It's golf. But not as we know it.

This year's Golf Business Forum and PGA Expo featured Rich Curtis and Victoria Berry sharing the Australian Golf brand strategy before hosting an expert panel on how to get more people to play more golf.

Some say golf is for the lucky few. But in the last two decades, there's never been more Australians playing more golf. Bucking a gradual, twenty-year decline in participation, the pandemic saw a 30% upswing in having a hit and led to more than 250,000 new players discovering there's something to love about golf. Holding onto these newcomers and welcoming hundreds of thousands more to the game will be critical to accelerating that growth. But if golf is going to grow bigger, it's got to go bigger.

Underpinned by the transformational Australian Golf Strategy and its declaration that 'all golf is golf', not only perceptions but also experiences of golf in Australia are changing. By challenging the biggest barrier facing the game – that golf is exclusive and not for me – golf is repositioning itself as the game everyone's invited to enjoy, experience and play their own way.

Following the presentation of the new brand strategy, FutureBrand Australia's Head of Strategy, Victoria Berry, moderated a discussion with an all-female panel of industry leaders from on and off the course:

• Oonagh Flanagan, CMO – Funlab, creator of Holey Moley

• Sarah Ripley, National Marketing Manager – Clublinks

• Elizabeth Sattler, Director – Sattler & Co (Great Golf Courses of Australia & Barnbougle)

Together, they discussed strategic tips on how to tell the story better and creative techniques for designing more welcoming and inclusive golfing experiences.