THE NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE DEBATE:
How do we get the pros back?

From Ian Bratton
Newburgh-on-Ythan GC
PGA Professional


This is my view as to why the pros are not present at the Alliance in the same numbers as years gone by.
1 - Most pros don't have as many staff due to a number of circumstances (eg. minimum wage coming in and the credit crunch hitting in). Thus the pro either works on a Wednesday, or has to employ someone to cover the shop.
2 - There are not so many assistant pros on the go because the prospects of turning pro and working as a club pro doesn't seem to appeal to kids in the North-east. The oil industry is strong so most want to take the safe option and head for the North Sea. On the playing front they would go from playing lots of golf during the season as an amateur to playing virtually no golf due to the lack of assistants golf on the Tartan Tour.
3 - Most of the head pros have become shopkeepers and teachers, having to work twice as hard during the season to make a living. This has made the Tartan Tour very two-sided. You are either a player pro or a club pro. To mix both is impossible. This is mainly due to the change in the golf trade. Where as in the past the club pros had all the business in their hands and did not have the distraction of the Internet and big High Street stores. The only place anyone could buy a set of clubs outwith the pro shop was a set of clubby book Pin of Lee Trevino mastermex( along with a bit of stick from the mates as well)!!
Hence their competitive edge has gone and they don't have a hunger to play in the season or through the winter in the Alliance.
4 - Sorry about all the doom and gloom, it can't be that bad!!!

Here's my message to the club pro's and assistants:
Make the Alliance season your golf season.
The courses are great.
The competition is great (I like the fact that I can play against TWO Scottish Amateur champions in the same day)
The club pros are not the ones being shot at any more!
The North-east Alliance is well run, thanks to Ron Menzies.
It's well documented, thanks to Colin Farquharson, thus giving you good publicity if you do well.
You have a chance to market yourselves on the day, by promoting your shop and your lessons.
Your golf will improve by having a card in the pocket week in week out.
5 - My suggestion to improve the format would be to put a slot on each tee time for pros and sub-5 handicap amateurs (ie, handicap of 4 or less), so that the club golfers would be guaranteed to get a game with a good player.

Regards,
Ian Bratton
PGA Professional
Newburgh on Ythan Golf Links
Beach Road
Aberdeenshire
AB41 6BY
Tel 01358 789058
E-mail: pro@newburghgolfclub.co.uk

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