England Golf is thrilled to reveal that six Women's Growth Development Workshops have reached full capacity, meaning over 550 people will be educated from across 300 clubs on how to improve their offering for women and girls.
Ahead of these workshops, England Golf's Head of Women's Development, Emma Highwood, talks about her role, background and why the Women's Growth Workshops are so key in helping golf grow amongst females in this country...
Ahead of these workshops, England Golf's Head of Women's Development, Emma Highwood, talks about her role, background and why the Women's Growth Workshops are so key in helping golf grow amongst females in this country...
What is your professional background?
I have worked in the sports industry for over 20 years, in Australia and the UK, including roles at The Football Association in the North East, Executive at Football Australia (leading football development and women’s), and more recently CEO of Hockey New South Wales. A major part of my experience and passion has always been in Women’s Sport, driving growth and inclusion.
What is your role with England Golf?
Head of Women’s Development, which is a new role to drive the overall strategic growth of women’s golf across England with a focus on supporting clubs.
What is your strategy for women’s development? What are your targets with women’s golf for the foreseeable?
Our main focus is driving increased club engagement of younger women into clubs. Women under 50 make up the smallest portion in club membership. However, there has been an increase in the number of women participating in golf at driving ranges, simulators, and also playing shorter forms of the game. This is an opportunity for clubs across the country to leverage this increased interest. We are also committed to increasing the number of women working in leadership and decision-making positions across the golf industry, which is why we launched the Women’s Leadership Programme in 2025. Finally, we want to ensure that the profile of women’s golf continues to grow, so that younger women can see themselves in golf and feel a sense of belonging. Our Game Changers programme, with the engagement of Dame Denise Lewis and Carly Telford, plays a big role in this, and no doubt we will be looking to other influential females who have a genuine passion for the game to help us promote it and show how inclusive and accessible it is for women and girls.
What is the purpose of these Women's Growth Workshops? What does the data tell us about where the biggest opportunities lie?
To support clubs who want to attract younger women into their clubs. We would like to provide clubs with guidance on what they should be putting in place to achieve this in a sustainable way. Currently we have 2% of women under 50 in club membership. We see this as a growth opportunity for clubs. We will explore with clubs how they can start to put the right foundations in place to support growth in this area, and also help them to start to understand the needs of women under 50 and where their current gaps might be in what they are currently offering.
How delighted you are to see such a huge take-up for the workshops? What message does it send out?
A number of workshops were 'sold' out immediately. We have introduced three new workshops and expanded the capacity at each venue. This means we will be reaching around 550 participants and roughly 300 clubs. This is an indication that there is an appetite at club level to attract younger women into clubs, which is great to see. We would like to continue this momentum with clubs going forward.
What age ranges are attending?
The age ranges vary, and the roles in the clubs too, from club managers, board members and committee members. This is great to see as we need all aspects of a club pulling in the same direction to support future growth.
Many males are attending too – why is important to educate them too?
The reality is that many of the key decision-making positions in clubs are held by men, so it is important that men are part of the change which needs to happen. We would like the conversation to become about thinking of this as an opportunity for golf and for clubs.
What are the most common barriers clubs face when trying to grow female membership?
Each club is different, and that’s what makes this complex for clubs. Many clubs often struggle to attract younger women generally. What we know is that many women are time poor and are looking for flexibility. With some clubs only offering 18-hole formats, which is sometimes coupled with restrictions, this makes it difficult to attract younger women. This is why we are encouraging clubs to consider their current offering and to see whether adaptations can be made to meet the needs of younger women. Clubs have also expressed that sometimes they find it difficult to market to women who are not connected to their clubs. We want to encourage clubs to be targeted, and really think about who they should be targeting in their local community, and how they might reach new women.
What do you hope people take away from the workshops? What would be your top tips for clubs to implement after attending a workshop?
We want clubs to be inspired to go back to their clubs and start to talk about this as an opportunity. Every club is different and at different stages, but what we do know is that putting in place the right foundations in governance, setting a clear direction and the whole club understanding why this is important, is the critical first step towards growth.
Our top tips are:
- Get buy-in and make sure you have the right foundations in place
- Make sure the club understands why
- Take the time to understand the needs of the women you are targeting
- Be targeted, and understand what type of club you are, and therefore who you should target
- When designing recruitment initiatives, ensure you consider the transition into regular engagement at the club
- Don’t put too many restrictions on opportunities. For example, explore whether a time limit on academy membership is necessary
- Think about who you want to attract and adapt your language to speak to younger women
- If you want to do more in this space, your local England Golf Club & County Support Officer should be your first point of call
Why should clubs take action now rather than later?
There has been a huge explosion in women’s sports over the last 10 years, with more sports than ever realising that the women’s area is a growth opportunity. Clubs who are first movers will have an advantage over those who are late to the party. Women under 50 represent future full members, committee members, volunteers and ambassadors. If clubs welcome them now, we are protecting long-term subscription income, membership succession, family engagement, and the vibrancy of the clubhouse for years to come. So I would advise clubs to start making the changes now and you will be future-proofing your club’s vitality for the next 10-20 years.
