European Tour chief: golf clubs must modernise

In an interview with The Guardian newspaper Keith Pelley, The European Tour’s chief executive called on golf clubs in the UK to ‘think differently’ and to modernise.

Pelley, whose initiatives include the Golf Sixes event which included a shot clock and a ‘walk on’ music, was recruited to the role from outside golf and from the beginning of his tenure it has been clear that he is seeking to push through change.

“In terms of the golf clubs themselves, I challenge them,” said Pelley, the European Tour’s chief executive. “I challenge them to think differently. I challenge them to look beyond the rules that have always been there and I think this is critical for the success of our game going forward.

“There are always going to be clubs who stand above the rest but it is all those other golf courses that will succeed and become even more profitable if they engage more people. The way they are going to engage more people is by thinking outside the box. Let them in. What we don’t want to be is a sport for the elite.”