A few months before the Ryder Cup in Paris, the president of the French federation, Jean-Lou Charon, takes a look at golf in our country. An interview conducted at the end of April.

Jean Lou Charon, President of the French Golf Federation - © David Raynal / Swing-Féminin

You have just returned from Morocco where you witnessed the victory of Alexander Levy in the Hassan II Trophy. Has the possibility of seeing a French player playing for the Ryder Cup next September at the national golf course and, why not, face legends like Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson, has it never been so strong?

Jean-Lou Charon: It's a great victory, Alexander managed his tournament perfectly. I believe that this is the first French success at the Hassan II Trophy, which has been won by a few big names in golf in the past *. Alexander has in any case scored points under the eyes of captain Thomas Bjorn, on a difficult course, which was won at -8. It is certain that the presence of a French player is ardently desired by our public and would give particular light to the event in our country. But whatever happens, the event will still be a big success.

How many visitors do you expect for the Ryder Cup and what will the media coverage be?

Jean-Lou Charon: There are 51 paying spectators per day, over the five days (two days of training and three days of competition) and 000% of tickets are reserved for French licensees. We should reach 40 people per day if we add the press, the organization, etc. In total, we should welcome nearly 60 spectators.

Regarding media coverage, this is the 3e most watched sporting event in the world with potentially close to a billion viewers glued to their screens! Canal + has also made a good decision since the channel will broadcast the event in the clear for two hours every day, which is very rare. Negotiations are also underway so that France Télévisions broadcasts daily spots of a few minutes to cover the news of the Ryder Cup.

Do you feel the French public's enthusiasm for the Ryder Cup, five months before the event?

Jean-Lou Charon: I feel a quiver in our golfers, as when the water will soon start to boil. I hear about it very often. It is, moreover, a national craze and not only Parisian, as I feared it a little at the beginning. Between May and September, with a break in August, we will organize the Ryder Cup Golf Tour with 12 stages in passing places in the center of large French cities: Metz, Dijon, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Nantes, Orléans, Lorient, Rouen, Lille. During the week of the Ryder Cup, there will be entertainment in Paris on the forecourt of the Town Hall.

Will personalities be present at the national golf course during this special week?

Jean-Lou Charon: The President of the Republic has undertaken to come, depending on his availability. Emmanuel Macron is a sports lover, he also plays tennis and there is a link between our two disciplines. I play both myself, like a lot of golfers and tennis players. Thomas Bach, the IOC President, is also expected to attend, as golf is now an Olympic sport. Finally, some rumors suggest that the President of the United States Donald Trump, a great golf enthusiast like many of his predecessors, could make a jump in Paris depending on the score ...

The proximity to the Ryder Cup, which will be played on the same course at the national golf course, could it attract some American stars for the next French Open (from June 28 to 1er July) ?

Jean-Lou Charon: I spoke with Jim Furyk, the captain of the American team, when he was in Paris recently. He told me that their idea was rather to come and discover the course during the summer, in private, with some of his players. On the other hand, we will undoubtedly have an exceptional field at the level of European players, with a presence of many members of the top 20 and those who still hope to qualify for the Ryder Cup. I know Henrik Stenson, for example, came up with the idea of ​​playing the tournament. We should know more very soon. (In the meantime, the world n ° 1 Justin Thomas or the Spaniards Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia have announced their participation in the French Open)

Having a Minister of Sports, Laura Flessel, who plays golf, is that a plus in your eyes?

Jean-Lou Charon: Of course ! Speaking of her love for this game, the Minister contributes to the movement to open golf to the greatest number. The idea that golf is an elitist sport still exists in France, alas.

After several years of slight decline, has the number of redundancies stabilized?

Jean-Lou Charon: Yes, it has even increased very slightly since, as of December 31, 2017, there were 410 redundant workers, i.e. an increase of 261% compared to the previous year. On the other hand, it is difficult to keep our young people, the 0,62 years and under representing 18% of our licensees. The reform of school rhythms a few years ago did us a lot of harm, as well as other sports, such as judo and fencing. Today, the rhythms are to the appreciation of the mayors, which can help us to attract new young people.

What is the proportion of women, especially in comparison with other countries?

Jean-Lou Charon: There are 27,5% of female players in France, but this is insufficient in my eyes and we can do better, especially since they were 30% in 2011. It is still better than the Americans (19% players) and the British (22%). I believe South Korea must be one of the countries with the highest proportion of female golfers, although I don't have the number in mind. The South Koreans are also very present on the pro circuit.

What measures are taken to develop women's golf in France?

Jean-Lou Charon: We have to make the life of the players easier. We have noticed that women often play among themselves, in groups, and that if one of them changes sports or stops playing, the group easily breaks up and the others also stop. There are also many mothers. As they have less time, we have encouraged the clubs to develop childcare systems. We have also developed the 9-hole competitions. Without forgetting the "lady's days", with preferential rates on many routes one day in the week.

In France, is the quality of our courses and our infrastructures up to the level of other countries, especially European ones?

Jean-Lou Charon: Oh yes, largely! There are 734 golf courses in France and many high quality and very well maintained courses, which many envy us. Just like some of our greenkeepers elsewhere, who have earned respect and are sought after abroad.

We would also like to attract more tourists. We recently launched a study on the economic weight of golf in France, the impact of tourism and how our sport has weathered the economic crisis.

What are the avenues for developing golf in our country?

Jean-Lou Charon: Our development plan for 100 small golf structures (practices, pitch and putts, compact courses, etc.) is a success since we have already created 93 and we should reach our objective by the beginning of next year. These small courses reduce the costs and the time-consuming nature of our sport. In addition, the rules are going to be simplified in January 2020 for amateurs around the world, which could give a boost to the number of practitioners. The goal is to make the game easier and reduce the time spent on the course.

Concretely, what will be the changes in the rules?

Jean-Lou Charon: It will be possible to leave the flag on the putting green, in particular to save time on long putts. The involuntary double touch will no longer be penalized, as in tennis. In the event of an out-of-bounds stroke, the drop will be at the point where the ball came out and it will therefore no longer be necessary to replay the initial stroke, which will be much less penalizing for the scorecard. Almost 90% of the yellow stakes (front obstacles) will be removed and replaced by red stakes (side obstacles). And it will now be the ready-to-play golfer who hits the ball first and not the one furthest from the flag, except in match play obviously. We tested this measure last year in federal competition and it saved 20 to 30 minutes of playing time in the end, which is not nothing!

In addition, partly friendly, men and women can choose their starting area themselves. Depending on its level of play, its power or the difficulty of the hole, we can thus decide to start from the blue or red balls. This will be very useful during the first two holes of national golf for example (laughs). I already do it elsewhere.

Do you still play golf regularly?

Jean-Lou Charon: Paradoxically, especially in winter, because I have more free time. I am a member of the Lyon Golf Club, my place of residence, but I am usually at the Federation's headquarters in Levallois, during the week. I sometimes play some 9 holes in the evening, in Saint-Cloud or Chantilly. I also really enjoy the Medoc golf course.

The rest of the season, I really want to be present at the various events in France. It is important for me to be able to exchange views on the ground. The Federation is above all at the service of the clubs.

What's your index?

Jean-Lou Charon: 19,8. According to my calculations, I'm not far from the top 100 French (laughs)!

Interview by Franck Crudo

* Billy Casper in 1973 and 1975, Lee Trevino in 1977, Vijay Singh in 1991, Payne Stewart in 1992 and 1993, Nick Price in 1995, Colin Montgomerie in 1997, David Toms in 1999, Sam Torrance in 2006, Padraig Harrington in 2007, Ernie Els in 2008.