At the EGA's Annual General Meeting week in Portugal, the EGA and The R&A co-hosted a best practice exchange for delegates of the small and emerging golfing nations of Europe.

Following a welcome by William Beck (President, Malta Golf Association) and an introduction from Hugo Mills (Director of Development, The R&A), the session included presentations from: 

• Kristo Raudam (General Manager, Estonian Golf Association) on their development and performance pathway 
• Morten Backhausen (CEO, Danish Golf Union) on junior strategy in Denmark
• Vlad Florea (Vice President, Romanian Golf Association) on the community golf instructor programme in Romania
• Ales Libecajt (General Secretary, Czech Golf Federation) on Golf Sixes in the Czech Republic
• Gavin Forrester (Golf Education Manager, The R&A) on The R&A's latest golf development initiatives

Examples of initiatives shared with the delegates include Denmark's pilot project to subsidise the employment of a part-time 'Youth Coordinator' at a selection of golf clubs across the country. This employee's role includes improving the environment for young members of the club, with the objective to increase their enjoyment and therefore retention.

Another example includes The R&A's 'Just Swing' video game which is free to play on Roblox, designed to give a new audience an accessible virtual golf experience.

The Czech Golf Federation also shared their success with their 'Golf Sixes' programme, which targeted first-time players at schools through short-format team competitions.

Part of the EGA's remit towards its member federations is providing a platform for networking and exchange. The EGA's Annual General Meeting is an excellent opportunity for just that, with delegates from 42 of the EGA's 50 member federations present for the multi-day event this year. The best practice exchange meeting followed rotating workshop sessions for delegates of all EGA member federations, which covered topics such as Sustainability, the WHS, Elite amateur pathways in Europe and golf for the disabled.