New long-term plan aims to grow participation, support emerging professionals, and improve gender equity across the sport
Scottish Golf has unveiled a new Women and Girls Strategy outlining its commitment to growing the female game and ensuring long-term gender equity across all levels of golf in Scotland. The announcement, made at Dundonald Links during the 2025 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open, includes a significant new partnership with the Sean Connery Foundation to help support the country’s top female amateurs as they transition into professional golf.
The ten-year strategy will focus on increasing participation, building opportunities for careers in golf, and creating strong pathways for emerging talent. It is supported by three major initiatives:
- The Scottish Golf Women’s Professional Transition Programme, backed by the Sean Connery Foundation, supporting elite amateurs as they turn professional.
- The Women and Girls Coordinator Fund, a three-year investment to help golf clubs employ staff focused on growing and retaining female membership.
- The Club Education Fund, aimed at developing and retaining women in key roles within the sport’s delivery workforce.
Backing Scotland’s Next Generation of Pros
The new Transition Programme is already underway, with support being provided to Lorna McClymont, who turned professional in 2024, and Hannah Darling, making her professional debut at this week’s Women’s Scottish Open. Both players are products of the Scottish Golf performance pathway and played under Catriona Matthew’s captaincy in the Curtis Cup victory at Sunningdale last year.
Matthew, a former Women’s British Open champion and two-time Solheim Cup-winning captain, helped shape the programme and will continue as a mentor. “Experience has taught me that making the step into the pro game can be a tough transition,” she said. “With support like this, we can help more Scottish players realise their potential.”
The Sean Connery Foundation, established in 2020, has been developing the partnership with Scottish Golf over recent years. Stephane Connery, the foundation’s chairman, said the collaboration aims to address the disparity in support for the women’s game: “Sean greatly admired the women’s game and felt it deserved much more attention and backing.”
Jason Connery added: “This programme is about giving young women the tools and financial support they need at a pivotal time in their careers. Dad would be very proud of this work.”
Investing at Grassroots and Club Level
In addition to supporting elite players, Scottish Golf’s strategy includes funding to help clubs recruit coordinators dedicated to female participation and upskill existing staff. The goal is to make golf clubs more welcoming, inclusive spaces, and to encourage more women into leadership and operational roles across the game.
CEO Robbie Clyde said: “This strategy is about long-term, meaningful change. Whether it’s girls picking up a club for the first time, or professionals representing Scotland on the global stage, we want golf to be accessible and rewarding for women and girls at every level.”
The Women and Girls Strategy sets out five key goals: changing perceptions, building clear regional pathways, committing long-term resources, improving access and equity, and creating visible female leaders and role models.
