Women and girls will speak out about why they love golf and what they get from the sport when a special awareness week is held across Great Britain & Ireland later this month.
Women and Girls’ Golf Week is the inspiration of England Golf and will take place from 30 July – 5 August.
It has the support of Scottish Golf, Wales Golf and the Irish Ladies Golf Union and is designed to unite the golf industry behind the aim of growing the women and girls’ game.
The organisations will tell the stories of women and girls who are involved in many different ways in golf. The aim is to create noise across their social media channels and websites, with women and girl golfers everywhere invited to join the conversation using the #WhyIGolf
Clubs will also be able to get involved by promoting participation activities they are running for women and girls, such as Get into Golf, New2Golf, Girls Golf Rocks and ThisGirlGolfs.
The week has been timed to coincide with the buzz created by the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes (2 – 5 August), where an all-female group of PGA professionals will be offering free taster lessons to beginners. The English Under-18 Girls’ Open championship is also taking place that week at East Devon.
England Golf Chief Executive Nick Pink commented: “We feel it is so important to give a voice to women and girls. We want to show what an important part they play in golf and to highlight the potential there is to develop this if we successfully grow the women’s game.
“All the home associations, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, have pledged their support for The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter, and this week is one way in which we can all get involved and make a difference. We are delighted that the other home nations are joining us and giving this collaborative campaign real momentum.”
Each day of Women and Girls’ Golf Week will have a specific theme. Look out for stories on:
- Monday 30 July: Careers – women working in different areas of the industry
- Tuesday 31 July: Volunteers – the hidden heroes of the game
- Wednesday 1 August: Health & Wellbeing – celebrity endorsers who love the sport
- Thursday 2 August: Performance –opportunities for young, aspiring players
- Friday 3 August: Participation – focus on participation programmes nationwide
- Saturday 4 August: Championships – key events and pathway for progression
- Sunday 5 August: Round-up – highlights from the week
The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter was launched recently with the aim of inspiring an industry-wide commitment to a more inclusive culture, enabling women and girls to flourish and reach their potential at all levels of the sport.
With increased participation in golf by women and girls identified as a tremendous growth opportunity for the sport, this year has seen a notable rise in the number of dedicated participation initiatives and coaching activities being delivered by leading golfing bodies to encourage more women, girls and families into the game and convert them into club membership.