New opportunities for girl golfers

A new venture designed to encourage more girls to take up the game of golf at Clubs in West Lothian has been launched this month.

Getting and keeping girls involved in golf is not a new challenge locally, nor indeed in Scotland. As a result, six years ago, discovering that opportunities for their daughters to join a girl-friendly club were limited, a group of parents decided to form the Linlithgow District Girls Golf Society (LDGGS).

"It started as a virtual golf club put together by some enthusiastic mums. They got some Golf Foundation funding, and set about engaging primary age girls in golf. They utilized any local facilities, and the society gathered in strength and size." recalls the Association's Chair, Kenny More, whose eldest daughter has been on the programme from the start.

"From a start of five or six girls we put together a programme of coaching that would systematically develop girls from P4s through to S1,” a time when they should be grabbed by the clubs. "By that age they'll be 12 year olds, capable of swinging a club, hitting the ball well, keeping scores and understanding the rules and etiquette of golf."

The numbers of girl members in the Association have since grown to 33, and this year the first batch have reached 12 years old, the age where
they could theoretically join a golf club's junior membership.

Fortunately, with Scottish Golf's junior programme, clubgolf, helping to double the number of girls in club memberships the future is looking much brighter than six years ago.

In the newest development the LDGGS, clubgolf, Linlithgow and West Lothian Golf Clubs have combined forces to offer a pathway for their older
Girls into the clubs, starting with four Medal events for the girls this summer holidays.

"With the help of Alan Reid and Karen Bowerman, we have just completed the first three competitions and they've been terrific," said Mr More.

"We've had up to 18 girls playing six hole competitions at both clubs. They went round the course with lady members who encouraged them about
play and reinforced aspects of technique and etiquette. The ladies were patient and positive - we couldn't have asked for more “

"The girls' parents came too, met the lady members and, as a result, many realized just what a positive environment this is for their kids to be involved in.

“The feedback has been excellent. The lady members were all very positive and acknowledged what an excellent raw material the young girls are. If the lady members can do that half a dozen times in the year for us it will make an enormous difference to girls wanting to join a golf club.

Plans for next year include organising four lessons for the 'graduating' girls at the start of the season with the Pros from West Lothian and Linlithgow GCs, followed by more summer medals.

"Over the next few years there will be 33 girls moving from the LDGGS. With the support of the clubgolf strategy and the ladies sections of both clubs, I hope as many as possible become life-long members of our local clubs" said Mr More.

As West Lothian and Linlithgow Golf Clubs have just four and nine girls on their memberships respectively they will hopefully be falling over each other to sign up the girls.