As Bob Dylan noted, the times they are a-changin’.
Recognizing that reality, the CWGA is trying to change along with them.
The organization, responding to the needs and requests of members and prospective members, unveiled some new initiatives on Saturday at the CWGA Annual Meeting at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center. About 260 people from 100 clubs attended the function.
Most notably, the CWGA is launching a new type of membership which the association hopes will attract more members overall, as well as more younger ones. CWGA membership dipped about 3 percent last year, to about 18,400.
The new Affiliate membership is aimed at bringing in golfers primarily interested in the game as a social experience rather than as a competitive one. It’s intended for women who aren’t currently associated with a CWGA member club, but who would like to receive the benefits CWGA membership provides. Previously, CWGA members had to belong to a member club, which often entails a fee beyond the CWGA membership cost of $25 for an individual.
The Affiliate membership includes all the benefits traditional CWGA members receive except for a USGA handicap and eligibility to compete in the association’s championships.
“Some women have no time to play with a league; the Tuesday ladies club doesn’t fit their lifestyle,” CWGA executive director Robin Elbardawil said. “If we want to grow, we have to fit with our clientele. We want to provide an opportunity for those who want a social golf experience.”
As with traditional members, Affiliate members will receive, among other things, a 20 percent discount on greens fees at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, special pricing for CWGA-sponsored clinics and events, regular e-newsletters with golf news and happenings, and discounted travel. All CWGA members, through their annual dues, also support many for-the-good-of-the-game programs such as LPGA-USGA Girls Golf and the Eisenhower-Evans Caddy Scholarship.
Other new programs the CWGA is implementing include group travel packages and Member Play Days.
The CWGA is working with Colorado Golf Trails in making available golf stay-and-play packages in Colorado and possibly Arizona.
As for Member Play Days, the CGA has held these casual outings — often at private clubs — for years as an additional perk for membership, and now the CWGA is coming on board. The 2010 Member Play Days — which feature net and gross divisions as well as a women’s social division with no competition — are set for The Pinery Country Club in Parker (May 24), Ptarmigan Country Club in Fort Collins (June 7), the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs (July 12), The Bridges Golf Club in Montrose (Aug. 9), the River Course at Keystone (Aug. 30) and Red Rocks Country Club in Morrison (Sept. 27). Entry fees include golf, lunch and prizes.
The CWGA will spread the word about its new programs — particularly the Affiliate membership — at an event called the CWGA Experience on April 24 (11:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) at CommonGround Golf Course. For $49, participants will receive a welcome gift, lunch, group instruction from LPGA professionals and Rules of Golf tips. Registration for the CWGA Experience opens on March 3.
The day will be open to any women, but the CWGA is particularly hoping to attract interest in its Affiliate membership.
“We do all the (CWGA) competitions and we’ll continue to do so, but there are plenty of golfers out there looking for the social aspect,” Elbardawil said.
Many of the changes the CWGA are implementing are in response to the association’s 2009 member survey. One thing the CWGA found in going through responses was that 86 percent of its responding membership was 50 or older. With that in mind, the CWGA is particularly focusing on attracting new younger members.
“We really have a market we’re not tapping into,” Elbardawil noted. And, as she emphasized Saturday, it’s very possible women joining the CWGA with an Affiliate membership could eventually become a ladies club member. If such clubs offer some events in the evening or on weekends — rather than just in the morning or early afternoon on weekdays — Elbardawil believes that could help attract working women. That’s a message Elbardawil and CWGA president Joanne Braucht plan to address when they speak at the Colorado PGA’s Spring Business Meeting and Education Seminar on March 29.
“We’re trying to reach people we’re not reaching right now,” Elbardawil said. “We can preach to the choir, but we want to go beyond that.”
