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Golf is open to all
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What We Do
The R&A Playbook
The R&A Playbook explains what we do as an organisation and why it is important for the long-term future of golf. It is intended as a guide to our values, mission and goals and how we are going to achieve them – serving as an introduction to the wider golf industry and those who want to know more about the sport.

Our Playbook

The playbook sets out The R&A’s purpose: to make golf more accessible, more appealing and more inclusive and to be responsible for upholding the traditions of golf while embracing change and breaking down barriers to progress.
The message that golf is open to all has to go out loud and clear.
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“As custodians of the sport, we should be inspired to do all that we can to ensure that golf continues to thrive in 50 years’ time.”
Martin SlumbersCEO of The R&A

Our Structure

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Our Purpose

Since embarking on a new five-year strategy from 2021, our vision is to ensure that golf is open to all.

We believe that golf is the greatest game that has ever been invented and should be enjoyed by people of all ages, backgrounds, genders and ethnicities. Working across governance, world-class championships, development and sustainability, our ambition is to inspire current and future generations to say ‘I love playing golf’. We want to inspire more people in more places to enjoy the many physical, mental and social benefits of golf more often. We are here to make golf more accessible, appealing and inclusive, and to ensure it is thriving 50 years from now. By thriving, we mean:
  • Participation in golf and awareness of the sport is growing
  • The perception of the sport is improving
  • The playing challenge across all formats of golf remains multi-faceted and engaging
"We have to attract more people from all backgrounds, genders and ethnicities to play more golf, more often. The message that golf is open to all has to go out loud and clear to new and wider audiences.”
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Martin Slumbers

CEO of The R&A
What We Do

£200m Investment

We are aiming to invest £200 million into golf over a 10-year period (2017-2026) in supporting a range of participation, coaching, grassroots, inclusion, sustainability and Rules education initiatives across the world, as well as maintaining our governance of the sport and staging world class championships. Working through our network of 164 affiliated organisations in 145 countries, we promote accessible, affordable and sustainable golf. This investment is largely supported by the proceeds of The Open. The profits made from our Championships are re-invested in the sport to help us achieve our goal of ensuring golf is thriving 50 years from now.

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Investment
£200 million
When
2017-26
Affiliates
164
Countries
145

Our Objectives

Our mission is four-fold from 2022:
  • Govern golf to enhance the integrity, health and enjoyment of the sport
  • Run inspirational and aspirational golf championships
  • Invest in golf’s development through our deep, connected and valued relationships around the world
  • Use our global renown, heritage and roots in St Andrews to lead the global modernisation of the sport
To achieve our objectives over the next five years, we have key strategic priorities which can be viewed in our new Playbook. Underpinning our objectives is to increase the number of people playing all formats of golf and the frequency of play, together with improving the perception of the sport.


The R&A Foundation

The R&A supports golf at all levels from grassroots to the professional game, reinvesting the revenues generated by The Open into its charitable Foundation, which in turn provides grant funding to golf organisations around the world.