Six clubs sign R&A Women In Golf Charter
Shepparton Golf Club leads a raft of clubs to sign The R&A Women in Golf Charter, showcasing their commitment to create an inclusive culture for women and girls.
Bridport Golf Club, Kingston Beach Golf Club, Riverside Golf Club, Royal Hobart Golf Club and Devonport Country Club in Tasmania join Victorian country’s Shepparton as the first clubs in Australia to commit to the Charter, which aims to enable more women and girls to maximise their potential at all levels of the sport. The Charter was launched for clubs in Australia last December with Golf Australia, the PGA of Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia all committed to driving gender equity at golf clubs across the country.
To qualify as a signatory, clubs have to build on and develop initiatives which will focus on encouraging more women and girls to play golf and stay within the sport as members of clubs, while also empowering women to enjoy successful careers working within the golf industry.
The Shepparton Golf Club continues to innovate and attract women to the game, as recognised by winning Golf Australia’s Visionary of the Year initiative in 2021, and was officially the first Australian club to sign the Charter.
For becoming a signatory, the six clubs have received a range of benefits including:
● Receiving a Signatory decal that can be placed at your club to showcase its support and commitment.
● Receiving a digital suite of marketing tools that can be used for their website and advertising.
● Ability to be nominated for Golf Australia programs such as Visionary of the Year and the Australian Golf Foundation Junior Girls’ Scholarship program funding.
● Recognition of their commitment on both the Golf Australia and The R&A websites.
Golf Australia Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said the Charter was inspiring for golf people.
“We’re delighted that already, clubs are coming forward to become signatories,” said Sutherland.
“The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter speaks to our national strategy. Golf is a fun sport for all and we are committed to inspiring more women and girls to play golf. Clubs and facilities have plenty to gain from strengthening their focus in this area and ensuring that our places to play are welcoming and inclusive. We congratulate those clubs taking the initiative to sign up – and we know that more and more clubs and facilities will follow in the coming weeks and months.”
Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, is delighted to see Australian golf clubs joining those all over the world in their commitment to women and girls golf.
“The R&A Women in Golf Charter was launched in 2018 to create a more inclusive culture within golf worldwide. Since then we have seen over 1000 clubs in 12 countries make their commitment to the Charter and the development of women and girls golf.
“Australia is a strong sporting nation which has seen significant growth in golf participation over the past two years. We are delighted that Australian golf clubs are becoming signatories of the Charter which will position golf as a welcoming sport for women to engage with and contribute to the further success of golf in the country.”
Since 2018, golf participation in the United Kingdom has increased significantly including amongst women.
According to research conducted by The R&A and Sports Marketing Surveys, 25 percent of female golfers were new to the sport in 2020, whilst in 2021 female golfers on a full length course (nine or 18 hole) increased from 1.4 million to 1.6 million, accounting for 34 percent of all golfers.
The latest AusPlay data from the Federal Government reported a big increase in female participation in Australia in 2020, jumping from 184,359 to 249,900 participants, a 35 percent rise.
BECOME A SIGNATORY
If you are interested in becoming a Women in Golf Charter signatory club, please reach out to us via womeningolfcharter@golf.org.au
Golf Australia has a range of resources to assist clubs in making their commitment to the R&A’s Women in Golf Charter. The most pivotal of the resources is Sport Australia’s ‘Game Plan’ tool, accessed from the Club & Facility Support portal. The ‘Game Plan’ tool, which is a module focused on the growth of women in golf, will help a club identify areas of the club in which it already excels, and areas for improvement, ultimately assisting in the development of an action plan for your organisation.
