The Staggering 45% Rise In Women’s Golf Has Exposed A Huge Problem

It’s official: women’s golf is experiencing an unprecedented global surge. According to the National Golf Foundation, the United States has seen a staggering 45% rise in the number of female golfers since 2020. This momentum is mirrored across the Atlantic; England Golf reported that in 2025, female players submitted over 151,000 additional scores, a 14% increase that underscores a growing community.

However, does this surge in numbers mean there is now a clear pathway from a beginner to full club membership and regular, committed play? In all honesty, I’m not so sure.

Bridging the Gap

From my experience, only a few golf courses manage the beginner-to-member transition really well. For most clubs, the standard offering is a short course of lessons and a six-week academy membership. While this provides off-peak access to the course, the majority of club competitions remain stubbornly mid-week.

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Equally challenging is the cultural barrier: new golfers often aren’t deemed "real" golfers by the existing membership unless they are playing 18 holes every time they go out. I long for a world where women can learn the game, inevitably get hooked, and then be offered flexible, diverse ways to pursue their golfing journey.

I asked a group of women in both the US and the UK about their experiences, and the feedback was mixed. Are you a woman who got into golf, excited by the prospect of a lifetime sport, only to be disappointed by a complete lack of a next step?

One woman shared a brutally honest perspective:

"The answer is no; beginners are not really welcome at all, though the club would deny this. It launches occasional, half-hearted attempts at recruiting new women members, but success is generally limited to existing golfers who are medium-to-low handicappers.

“We are a century behind the times equality-wise. Any woman who pushes for change is punished with banishment from cliques and sidelined for committee roles. The 'backbench' traditional men are bad enough, but I'm ashamed to note that the worst enemies of beginners at my club are often the existing women members themselves."

Without a clear pathway, I frequently find myself unable to answer the desperate questions from women in my group lessons: “What next? How do I actually go and play golf on a course? I haven’t got all day, I’ve got three hours maximum. How do I make this work?”

It’s been embarrassing at times to simply say, "Unfortunately, you can’t do it here. Why not pop down the road to the nine-hole course that does it really well, or stick to the par-3 course?" It often feels like the traditional sport is not set up for women unless they are retired and have hours of leisure time.

The Financial Case for Flex-Memberships

Some clubs might look at this problem and wonder, “Is it worth it? What’s it going to do for our revenue? We have a waiting list, so why should we alter things for groups who only want to play nine holes?”

I’ll tell you why: New women golfers spend money. Working women buy lunches, look for venues to hold meetings, host parties, and organise social gatherings. Furthermore, women usually manage the family diary; get them involved, and they will bring their children, the future members of your club. A short-form academy membership utilising off-peak times injects reliable revenue into quieter slots in the club diary.

Here is the framework that forward-thinking facilities are already using brilliantly:

An Active Beginner Community: Group coaching blended seamlessly with on-course lessons.

A Dedicated 9-Hole Membership: A tier that differentiates itself from full membership purely by format and time, not status.

Accessible Competitive Formats: Nine-hole competitions, knockouts, and small team events that foster camaraderie in a social playing environment.

Clubs Doing It Brilliantly

Jo Shorrocks, former Lady Captain at Bigbury Golf Club in Devon, notes: "We’ve been really successful in getting women into golf, which is why England Golf chose us as a pilot club for their 'Women’s Growth Initiative.' This is largely due to an open-minded Board, enthusiastic volunteers, and a progressive Pro who understands that women are a different, highly valuable proposition."

Bigbury’s highly successful two-year pathway works like this:

Year 1 (Get Into Golf): An off-peak membership offered at a fraction of the full cost. Women can play after 1:00 PM on any day of the week, playing as many holes as they feel comfortable with once the Pro deems them course-ready. 75% of their beginners took up this option.

Year 2 (Integration Membership): Still off-peak and heavily discounted, but introducing structured social events, on-course competitions, and handicap support. Almost all Year 1 members progressed to Year 2 - in fact, one of those beginners is playing in the 36-hole Club Championship today!

Innovative thinking is saving the game elsewhere, too. At Bishops Stortford Golf Club in Hertfordshire, Barbara Tucker won the "Women’s Initiative" award at the 2024 Women in Golf Awards. The Blue Course scheme she created in 2014 boasted shorter tees, group lessons, free facility use, and a buddy system. Today, the majority of the club's ladies' committee started their journeys through that very scheme.

Meanwhile, at Highpost Golf Club in Salisbury, Debbie Rock began her journey through a "Women Into Golf" (WIG) program. She just finished her year as the first female Club Captain in the club’s 104-year history. Compare that to a less supportive club experience shared by another golfer:

"Our club runs a 'Get Into Golf' for six weeks, followed by members taking newbies out for four holes a few times. But there’s nothing to progress on afterward. It’s hard to play with other beginners because no one knows what they’re doing, and if you don’t own clubs yet, you literally can't play."

Proven Frameworks To Adopt

A modern 9-hole section must be trusted and respected. Alternatively, clubs can offer a flexible credit system where points are deducted depending on when and how many holes are played, a system Goodwood in West Sussex has used with massive success.

Goodwood’s Copse facility features six short par-3 holes, making it the ultimate playground for beginners to master their short game before seamlessly transitioning to a quick nine holes from the forward tees on The Park course.

Flagged by several US golfers, Operation 36 is a structured, six-level programme designed to take a beginner from their very first round to the formal tees. Golfers start playing nine holes from just 25 yards out from the green. Once they can shoot a 36 or better from that distance, they move back to the next yardage marker.

This model tackles a massive industry problem: 70% of beginners who try golf ultimately quit because they feel lost and discouraged. Frameworks like Operation 36 give pros a reliable revenue stream and facilities a structured way to retain players. As LPGA & PGA Coach Maggie Simons puts it: "Operation 36 is the backbone of my programming. It gives golfers a clear roadmap to improvement, no matter their goals."

Finding The Tribe

Whether it’s the 'Ladies Masters Scheme' I utilised back in the early 2000s at Hamptworth Golf & Country Club in Wiltshire, or the incredibly popular 'Happy Hour' Tuesday evening league at Hillcrest Country Club in Indianapolis (which regularly sees over 40 women participating in clinics and social play), success always comes down to community and connection.

Whatever a club decides to do, the most important thing is that a clear, visible pathway exists. If you are a member of a club that doesn't actively encourage beginners, start asking why. If you are a beginner, don’t wait around for the perfect invitation. Book a playing lesson, tee up from the fairway with a friend, and ask your club what they can offer.

If your local club doesn't give you the answer you're looking for, leverage the digital communities available to us today. Platforms like Women Who Golf, Skratch Women, the Women’s Golf Lounge, and the UK Women’s Golf Community are the perfect places to find your tribe, get nomadic playing opportunities and safely fall in love with this fantastic sport.