Martinolli, Marina

Reid, Fiona

Sheridan, Hugh

Skillen, Fiona

English

ResearchOnline@GCU

Understanding golf event volunteersReid, Fiona; Skillen, Fiona; Martinolli, Marina; Sheridan, HughPublication date:2018Document VersionPublisher's PDF, also known as Version of recordLink to publication in ResearchOnlineCitation for published version (Harvard):Reid, F, Skillen, F, Martinolli, M & Sheridan, H 2018, 'Understanding golf event volunteers: case study of theScottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open 2018 '.General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright ownersand it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.Take down policyIf you believe that this document breaches copyright please view our takedown policy at https://edshare.gcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/5179 for detailsof how to contact us.Download date: 29. Jun. 202209/11/20181Understanding Golf Event Volunteers : Case study of the Scottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open 2018 Fiona Reid, Fiona Skillen, Glasgow Caledonian University and Marina Martinolli, Hugh Sheridan, Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development, Glasgow Caledonian UniversitySVRN Seminar 17th October 2018Outline of presentationContext - Volunteering, Golf and golf event volunteering in Scotland- Scottish Open and Scottish Ladies Open Events 2018- East Lothian and GullaneNew Research Study- Findings- Discussion- ImplicationsQUIZ and PRIZESVolunteering in Scotlandpage 3Rates of volunteering• 28% of Scots had volunteered formally at least once in 2017 (SHS 2018)• 16% of that volunteering was in sport (2017)• 150,00 volunteers in Scottish Sport • (Scottish Government, 2012)• “lifeblood of Scottish sport” (sportscotland 2008, p1)Golf Event VolunteeringAnnually several major events, on rotation for Open approx every 2 years in Scotland.East LothianOpen venue – MuirfieldOpen Qualifying – Renaissance ClubBritish Seniors OpenHickory OpenScottish Open and Ladies Scottish OpenEconomic impact £5.5miliion of two events to East Lothian in 201865,000 visitors to mens (13% from EL)10,000 visitors to womens (10% from EL)page 4page 5Volunteer Programme at SO and LSO 2018• Volunteers required – profits NOT high and subsidised • Specific roles and skill sets required• Tasks for volunteers are exciting and involve being close to the action – marshals and scorers  – in fact seen as an honour and privilege especially for Gullane members• Only certain clubs and golfers given the opportunity –about efficiency09/11/20182page 7•Volunteers are knowledgeable about golf –specialised volunteers (Pauline 2011)•Volunteers sourced through existing clubs •Volunteers not directly recruited by event organisers, but instead through network of other volunteers in clubs•Detailed instructions and training givenThis method of volunteer recruitment is efficient in economic terms:• host club has a volunteer overall organiser of marshals and a deputy• they contact the selected clubs to ask them to provide volunteer marshals for each hole (dictated by geography and tradition)• Each club appoints a hole controller and deputy and they recruit the 20-40 volunteers required to marshal at their hole and set up the rota of tasks and times• There are two training sessions volunteers are required to attend (one is to fit uniform) • Host club provide passes to the event, car park passes etc to each hole controller (who distributes)• All other administration is done by each hole controller, including management of volunteers during the event• Selected clubs view it as an honour to provide marshals, and to be exemplary … very motivatedThis method of volunteer recruitment is not inclusive:• Not an open process• All controlled by in this case host club • Either member of Gullane Golf Clubs or resident in home of a member or a member of hole allocated club• Tradition and club membership are keys to access to the event• The host club kept best roles for its members – for example walking marshals, walking scorers, scoreboards and their volunteers changed roles Methods• Online survey distributed through golf clubs to their volunteers• 191 responses from a volunteer workforce of approx. 900. (Not all complete)• Follow up survey asking about their experiences and management• Interviews with volunteer organisersPreliminary FindingsGenderClub AgePlaying standard and commitment - HandicapOccupationEducationpage 1209/11/20183GenderFor all volunteering, more women volunteer.SHS 2018 30% of women and 26% of men volunteer.Survey Results191 responses39 women or 20%This is high in comparison to golf participation in Scotland where just 13% of golf club members are women.Some golf clubs men only and women only …page 13Gender Balance in Scottish Golf Clubspage 14• 173000 golf club members• 87% are male • 13% female •• (Scottish Golf, 2018)page 1580 volunteers were member of second golf club, 13 of those had a third golf club also …. Mostly in the East Lothian area (20 were Gullane or Gullane Ladies)For volunteering purposes Gullane and Gullane Ladies were as one – so 92 of 191 were Gullane.  