Olympics Making Golf Less Elitist and More Accessible, Says R&A’s Roger Bathurst at Level 3 TARS Seminar

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Golf is shaking off its old reputation of being an elite pastime, and the Olympic Games have played a starring role in this transformation, says Roger Bathurst, Chairman (Rules) of The R&A.

Speaking at the curtain-raiser for the prestigious Level 3 Tournament Administrators & Referees Seminar (TARS) at the Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, Bathurst was effusive in his praise for the sport’s growth.

“It is an enormous privilege to be here to organise the Level 3 TARS in India. It is a terrific part of our mission to promote the game of golf to the world. I love the fact that the Olympics is making golf less elitist and more a game for people, the game is growing. We're very pleased to see the game continue to grow throughout the world,” Bathurst said during his address.

With the sport returning to the Olympic fold in 2016 after a 112-year absence, Bathurst believes golf is now reaching audiences once considered out of its traditional grasp. “That's really the point of us being here and helping with the refereeing work in India. Last week we were in Vietnam, talking about people from a number of countries around Southeast Asia. And in any way that The R&A can promote the game and by the use of rules education, we can do that, we find that very beneficial indeed towards the entire growth of the game,” he added.

The spotlight is now firmly on India as a nation of immense golfing promise. The R&A is determined to not just popularise the game but also raise the standard of its refereeing to meet international benchmarks. In a significant stride forward, 49 Indian referees and one from Bangladesh will be participating in the two-day Level 3 TARS, which promises an intensive blend of theoretical and practical training.

The seminar will feature interactive sessions on the intricacies of refereeing, course marking, course set-up, local rules, practical demonstrations, role play scenarios, pace of play, score recording, and handling suspensions and evacuations. The expert panel guiding the sessions includes Roger Bathurst himself, Jin Woo Kim (Assistant Director, Rules, The R&A), Eddy Putra (former advisory member, The R&A Rules Committee), Henry Arabelo (Tournament Director, Asia Pacific Golf Confederation), and R Shyam Sunder (IGU Rules Director).

Adding to the enthusiasm, Brijinder Singh, President of the Indian Golf Union, underlined the IGU’s commitment to grassroots growth. “Being the National Sports Federation recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) and International Golf Federation (IGF), the Indian Golf Union is fully committed to promoting the sport of golf to various nooks and corners of the sub-continent,” he said.

Highlighting the significance of the event, Singh added: “One of the most important roles of the IGU is upskilling and certification of coaches and referees. Currently, we have 28 Level 3 certified active Indian referees and we are confident that the 49 Indians taking the TARS exam this time will qualify for the same, which will be almost 200% rise in the number of rule officials.”

The Level 3 seminar marks another important milestone in The R&A’s mission to nurture world-class referees and tournament officials, vital for the future of global golf.