Workshop dates and venues
North West - Tuesday 3 March at Denton Golf Club
North East - Tuesday 10 March at Ramside Hall Golf, Hotel & Spa
Midlands - Thursday 12 March at Greetham Valley Golf and Country Club
North West - Wednesday 18 March at Fairfied Golf Club
Midlands - Thursday 19 March at Kings Norton Golf Club
South West - Tuesday 24 March at The Bristol Golf Club
South East - Wednesday 25 March at Pedham Place Golf Centre
South East - Thursday 26 March at Pedham Place Golf Centre (10am-1pm)
Each session runs from 1pm to 4pm unless stated
I have worked in the sports industry for over 20 years, in Australia and the UK, including roles at The Football Association in the North East, Executive at Football Australia (leading football development and women’s), and more recently CEO of Hockey New South Wales. A major part of my experience and passion has always been in Women’s Sport, driving growth and inclusion.
What is your role with England Golf?
Head of Women’s Development, which is a new role to drive the overall strategic growth of women’s golf across England with a focus on supporting clubs.
What is your strategy for women’s development? What are your targets with women’s golf for the foreseeable?
Our main focus is driving increased club engagement of younger women into clubs. Women under 50 make up the smallest portion in club membership. However, there has been an increase in the number of women participating in golf at driving ranges, simulators, and also playing shorter forms of the game. This is an opportunity for clubs across the country to leverage this increased interest. We are also committed to increasing the number of women working in leadership and decision-making positions across the golf industry, which is why we launched the Women’s Leadership Programme in 2025. Finally, we want to ensure that the profile of women’s golf continues to grow, so that younger women can see themselves in golf and feel a sense of belonging. Our Game Changers programme, with the engagement of Dame Denise Lewis and Carly Telford, plays a big role in this, and no doubt we will be looking to other influential females who have a genuine passion for the game to help us promote it and show how inclusive and accessible it is for women and girls.
What is the purpose of these Women's Growth Workshops? What does the data tell us about where the biggest opportunities lie?
To support clubs who want to attract younger women into their clubs. We would like to provide clubs with guidance on what they should be putting in place to achieve this in a sustainable way. Currently we have 2% of women under 50 in club membership. We see this as a growth opportunity for clubs. We will explore with clubs how they can start to put the right foundations in place to support growth in this area, and also help them to start to understand the needs of women under 50 and where their current gaps might be in what they are currently offering.
How delighted you are to see such a huge take-up for the workshops? What message does it send out?
A number of workshops were 'sold' out immediately. We have introduced three new workshops and expanded the capacity at each venue. This means we will be reaching around 550 participants and roughly 300 clubs. This is an indication that there is an appetite at club level to attract younger women into clubs, which is great to see. We would like to continue this momentum with clubs going forward.
What age ranges are attending?
The age ranges vary, and the roles in the clubs too, from club managers, board members and committee members. This is great to see as we need all aspects of a club pulling in the same direction to support future growth.
Many males are attending too – why is important to educate them too?
The reality is that many of the key decision-making positions in clubs are held by men, so it is important that men are part of the change which needs to happen. We would like the conversation to become about thinking of this as an opportunity for golf and for clubs.
What are the most common barriers clubs face when trying to grow female membership?
Each club is different, and that’s what makes this complex for clubs. Many clubs often struggle to attract younger women generally. What we know is that many women are time poor and are looking for flexibility. With some clubs only offering 18-hole formats, which is sometimes coupled with restrictions, this makes it difficult to attract younger women. This is why we are encouraging clubs to consider their current offering and to see whether adaptations can be made to meet the needs of younger women. Clubs have also expressed that sometimes they find it difficult to market to women who are not connected to their clubs. We want to encourage clubs to be targeted, and really think about who they should be targeting in their local community, and how they might reach new women.
What do you hope people take away from the workshops? What would be your top tips for clubs to implement after attending a workshop?
We want clubs to be inspired to go back to their clubs and start to talk about this as an opportunity. Every club is different and at different stages, but what we do know is that putting in place the right foundations in governance, setting a clear direction and the whole club understanding why this is important, is the critical first step towards growth.
Our top tips are:
- Get buy-in and make sure you have the right foundations in place
- Make sure the club understands why
- Take the time to understand the needs of the women you are targeting
- Be targeted, and understand what type of club you are, and therefore who you should target
- When designing recruitment initiatives, ensure you consider the transition into regular engagement at the club
- Don’t put too many restrictions on opportunities. For example, explore whether a time limit on academy membership is necessary
- Think about who you want to attract and adapt your language to speak to younger women
- If you want to do more in this space, your local England Golf Club & County Support Officer should be your first point of call
Why should clubs take action now rather than later?
There has been a huge explosion in women’s sports over the last 10 years, with more sports than ever realising that the women’s area is a growth opportunity. Clubs who are first movers will have an advantage over those who are late to the party. Women under 50 represent future full members, committee members, volunteers and ambassadors. If clubs welcome them now, we are protecting long-term subscription income, membership succession, family engagement, and the vibrancy of the clubhouse for years to come. So I would advise clubs to start making the changes now and you will be future-proofing your club’s vitality for the next 10-20 years.
Workshop dates and venues
North West - Tuesday 3 March at Denton Golf Club
North East - Tuesday 10 March at Ramside Hall Golf, Hotel & Spa
Midlands - Thursday 12 March at Greetham Valley Golf and Country Club
North West - Wednesday 18 March at Fairfied Golf Club
Midlands - Thursday 19 March at Kings Norton Golf Club
South West - Tuesday 24 March at The Bristol Golf Club
South East - Wednesday 25 March at Pedham Place Golf Centre
South East - Thursday 26 March at Pedham Place Golf Centre (10am-1pm)
Each session runs from 1pm to 4pm unless stated
ENDS
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org
Contact details:
Tom Vale, Press & Media Manager
Tel: 07912 240850
Email: tom.vale@englandgolf.org
www.englandgolf.org