FIPPA Newsletter - December 2006.
Welcome to this edition of the FIPPA Newsletter.
Soren Rasmussen - Danish Pitch and Putt Union (DPPU) President.
Soren, you are new to Pitch and Putt - what brought you to the sport?
I was searching for suitable areas for a driving range when I ran into Denmark's leading
golf journalist Henrik Knudsen. We started to talk about what would be possible in the golf world and what we may need in Denmark - besides proper designed driving ranges. Henrik suggested that we should have a closer look at Pitch & Putt which he had experienced on his travels to the UK.
So I started to investigate the matter and a month after our first meeting I went to Holland to the European Championships 2005 in Arnheim.
After that I was sold on the Pitch & Putt concept. And I was also convinced that the Dutch success could be copied in Denmark. Holland and Denmark are so much alike in culture, demographics etc.
We all know that Pitch & Putt has a great time and future in Holland because of capable people like Erik Jorritsma and others, and this has given us both confidence and optimism for doing something similar in this country.
The Danish P&P Union is, like many other members of FIPPA, only new,
but your members seem to be throwing themselves into international P&P
with vigour.
Your team played in the World Cup, one of your courses is in the World
Interclub League and you personally have played already in some of the
International Opens.
How do you see the DPPU evolving over the next 5 years - what are its
primary ambitions?
Our prime ambition is to establish the independent sport of Pitch & Putt
in Denmark and also to design and build Pitch & Putt courses.
The other independent sport, golf, is booming in Denmark (the biggest sport in the country for adults over age 25) so many golf clubs have waiting lists. This means that especially our youngsters have little or no possibility to get started. Therefore DGU (Danish Golf Union) are welcoming DPPU and together we will try our very best to make Pitch & Putt a success.
We are already getting very positive feedback from a number of borough councils
and a surprising number of established golf clubs that want to change and redesign
their par 3 courses into Pitch & Putt courses according to the EPPA/FIPPA rules.
So within the next 5 years DPPU will have a Pitch & Putt Tour and a Danish Open in all
categories. We also hope to host European and World Championships in the future.
You have already played many courses- what is your favourite P&P course?
Well I have not played that many courses but Teía in Catalonia was absolutely great,
don't you think ?
In Denmark it is a par 3 course at Nivaa it is very close to a proper EPPA/FIPPA course
and it isa great challenge to play.
And where would you like to play?
I am looking forward to play in Spain at FIPPA PITCH & PUTT SENIOR OPEN, March 22-27/07 and at European Championships, Chia, Italy, October 17-21 plus as many international tournaments as possible.
But the course I am looking forward to play the most must be and hopefully are one of our own designed and built Pitch & Putt courses next year. Henrik Knudsen, the Pitch & Putt supporters and I are burning for that day to come.
The DPPU will soon be a full member of FIPPA - what are your thoughts
on the international body and the direction it is going?
I hope that EPPA and FIPPA together will be able to cement Pitch and Putt as the fantastic sport Pitch and Putt truly are. And it is my humble ambition that also DPPU will be a major player in that work in the short and long run.
What are your personal ambitions in Pitch and Putt?
It is my solid ambition to contribute in any way I can within DPPU, EPPA and FIPPA and
I hope that I also in the future will be given the opportunities for doing so. I really burn for
the Pitch & Putt sport. There are so many wonderful ideas and concepts that you rarely find
in other sports. I am really and truly grateful that I have had the opportunity to be invited into
the "Pitch & Putt family" - I really am !
I would also like to thank everyone for the friendly reception and the helpfulness that I meet everywhere in connection with Pitch & Putt. It is grand !
I have just started my senior time within the sport and I´ll will do my very best to participate at
my highest level, hopefully that will bring me some more "silver" over time !?!
And trust me Eero, I do want to win the Presidents Cup from you and we are going to have a great time competing, (I am one up, remember ?).
You are given the honour of selecting three other P&P players to play a round with - who would you select?
I think that one of the very essential characteristics of Pitch and Putt is that the players
all are wonderful persons and great sports individuals - therefore, the next three players that
I am going to play "on my way" - will be my very best choice.
I will learn from them all and I´ll will have a great time with them all.
And then - I would also love to play with John Hudson, John Manning and Mervin Cooney who where
among the first to welcome me into the sport and who have supported me and DPPU all the time.
I should think it could be a lot of fun before - during - and after the game !
Last question... are there any other thoughts you would like to offer
the readers of FIPPA.net
Pitch & Putt fills a void in many ways - at least in Denmark.
A lot of people are now reluctant to play golf because of the time requirements and the costs.
Space for more golf courses is very limited - especially around the cities.
Schools are unable to let their kids try golf (now the second most popular sport in Denmark) simple because of lack of facilities.
Local borough councils are reluctant to invest in golf facilities because of golf´s image.
The answer to all this is : Pitch & Putt !!!
and finally Eero :
Life is too short for long courses !
The Danish Pitch and Putt website can be viewed here
(with Eero Tarik)
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