Sky's the limit for England Golf

* England Golf announce three year partnership with Sky Sports

* Supports PGA backed Get into golf initiative

* Targets bringing in 500,000 new or lapsed golfers

* Chance for PGA pros to inspire new golfers

* Builds on success of Danny Willett

England Golf have announced a three-year partnership with Sky Sports to promote the Get into golf initiative across the UK, with the aim of bringing 500,000 new or lapsed golfers into the sport by the end of 2018. 

Get into golf, a nationwide campaign which is delivered locally via golf clubs and PGA Professionals, is backed by The PGA, as well as the European Tour, The R&A, Ladies European Tour and the Golf Foundation. 

Sky Sports will promote ‘Get into golf' as part of its activity to drive engagement and participation in golf throughout the year and leading up to the British Masters which is hosted by Luke Donald.

The announcement comes as golf is set to get a huge boost from Danny Willett's dramatic win in the Masters. He's only the second Englishman to win the title and the first for 20 years - and his victory is predicted to inspire new generations of golfers. 

England Golf is committed to increasing the number of people that play golf; www.getintogolf.org inspires people to take up and play more golf by providing a local activity finder for taster sessions, beginner and improver courses, plus a wealth of information about the game.

Nick Pink, CEO of England Golf, commented on the announcement: “Working alongside Sky Sports as part of our marketing strategy for Get into golf is a great opportunity for the sport, their support will be invaluable in inspiring new golfers and spreading the message that golf is a game for all.”

He added: “We are aware, like many other sports, golf faces challenges around declining participation. Get Into Golf is a call to action and working with Sky across their channels and digital outlets, as well as the wider golfing community puts us in a strong position to change perceptions, ensuring a bright future for golf.”

Jason Wessely, head of golf at Sky Sports, added: "Our partnership with Get Into Golf illustrates our desire to help get more people to the range and out on the course.

"This partnership comes at a great time after the amazing and inspiring success of home grown talent at The Masters. We hope to inspire players and fans further around the BMW PGA Championship, The Open, The Ryder Cup and The British Masters.”

Donald, the former European and World Number One, launched the Sky Sports British Masters Thursday free ticket offer live on Sky Sports News HQ and encouraged people of golfing backgrounds to take advantage of the initiative.

He said: “We want to continue the great work that Ian Poulter started.  We have a big focus on participation and we want to get as many people as possible through the gates.

"Sky Sports Thursday will have 20,000 free tickets for the first round at The Grove. Last year we got 57,000 spectators for the week at Woburn, so we want to increase that number.  We want to get more and more people into golf and make it fun for them as well.”

Get into golf is supported by Sport England National Lottery funding and activity is delivered by over 760 local clubs and PGA coaches.

In 2015 www.getintogolf.org had over 800,000 visits and has already seen an increase in regular participation and has impacted club membership numbers. 

Get into golf’s website www.getintogolf.org offers a wealth of information for those looking to either take up golf or improve their game including a local activity finder for taster sessions, beginner and improver courses, as well a range of instructional content.