In my eyes, golf has always been a game played by the men in my life. My dad, my uncles, my grandfather and my male friends have always enjoyed sunny Sunday morning’s hitting a golf ball around a course. The women in my family, although equally as sporty as the men, have always chosen netball, tennis, hockey, swimming, and horse riding as their sport of choice. Golf has never seemed to be something that has crossed their minds. As a result of never been introduced to the game at a young age (either through school or going to my local range with dad) I have never had a real interest in playing or watching golf.
However, after working with England Golf and helping to launch their ‘Raising Our Game Strategy’ and #ThisGirlGolfs I have naturally become closer to the sport. It has been interesting to investigate (with my PR hat on!) the difference between the men and women’s game in terms of sponsorship deals and media coverage. I was amazed to find out that there was only one national reporter at the Ricoh British Women’s Open compared to the masses at the men’s Scottish Open. Somehow it didn’t seem quite fair.
Attending the Women and Girls' Conference at Frilford Heath Golf Club with my colleagues Lucy and Anna from Generate Sponsorship has really opened my eyes into what the sport has to offer and how female friendly it is. After a quick lesson from England Golf’s Championship Director James Crampton, who very kindly and showed us the basics of the game, I was totally hooked. It was so satisfying to swing the ball and see it fly for, what seemed like miles, towards the green.
I enjoyed my first golfing experience so much so that this weekend, I headed back home and completed my first 9 hole round with my dad. Although my swing definitely needs some practice, I managed to get round the course with only loosing 2 balls! I have booked myself onto a course of lessons and am determined to get better – my goal is to complete an 18 hole course by the end of the year.
The game really is great! You can spend a couple of hours in the fresh air, switching off from the stresses of your daily life and its really quite satisfying whacking a ball around a course – especially when it goes a long way and you manage to get it in!
