'My Golf Club Has No Rules... I Took Away Every Barrier To Participation' - Master PGA Pro Challenges Status Quo

As someone who started playing golf in his mid- to late-20s, I have experienced first hand how difficult the sport can be to access. Whether it be the financial burden associated with participation, or a fear of breaking one of the many rules around etiquette, dress code, or slow play, there are plenty of people who miss out on this fantastic game due to concerns that could quite feasibly be resolved.

Removing those barriers to participation is something that PGA Master Professional and owner of Leicester Golf Centre, Anders Mankert, is taking very seriously.

Since the club opened in 2018, its mantra has been all about allowing everyone to enjoy the sport, and they endeavour to achieve this by addressing some of the biggest issues with their own unique approach...

Remove Barriers To Participation

Anders Mankert

Anders Mankert is the owner and head professional at Leicester Golf Centre, with a coaching career spanning more than 28 years.

In 2024, Anders received the title of Master PGA Professional - becoming only the 65th person in history to be awarded that accolade. His vast coaching experience has transformed the golf swing of many amateurs and professionals, while also striving to grow the game through his revolutionary work at Leicester Golf Centre.

Dress Code

Let's start with one of the most highly debated topics in the sport... the dress code. If you asked a focus group of the general public about the reasons why they don't play golf, I am almost certain that dress code would be pretty high on the list.

If you don't have the correct clothing to meet the standards set by many golf clubs around the world, your immediately off to a false-start in your efforts to start your golfing journey. When discussing the issue of dress codes with Anders, he explained his more laid back approach.

"In a previous role, I had to speak to four young lads who had paid a green fee of £35 per person. I was instructed to tell them they couldn't play because one of them had blue socks on. It's embarrassing to have to be the messenger. I thought to myself, there is a different way to do this.

"In Sweden, where I am from, those dress rules don't exist. You can play golf in pretty much whatever you want, at some top golf courses. If we wanted to play in a pair of trainers and a pair of jeans, to go and have nine holes, how does that impact on anyone else's enjoyment of the game? I still don't understand it.

"At most places, you have to play in a collared shirt. Why? If I can't explain it to a customer, then I am not having it. I ended up doing away with all of it. If you want to come and play golf, then go ahead and play golf.

"It's only golf! We are all here to enjoy ourselves. It's good for your physical and mental health, your social experience, so it's important to remember it's just golf."

Equipment

For some people, like myself, the main reason that they are unable to access the sport at a young age is access to the right equipment. Often this comes down the fact that golf is an expensive sport to get into, especially when you consider that you need to purchase or procure clubs, the correct attire, golf balls, golf shoes and pay a green fee or subscription to get onto the course.

Ultimately, like any other sport, golf is a business and needs to make money to survive. However, when talking to Anders I posed the following question – should the financial burden be a barrier to participation?

"On the range I provide equipment, so if you want to come and have a go, I will lend you the clubs. If you turn up with one bag of clubs between two people and want to go out on the golf course, that's fine. At most other golf clubs you have to take one bag each, but I find myself asking why? If that's the case, they can't play because they only have one set. So, I just say crack on and have a good day. Just go and have a good time - and still to this day we (Leicester Golf Centre) have that."

Rules

For an inexperienced golfer, it can be a minefield trying to navigate the long list of rules and etiquette practices associated with the sport, leading some to give up rather than failing to meet the expectations and feeling embarrassed as a result.

This is something that Leicester Golf Centre has work tirelessly to avoid, as Anders explained...

"There are no rules at my golf club... I took away every barrier to participation. There are none. If you want to play golf, I am going to say yes to you. That's the model of this place, but that doesn't mean that standards are reduced - because they aren't. My standards, and the standards I expect of my team, are huge. I expect the welcome here, at this pay-and-play municipal golf course, to be better than at any golf course in England.

A Game For Everyone

Walking into a golf club for the first time can be a daunting experience, especially for beginners or those joining as a new member. The reception that a player receives from the staff and the members can have a huge impact on the longevity of that player's participation in the game. In our interview, Anders explained how hard each club must work to create a welcoming environment.

"Whether you are a complete novice at golf, you have played before or you don't play, or you just want to try it, I am going to treat you exactly the same. You will all receive the same welcome, irrespective of whether you are a two-handicapper or not, if you are here to play golf and have a good time then I am welcoming you.

"Being part of a golf club should be a shared experience regardless of age, sex or background. It is a facility for enjoyment. We all have started somewhere, and we have all been the beginner or the junior who wanted to come and have a go.

"There are days when we host school golf competitions and have more than 400 children on the course. It's noisy and it's fabulous. They are screaming and cheering and it's great. The majority of people enjoy hearing that because it's people having a good time and kids having an experience that they wouldn't otherwise have had. It's also a positive one, not where they are being told to keep quiet, put on a collared shirt or that they shouldn't have walked across that green.

"Your first experience will often determine your whole experience of that environment. If your first experience of a golf club 'Oi, keep it down', or 'you aren't supposed to walk there', or 'you've got the wrong shoes on', that will probably form your opinion of that game. To me, that's a shocker - that's frightening".

"I am trying to create a customer-friendly experience, regardless of whether you are ten years old, fifty or eighty, a man or a woman, whether you can play or your can't, I am going to treat you the same."