Crown Lager is moving back into more traditional waters, with its golf sponsorship looking at the lifestyle around the beer rather than the beer itself and is launching a new social golf club designed to reach out to the average golfer. This could be clever move from the company that seems to have lost it’s way with the once-dominant premium marketed brand as it competes with the cache of international labels as well as with flavour and interest from the smaller craft beer market. It will be interesting to see whether reaching out to a traditional market gives the brand a lift.

No doubt the golf sponsorship will involve Fosters’ Crown Lager team playing a lot of golf this summer. Golfers, my only advice is that if you’re playing with someone from The Crown Company and they tell you they ‘took a five’ on any hole, you go might want to go back and count their strokesbefore signing their card….

This week also marks the release of Crown Ambassador Reserve.

Media Release

SOCIAL GOLF EMBARKS ON NEW FRONTIER

– Crown Lager and Golf Australia partner on new social golf program –

Casual golfers and non-club members around the country will now be able to obtain a recognised casual handicap and access some of the best courses in the country thanks to the Crown Lager Social Golf Club. The program launched today with a stellar line up of high profile golf enthusiasts challenging each other on a putting green set up on top of the MCG scoreboard.

Helping to tee off the launch of the program at the top of the MCG earlier today were Stuart Appleby (Australian golf champion); Andy Lee (of Hamish & Andy fame); Brendon Goddard (AFL footballer); Steve Johnson (AFL footballer); Sharelle McMahon (Australian netballer); Phil Waugh (former Australian Rugby Union Wallabies Captain); and Ian Curley (Head Chef at The European). The group braved the heights to show off their skills on the sky-high putting green and for their efforts became the first members of the Crown Lager Social Golf Club.

The Crown Lager Social Golf Club is a program developed by Golf Australia in partnership with Crown Lager and is Australia’s newest and most innovative casual golfer program. The aim of the program is to encourage more people to take up golf, provide a pathway to play golf more frequently and be more engaged with the game in the hope that they stay in the sport in the long term.

Crown Lager Social Golf Club is an online program and once members play three rounds of nine to 18 holes and enter their results, they’ll receive a Golf Australia Casual Handicap (calculated by Golf Australia’s official handicap software provider, GolfLink) to use in social competitions. This handicap is automatically updated when members enter more results.

Joining the Crown Lager Social Golf Club is simple – just complete the online registration form at www.crownlagersgc.com.au and sign up for a 12 month membership for $49.95 (plus transaction fee). Upon joining, members receive a Welcome Kit valued at more than $100 which includes Srixon merchandise, Drummond Golf vouchers, Crown Lager vouchers and more.

Crown Lager Social Golf Club members will also be invited to exclusive golf days at prestigious private courses including Huntingdale Golf Club (VIC), New South Wales Golf Club (NSW), Indooroopilly Golf Club (QLD), and Lake Karrinyup Country Club (WA).

Golf Australia CEO, Stephen Pitt, said the new program was designed to increase participation and maintain interest among social players over the long-term. ”The Crown Lager Social Golf Club is a fantastic new program which Golf Australia is very proud to present in partnership with Crown Lager,” Pitt said.

“Australia has nearly 700,000 casual players on course each year. We can now offer these players a program that ensures golf is more fun than ever, has a competitive edge and keeps them involved in the game in the future. We welcome Stuart Appleby as lead ambassador in the program and all our ambassadors from the worlds of sport, food and entertainment.”

Crown Lager Group Marketing Manager, Vincent Ruiu, says the program is a golfer’s dream. “The Crown Lager Social Golf Club is a winner for anyone who loves their golf but doesn’t want to sign up for a private club membership. A recognised Golf Australia handicap and the opportunity to play on some of Australia’s finest courses is a golfer’s dream!”

Follow the Crown Lager Social Golf Club on Twitter @CLSGC and become a fan on Facebook (search for Crown Lager Social Golf Club).

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