Roughly half …Of the roughly 900 volunteers, approximately half were from East Lothian clubs other than Gullane and half were members of Gullane (or Gullane Ladies).page 16page 17Age of Volunteerspage 1809/11/20184SHS 201835-44 is most frequent age of volunteer – 33% of people volunteerGolf club Membership is aging …page 19Playing Standard of Volunteerspage 20Unitl 2018, max handicap was 28 for men and 36 for women.Now 54 for both.Our data not materially different shape for women and menUsually low handicapper is 18 or less, high handicapper 19 or more … only 45 (24%) were high handicappers – 3 unknown and 143 (76%) low handicappers … page 21 page 22Word Cloud showing occupations of Volunteerspage 23Female Volunteers (39)page 2409/11/20185Male Volunteers (136)page 25 page 26Occupation and level of education is used as a proxy for income or socio economic classSHS 201819% of those living in most deprived areas volunteer37% of those living in least deprived areas volunteer39% of those in households with income of more than £40000 volunteer 20%of those in households with income of less than £20000 volunteer page 27 page 28EDUCATIONMale Postgraduate degree or equivalent 39 28.7%Degree or equivalent 55 40.4%Higher education Highers/ A Level or equivalent 20 14.7%GCSE's/'O'Grades/Standard Grades or equivalent 7 5.1%Other qualifications 7 5.1%No qualifications 8 5.9%FemalePostgraduate degree or equivalent 13 33.3%Degree or equivalent 20 51.3%Higher education Highers/ A Level or equivalent 1 2.6%GCSE's/'O'Grades/Standard Grades or equivalent 1 2.6%Other qualifications 3 7.7%No qualifications 1 2.6%page 29 page 3009/11/20186page 31Motivations for volunteeringpage 32Seeing, watchingBeingGolf, Golfers, playersCourseGullaneTopWorldpage 33Motivations of the Volunteers – do they apply?page 34• Direct value – cost of tickets versus free pass –• Opportunity to see professional golfers up close and get “inside the ropes” • Seeing their heroes-• For the love of the sport (golf) • Additionally to support club Experiences of VolunteersThese were the most important thing for volunteers –memories that they could share and pass on to their friends and family and cherish for years ….. Who they saw, whose ball they found / avoided, how they saw a particularly good shot being played, seeing players navigate difficulties …. Uniforms and sizing issues, weather…being inside the ropes made the experience much more worthwhile…09/11/20187…Much better experience being a volunteer than being a member of the paying public…."It's better than just watching" Is it an amazing opportunity for anyone local with specialised skills to participate in a major event that is close to their hearts?  Or exclusive privilege?Implications• Efficient way of making a sport event happen• Volunteers manage themselves and a volunteer manager manages them• Competent (expert) volunteers• Sustainable – future volunteers trained• East Lothian hosts 3 events  per year• Legacy is not considered – except by host club as value to their golf course and possibly hosting in futurepage 40Ryder Cup, European Championships, Solheim CupDifferent modelOpen applicationsPay to volunteer (Ryder Cup)Non-golf volunteers/fans (European Champs)Strategy of social inclusion (Solheim Cup) (5% excluded, balance men and women, non golfers)Background of Scottish Golf promoting golf for women and familiesLegacy (?!) attempts in all 3page 41Future Directions• Working with Solheim Cup chief volunteer• Much more data analysis• Interview / qualitative analysis• Future golf events e.g. Scottish Open/ Scottish Ladies Open 2019 (Renaissance)• Working with partners in golf to identify future projects09/11/20188QuizWhere will Scottish Ladies Open be held in 2019?Are men and women members of Gullane Golf Club?What major women’s golf event is being held in Scotland in 2019?How many golf courses are there in Gullane?page 43AnswersWhere will Scottish Ladies Open be held in 2019?Renaissance Club, GullaneAre men and women members of Gullane Golf Club?No – Gullane Golf Club and Gullane Ladies Golf ClubWhat major women’s golf event is being held in Scotland in 2019?Solheim CupHow many golf courses are there in Gullane?9 - Luffness, Gullane 1-3, Luffness childrens course, Gullanechildrens course, Muirfield, Archerfield, Renaissancepage 44Any Questions ?

Understanding golf event volunteers:case study of the Scottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open 2018

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Understanding golf event volunteers:case study of the Scottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open 2018

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