Ladies golf is booming in Lancashire

Feb 5 2008 by Harold brough, Liverpool Daily Post

WHEN there are golf clubs without a single girl member, girls’ golf may appear to be in the doldrums. But there is encouraging news, including that from Lancashire.

“The scene is much more positive than it used to be,” says Angela Caton, county junior organiser.

For example, while some clubs do have only a few or no girl members there are others with 20 and more. When the figures are added together there are almost 500 girls who are members of golf clubs under the banner of Lancashire, which includes areas like Liverpool and Southport.

If the popular theory, that there are as many golfers outside clubs as there are golf club members, is followed then Lancashire can lay claim to a total of about 1,000 girls playing golf.

That apart, Lancashire has more girls who are members of golf clubs that any other county in England, with the exception of Yorkshire, which has many more golf clubs.

Now girls’ golf in Lancashire has been given another boost with a cash injection through the English Women’s Golf Association development and subscription grants to help junior coaching.

The EWGA report 2007 as another successful year with the grants administered through the English Golf Union and the EWGA to support county associations in providing activates for junior girl golf club members and also girls at the early stages of the game.

The EGU and the EWGA have reported that research now shows that during 2007 more than 3,500 girls benefited from some form of coaching as a result of the grants.

On average more than 100 girls per county participated in coaching directly attributable to the grants. More than 90 county associations arranged additional follow-on activities to keep girls involved in the game.

Angela Caton pays tribute to the benefit of the grants.

“The Lancashire Ladies’ County Golf Association cannot thank EWGA and EGU enough for their financial help,” she says “We are confident that many of these young players who have started will stay and surely succeed for many years to come.”

Angela is from a golfing family and has loved golf from when she was a young girl. Both her parents were Lancashire players and her sister, Julia Greenhalgh, was an England and Great Britain international and Curtis Cup player.

Ms Caton has been on the Lancashire Executive for more than 20 years. She was county captain when Lancashire won the Northern Counties championship at Wallasey in 1997 and finished runners-up in the England final at Ormskirk.

So the key to the Lancashire success in attracting girls?

She explains: “I think many of the girls do have family members at the golf clubs. I think that is the main thing here and indeed across the country.”

This, of course, leaves golf with the problem of attracting girls who have no connection with the game. But even if most of those involved in the Lancashire coaching do have some past connection with golf, the grants from the EGU and the EWGA have been a huge benefit in helping girls get started in golf.

Lancashire, like other counties, receives £750 which is used towards an introduction to golf sessions, which this year will be held at four courses including Formby Ladies in June.

Each girl sees a golf professional who gives her advice according to her stage of golf development.