Press Release
Date: Friday, 28 July 2017
SNAG is Catching On
By Scott MacCallum
Last year Golf Management Europe reported on the launch on SNAG - Starting New At
Golf - a fun initiative designed to make golf accessible to a much wider group of wouldbe participants. As we discovered it was a superb idea making golf exciting for a whole
generation of would-be players at a time when the game was seeing its age profile creep
ever upwards and we hoped that it might take off.
Now, 12 months on, SNAG has made huge leaps in its development with initiatives taking
off in all corners of the world.
“It is exciting times for us at the moment and we are building on the momentum which
has been built over the last 12 months,” explained Guy Higton, of International Golf
Development, the company tasked with promoting the development of SNAG is Europe,
the Middle East and Africa.
“We are seeing new territories coming on stream with national Governments backing
SNAG and Federations and PGAs working together to make it a success,” explained
Higton, who cited the Czech Republic as one country which has embraced the concept.
SNAG differs from the traditional royal and ancient game in a number of ways, not least
the fact that there is no hole! Instead you have a Flag Sticky, a weighted cylinder which is
covered in “hook” material, so it can be played indoors as well as out. You tee off from
the “Launch Pad” and the ball, which is slightly smaller than a tennis ball and covered in
“loop” material, can be hit up to 75 yards. There are only two clubs – a launcher and a
roller - so your caddie can rarely be accused of mis-clubbing you!
“What we are now seeing is more SNAG short courses being built and the game being
played in a more traditional environment with people meeting up to play a quick round
and enjoy a few drinks afterwards. The next phase is to organise competitions on a weekly
basis and start to build on that groundswell,” said Higton.
SNAG was invented by a couple of US PGA Pros, Wally Armstrong and Terry Anton 13
years ago, who realised that golf was a particularly difficult game to master and
developed a simpler version to create fun much earlier in a players’ development.
Let’s face it, golf is a game that, for all but the most naturally talented, takes many years
to become even remotely competent SNAG is a wonderful way to bring feelings of
genuine achievement and enjoyment at a very early stage.
But don’t just take Higton’s word for it. How about that of the greatest golfer who has ever
swung a golf club?
The Golden Bear himself, Jack Nicklaus, has teamed up with SNAG and the US National
Recreation and Parks Association to increase access to and engagement with golf for
young and old alike.
“The youngest shy away from golf because there’s no-one to share responsibility with – it’s
all on their shoulders,” explained the man with 18 Major Championships to his name.
Nicklaus also highlighted the equipment issues, which is where SNAG’s unique launcher
and roller clubs make an enormous difference.
“If adults think that it’s hard to connect with a tine golf ball using a long stick, imagine
how a six year old feels?”
Jack Nicklaus Learning Leagues will be broken down into age categories of 5-6; 7-8; 9-10
and 11-12 with special leagues for Active Adults.
Similar programmes are also taking place in countries as diverse as Russia and Nigeria as
the benefits of SNAG become more evident.
In Russia, where there are currently 6,000 registered golfers. SNAG is being promoted
through the Russian Golf Federation and INTERGOLF, which was founded in 2010 to
promote the game.
“We believe SNAG to be the best golf training method and we are absolutely positive
that SNAG will make the playing of golf more exciting for a large number of children and
adults,” said Head of INTERGOLF, Marina Valevskaya.
This year the Russian Ministry of Education and Science recommended that golf be trialled
in comprehensive schools in Russia and since then around 20 schools in the Moscow
region have started working with SNAG programmes. As recently as May INTERGOLF held
SNAG demonstration lessons for 200 interested schools.
The Let’s Play Golf In School programme is using SNAG as an introduction to golf for
schoolchildren in Nigeria, where SNAG Master Trainer, Tony Howarth, was brought in to
conduct a Train the Trainer session for PE teacher and Golf Pros.
“We have seen South Africa and Zimbabwe turn out many top professionals over the
years including Gary Player, Ernie Els and Nick Price. However the rest of Africa is still a
continent in the early stages of its golf development and programmes such as the one in
Nigeria will go a long way to introducing the sport to the masses,” said Howarth, after his
Nigerian trip.
The co-ordinated work of those countries, where golf doesn’t have a tradition, is to be
applauded and can perhaps act as a model for those other countries where golf is more
established but where the opportunity to bring it to a greater number of people is
perhaps being missed.
“I’d like to challenge the industry in the UK to pull together to make this work as it has
been demonstrated in other parts of the world that those who start with SNAG progress to
traditional golf, join golf clubs and begin to play a full part in being golfers,” added
Higton, who is passionate in his belief that SNAG can become a key tool in addressing the
ever increasing age profile that has been golf’s ticking time bomb for several decades.
“The game here needs to pull together collectively and build from the bottom of the
pyramid up and, to me, that means PGA pros carrying out more community outreach
work and setting up programmes for youngsters even if it is just for one hour each week.
We need to put the greater good of the game first, and teach the kids as they are the
next generation of golfer.”
With golf club budgets becoming ever more stretched and waiting lists a thing of the past
at many regular members’ clubs SNAG should be considered as a mechanism for
ensuring a fresh intake of enthusiastic, and, more importantly, young golfers come
knocking at their doors.
Ends
For further information please contact IGD:
Contact: Marie Wild
Tel: 01482 333123
Mob: 07786164231
[email protected]