LATEST AMATEUR NEWS Young Amy Boulden qualifies for Ricoh Ladies British Open Victorious England players head for Amateur Meghan Maclaren South Midland Champion. Faldo series launched in Russia A big day for Bigbury GC. Leah Hedges wins new EWGA Grand Medal Jamie Abbott qualifies for the Open Club news from around the country AMATEUR GOLF FEATURES Want to be a pro? Read Joe Jezzard's blog Calendar of Events, Charity Days, Pro-Ams... Directory of Worldwide Golf Unions & Associations News from Golf Clubs all around the country Analyse your game and improve your scores A Golfing A to Z COMPETITIONS, GIFTS AND OFFERS WIN a Galvin Green wardrobe WIN a luxury Irish Golf Getaway WIN a free 4-ball at Slaley hall WIN a golf break at Dunston Hall Golf International Subscription Offer

National County Card goes on sale to members of golf clubs

The National County Card (NCC), which has been designed specifically to reward private member golfers, golf clubs and help bring new members into the game, has been officially launched to golf club members.

Over the last five months, more than 1,000 clubs have taken the chance to get involved in the innovative new scheme from all over the United Kingdom, mainland Spain, Mallorca, Tenerife, Portugal, Turkey, America and Canada.

And private club members can now take advantage of discount green fees at some of the leading courses in Europe and North America, including the Stadium Course at Sawgrass - home of the Tournament Players' Championship - by buying one of the cards for just £24.95.

“We are delighted to launch the card with so much choice available across all the main golfing destinations," said Rob Sutton, joint managing director of Get Noticed Ltd who has launched NCC.

"Until now, discount card schemes and half price voucher schemes have been widely available to casual, non-member golfers. Now more favourable green fee rates are available to golf club members as a reward for their continual investment to the game.

"Without golf club members, most clubs wouldn’t exist so they should be rewarded and the NCC card does exactly that. We are proud that many clubs that normally wouldn’t touch discount green fee vouchers have seen the merits of the NCC scheme and quickly come on board with us."

NCC cards are only available to members of golf clubs as a reward for their continuous commitment to the game of golf.

They can now achieve fantastic benefits when they play golf in the UK or abroad whether they are travelling on business, weekend breaks or holiday, while the ground-breaking new scheme is free for clubs to enrol in and, as cards are sold via the NCC website, there is no administration for clubs.

NCC already boasts an impressive list of clubs in the UK to have signed up to the scheme including The Oxfordshire - which staged the Benson and Hedges International from 1996-99 - Goodwood, The Mere, Ashburnham, Castle Knock and Nefyn & District - regularly voted among the top 100 courses in the British Isles.

And the exciting course list at home is matched abroad with clubs including San Roque, La Manga and PGA de Catalunya in Spain, all the courses in Mallorca and Tenerife, 18 venues in Turkey's Belek region and two of the most famous courses in America - the Blue Monster at Doral, which hosts regular events on the PGA Tour, and the Stadium Course at Sawgrass - featuring the infamous 17th hole with its much-feared island green.

Sutton added: "Many clubs are experiencing difficult times at the moment and it has been widely voiced that discount vouchers are a contributing factor as to why millions of casual golfers don’t feel the need to join a club.

"The NCC card scheme not only entices quality member golfers to play other enrolled courses in the areas of other enrolled clubs, it is the only card scheme which pays clubs £5 when one of their members buys a card. This means clubs can earn money when their members buy a card while they are in other areas or countries which can then be put back into the game."

For more information on National County Card, click here.

June 13, 2008