Secret Secretary: Dress codes, female members and social media
Does a dress code have any place in the current climate?
Yes, but dress codes have to be matched with the right environment. I think it is more a case of clubs knowing their place in the market.
Do you do anything different to attract new women members?
We find this a really difficult category to recruit due to the difficulty of our course. We rely heavily on our current lady members to help recruit new ladies and welcome them into the section. We do have a ladies’ academy which helps to encourage new players into the game. The ladies have enjoyed this facility and it allows them to meet players of a similar standard.
What is the strangest request you have ever had from a member?
From a one of our lady members: “Have you got a minute to give me a hand with my tinsel?”
Has your club ever offered free coaching to attract new members?
No, our course is a difficult one and it’s not really suitable for beginners. We do offer the academy, which has been successful, but we have never offered free coaching.
How much interest do you get through social media?
Social media is great. We are big fans of Twitter, but we don’t find Facebook as effective. We have recently set up a Google Plus page which has seen fantastic results, with 2,900 viewers in 30 days. It’s a good platform for people to view images of the club as well as keep up to date with news items.
Tom Irwin
Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.
