Facilities to grow the game

[Ben Lovett]

The question is how to get school kids interested in golf in a country with no golf history. In Turkey we have 17 golf courses with most of them in Belek and with all of them being resort course and above the price range of the local families. One of the courses has a thriving program using one of the local orphanges, yet their academy course could possibly be expanded to a full 9 holes to enable them to get more greenfees!
This leads me to what should be built to attract children+non golfers to golf.
As in every developing country it seems the diffult action is championship 18 hole.

[Mike Sweeney]

In the case of developing countries, our model has been to provide a link to "first world" connections and models that they emulate and this helps bring in money. We sponsor a women's/girl's football team in Afghanistan and we connect them in a variety of ways to teams and people here in the USA and Italy:

http://womensannex.com/blogs/womens-annex-female-football-team-in-afghanistan-and-fiorentina-ac-will-mario-gomez-surprise-us/65961

I have made some references here to "being a member" at Kabul Golf Club but in a country with many needs, it is much easier to get support for football rather than golf for a variety of reasons starting with cost of facilities:

http://www.kabulgolfclub.org/

My suggestion is to start small. Turkey is an interesting country for us and if you have any ideas, you can contact me offline.

Thanks

[Ben Lovett]

I thinking more along the lines of executive courses and practice facilities.
Istanbul has 2 courses both exclusive
Ankara has none
Izmir none
It,s getting people onto golf courses that is the problem

[Mike_Young]

Ben,
Without sounding like the smartass that I am, let's ask the same question regarding Polo or Bobsledding.  IMHO everyone keeps trying to force the issue and we just can't do it.  It was never done here until we decided we had too many facilities and we needed to figure a way to make them all work.  Here it evolved through caddy programs, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and jobs that allowed Americans to play.  We have to uit trying to force it.  JMO

[Ben Lovett]

I look back to when I took up golf and was lucky to have lived close to 3 golf course with great beginner facility's. Ferndown golf club has a short 9 holer, Trevose has a par 3 course and 9 holer and sotogrande golf club has a junior course.
Another good example is La Canada next to Valderrama which was built for the local community by Mr Patino and designed by Trent Jones. Several tour pros have come up playing this course which as numbers increased expande to a full 18

[Tom Kelly]

Ben,

Pitch & Putt, basic Par 3 courses and driving ranges ideally with short game facilities are probably the best ways to start are they not? Perhaps try to get school groups down to the ranges and offer cheap lessons to kids. In more deprived areas maybe a caddy program or jobs with playing perks might help?

[JC Urbina]

Ben,

Introducing people to the game is a difficult one due to costs, time constraints and it can be a long learning curve. 

I spoke on this subject back when we were discussing the new Punchbowl Green at Bandon Dunes resort.  When I was creating the final shapes  and spending endless hours on the sand pro floating out the putting surfaces i had time to reflect.  I thought a large putting course would be a fine way to introduce the game of golf to the the masses.  Putting is half of the game and the cost to build a putting course would be nominal compared to an 18 hole golf course and the cost to mow and maintain a large green insignificant as compared to the number of people you could have on the putting course at any time.  I wish I could design and build one in New York's, Central Park and every large metropolitan park across the country

The cost for a ball and putter would be nominal, they could be rented out as part of the fee to putt on the course, you would simply return the putter when you were done and the audience could keep the ball as part of the experience.  Some may bring their own putters and golf balls but that could be part of the introduction to the equipment needed to play the game.

The Ladies putting course at St Andrews is a wonderful example of families enjoying the game without the cost and time associated with playing the Old Course.  Getting people to experience just a portion of the game with out the intimidation that goes with golf in general I think worth the effort.

A putting course to start off with would reduce some of those fears.  Keep it Simple

"Golf is supposed to be fun, spread the word"

Jim

[Ryan Coles]

Outsiders to the game would argue that there are more than enough facilities to grow the game. Just that many of these facilities stay hidden behind locked gates and are completely unaffordable to the average working man and his family.

We all want the game to grow. We just want it to grow elsewhere and not in a way that inconveniences or compromises us when we play, I suspect.

Reminds me of the scene in the Michael Douglas film, Falling Down. He's on a golf course avoiding the police when he bumps into a few old guys playing: ''Look at this place, beautiful green acres, it should be full of families or children playing. Instead it's just you idiots in your stupid hats!''

[Ben Lovett]

Jim,
I was thinking driving range, executive courses.
But I think you have hit the nail on the head in terms of all the points needed.

[Dwight Phelps]

I grew up close to a par 3 course that also had an 18-hole mini golf setup.  I played there multiple times before I ever owned a set of clubs.  I loved going out there, even if I didn't really have any training on how to hit a golf ball.

I liked this setup, and while I like the idea of a large-scale putting green as suggested by Jim Urbina above, I frequently find myself becoming physically uncomfortable just putting for long periods of time - my putting stance seems to create the largest amount of pressure on my back.  I'd also be concerned because, in my view, the easiest path to 'fun' for someone brand new to golf is get out there and whack the ball around.

Having said all that, as someone who already loves the game of golf, I would LOVE to see more or the large-scale putting greens in city parks or other central locales.  I think I'd have a lot of fun with that, I just think it would be a harder sell to a non-golfer than, 'let's go down to the little par 3 for 9 holes'.