Welcome to the European Golf Special Report, this series of blogs will investigate the state of golf in Germany, Ireland and France as well as guide you through some of the best golf courses in those countries I have personally played as well as my experiences whilst caddying in Ireland. I will provide you with an updated version of my blog "Rising out of the shadow of the Mournes" where I follow the emerging careers of Reeve Whitson and Simon Thornton and I will cover the Irish Open and Open de France. I will use several sources including the European Golf Association, European Tour, French Golf Federation, German Golf Federation, Golfing Union of Ireland, the PGA's of Europe and many more to complete a thorough investigation, in addition to my own knowledge and experiences to create an entertaining and informing series.
The first blog will look at the state of golf in Germany, the contribution companies in Germany make to professional golf across the world and the status of the game and its golfers in the wider public. The second blog "HooperstarGolfer on Tour" will tell you about my trip to Germany and expose my experience of playing one of Germany's premier courses - Gut Larchenhof near Cologne. The third blog "Rising out of the shadow of the Mourne's" will update the progress of Reeve Whitson and Simon Thornton as the 2013 golfing season reaches the Irish Open for the two rising stars from Newcastle, County Down. The fourth blog "HooperstarGolfer on Tour" will look at the golf courses I have played across Ireland including the Montgomerie Course at Carton House, which is the host course of the 2013 Irish Open and Royal Portrush, host of the 2012 Irish Open. The fifth blog will investigate the state of the game in Ireland, how the professional tournaments have dwindled in Ireland at the same time the professional players from the nation have thrived on the global stage.
The sixth blog "Adventures of an English caddie in Ireland" will share my experiences of caddying at Royal County Down, Kilcock Golf Club and Dunfanaghy Golf Club, and travelling across Ireland in 2004 and 2006. The seventh blog will review the 2013 Irish Open as the stars of Irish golf take on the rising stars of the game in the Emerald Isle at Carton House. The eighth blog "HooperstarGolfer on Tour" will share my experience of running a golf event in Brittany, France in May 2006 and playing three rounds on the Challenge Tour venue Pleneuf de Val Andre. The ninth blog will investigate golf and the state of the game in France and ask who is the next star of French golf and the tenth blog will look at the growth of the Ryder Cup and the bidding contest to stage the 2018 Ryder Cup, won by France. The eleventh and final blog of the series will review the Open de France and will wrap up the series.
Germany is the largest country in Europe with a population of over 80 million people and is one of the world's great sporting nations, with prodigious achievements at the Olympic Games across multiple sports, unrivalled Formula 1 champions and the second-most successful national football team in the world. Golf was introduced to Germany in the early 1900's and had one of the oldest national open championships in Europe, formed in 1911 and won by the likes of Vardon, Taylor, Cotton, Van Donck, Locke, Thomson, Hunt, De Vicenzo, Ballesteros, Jacklin, Langer, Pavin, Grady, Singh, Montgomerie and Woosnam before it ceased to exist in 1999. But despite the long history of golf in the country it has only produced two genuinely world-class competitors in over 100 years of the game in Germany.
Martin Kaymer and Bernhard Langer have won three major championships and 53 European and PGA Tour victories between them, and have spent a combined 11 weeks at the top of the world golf rankings. They have both featured in Europe's greatest Ryder Cup successes across three decades, and Langer captained the team to a record victory in 2004. But aside from these two there are very few other prominent German golfers, and even Kaymer's recent success has been overshadowed by the triple world championship winning Formula 1 driver Sebastien Vettel. Langer commands more respect and attention but even his achievements were somewhat cast a shadow over by Boris Becker and Michael Stich with their wins on the turf at Wimbledon. Of course all sports in Germany are very much secondary to the national passion of Football, but many Footballers also play golf, which is helping to raise the profile of the sport in the country.
Oliver Khan and Franz Beckenbauer played a prominent role in publicizing the German bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup, the bid ultimately failed but there was little doubt that the aim was to grow the game in Germany and help the sport to fulfil its potential in the country. The number of golfers affiliated to the German Golf Federation is 635,097 - a number which is actually second only to England in the whole of Europe - this number of affiliated golfers has grown every single year since 1985. Germany has roughly 71million people aged 15 and over and approximately less than 0.8% of adult Germans are affiliated golfers and this percentage is far lower in the grass roots game for juniors.
Germany does not lack facilities though and more are being built, but the problem is the expense and that many of these facilities are very private, keeping the game unavailable to the less well-off families in the urban areas of the major population centres of Germany. The German golfing system also can be attributed to the relatively low percentage of people who play the game in the country. To play golf in Germany you must have a handicap - or Platzreife - and have to take a Platzreife examination before they can play golf.
The examination is as follows
Source: http://berlin.angloinfo.com/information/lifestyle/sports-and-leisure/golf/
In 2006 the DGV introduced new examination guidelines for obtaining a DGV-certified golfing licence. This certification is the most widely accepted form of golfing licence in Germany and can be obtained by all golfers no matter whether they are a club member or not. There are now over 400 clubs in Germany offering three- to five-day courses for obtaining a DGV and PGA approved golfing licence.
Source: http://berlin.angloinfo.com/information/lifestyle/sports-and-leisure/golf/
This test can in many ways be applauded because it educates the German golfer about the game from the very beginning, but it can be said that it contributes to the low percentage of Germans playing the game because of the time it takes to complete the test and just because with Football all you need is a ball, a few friends and a field. Once you have paid for the license, which is the equivalent of a membership at a local St Andrews Golf Club, the golfer needs to find the money for a membership of a club or stump up for green fees every time they play. Golf Club Nord Eichenreid near Munich, host of the 2013 BMW International Open charges a daily fee of €80 per round which is reasonable in comparison to other equivalent European Tour host facilities across the world. Next year's BMW International Open will be played at the elite, private Gut Larchenhof Golf Club near Cologne. The club membership is by invitation only and membership costs in excess of €30,000 per year to play on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course and enjoy the world-class practice facilities and luxurious clubhouse.
