4 Keys to Girls Engagement in Golf: How to Foster a Love of the Game with your Daughters

As some the country’s best young female golfers tee it up this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky for the 2021 Girls Junior PGA Championship, they do so at a time when the game is as popular as it’s ever been among women. Despite that, golf is still largely a male dominated sport. 

With that said, how do we continue to keep the momentum going with golf becoming more and more popular among girls, and more specifically, your own little female Linkster? 

Understanding the following just may be the recipe to keep your daughter moving forward in the game…

Golf is largely more about the social aspects for girls. This is both an initial draw as well as one that remains important to them as they become more serious about the game. Understanding this fact is important for parents to keep in mind. As you search for group programming for your daughter, you don’t necessarily need to be looking for “girl only” options but will absolutely need to make sure programs are welcoming to them. One of the most successful and longest running youth golf programs in the country is LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. Started in 1989, this program has a core focus on girls ages 6-17 and is offered nationwide, with more than 90,000 young ladies taking part. 

I have found over the years that girls tend to excel at the game a little bit quicker than boys. Obviously, this is not always they case, but in my experience, girls that I have worked with have tended to show more focus and work a little bit harder at trying to master skills than boys. They also seem to continue to have the desire to keep golf social too, even as they get better and better. To me as a coach, I feel that the balance that young ladies tend to show between the social aspects and working on skill development independently is why they have a knack for progressing quicker. They learn to enjoy the game more because of the social and that may equate to wanting to practice more. This is an important thing for parents to understand if they see their daughter showing some promise…always keep the social aspects as import as the skill development.

Something talked about a great deal within golf are the opportunities that exist for girls. Most notably, in terms of girls finding their way to college on a scholarship through playing the game. Beyond that, something not as commonly talked about are the opportunities that exist for females working in golf. Club Professional, Instruction, Coaching, and various other career opportunities exist in abundance for women interested in the field. 

Golf is unique in the fact that it doesn’t discriminate against age or gender…anyone can play. Keeping this in mind, trying to keep golf a family activity as much as possible will help continue to foster the love of the game for your young female golfer. Even if it’s practicing together on the putting green, sharing in the experience together is very important…even when the time comes that you need to get advice about your own game from her!