Junior golf numbers at one Nottinghamshire club are rocking – thanks to a national drive to encourage more girls into the sport.
Norwood Park Golf Centre – which can be found in Kirklington Road, Southwell – is backing the Girls Golf Rocks campaign.
Launched earlier this year, in a joint programme delivered by England Golf and the Golf Foundation, and supported by the county associations and sports partnerships, the aim is to attract more beginners to have fun, learn a new sport, get active and play alongside friends – with no pressure.
Girl golfers from county squads act as ambassadors, sharing their enjoyment and encouraging other girls, aged five to 18.
At Norwood Park more than 200 youngsters have taken part in the scheme – with many going on to take up membership of the club. PGA senior coach Richard Strange has led the initiative at Norwood Park, offering coaching and competitions as well as working with local schools – resulting in more girls playing and joining.
Richard Strange said: “We are so very proud of all our girls here at Norwood, with more than 200 taking part this year. Many have now moved into full membership, obtaining their first official handicaps and playing competitions.
“We hope to continue to grow and we always welcome new girls to our Monday Nights Girls Golf Rocks roll-up sessions from 5pm-6pm. They can just turn up.”
Matthew Bloor, Development Officer for the Nottinghamshire Golf Development Group, said: “Norwood Park Golf Centre has shown itself to be one of the more pro-active clubs in Nottinghamshire. They put development at the heart of everything they do, which creates a warm and friendly atmosphere at the club. They put the love of the game at the centre of all they do and in doing so have become a shining light for the region.”
Lauren Spray, the England Golf Women & Girls’ Participation Manager, said: “Girls Golf Rocks sets out to focus on the fun, social and friendship aspects of golf rather than just the playing and coaching side and we’ve seen some brilliant success stories.”
Norwood Park Golf Centre was awarded GolfMark (High achievers) by England Golf in 2010, highlighting a strong commitment to junior golf development and adult beginners. They have formed school links with local councils, and host numerous community golf projects, including focusing on both juniors and adult programmes for those with special needs.
They were named Club of the Year in 2015 by Sport Nottinghamshire while Richard Strange won the Golf Foundation’s National Presidents Award in 2014.
Get into golf is a national campaign run by the England Golf Partnership through its network of County Golf Development Groups, supported by Sport England and National Lottery funding.
Norwood Park Golf Centre http://norwoodpark.co.uk/