“The creation at the University of Malaga of the first Chair of Golf in Spain is an important milestone”.
One of the primary functions of a sports federation is to promote and encourage the practice of its corresponding sport in order to broaden the fan base. At the Royal Andalusian Golf Federation (RFGA), Luis Navarro, a golf professional with extensive and successful experience in the management of prestigious clubs, is in charge of the Promotion Committee. In this interview he explains the activities carried out by this federative body.
-What are basically the functions of the RFGA Promotion Committee?
-The life of a Federation is justified by the service it provides to its members and at the same time it needs new members to take over from those who leave the sport.
The Promotion Committee helps golf to spread and reach where it is not and to get new licenses and interest in golf from part of the population that has not dared to approach golf. It is also responsible for establishing the best relationships with organizations that can help the Federation achieve its objectives.
We aim to bring golf to the people and people to golf.
-As part of the promotion of golf, especially in its tourist aspect, the RFGA has recently signed a collaboration agreement with the University of Malaga for the creation of the first golf chair in Spain. What activities will this chair develop?
-This is an important milestone, because it will be the first Golf Chair in Spain.
This is another step forward in the Federation’s collaboration with the University of Malaga in many other fields.
The UMA, and more specifically the Faculty of Tourism considers golf insofar as it complements other tourism resources. The professionalization and preparation of tourism professionals in the field of golf will result in a strength and an opportunity for the sector.
We have the full involvement of Antonio Guevara, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Josefa García Mestanza, Vice-Dean of Internships and Business Cooperation of the same faculty and Director of the Chair of Golf Tourism.
We want to analyze the economic impact of golf tourism on the Costa del Sol, analyze the leisure types of golf tourists to adapt to the demand, establish awards for the best undergraduate, masters and doctoral work related to the field of golf, promote training, create a website to enhance visibility and enhance conferences in which specific projects that are developed with the support of the chair are presented to society.
-Malaga is the ideal university for this chair because it is located in the most important golf tourist destination in Europe, the Costa del Sol, but do you plan to establish similar agreements with other Andalusian campuses?
It would undoubtedly be very interesting after the start of this experience in the area with the highest concentration of golf courses in Continental Europe.
-Within the framework of institutional relations with the University of Malaga, there is also a postgraduate course in Golf Course Management, which has already graduated two graduating classes. What is your assessment of this educational initiative?
-Very positive. An official degree from the UMA has a lot of value and it is certain that this initiative will continue to grow and mature.
I see very interesting postgraduate training not only for those who want to train for a job, but also for those who want to expand their training in a sector in which they have been working for some time.
-In your opinion, what initiatives could or should be undertaken to further promote Andalusian golf?
It would need a monographic magazine, but I give just a note: support from private and public institutions to have a permanent test of the European Circuit in Andalusia.
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