STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2010
NEW ZEALAND GOLF STRATEGIC TEGIC PLAN 2008-2010 VISION To be the sport of choice for all New Zealanders throughout their lives. MISSION New Zealand Golf aspires to develop the game of golf in a commercial and inclusive manner; ultimately growing participation and sustainability of the industry at all levels.
NEW ZEALAND GOLF STRATEGIC TEGIC PLAN 2008-2010 1. Achieve success on the international stage OBJECTIVES 2. Increase club membership and grow participation 3. Ensure that high profile events continue 4. Ensure the governance of the game suits the modern day sporting environment 5. Ensure that New Zealand Golf is a financially viable organisation. NEW ZEALAND GOLF STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2010
ACHIEVING SUCCESS ON THE INTERNATIONAL TIONAL STAGE Every sport in the country requires success on the international stage and New Zealand Golf is no different. In order to achieve this, strategies will be developed from grass root programmes through to high performance and transition assistance for players from amateur to professional. The following key strategies will be developed: Review and implement appropriate junior golf programmes targeted specifically at golf clubs and primary, intermediate, secondary school children. These programmes will ensure young children are exposed to the game of golf and also encouraged to transition from casual participants to club members. New Zealand Golf will investigate the opportunity to work with other industry organisations in achieving their goals, ie The PGA of New Zealand. A player pathway programme will be developed and monitored for young golfers who are identified as having the potential talent to represent New Zealand Golf at an international level. New Zealand Golf's high performance programme will continue to be reviewed with new initiatives implemented. The high performance programme now includes golfers in four categories that spans talent identification to professional transition. The tiering of the high performance programme promotes greater competitiveness and the opportunity to individualise players' programmes and development. - The high performance plan has been broadened at the talent identification level and made more specific at the elite level; - New Zealand Golf will implement the concept of regional academies. Academies will be managed at a regional level in consultation with the High Performance Manager, the Junior Development Manager and high performance coaches. These academies will provide the primary means for identifying talented juniors; - As part of the high performance plan New Zealand Golf will continue to investigate a range of options with respect to sites to operate elite and developmental camps. These options include domestic purpose-built training facilities and potential offshore facilities and relationships;
ACHIEVING SUCCESS ON THE INTERNATIONAL TIONAL STAGE - A comprehensive Order of Merit system is now in place. The order of merit will provide the basis for high performance selection; - The selection policy and order of merit will continue to be public documents, the objective being to increase transparency of the process; - The domestic and international schedule has been reviewed and rationalised, the goal being to provide a comprehensive schedule of tournaments, both domestic and international, that: (a) provide high quality competition and championship standard courses; (b) provide a logical pathway for players to develop their abilities from talented junior to rookie professional; and (c) produce success in the elite amateur ranks and greater percentage of success in the transfer to professionalism for both men and women golfers. New Zealand Golf will ensure that any young amateur player who desires to turn professional will receive the appropriate assistance with this decision, and in particular New Zealand Golf will advise in areas such as management support, specific tour opportunities, media relationships, sponsorship relationships, financial planning, etc. This is a key area for New Zealand Golf to ensure that the investment in the player and the relationship developed with New Zealand Golf and the player through their amateur career has a return to New Zealand Golf in the form of international success by the player. Coaching pathway - in conjunction with the Professional Golfers Association of New Zealand, a clear coaching pathway continues to be developed to ensure those who have a desire to become involved in coaching can commence at a volunteer level and New Zealand Golf will assist these coaches to reach their appropriate goal. It is critical that New Zealand Golf has a coaching pathway to ensure the appropriate level of tuition is given to golfers with various levels of ability. National championships - in order to succeed on the international stage, domestic events managed and controlled by New Zealand Golf must be reviewed to ensure the events are appropriate for international success and are played on courses that provide a test for the players as close to international conditions as possible. It is therefore our intention to publish 1 year in advance a tournament calendar with events being held on pre-determined courses that meet this criteria. New Zealand Golf will introduce a new Super Seven competition for both men and women in in conjunction with the restructure of the regions. New Zealand Golf will continue to work closely with Districts and event companies to extend the number of elite Senior tournaments held in New Zealand with a view to providing transparent selection opportunities for Senior Representative Teams. Participation' events will be subcontracted to appropriate parties, with New Zealand Golf retaining overall control in conjunction with the tournament structure review. NEW ZEALAND GOLF STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2010
INCREASING CLUB MEMBERSHIP & GROWING PARTICIPP ARTICIPATIONTION The worldwide trend for golf club memberships is one of decreasing participation numbers at clubs. New Zealand Golf is no different, with a decrease in registered membership being recorded in the past five years. It is important for clubs and New Zealand Golf to reverse this trend. The benefits will include a larger pool of talent that can be identified by New Zealand Golf for international success and clubs will grow their revenue base, this being a key area for a number of clubs which are asset-rich and cash-poor. New Zealand Golf has carried out a specific research project with casual non-club member golfers to ascertain why they do not wish to join clubs and what services they would require to become a registered club member. Following this research an appropriate campaign will be developed, specifically aimed at the casual golfer. In conjunction with this campaign clubs will need to commit to the various requirements of the casual golfer to ensure registered membership is achieved at club level. The commitment by clubs may be in areas such as fee structures, nine hole golf, regional membership, etc. New Zealand Golf is aware that some clubs will not be party to this campaign and we accept their position, however we believe 95% of all clubs require new membership at all levels of the sport, ie juniors, male and female. Our target during this period will be to increase registered club players by 2.5% overall. Club membership growth will also be achieved by retaining membership. Specific research will be undertaken with those members who have recently resigned their membership and, where possible, strategies developed to reduce resignations at club level. Again, New Zealand Golf will be relying on clubs' participation in this project. New Zealand Golf will work with clubs and associations to develop strategies for golf and non-golf activity and to utilise the assets owned by clubs that currently do not return an appropriate level of financial benefit. New Zealand Golf will ensure clubs are aware of their responsibilities in regard to environmental issues. These issues will also have a bearing on membership health and safety concerns. New Zealand Golf will provide resources to assist clubs in becoming fully conversant with course sustainability and maintenance. New Zealand Golf will continue to inform the public as to the benefit of the sport in regard to the health and welfare of the nation.
