According to the English Golf Union, more than 3,000 women and girls were encouraged to take up the sport in 2010, after all 32 County Golf Partnerships (CGPs) and other ladies' golf associations were given a share of the EWGA Women and Girls Grant.
The organisation stated the funds went towards promoting the game to females and encouraging new players to remain interested in the sport in the future. On average, the activities attracted a 102 women and girls in each county.
It was revealed in the 2010 Golf Club Membership Questionnaire that the number of girls' memberships dropped by 30 per cent between 2008 and 2010, while ladies' memberships decreased by 46 per cent in the same period of time. Therefore, the EWGA funding helped the association move quickly to address this problem.
Commenting on the success of the programme, Simon Wood, county development officer for Cornwall CGP, said: "The Women and Girls Grant has been very beneficial in getting more women and girls into golf. Our coaching was very successful with 151 women and girls taking part – and over half were interested in follow up sessions."
Sean Hammill, county development officer for Staffordshire CGP, added: "Coaches are continuing to recruit more girls now on the back of this programme, so real momentum has been created which needs to be sustained in 2011."
And it could be that golf GPS devices come in handy for girls and women who are new to the sport and want to improve their scores on the course.
The gadgets calculate the distance to any position on the golf course - such as the green or hazards - from where you are standing, offering you the chance to more accurately select the right clubs and consistently hit your targets.
