Jean-Lou Charon, president of FFGolf - Photo: © David Raynal / Swing-Feminin.com

Jean-Lou Charon, you have just been re-elected for a second and last mandate at the head of the Federation, what are your projects and objectives?

We are in the delivery and reception phase of the event. We hope that the Ryder Cup 2018, which we are actively preparing under the leadership of Pascal Grizot, will be a great springboard to welcome new golfers to the ranks of FFGolf. Then, on September 13, we will have the result of the allocation of the Olympic city for 2024 and for which Paris is a candidate. In this regard, the national golf course has offered to host the golf event. I also hope that we can receive major international sporting events more regularly by adding, for example, the World Match-play championships. With this in mind, why not also be a candidate for hosting the Solheim Cup, the women's Ryder Cup? These are events that could very well be played out in Paris or in our regions, provided that we have suitable facilities throughout the territory.

Jean-Lou Charon, president of the FFGolf - Photo: © Thierry Plassais / Swing-Feminin.com

How do you intend to develop golf in the school environment?

We have set up with the Academy of Versailles an educational kit which was financed for three quarters by the Ryder Cup. This is a booklet for CM1 and CM2 students, as well as for teachers. The idea is to offer an application of golf to the subjects taught, life and earth sciences, history and geography, languages, arithmetic… This booklet is already enjoying enormous success, including abroad, since 'we are asked for Spanish and English versions. I would also like to create with our supervisory Ministry of Sports and that of National Education a complete program to allow students to discover golf courses. With suitable equipment, we could, for example, design short courses in the green spaces of schools. It is not a question of putting the schoolchildren in golf but of making them discover a discipline so that they have the choice between the practice of an individual or collective sport. We could also consider building small, compact or pitch-and-putt structures on university campuses, so that students can also play golf and practice on site. It is a way of retaining some of our student golfers in France, so that they do not systematically emigrate to the United States.

Are you going to strengthen the opening of golf to the greatest number as you announced during your first mandate?

We are indeed starting to see the first positive effects of opening up our sport to as many people as possible. There are now more and more brands specializing in golf that offer opportunities to start at extremely low prices, thanks to equipment rental contracts. It may also be necessary to think about adapting clubhouses, especially for young parents with the creation of day care centers. We have also started to develop a plan of 100 small compact structures by 2018. We are at 90 for a total of 103 projects planned in our portfolio. These 90 new structures have already created 12 more licenses out of a total of 000. Above all, this allows a different practice of golf. We now see people at lunchtime playing a round of nine holes. All of this is very encouraging.

How are you preparing for the 2018 Ryder Cup?

The work site is now complete. Irrigation, drainage, access roads, water and fiber optic distribution were carried out. Work to widen the starting mound, greens or sandblasting has been completed, however, in spring 2018, the platforms for installing the hospitality pavilions will still need to be built.

How is the event perceived by the general public?  

There is a big expectation in the region and in the Leagues who have expressed the desire to appropriate the event. The ticket office will open between August 20 and 25 and licensees of the French Golf Federation will have a reservation period of three weeks before the public sale. Prices will range from € 50 for the two days of training to € 90, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The public will have the opportunity to purchase a maximum of four identified tickets. Buyers will need to give their names, a photo and a passport number for security reasons. We are also taking advantage of the hosting of the Ryder Cup to organize regional events starting in the fall of 2017 and throughout 2018. We want to make this Ryder Cup a national event, because we may have to wait a century for her to return to France!

What is the future of French golf in the face of the hegemony of American and Asian golf?

It is true that Asia is playing an increasingly important part in the development of golf. Proof of this is the arrival of the Chinese conglomerate HNA, as a title partner at the French Open. The goal is to develop the arrival in France and in Europe of Chinese to bring them to practice golf on our soil. In Europe, we are at the level of the European Tour, the second nation of the continent most represented in this tournament after the United Kingdom. It is up to us to build a quality European offer with the various European, American and Asian Tours. In this specific case, the Ryder Cup helps us to do this since it is the only sport where there is an identified European team. I therefore believe that there is a bright future for European golf, because we have very talented players. One day or another, the circuits will regroup. We will be able to start the season in Europe and tour the golf world throughout the year. This goes hand in hand with the creation of the Rolex Series, the eight best endowed tournaments. We also see thoughts for a universal handicapping system, as well as a simplification for 2019 of the rules of golf. All of this contributes to the globalization of golf. I think that the practice of golf in France and in Europe will remain at a high level because we have 400 licensees, that is to say 000 people who play golf regularly and two million who say they would like to play golf there. play someday.

How can we do in France to raise the overall level of endowments for women's golf?

First of all, I would like to remind you that the only Major tournament in France is the women's Evian Master, which has been masterfully organized since 1994 by Franck Riboud and his teams. Besides this leading Major, we suffer a lot from the lack of first division tournaments at Ladies European Tour (LET) level and second division at Ladies European Tour Acces Series (LETAS) level. Currently we have six players on the US Tour. In Europe, we need to be able to have an equivalent offer that will attract new players to our circuits, which is far from being the case at present. We have good contacts and a few sponsors who are thinking about coming to a higher level and widening the field of players, but it takes time. We will succeed, but over a period of at least two years.

How many events would it take to really get women's golf off the ground?

The Evian Master who is a Major must of course stay and develop, just like the Lacoste Ladies which corresponds to the French Women's Open. To do well, we should have three to five annual tournaments, two at the LETAS level and two at the LET level, to benefit in France from a calendar that holds water. It is in fact the Europe of women's golf which must consolidate.

Interview by David RAYNAL

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