ENSURING HIGH PROFILE EVENTS CONTINUE Any high profile event conducted by New Zealand Golf must produce benefits to the sport in general. These benefits will include such things as sponsorship, player pathway, international exposure for young talented golfers and generating interest in the sport by the media and public. The New Zealand men's Open provides the game of golf with significant coverage during the week that the event is held, with extensive media exposure. It also allows the top amateur golfers to participate alongside seasoned professionals. It is critical for the profile of sport that a New Zealand men's Open continues. For two years of this plan the New Zealand Open will be held in Queenstown at The Hills and will be managed under the joint venture arrangement between New Zealand Golf and Tuohy Associates. Women's sport in New Zealand is dominated by netball, with very few other sports commanding as much sponsorship and air time as the Silver Ferns. During the early part of this planning cycle New Zealand Golf will: Host a New Zealand women's Open event. Areas critical to this decision include sponsorship, media coverage, the ability to use the tournament to drive additional interest in the women s game. New Zealand continues to produce amateur golfers of the highest calibre yet many have found the transition to professional golf an enormous step. The current world trend of cosanctioning Tour events has resulted in fewer playing opportunities for "rookie" professionals who have recently gained a Tour card. In the interest of a fluid player development pathway it is essential that a series of 72 hole pro-am tournaments are stages throughout the year. New Zealand Golf, in conjunction with the PGA of New Zealand will work closely with host venues or Associations to provide a series of events as part of The Charles Tour. New Zealand Golf will continue to work towards a maximum of 8 Tour events, with 4 scheduled for 2009. NEW ZEALAND GOLF STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2010
ENSURING APPROPRIATE GOVERNANCE OF THE GAME Following the merger of the New Zealand Golf Association and Women's Golf New Zealand a Constitution was developed to ensure a smooth transition and merger took place to form New Zealand Golf (Inc). The sport now needs to ensure the governance structure and responsibilities meet the demands of the modern day sport environment, both in terms of management and playing conditions and achievements. New Zealand Golf Constitution will be reviewed and amended in areas such as Board structure, regional structure, Councillor representation and responsibilities, timelines for budget preparation, elections and Annual General Meetings. District associations will be reviewed in terms of structure and management, and those areas that have not merged will be assisted by New Zealand Golf to ensure that mergers take place. This review will also take into account certain golfing events controlled by New Zealand Golf and their relevance to New Zealand Golf's key objectives where the Constitution makes specific reference to regional participation, ie Interprovincials. Any changes to the Constitution and structure will be put to a Special General Meeting of New Zealand Golf for implementation and approval. With a streamlined district structure, communication by New Zealand Golf will be easier and more efficient and areas such as website and electronic communications maximised in the communication programme to associations, clubs and members. New Zealand Golf needs to ensure that communication is more effective and timely to all members and stakeholders of the game.
ENSURING FINANCIAL VIABILITY During the period of the plan New Zealand Golf will continue to be reliant on levies from members, however we will endeavour to minimise any increases in this area. If increases are necessary the appropriate notice will be given to clubs to ensure that they can plan their budgets to cover New Zealand Golf increases. It is agreed any communication on levy increases will be given in July for the forthcoming year. New Zealand Golf is heavily dependent on funding from charitable trusts, albeit at a potentially reduced level. This form of funding will continue and New Zealand Golf is grateful for the support of gaming trusts. However, we will endeavour to reduce this reliance and develop non-traditional commercial relationships for the appropriate properties owned and activity controlled by New Zealand Golf. New Zealand Golf will review the relationships it has with the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute and DotGolf to ensure that these businesses and the relationship New Zealand Golf has with them are appropriate and are returning a suitable service or financial benefit to New Zealand Golf and its members. New Zealand Golf will undertake a formal profit improvement programme to ensure that all future expenditure delivers the necessary value to golf. SPARC has committed $1.4 million to New Zealand Golf during the period 2007 / 2008. This is a significant investment and partnership for New Zealand Golf and SPARC, therefore during the strategic planning period it is critical that the relationship continues and a further contract with SPARC is concluded at the end of 2008. This renewal will only be achieved if the requirements of SPARC are met from the current contract. New Zealand Golf will ensure that its commitments to SPARC are delivered. NEW ZEALAND GOLF STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2010
OUTCOMES BY 2010 New Zealand Golf in 2010 will have achieved the following: Financially viable with less reliance on gaming trusts' money Strong commercial partnerships will have been established; these partnerships will have benefits to New Zealand Golf and members A high performance programme will be in place and will be the pathway for international success A number of top amateur players will have transitioned into the professional ranks and will be equipped to enter the world of professional golf The governance structure and management of the sport will be amended to meet the demands of the modern game Events managed by New Zealand Golf will be appropriate for high performance players as well as recreational golfers Club membership and participation levels will have grown High profile events will be established Overall profile and management of the sport and New Zealand Golf as an organisation will have improved.
NEW ZEALAND GOLF IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY: NEW ZEALAND GOLF STRATEGIC PLAN 2008-2010
NEW ZEALAND GOLF INCORPORATED www.nzgolf.org.nz