John Daly hails One Stop Golf as 'what the world needs' to increase Golf participation
Jul 15, 2015
US star and two-time major winner John Daly has hailed One Stop Golf for its success in attracting new people to play the game ‐ saying it is 'what the world needs' to address falling numbers of people taking up the sport.
Speaking after touring our facilities, and as he prepares to take part in The Open at St Andrew's ‐ 20 years after famously claiming the Claret Jug himself ‐ Daly hailed One Stop as a 'great place for people to learn the game', due to our low-cost 'pay as you play' offers, and policy of no dress code or memberships.
Having seen the range of games on offer, from Pirate Adventure and Fun Golf courses for the young, a nine-hole Footgolf course, and the very best practice facilities and technological analysis for skilled players and professionals on specifically designed Short Game, Target Golf and floodlit driving ranges, Daly described the One Stop offering as 'awesome'.
"The facilities are fantastic. It is awesome. Anybody can come here and play, and importantly the price is right," said Daly, one of the sport's most popular characters. "You can come and hit balls, play soccer golf and practice your short game. This is what the world needs for people to have an opportunity to see if they like the game, especially the beginners.
"It's just a great place for people to learn how to play the game. This is what golf needs, if it gets people in, let it be."
Daly's visit came of the back of One Stop Golf being recognised by England Golf ‐ a body which looks after the interests of over 1,900 UK golf clubs and 713,000 men and women club members.
At its Annual Conference this year, England Golf awarded us its 'Modernisation Award', in recognition of our work in getting new people into the sport.
We are currently offering 250 beginners the chance to take up four free lessons with a qualified PGA instructor over the summer, with the aim of taking starters to a point where they feel capable of playing a round of golf at a local club.
And Daly admitted that first introduction to the sport is key, something not always easy when faced with costly memberships and course fees at clubs.
"It's tough, we are fighting the same battle in the States," he said.
"I bought a golf course for my members in Oct 2004 and I had to close it down because it wasn't supported. It is tough. Golf clubs and courses are way too expensive. Clubs have to find a way to bring that down, and we just need a lot more affordable golf courses.
"The way golf is going now, if we don't reduce the cost, not just here but in the States also, we'll lose the next generation. One Stop Golf have made it easy for everybody. It is not overwhelming for beginners and it's not too expensive."
Daly took the opportunity to perfect his own short game skills whilst sampling the One Stop Golf experience, admitting it was a test for even his own skills to chip out of bunker and remain on the greens.
And he suggested that our Short Game practice area be the perfect place for any new player to start.
"It's ideal for good players to come and practice and it's perfect for young kids who have never played," he said.
"That little chipping green is where I would get people to start. Let them learn to chip and putt before they even try and hit a drive, because if you don't like chipping and putting you're not going like the game.
"You either fall in love with it or you don't, and hopefully more kids fall in love with it by coming to places like this as we want to grow the game. If they do fall in love with it, they can come here and practice and end up going on to a golf game.
"Mark Rozenbroek and the team here have done a wonderful job. It is a great opportunity to do a lot of things. Soccer Golf is awesome. It's the only way I'd play soccer. Kick it, and then walk to it."
Recalling his own first experience of the sport, Daly says it was a world away from being able to play on such great facilities as those on offer at One Stop Golf.
"It was tough for me when I started," he said.
"I grew up on a little nine-hole golf course. Kids couldn't play until they were 10 and I was decent at six, so I'd wait at the pond to get the golf balls for them and sell them to the club so they would let me play
"I was six or seven and they asked me to play in the Sunday scramble because I could help them.
"It can be tough for kids, as I didn't have any money when I was growing up. I learned to play the game on a baseball field. I would hit flop shops to the pitchers mat and chip shots to first base and nice longer flop shots to second base. I'd hit a cut to right field, straight to centre field and a draw to left field. That's how I learned to play the game.
"We had nothing like this. Mark deserves great credit for what he has done here."
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