Attracting more women into golf

Recruiting women into golf is only of the challenge. Once there, how do you retain them? PGA Professional Jo Taylor may have some of the answers.

Now more than ever the gender and equality debate is being talked about in golf, from the success of the Rose Ladies series, to the storm around Mel Reid’s tweet regarding the non-inclusion of women in the TaylorMade Driving Relief Challenge.

Women are being encouraged into the game with numerous participation projects and these are proving that there are women out there who are keen to give golf a go, with some reports suggesting women make suggest women make up around 40 per cent of all new golfers.

However, the number of female club members across the UK is still as low as 12 per cent. In many cases this is a number that is still declining.

In 2019 I completed a Masters degree in Sports Coaching where I made the disconnection between the number of women taking up the game, and the number of women joining a club as the focus of my thesis.

I wanted to find out what women taking up the game enjoyed about it and what put them off joining a club.

Among the things women taking up the game enjoyed were the challenges learning the game presented. They also enjoyed the escape golf provided from the stresses of work and family life. Being outside in nature and the opportunity to meet a whole new circle of friends were also big factors.

However, they also faced a number of barriers, the most prevalent being how existing members of the ladies section received them. Women reported feeling interrogated every time they met a lady member on course, whose habitual response was to march up to a new female golfer and ask ‘are you a member?’

This immediately made the new golfer feel out of place and frequently made them feel like they didn’t have the right to be out on the course.

Those women who had either joined a club, or had joined an introductory membership scheme, also reported feeling pressured to join in with existing practices. For many, the idea of playing in a competition created stress and was something they neither enjoyed nor felt ready for.

It is often the case that existing practices have been developed over a number of years, with things being done in a certain way for a long time. Within golf clubs, women traditionally fitted into the club on men’s terms, playing at their allotted time and playing the type of golf that was given status i.e. competitive golf. It is easy for a new golfer to be marginalised if they do not conform to expected behaviour and consequently can find themselves with no one to play with if they don’t join in with the status quo.

On the other hand, if a new golfer joins in with expected practices even if they don’t enjoy the type of golf being played, the enjoyment golf once gave them can soon evaporate.

Despite the barriers faced, the women interviewed all viewed club membership as something to aspire to. They liked the idea of belonging to a club and being part of something.

APPLYING THE RESEARCH TO INCREASE PARTICIPATION

Every club is different and there is no one size fits all solution to growing female membership. However, there are a few areas where change can be initiated and the PGA Professional can and should be at the heart of these changes.

Firstly creating a feeling of safety in numbers amongst new women and a clear pathway from beginner to club member is key.

ENGAGING NEW WOMEN INTO THE GAME

Beginner coaching initiative – There are not enough women out there who already play a little bit of golf who are going to suddenly take up club membership. Demand needs to be created by offering a beginner coaching initiative. The type of offering will differ based on the club or facility.

Place high importance on social bonds – creating a feeling of community really helps enjoyment and creates a pool of playing partners early on. Social get-togethers and Whatsapp groups are a great way of achieving this.

Get on course early on – this eliminates the fear factor when stepping out on the course for the first time. Ideally this should be done with the guidance and support of a PGA Professional during a coaching session.

Create a sense of belonging early – allowing women to access equipment, practice facilities and the course in-between lessons starts to build a sense of belonging to the club.

RECRUITING NEW WOMEN INTO YOUR CLUB

Entry-level membership is essential – this may take the form of an academy membership, introductory membership or a trial scheme.

Create a stepping-stone into the club – for many golfers who are at the point where they want to commit to the game, full membership is still a big jump. Offering an entry level membership is important, especially for those considering whether the cost of membership is worth it.

Cost per round is still important – many women taking up the game today are working full time and many also have family commitments. Cost per round is therefore going to be a consideration for many, especially if they are still relatively new to the game and are weighing up whether they play enough/enjoy it enough to justify the cost.

Create a sense of belonging – once someone has signed up to a membership scheme, ensuring they feel part of the club is key. It is especially important that women are made to feel fully part of the club. Playing opportunities, especially those with a social emphasis and less focus on competition, are a great way to help new golfers settle in.

Create options – make it clear that as a club member it is ok to play the type of golf you enjoy. Not joining in with a Tuesday medal if it is unenjoyable is perfectly okay and doesn’t mean you’re not a ‘proper’ golfer. Creating multiple playing opportunities and a core group of playing partners amongst new women really helps with this.

RETAINING WOMEN AS CLUB MEMBERS

Stepping up to full membership – if the entry level membership has done its job, full membership should be an appealing next step.

Membership options – having multiple category and payment options is again crucial in reducing the number of barriers a new golfer faces and makes transitioning to full membership as easy as possible.

Course access – ensuring women, especially younger women who are working full time, have full access to the course at weekends is vital

Playing options – the community of playing partners created right back at the introductory coaching stage means that women who join the club can make a choice about joining in with the existing lady members. They also have a group of regular playing partners around them who they enjoy playing with. This can make all the difference to an individuals continued enjoyment of the game.

Key Contact – once a new member has joined it is important to ensure they have a key contact within the club who can keep in regular contact with them over their first few months, offering guidance and support.

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