A new report by the Golf Foundation has highlighted a number of really positive findings about the numbers of boys and girls who have taken up golf in the past year.
Image: Chris Vaughan
The latest Impact Report from the Golf Foundation has found that junior memberships across England, Scotland and Wales have significantly increased over the past year.
The 2019/2020 study from the charity details an 11 percent increase in junior membership across all 437 HSBC Golf Roots Centres compared to the previous year.
That’s about 3,784 more boys and girls taking up golf.
In even better news, 28 percent of those new members are girls, which isn’t bad at all considering that across England only 15 percent of memberships are held by women.
This is partly thanks to the Girls Golf Rocks scheme – a joint project between the Golf Foundation and England Golf.
1,856 girls took part across 112 clubs (including the adorable young lady pictured above) and it resulted in 102 participants going on to become members.
Meanwhile, the report labels the GolfSixes League series, supported by The R&A, as a ‘exciting success story’.
Leading to a 35 percent rise in memberships at the clubs taking part (again girls made up 28 percent of this increase), the six-hole, six a side, team format has proved super popular. In 2019 it was played in 233 clubs with 55 leagues across England, Scotland and Wales, and by 2021 the aim is to expand it to Ireland and up the number of leagues to 98.
The study also includes testimonies from some of the girls and boys who took part.
For instance, Leah from Lincolnshire details how she has really come out of her shell since taking up golf. She said:
“Since learning to play I have had to develop so many skills. I am a different person; I was shy but I have become more confident by playing golf. I now help coach the younger groups.”
It’s a really positive step forward and if team formats like Golf Sixes are the way to get more juniors and girls playing, we’re totally all for it.
For more information about the Golf Foundation visit www.golf-foundation.org.
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