This month is Girls Golf month. Similar to how we aim to grow the game of golf by catering to a specific age group often overlooked by the industry, the LPGA and USGA have teamed up to create an initiative and platform for young girls looking to get in the game. It does this by providing resources and encouragement for junior golfers, helping them stay in the game.
I hadn’t thought much of my experiences as a young golfer until I learned about Girls Golf. When getting into the game, I was never doing so with a group of young girls like myself. Instead, I was with either boys or old folks. When I took lessons, I was the only girl there. It wasn’t like going to soccer, softball, or gymnastics where I had lots of friends and enjoyed going for reasons in addition to a love for the sport.
The LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program is growing the game by creating opportunities for young girls to learn the basics in an environment that fosters confidence and positive self-esteem, in other words “No Boys Allowed”. Girls taking part in Girls Golf clinics are future LPGA players, college varsity players, and NCCGA players.
This program is an exciting thing for the golf industry as it does more than just separate the girls and the boys. They’ve certainly done their research, and as a result are introducing a game like no other in ways that improve its learnability. Needless to say, there is a lot to celebrate about this program.
This upcoming Fall semester the NCCGA will be adding a fifth student leader position, solely dedicated to growing the game of women's club golf around the country. The Director of Women's Golf will help executive initiatives designed to help encourage more women across the country to play non-varsity golf in college, and help implement rules and policies to make the game more welcoming for everyone.
**Katherine Dobson is an intern with Nextgengolf, and is quickly working her way towards becoming a scratch golfer.
