Clubs have a major opportunity to turn women’s interest in golf into lasting membership growth.
One of the clearest opportunities for future membership growth may be among women under 50 who are already showing an interest in golf, but are not yet seeing club membership as the right fit.
Recent England Golf Women’s Club Growth Workshops have underlined the scale of that opportunity, while also challenging clubs to think beyond one-off recruitment activity. Led by England Golf’s Head of Women’s Development Emma Highwood, the workshops focused on how clubs can better attract and retain women under 50, who currently account for only around 2% of club members.
Progress will come from clubs prepared to look carefully at the journey from initial interest through to long-term connection.
“We were oversubscribed with the workshops, which says there is a willingness and a drive to move forward in this space,” said Highwood. “I definitely feel inspired by that. Every single workshop had green shoots of people coming up with innovative ways to reach this particular group.”
Eight workshops were delivered in March, an increase on the five initially planned after demand grew, with more than 500 participants and 300 clubs represented. The sessions explored women’s experiences of golf, the barriers they face and the conditions that make them more likely to feel welcome.
Women under 50 cannot be approached as a single audience with a standard offer. Clubs were encouraged to think more carefully about who they are trying to reach, what stage those women are at, and whether the current offer gives them a realistic next step after an introduction to golf.
“What we find is that the next step is membership and 18 holes, and there is a massive gap in what is being offered at the moment. We are saying to clubs, do the taster event, but think about what comes next. Full membership is not the next step for everyone, so what are you going to offer to help those women keep playing and learning?”
The pathway beyond first engagement is where the growth opportunity becomes most important. Many women are interested in learning the game, but may not immediately be motivated by handicaps, competitions or 18-hole golf. Research shared through the workshops identified time pressure, accessibility and value for money as the strongest barriers.
“If people are time poor, what can we offer them within the time they have? Sometimes a lot of what is being offered might be during the day, but if women are working, they are not going to be able to access that opportunity. We need to think about timing and make sure what we are offering is accessible.”
When time, cost and confidence are considered together, the issue is wider than adding more women’s activity to the calendar. A woman who can only visit once a week, or who has one or two hours available, may not see value in a seven-day membership or a route built around 18 holes. Someone learning the game for the first time may need a space that allows her to progress at her own pace.
“If women are saying they do not have much time, they want value for money, they are not necessarily motivated by competition straight away, and they want a safe space to learn at their pace, you can see where the disconnect happens if the offer is only 18 holes, handicap and competition.”
Shorter formats are becoming an increasingly important part of England Golf’s work with clubs, particularly where they create a more realistic route into regular play and ongoing connection with the facility.
“If we want to reach this audience and they are time poor, we do need to think differently about short formats. That could be three holes or six holes. If someone has two hours or one hour, what can we do in that time to engage them at club level?”
Highwood also stressed that clubs need to put internal foundations in place before moving straight into recruitment. A successful programme depends on shared understanding, leadership support and a clear plan for what happens after an introductory offer has ended.
“Some clubs jump straight to the recruitment initiative, but from our experience you have to get some things in place internally first. You could run a really great Get into Golf programme, but if you have not got buy-in within the club around what happens next, there may be decisions needed around adaptations to retain those women.”
Growth in women’s golf touches membership categories, tee access, coaching, communications and culture, rather than sitting solely with the women’s section or a small group of volunteers. Highwood was encouraged that around 30% of workshop attendees were men, with club managers among those taking part.
“Sometimes this has been seen as a women’s problem or a women’s opportunity. We want to bring it into the heart of golf clubs and make it an opportunity for the golf club itself. We need to work collectively as an industry to grow this space.”
England Golf will continue to support clubs through the Women in Golf Charter, club and county support, growth pilots and bite-size education. The response will look different from club to club, but clubs that create pathways around time, confidence and value will be better placed to turn early interest into long-term connection.
Key Takeaways
- Clubs need to think beyond taster sessions and create clear next steps into regular participation.
- Flexible formats, accessible timings and value for money are central to engaging women under 50.
- Internal buy-in matters before recruitment begins, so new players have a pathway that supports retention.
