The European Institute of Golf Course Architects has announced the programme for its annual conference, to be held in Nice at the end of March.

The conference will look at ways to encourage greater participation in golf. Speakers will include Pierre Lasfargue of the Fédération Française de Golf who will discuss the project to build 100 small courses around the country, as part of the legacy proposal following the successful bid for the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Other speakers include David MacLaren, the European Tour’s director of property and venue development, Ian Randell of the PGAs of Europe, Dean Cleaver of FEGGA and Hidde Verschuur of the European Golf Course Owners Association.

EIGCA president Rainer Preissmann said: “We hope to move forward the debate on participation throughout Europe. Golf has much to commend it, whether it be socially, environmentally or economically and it is in all our interests that we continue to look at ways to encourage more players to take up the sport.”