The Shire London, part of the Bridgedown Group, has further showcased its commitment to women’s golf by becoming a signatory of The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter, pledging to build on the momentum gained from this week’s Rose Ladies Series to drive more females to take part in the game and also to pursue careers within the industry.
The announcement comes as The Shire London Golf Club prepares to host the seventh Rose Ladies Series event on July 30; a series designed to help professional female golfers in the UK get back playing competitively. Each event also welcomes rising female amateurs, which also resonates with the work The Shire and Bridgedown Group have done to champion junior golf in recent years – including 2018 American Golf Junior Championship, European Junior Golf Tournament and Hertfordshire Futures Tour.
Following the signing of The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter, Cae Menai-Davis, Director of The Shire London, commented: “Our golf club is a place we want members and visitors to feel welcome, regardless of age or gender. The Charter represents everything, we as a club stand for. In signing the Charter, we understand the importance it has for the future of the game and we intend to do our bit in changing the perception of golf moving forward.
“We look forward to welcoming some of the UK’s best and most promising up-and-coming female golfers to The Shire London this week for the Rose Ladies Series, which we hope will encourage more women and girls to take up the sport and visit our club. We are committed to launching a new programme in the coming months with our new Junior Coach, Harry Casey, whereby women of all abilities will be able to learn new or develop existing skills and techniques. The programme will be an enjoyable and social experience to encourage those involved to bring even more women into the game.”
Introduced by The R&A in May 2018, the Women in Golf Charter has been introduced to help foster a more inclusive culture within the game of golf and to ensure that women across the world are afforded equal opportunities to maximise their potential, both on the course and within the golf industry.
Kevin Barker, Director of Golf Development at The R&A, said: “We know there is a real growth opportunity for golf if it can attract more women, girls and families into the sport and so it is important for clubs and facilities to offer activities that encourage them to enjoy playing golf and the many health and social benefits it can provide. We are pleased that The Shire London has adopted the Women in Golf Charter as part of its commitment to promoting greater diversity and providing more opportunities for women and girls to play golf.”