. The girls’ programme has gone from nothing to 22. Every category of membership is going up and, in some ways, we are bucking a lot of trends. The membership is jumping here.
“I’m lucky that the members buy into this. They know the juniors are the future of the club. Our facilities have helped too. As well as the course, we have a driving range, a nine-hole par-three course, a new short game facility and an indoor simulator. The club has invested to improve the experience for our golfers and we are very lucky.
“You can’t do these things without the support of your members but we’re all on the same page. I can’t do classes for 20 kids myself, so thankfully we get members giving up their time to do classes. The whole thing only works with that support.”
With a flourishing junior section, Orr has also been instrumental in creating a robust women’s section at Whitecraigs.
Scottish Golf, the amateur governing body north of the border, has set a target of a 15 per cent increase in female memberships by 2027. It’s an ambitious aim but Orr is well aware of the potential for growth.
“It’s a massive area,” said the 50-year-old, whose brother Steven is the national boys’ coach with England Golf.
“We are seeing so many women coming in. Our women’s membership here is north of 270 which, arguably, is one of the biggest in the west of Scotland.
“Our ladies section is exceptional in welcoming new members. We have a very encouraging and supportive environment with numerous events, mentoring systems, and buddy programmes. This ensures that new women feel well integrated and comfortable quickly.
“With a strong women’s section, you then get girls and families. It’s a great platform to build on.”
Back in his playing pomp, Orr had a place on the European – now DP World – Tour in his grasp heading into the closing round of the 2005 qualifying school final but stumbled at the last hurdle. It’s now in coaching and participation development where he makes his name.
“I had my chance and I didn’t take it,” he reflected. “I was good friends with Marc Warren – his kids come to Whitecraigs now – and he was on tour for 20 years. I sometimes think that could’ve been me. I’m not saying I would’ve had the same success as Marc, but I still thought I could’ve made a decent living out there.
“But there’s no point looking back. I had a good playing career, I’ve had a teaching career and I’ve been in club pro jobs. I have a holistic view of the game of golf, and I can use all those experiences to help others.”
Orr is certainly doing that.
