For girl’s about to rock

Girl’s Golf Rocks is a campaign that is being run to attract girl beginners to have fun, learn a new sport, get active and play alongside friends – with no pressure.

Girl golfers from county squads will act as ambassadors to share their enjoyment and inspire other girls, aged five to 18.

The campaign will return to Essex, where it was successfully trialed last year and attracted 90 girls to try the game. It will also start for the first time in Cheshire, Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Durham, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Norfolk and Nottinghamshire.

There will be free ‘taster’ sessions at local clubs, which will be supported by the squad players. Four-week structured coaching programmes provided by PGA professionals at each of the clubs, with the county girl players mentoring the newcomers, will follow these.

All the girls who complete the coaching programme will be fitted with a free seven iron to help them continue to play.

The finale will be a fun par three competition in each county when new young golfers can enjoy playing alongside their mentors.

Currently, figures show that only 1% of golf club members are girls, with an average of just two per club, which is pretty woeful to say the least, and another missed opportunity – which at last now seems to be being addressed.

When Girls Golf Rocks was trialed in Essex last summer 90 youngsters were inspired to try the game. Of those, 40 went on to take a four-week coaching course; 30 played in the par three competition and six became golf club members.

Wendy Cook, the Essex county junior organiser, said: “Girls Golf Rocks was an ambitious project last year, which required the involvement of many volunteers, and the result was absolutely fantastic. I’m really looking forward to the 2016 campaign and I’d like to say to all the Golf Girls who are about to Rock: I salute you!”

Girls Golf Rocks is led by England Golf and supported by the Golf Foundation, county associations and sports partnerships.

Visit www.getintogolf.org/ggr for more information and to book a ‘taster’ session.

For more on how LPGA world number one defended her title in New Zealand click here or on the image below.