Using golf to rehabilitate service personnel and social prescriptions

Philip Morley, independent executive chair of the BGIA, talks about why the BGIA are so proud to work with the On Course Foundation and fund different events and an upcoming seminar which is free of charge for all BGIA members.

GIA Association Manager, Ciara Morgan, and I recently attended one of the events put on by the On Course Foundation to support the recovery of wounded, injured and sick Service personnel and veterans through golf, which took place at High Post Golf Club. There will be four of these two day events in 2017, all paid for by the Grow Golf Fund which is contributed to by several BGIA members including Acushnet, Callaway, PING and TaylorMade along with Brand Fusion, Eaton Golf Pride, Motocaddy, Peter Millar, Sports Marketing Surveys, Wilson and  Yonex. The BGIA and the Grow Golf contributors are very proud to have been able to make this happen.

On 18th October, the FSPA will welcome members from around the UK for a seminar: ‘Getting to market through selective distribution – what’s next?’. This afternoon session is open free of charge to all FSPA member associations including the BGIA. Following the recent publication by the European Union of its sector enquiry into e-commerce, and in light of recent enforcement activity by the EU and national competition authorities, it’s vital that our members get up-to-speed on how these developments could affect their sports or play business.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from leading sports lawyers Richard Millington and Simon Barnes.  Partners at national law firm Shoosmiths, they have extensive knowledge of international trade law and the sports world.  Following a networking lunch, we’ll take a practical look at the current laws on controlling product distribution, recent cases that illustrate what has and hasn’t been permitted, what the European Commission’s report found and the changes we may see in the future.  For further information contact Ciara.

In the coming months, our priority is to make progress with the BGIA’s Golf and Wellness initiative which will be encouraging GP’s in two UK pilot counties to think of golf when ‘Social Prescribing’ – a way of linking patients in primary care with sources of support within the community. It provides GPs with a non-medical referral option that can operate alongside existing treatments to improve health and well-being.

As the main playing season comes to an end it is good to reflect on what has been a very strong year for golf, our industry is as stable as it has been in many years. But, no sooner does one season draw to a close then planning for next begins. We are working on ways to develop and build on our successful National Golf Month, which has reached out to hundreds of thousands of none golfers in the past four years and we are developing ways to grow this message. Any ideas from the industry would be most welcome.