As soon as they hit the internet – a quartet garbed in leather jackets, and check shirts, with golf clubs slung over their arms – the rumbles started.
Here was a bright and bold message, an entreaty to first timers, and there wasn’t a pair of white socks or a collared polo shirt in sight.
England Golf’s Get into Golf campaign was designed to “shake up ideas about the sport” and it certainly did that.
The ripped jeans, the leggings, the sparkly jacket – this was an image of golf that is alien to most of the 1,900 clubs the governing body represents.
It’s designed to appeal to people picking up a club for the first time, those who wouldn’t ordinarily step through the doors into the polyester world of a clubhouse.
It creates a paradox, though. In many clubs across the country, if any of the players depicted in the adverts want to carry on with the game they are going to have to adopt a very different wardrobe.
Ultimately, as chief executive Nick Pink says, the aim is to get people clicking on the Get into Golf website and finding a session.
But how does he feel about the reaction to the campaign, what is his view on dress codes and shouldn’t we really be talking about something else than what everyone is wearing?
The relaunch of the Get into Golf programme was headline with a very striking advertising campaign. How was that conceived?
The whole focus of the brand is aimed around openness – trying to remove the barriers we’ve been talking about and making golf accessible to everyone.
It is deliberately different and it’s meant to be.
I thought England Golf were making a statement – about the kind of players they wanted to attract to the game and attitudes that are potential barriers to participation. Is that right?
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Definitely. I’ve had some very interesting emails and letters about it, but that’s the whole point. We wanted to get a conversation going.
We set out to spark a reaction and challenge things like dress codes and the attitudes and behaviour we have towards people.
Do I expect Miss blue leather jacket, pink leather jacket and bright orange checked shirt to rock up to the club tomorrow wearing that? No, of course not.
But the point is that our models and social influencers are wearing their normal clothes.
Out on the high street everyone is wearing something similar.
These are people who might play golf, but when they arrive in the club car park we expect them to look and behave differently.
Why? If you watch some of our social media content, Alex, our cyclist, goes to Get into Golf sessions with a few friends. They are all wearing leisure gear, which respected the dress environment where they were. They had their session, then had a pint afterwards, doing what you and I would do.
Apart from one or two range outings they have never played golf before. Now they are experiencing it first hand and this is the market we are trying to reach.
Is there any reason why they shouldn’t be able to come to the golf club dressed like that?
Not necessarily. There are clubs where you can. This is part of changing times and changing behaviours.
Some people feel it is really important there is a strong dress code in place as that naturally brings a respect of the club and environment.
Part of me understands that, but it shouldn’t be the norm. We will cut out so many people from the sport if we think that’s the norm.
The world has shifted and changed in a very short space of time and golf has to reflect that.
I very rarely wear a tie for business meetings, most meetings now are smart casual. But too many golf clubs still adhere to very strict dress codes and environments that stop people from taking part.
So what’s the answer? Interview continues on the next page…
My fear is we have a traditional core of golf club members that are ageing, and a potential new generation put off from participating because the game is caught between two stools. How do you address that issue?
Once again, it’s down to the club to decide how to appeal to different groups.
We don’t say to clubs ‘you’ve got to change’ but we do challenge, in the right way, and share information and best practice to help them make and own their decisions.
It’s important to look at issues such as: Where is the club? What’s its position in the local community and golfing market? How strong is the club?
We should talk about positive ways of attracting and retaining members and not immediately highlight the barriers.
If the first thing I am thinking when I go to a club is ‘what do I have to wear?’ – rather than ‘let’s go and have some fun’ – we’re not doing the right thing, are we?
Were you excited by the buzz that Get into Golf brought?
I’m not lying when I say I was nervous. You should be nervous about anything that’s new and different.
It’s great that we now have some 300 clubs signed up and we have thousands of activities online and people taking part.
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Get into Golf is now a very focused campaign. We are targeting men and women who are 25 to 45-years-old– and we know these two groups have huge market potential for golf.
Yes, we have to cater for the 65 to 75-year-olds but we have got to start thinking about the 10, 15 and 25-year-olds coming into the sport.
What is Get into Golf?
Get into Golf aims to inspire people to give the sport a go by offering low-cost or free beginner activities at clubs across England.
In the last four years, more than 180,000 people have taken part in activities and over 22,000 of them have gone on to join clubs.
More than 300 clubs in England offer Get into Golf activities, which can be found and booked on the Get into Golf website.
Why does it bother you what I wear?
What golf’s obsession with dress codes says about us
Pictures courtesy of Leaderboard Photography
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