Although it is only a few months old, the Spanish Association of Golf Players (AEJGolf), created in January of this year, already has more than 5,500 members, and its goal is to reach 20,000 by the end of 2022. This is the estimate of its president, Jaime Anabitarte, who created the Association “with the aim of bringing together the interests of members and golf clubs”.
One of the keys to the entity’s success is that membership is completely free, and its members can access a large number of exclusive tournaments throughout Spain. In fact, in these few months that it has been active, AEJGolf has organized fifty competitions, and for this summer there are more than 60 scheduled. Other attractions for joining the Association is that its members have discounts to play at various golf courses. They will also soon be able to buy discounted products and golf trips through its website(www.aejgolf.es). “And there will be more and more advantages for members, in cars, insurance, etc.,” says Anabitarte.
To be a member of AEJGolf, a non-profit association, it is essential to be federated by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation (RFGA), with which “we maintain excellent relations,” says Anabitarte. This federative body does “a great job” in everything related to apprenticeships and national teams. “However,” he adds, “we believe that players and clubs can be much more together at times because the Federation can’t reach everywhere.”
At present, the Association has two active circuits, both with twelve tournaments, the “Challenge AEJGolf Levante, Costa de Almería and Granada” and the “Challenge AEJGolf Costa del Sol”. The latter starts tomorrow, the 4th, in La Cala and concludes next 14th in Valle Romano, while the former started on July 25th in Almerimar and will conclude on August 21st in the Alicante course La Finca.
The prize for the winner of each circuit will be a trip for two to Ireland with two nights in a hotel and four green fees.
Apart from the aforementioned circuits, the Association has organized tournaments in Cadiz, Huelva, Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, Basque Country, La Rioja, Navarra, Aragon, Catalonia and Castellon. The competitions are exclusive to associates. “If you are not, it is as simple as signing up on the web(www.aejgolf.es) and in fifteen seconds you have your membership card,” says Anabitarte. “It’s free and the only condition, I stress, is to be federated.”
The autonomous community with the largest number of AEJGolf members is Madrid, followed by Castilla La Mancha, Andalucía and Castilla León.
As a noteworthy fact, the 5,000th member of AEJGolf is Raquel Carriedo, one of the most emblematic Spanish professionals. The player from Zaragoza turned professional in the new year of 1995 and in only five years she became the first Spanish golfer to participate in the Solheim Cup. In 2001 she won her first Ladies European Tour title at the Taiwan Masters. From then on, European victories followed with the Compaq Open and the Irish Open, ending the season as number one on the European circuit. In 2002 she won the Tenerife Ladies Open, was second in the Spanish Open and entered the LPGA Tour, finishing fourth in the U.S. Women’s Open. Raquel is currently one of the people in charge of the children’s school at Real Club de Golf La Peñaza, a club of which she has been an honorary member since 2013.
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