The aims of the questionnaire to monitor membership trends within golf clubs in England over time highlight the effect of current development initiatives and identify where resources are best focused in the future.

Richard Flint, Golf Development Manager commented: ?Ongoing research is vital for the EGU and ELGA in particular to gain a greater understanding of the game as a whole, golf clubs and individual golfers. By responding to the questionnaire golf clubs are helping us to identify where to focus future resources?.

The EGU and ELGA are offering an incentive for golf clubs to complete their questionnaire with every golf club returning the research by the deadline date of 30th April 2006 being entered into a draw to win up to ?300 towards the coaching of juniors within the club or to offer taster sessions to people of any age.

In order to make the process of completing the questionnaire easier and quicker there is the option this year for clubs to complete the research online. Each clubs will be issued with a unique password unique which will allow them access to the facility at the Get into Golf website www.getintogolf.org/golfclubquestionnaire2006.

Results of the previous research completed in 2004 can be found on the EGU website

Free Golf Coaching Funding receives fastest response ever

The English Golf Union Limited (EGU) and the English Ladies' Golf Association (ELGA) have seen the fastest ever response from golf clubs in applying to receive funding for Free Golf Coaching taster sessions.

In just two months over 200 clubs have signed up to receive the ?200 grant which is offered to affiliated golf clubs by the EGU and ELGA to help attract new golfers and members. As well as the funding itself the EGU and ELGA actively promote the free taster sessions at local and national level through press releases and via the EGU and ELGA websites. Posters are also provided for display at the golf club and in local facilities.

2006 looks like breaking last years record when over 5000 beginners took advantage of the taster sessions that were held at more than 190 clubs around England. Research following the taster sessions identified that over 75% of participants who responded had continued to play golf after their free taster session. The majority had either played rounds of golf or visited a driving range, with 37% booking further golf lesions and 12% joining golf clubs.

The free taster sessions are aimed at adults as well as juniors and in 2005 over 30% of participants were under 18.

Richard Flint "We are absolutely delighted with the response from clubs for Free Golf Coaching funding. Previous years figures show that thousands of people have been introduced to the game of golf and club membership as a result of the taster sessions and we look forward to reaching record levels in 2006."

To view a full list of participating clubs visit the Get into Golf website at

www.getintogolf.org or the EGU website at www.englishgolfunion.org.

The Free Golf Coaching funding is an initiative jointly provided by the EGU and ELGA via the England Golf Partnership?s ?Whole Sport Plan? for golf.