The likes of St Leon Rot and Gut Kaden golf clubs offer green fees to the public but again they are upwards of €80 per round and the country lacks for affordable public courses, which would enable younger, less well-off individuals to take up the game rather than having to wait until they are of an age where they can earn a salary. This is holding back the development of the game in Europe's largest country but its inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games may lead to greater investment from the government in public facilities such as driving ranges and nine-hole courses which make the game more accessible to people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds.
Tomorrow I share my experiences of golfing in Germany with my trip to see one of my best friends in Cologne in March 2013.
The sixth blog "Adventures of an English caddie in Ireland" will share my experiences of caddying at Royal County Down, Kilcock Golf Club and Dunfanaghy Golf Club, and travelling across Ireland in 2004 and 2006. The seventh blog will review the 2013 Irish Open as the stars of Irish golf take on the rising stars of the game in the Emerald Isle at Carton House. The eighth blog "HooperstarGolfer on Tour" will share my experience of running a golf event in Brittany, France in May 2006 and playing three rounds on the Challenge Tour venue Pleneuf de Val Andre. The ninth blog will investigate golf and the state of the game in France and ask who is the next star of French golf and the tenth blog will look at the growth of the Ryder Cup and the bidding contest to stage the 2018 Ryder Cup, won by France. The eleventh and final blog of the series will review the Open de France and will wrap up the series.
Martin Kaymer and Bernhard Langer have won three major championships and 53 European and PGA Tour victories between them, and have spent a combined 11 weeks at the top of the world golf rankings. They have both featured in Europe's greatest Ryder Cup successes across three decades, and Langer captained the team to a record victory in 2004. But aside from these two there are very few other prominent German golfers, and even Kaymer's recent success has been overshadowed by the triple world championship winning Formula 1 driver Sebastien Vettel. Langer commands more respect and attention but even his achievements were somewhat cast a shadow over by Boris Becker and Michael Stich with their wins on the turf at Wimbledon. Of course all sports in Germany are very much secondary to the national passion of Football, but many Footballers also play golf, which is helping to raise the profile of the sport in the country.
Oliver Khan and Franz Beckenbauer played a prominent role in publicizing the German bid to host the 2018 Ryder Cup, the bid ultimately failed but there was little doubt that the aim was to grow the game in Germany and help the sport to fulfil its potential in the country. The number of golfers affiliated to the German Golf Federation is 635,097 - a number which is actually second only to England in the whole of Europe - this number of affiliated golfers has grown every single year since 1985. Germany has roughly 71million people aged 15 and over and approximately less than 0.8% of adult Germans are affiliated golfers and this percentage is far lower in the grass roots game for juniors.
Germany does not lack facilities though and more are being built, but the problem is the expense and that many of these facilities are very private, keeping the game unavailable to the less well-off families in the urban areas of the major population centres of Germany. The German golfing system also can be attributed to the relatively low percentage of people who play the game in the country. To play golf in Germany you must have a handicap - or Platzreife - and have to take a Platzreife examination before they can play golf.
The examination is as follows
The licence examination
The Platzreife examination comes in two parts:
- The practical test: tests driving, putting and chipping skills. Golfers must complete an 18-hole round in 108 strokes or fewer with a DGV-certified golf pro
- The written examination: tests knowledge of the rules of golf and golfing etiquette. A minimum of 24 out of 30 correct answers is required to pass. The test is in German
Source: http://berlin.angloinfo.com/information/lifestyle/sports-and-leisure/golf/
In 2006 the DGV introduced new examination guidelines for obtaining a DGV-certified golfing licence. This certification is the most widely accepted form of golfing licence in Germany and can be obtained by all golfers no matter whether they are a club member or not. There are now over 400 clubs in Germany offering three- to five-day courses for obtaining a DGV and PGA approved golfing licence.
Source: http://berlin.angloinfo.com/information/lifestyle/sports-and-leisure/golf/
This test can in many ways be applauded because it educates the German golfer about the game from the very beginning, but it can be said that it contributes to the low percentage of Germans playing the game because of the time it takes to complete the test and just because with Football all you need is a ball, a few friends and a field. Once you have paid for the license, which is the equivalent of a membership at a local St Andrews Golf Club, the golfer needs to find the money for a membership of a club or stump up for green fees every time they play. Golf Club Nord Eichenreid near Munich, host of the 2013 BMW International Open charges a daily fee of €80 per round which is reasonable in comparison to other equivalent European Tour host facilities across the world. Next year's BMW International Open will be played at the elite, private Gut Larchenhof Golf Club near Cologne. The club membership is by invitation only and membership costs in excess of €30,000 per year to play on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course and enjoy the world-class practice facilities and luxurious clubhouse.
The likes of St Leon Rot and Gut Kaden golf clubs offer green fees to the public but again they are upwards of €80 per round and the country lacks for affordable public courses, which would enable younger, less well-off individuals to take up the game rather than having to wait until they are of an age where they can earn a salary. This is holding back the development of the game in Europe's largest country but its inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games may lead to greater investment from the government in public facilities such as driving ranges and nine-hole courses which make the game more accessible to people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds.
Tomorrow I share my experiences of golfing in Germany with my trip to see one of my best friends in Cologne in March 2013.
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