Clare Queen and Kathryn Imrie launch clubgolf's Girls in Golf programme with girls from Lawlands Primary during the Ricoh Women's British Open

 

Plan to double the number of girl golfers in Scotland

An initiative designed to double the number of girls in Scotland playing golf gets underway this summer.

Scotland’s national junior golf strategy, clubgolf, is working to redress the imbalance of girls playing golf.  Its research in 2005 showed there were fewer than 50,000 female golf club members (as opposed to 198,500 male club golfers).  In the under 18 level, there were 25,000 boys but just 2,700 girls.

Meanwhile, in Sweden more than 22,000 girls under the age of 18 play golf.

Using research generated in Sweden, which attributed its high numbers to all-girl coaching sessions combined with a strong social element, clubgolf selected Grampian’s Alford, Fraserburgh and Oldmeldrum Golf Clubs to pilot Girls in Golf girls-only coaching sessions. 

So successful were the pilots that the programme - which is endorsed by leading Scotland lady golfers, Catriona Matthew and Kathryn Imrie – is being rolled out across Scotland this summer.

“Until recently nobody had ever asked girls what they would like from the game,” said Audra Booth, clubgolf’s Grampian Regional Manager.  “The feedback from the girls at the three Aberdeenshire clubs indicates that they are far more likely to start the game, stay involved and make progress if they begin by learning in a group with other girls.  It is apparent also that the social side is very important for girls. 

“In 2005 the three Grampian clubs had only a handful of girls in their memberships.  A year later the coaching had become so popular that over 80 girls were involved in their Girls in Golf coaching sessions.” 

This week at the Ricoh British Women’s Open in St Andrews, clubgolf volunteer coaches and PGA Pros will be running putting clinics for girls. Catriona Matthew, Kathryn Imrie and other professional players will visit the clinics to add their own expertise.

“Even when I played as a girl there were very few girl members and it’s happening in the UK in general, not just in Scotland,” said Catriona Matthew. 

“It’s something that we need to try and change and it’s very encouraging to see that clubgolf is getting girls interested and giving them the chance to play.   Coaching girls in a separate group is obviously working so it will be great if clubs in the rest of the country can try girls only coaching.

“Most clubs would be very keen to have more girls.  The more people we can get playing the more chance there is you can find people with the talent and produce more top notch players.”

Kathryn Imrie, the Angus player who has made her living from the game since she first joined the LPGA Tour in 1994, highlighted the other benefits for girls getting involved in the game. 

“There are hundreds of reasons why golf is a good game for girls,” she said.  “You can make a great living as a professional player now, it’s useful if you are going into the corporate world and you can enjoy it as a social game or a family sport.  That’s the best thing about golf; socially it’s a great game at any level, any age or any standard.”

So far this year over 25,000 children have experienced clubgolf’s introductory game, firstclubgolf, at school or in after school clubs.  Approximately half of the 25,000 are girls.