Unlocking diversity: Golf’s opportunity to access untapped communities
Innovative partnership creates unprecedented demand for golf within the Muslim community
An innovative partnership has uncovered new opportunities to bring unrepresented communities of players into golf.
The partnership between Syngenta and the Muslim Golf Association, supported by love.golf, created a series of taster experiences for Muslim women across the UK and Middle East throughout 2022, with more than 1,200 signing up for their first taste of the game.
A new multimedia feature, ‘Unlocking diversity: Golf’s opportunity to access untapped communities’, explores why the partnership was formed, the forward-thinking clubs involved and the wider implications for the golf industry.
Unlocking diversity: Golf’s opportunity to access untapped communities
Why Muslim women?
Syngenta Golf’s market research highlighted the $35bn opportunity to introduce more women to golf. While the latent demand for golf is strong across many demographics and communities, the evidence and methodology for how to attract, deliver a meaningful experience to, and then retain new customer groups is very weak. This is particularly true for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.
Muslim women are a rare sight on traditional golf courses and yet are a highly viable and valuable target customer for the industry.
An initial pilot session supported by the MGA and delivered by love.golf in 2021 sold out three times over in 24 hours and indicated a much greater underlying demand, laying the foundations for last year’s partnership.
Mark Birchmore, Head of Global Marketing for Syngenta Turf and Landscape, said: “2022 proved that there are undeserved communities and customers who are interested in golf and willing to participate in the right experience if it is designed specifically for their needs.
“Golf can be representative of the communities within which it resides and we have seen some real leadership by the clubs and coaches involved in these events.
“More diverse businesses are more financially sustainable, and both Syngenta and the love.golf brand will continue to forge new relationships and offers to extend these experiences to new communities.”
In the UK, Sport England figures indicate that only about 0.6% of the 8 million people from BAME backgrounds play golf regularly. And despite golf’s boom in popularity since the pandemic, only around 5% of newcomers are non-white.
Diversity in the sport clearly remains an issue, but the achievements of love.golf and the MGA in 2022 show there is huge opportunity to change that.
To read the full article and watch the interviews, visit: Unlocking diversity: Golf’s opportunity to access untapped communities
• To receive market insights and success stories of individuals and businesses transforming golf, visit Syngenta Growing Golf: http://www.syngentagolf.com
