The new Golf 2.0 Connecting With Her Playbook, published by The PGA of America, encourages facilities to become certified by the National Women’s Golf Alliance (NWGA).
Launched in 2012, the NWGA offers course evaluations, consultation and its ‘Rolling Out the Green Carpet’ certification program to assess golf facilities on standards and best practices that make the facility more welcoming and attractive to women.
With the mission to increase the number of women playing golf and improve engagement levels of existing women golfers, the NWGA unites four of the nation’s most highly respected women’s golf organizations, the EWGA, Golf for Cause, LLC, Jan Bel Jan Golf Course Design, and Ladies Links Fore Golf, LLC (LL4G).
They have brought together their years of expertise, data and observation regarding what women golfers want, need and expect for an enhanced playing experience that keeps women excited about and engaged in golf for years to come. Utilizing this information, the NWGA has developed a base of standards and best practices to help make golf facilities more welcoming and attractive to women and enhance golf’s overall appeal to women.
“The Connecting With Her Playbook gives courses excellent guidelines to better target women golfers,” says Lynn Stellman, president of LL4G and one of the NWGA partners. “The NWGA evaluation and certification program offers independent validation that the facility is ‘Rolling Out the Green Carpet’ to earn more women’s golf business.”
A trained NWGA evaluator and three female guests play an 18-hole round to evaluate the facility on five key areas of focus: Golf Course Playability, Customer Service, Golf Course Amenities, Facility Amenities and Golf Programs. The facility receives a comprehensive written report highlighting areas of excellence and offering recommendations. A second evaluation conducted two to six months later assesses consistency and improvements.
Facilities that achieve a score of 80% or higher in at least three areas of focus earn the ‘Rolling Out the Green Carpet’ Certification. Good for three years, this designation comes with extensive publicity and marketing, including an insignia to use on promotional materials and in advertising. The annual evaluation fee is $500 per course, with a three year commitment.
“Our goal is to recognize the golf facilities that are doing a great job of welcoming women,” says Stellman. “And, we provide very specific recommendations on how to further improve the women’s golf experience.”
National Women’s Golf Alliance www.nationalwomensgolfalliance.com