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09/04/2019
BST Could it Help Grow Golf Participation

Maybe a hot potato that could help simulate golf participation as MEPs backed the EU Commission proposal to end seasonal time changes, the practice of adjusting clocks by an hour in spring and autumn. So if EU countries (if we are still part of the EU) decide to keep their summer time this should make their final clock change on the last Sunday in March 2021, with those that prefer to keep their standard (winter) time, can adjust their clocks for the final time on the last Sunday in October 2021.

This is the draft law approved by MEPs with 410 in favour,192 against, 51 abstentions. This possible decision was based on a citizens' initiatives started in February 2018, when Parliament called on the Commission to assess the summer time arrangements directive and, if necessary, present a proposal for the directive to be revised. Following the assessment, which received 4.6 million responses, of which 84% were in favour of ending the clock changes, the Commission tabled the proposal, which will now needs to be agreed upon between the Parliament and EU ministers.

Further to this decision taken by the European parliament last week it raises the question of it's impact on golf participation and is no doubt relevant to participation in sport in general and also leisure activity in the UK as a whole. As operators of golf facilities the UK golf federation who focus on open access to golf would see some really good reasons for supporting keeping BST (British Summer Time) all year round.

The extra one hour a day during the winter months would help simulate all areas of participation, plus fitness and health and prove environmentally acceptable as driving ranges would be using less power, savings in cost could be as high as £2,000 per quarter, this is a lot of units! Doug Poole CEO - UK Golf Federation believes "whilst there is a long way to go on any final decision, it would seem clear that keeping BST could help our aims of growing golf participation and also saving valuable resources of energy"

So, it is early stages at present and could be a useful focus for the APPG-Golf to get behind and other sports governing bodies to investigate. However, the first reports from the Government is that they are not for change.