FIPPA Newsletter - August 2006.
Welcome to the first FIPPA Newsletter.
INNOVATION and CHANGE
Earlier this year the 2nd World Cup of Pitch and Putt was held.
Apart from those playing in the event, the World Cup would have just been an event somewhere else in the world to most Pitch and Putt players.
But at the small Italian club of Maggiolino they embraced the changing world of Pitch and Putt with innovation.
Whilst the World Cup was being held, they created their own Virtual World Cup competition - pairing each of their players on competition day with players at the World Cup. (Yes, some poor soul at Maggiolino even had the pleasure of being paired with me.)
Using their own clever scoring system the scores of the local players were matched with the scores of their World Cup "partner" to determine the winning pair.
It was a very clever piece of innovation and it shows how some people in the Pitch and Putt world are embracing change and enriching their Pitch and Putt experience.
Results of that competition can be found here
and please support such innovation by visiting the Maggiolino website here
We live in the fastest changing era in history and like all aspects of life, changes are occurring in the sport of Pitch and Putt.
It is known in the business world that people go through four stages in the change process -
a) they start in denial that change is occuring, or needed, then
b) they resist the change
c) they then explore the changes before finally
d) committing to the change.
We all do this, some of us move quickly through steps a), b) and c) before embracing the new world, others struggle to move beyond the denial stage - but ultimately we all do accept change.
I often hear comments, from all parts of the globe, that we shouldn't do "X" because it's not Pitch and Putt, or it's not true to the spirit of Pitch and Putt.
But when we say things like this, we are really saying we don't want to change something that we are familiar and comfortable with - that is what we are defining as "traditional".
I often hear rugby fans deplore how the game has changed, but what they don't remember is how fundamentally the sport changed, even before it got to their era.
Like all sports, Pitch and Putt has changed.
From the first course in England in 1908 to the Irish era, there was change.
During 50 years in Ireland there has been change.
And now Pitch and Putt is changing again, it is becoming a global sport with global opportunities and global friendships.
I urge you all to embrace the richness of this new world of Pitch and Putt, immerse yourself in its opportunities.
The Pitch and Putt world offers something new to all of us and it welcomes every club, and every player, wherever they are around the world.
Why not embrace the brave new world of Pitch and Putt, and join with us, as we walk into an exciting future.
(by E.Tarik)
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