I'm A Young Woman Who Thought Traditional Golf Clubs Weren't For Me. Here's Why I've Changed My Mind

When I was a member at Foxhills, a modern country club in the UK, golf did not feel like the intimidating sport I had grown up imagining. It sat alongside a spa, gym, tennis courts and restaurants. People arrived in gym kit, golf clothes, or jeans and a jumper. You could have a lesson, stay for a coffee, then sit and socialise, or do your work.

Later, when I spent time at a resort style course abroad, it was a similar story. Golf lived within a wider experience. You met people by the pool, or at the bar, and only afterwards realised they were also members of the golf course. Golf did not have to be the starting point. It could grow naturally out of everything else that was going on at the resort.

For younger women especially, like myself, that kind of environment is a gentle way in. The setting feels modern and relaxed. There is less sense of walking into “a golf club” and more sense of joining a lifestyle.

So where does that leave the more traditional member clubs that do not have spa facilities, hotel rooms or a long list of other activities on offer? Can they really compete for broader demographics, or are younger women always going to lean towards the resort style option?

Rethinking What A Traditional Club Looks Like

When I came back to the UK this summer and joined Aspley Guise & Woburn Sands Golf Club for lessons, I will admit I had some assumptions. On paper, it is the sort of place I might once have written off as too traditional. I imagined strict dress codes, older members who did things a certain way and not much interest in bringing in younger women who travel a lot, work remotely and are still finding their place in the game. What I actually found was very different.

The atmosphere in the clubhouse was relaxed and friendly. Members smiled and said hello. There was music playing, changing rooms with female products, and a general feeling that people were there to enjoy themselves rather than maintain a strict atmosphere.

One day, I turned up in a short skirt in what was probably too cold for British weather and braced myself for a comment. Instead, I got a few jokes about being brave, some encouragement and no judgment at all. Little moments like that quietly challenge the idea that traditional clubs are automatically stuffy or unwelcoming.

Encouraging New Players Into The Game

Aspley runs a “Journey Into Golf” pathway that is designed to help new players ease in, rather than commit all at once. It starts with coaching, moves through a flexible “New to Golf” stage, and then into a “Get into Golf” membership that sits just before full membership.

On paper, that looks like a fairly standard development programme. In reality, what makes it work is the way the women running it show up for people.

When I spoke to the Aspley Guise Club President Malcolm McGregor, Lady Captain Jane Drake and Ladies Commitee Lead Jo Harrison, they kept coming back to the same themes: connection, community and giving people time to develop a relationship with golf that works for them. Instead of just handing over a leaflet or pointing someone towards the website, they are physically present.

They meet new women in the car park and walk them to the shop so they do not have to come in alone. They organise group sessions and then follow up with WhatsApp chats so people feel connected. They pair beginner golfers with experienced members who are happy to walk them through the first few rounds, offer guidance and answer the small questions that feel too silly to ask a professional.

Those gestures sound simple, but they are powerful. For someone who is new to golf, or coming back after a break, that first experience can be the difference between signing up and never returning.

What Modern Clubs Do Well

I do not think this means modern country clubs or resort courses are doing it wrong. Far from it. At Foxhills, for example, the variety of spaces made it easy to bring friends along who did not play golf at all. You could go for lunch, a walk, or just sit on the terrace and chat. Golf blended into all of that, making the sport feel enticing.

For women who want a full lifestyle offering and are happy to stay mostly within their own age group or ability level, that kind of set up is ideal. Many of the events I joined at Foxhills and at Pitch in London were built around younger women who were relatively new to the game. It felt social and fun.

The difference at a more traditional club is that you are more likely to end up playing with people who are older and more experienced, and that can feel intimidating at first.

Why Playing With Older Members Helped

In Costa Rica at Los Suenos Resort, I often found myself playing with men much older than me, plus the occasional older female member. At first, I found that dynamic quite daunting. They were all longer off the tee, more strategic and more settled in how they carried themselves around the course.

Looking back, that experience was one of the most valuable parts of my golf journey so far. Playing with experienced golfers forces you to pay attention to course management. You learn when to talk, when to focus, how to recover from a bad shot and move on.

At Aspley, that same benefit is present, but within a structure that protects newer players from feeling overwhelmed. The older members are not just there by default. They are actively choosing to support newcomers. They turn up to the taster sessions, volunteer to play with new women and genuinely want to integrate them. That intent is what makes the difference.

So Which Would I Recommend?

When Golf Monthly's women’s golf editor asked me which type of club I would actually recommend to a younger woman, my honest answer is that both have their place.

If you are drawn to facilities and a setting that feels chic, a modern country club or resort course can be a great introduction to golf. It feels light, flexible and easy to fit around a busy life.

But if you are looking for somewhere to feel valued and learn from people who have been playing for decades, I think traditional clubs deserve more credit than they often get. Provided the club culture is right, they can offer a depth of support that modern facilities alone cannot match.

At Aspley, the women leading the “Journey Into Golf” pathway are not waiting for someone else to fix things. They are the ones standing in the car park, sending the WhatsApp messages, checking in after a tough round and celebrating the small wins. That kind of involvement from members, captains and presidents is where traditional clubs can really compete.

Giving Traditional Clubs A Chance

It is easy to assume that older clubs are automatically too strict or too serious for younger members. I thought that once. Spending time at Aspley has shown me that a traditional golf club can still feel relaxed and welcoming.

If anything, the experience has reminded me that what matters most is not the building, but the people inside it. For women, and for anyone new to the game, the feeling that a place genuinely wants you there is often most meaningful.

So if you are a younger golfer deciding between a resort style club and a more traditional one, my advice would be this: look past the facilities for a moment and pay attention to how the members behave. That is where you will see what the journey into golf at that club really looks like.