New WPGA Committee Member Hinton focused on raising visibility

28/03/2025

Sally Hinton has already made great strides in the game. She is now the Senior PGA Teaching Professional at Close House and, in 2023, was awarded Fellow Professional status, as well as being named PGA Female Coach of the Year. Heavily involved in the Northumberland county scene, she has now also joined the WPGA committee.

Hinton comes from a long line of PGA Professionals, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, father, and uncle. With her new appointment, she is keen to continue driving progress.

“I’m really keen to help promote the women’s side of The PGA, both in general and in terms of tournaments. There are more and more female PGA Members now, but I still think we could do more to promote the women of The PGA, recruit more women into roles, and improve visibility. Everyone is aware of the WPGA, but we need to raise its profile as a section.

“I’m very excited to join a group of highly experienced and skilled female PGA Professionals who share the common goal of driving positive change for future WPGA Members.”

Originally from Shropshire, Hinton recalls how, in the early days of her career, she would often travel to Cheshire for lessons with a female coach—an experience that reinforced her desire to expand the pool of female coaches in the game.

“We used to go to Cheshire for lessons with Maureen Madill. That was a big thing for me because there were no female coaches for the Shropshire girls' team, which is why we made the trip to Carden Park.

“It was really inspirational. The coaching delivery is, of course, exactly the same, but seeing a female Professional made a huge difference. It’s one of those things where ‘you have to see it to be it,’ and I hear the same from girls at Close House. They have female coaches in football, and they’d like one in golf too. Having visible female coaches and recognising coaching as a viable career route is so important.”

This year, Hinton celebrates 15 years at Close House. During that time, she has not only introduced many girls and women to the game but also helped several pursue careers in golf.

“I now have four girls who started as juniors with me and have gone on to join The PGA or take part in its training programme: Kitana Hollins, May Shaw, Libby Bell, and Camryn Bulman. That’s incredibly rewarding because you’re helping someone build a career.

“Most young golfers dream of playing professionally, but for various reasons, that might not work out. It’s fantastic to see more girls recognising golf as a viable career path—whether as a PGA Member, a coach, a manager, or in another role—while remaining deeply involved in the game.”