Girls Golf Rocks to run in 21 English counties
We would all love to see more girls taking up golf, and the Girls Golf Rocks project is on a mission to try and make this happen.
Designed to prove that golf can be social and fun, the seven-week programme is aimed at girls aged between five and 18 years old.
Running in 21 counties across England, the scheme will be kicking off with a series of free taster sessions at the start of April.
After this girls can choose to sign up for five weeks of discounted coaching sessions, with some courses costing as little as £14. Plus, after five weeks, each participant is fitted with a free 7 iron.
This year the sessions will conclude with a par 3 event; an opportunity for all the participants to celebrate everything they’ve learnt and also get out on the course with other, more experienced girl golfers.
The project is supported by ambassadors from each county’s girls’ squad. These players come along to the sessions to encourage and help the girls who are new to the game.
One of last year’s ambassadors for Yorkshire was 14-year-old Ellie Parker.
She said: “I really enjoyed being an ambassador as it allowed me to pass on the experiences that I have gained through playing golf and encourage other girls to take up the game.
I really loved being a part of it and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend that other girls do the same.”
The scheme is jointly ran by England Golf and the Golf Foundation, with support from county associations.
Stacey Mitchell, one of the regional development officers for the Golf Foundation said:
“The Girls Golf Rocks programme is a fantastic national scheme that has been implemented to grow girls golf. It has proved to be an innovative and successful way to engage new girls in the sport; through utilising county players as ambassadors, delivering golf in a fun and informal way with welcoming facilities and coaches, combined with free taster sessions and subsidised initial coaching to get you started.
With golf you can just be yourself, plus every game is different, so there’s always something to look forward to. It’s also very social and I have made many life-long friends through golf. I would encourage any girl to give it a go! Why not come join us and see how much fun it really is?”
For more information or to find your nearest taster session visit www.girlsgolfrocks.org
Or find out more on Twitter – @girlsgolfrocks1 or Facebook – Girl Golf Rocks
Photos by Leaderboard Photography