The 2024 Solheim Cup got underway yesterday for its 19th edition as Team USA looks to claim victory over Team Europe for the first time since 2017.
The women’s answer to The Ryder Cup has created a platform for some of golf’s best women’s players to showcase their abilities not just in order to win, but also inspire young women across England to pick up the clubs and play.
Speaking to Insider Sport, Lauren Spray, Women’s Development Manager for England Golf, details why the Solheim Cup is significant to the next generation, how the competition can maximise its visibility and how England Golf are also contributing at promoting golf to young women at the grassroots level.
Insider Sport: Firstly Lauren, how would you describe the growth of women’s golf over the last several years and has the Solheim Cup played an integral role?
Lauren Spray: We have seen a steady increase in the number of women playing golf over the last couple of years, especially in younger age groups, which is encouraging to see.
This has been helped by a greater range of facilities that are helping to meet the demands and offer a range of experiences that women are looking for, whether they are experienced golfers or playing the sport for the first time.
Tournaments like the Solheim Cup are a fantastic way of showcasing the team format of golf and camaraderie that is so powerful to unite communities together. The media coverage for the Solheim really helps fans to get to know the female professionals on a deeper level and see them in a different light as they are united to represent either Team Europe or Team USA.
The Solheim Cup is vital in helping to challenge the perceptions surrounding golf and help fans connect with their role models. The broadcast exposure it receives as well plays a role in bringing the women’s game to new audiences, that visibility as well helps inspire young girls to perhaps give the sport a try.
With women’s sports coming on leaps and bounds recently, what more can organisers do to maximise the visibility of the Solheim Cup and women’s golf in general?
Organise themed Solheim events at your club or facility, whether that is social events in the clubhouse or on-course activations, it’s a great way for everyone to come together and enjoy the tournament. Start communications early and open it for the community to come down to your club or facility to get involved at all levels/abilities.
Our own research highlights that 8.5 million people every year play golf in England, with half of that number playing solely at facilities such as those available via our facility affiliation programme, which includes facilities such as driving ranges, short courses, par-3 courses, pitch and putt courses, simulator venues and adventure golf venues.
By having so many ways to engage with the sport, facilities can leverage the Solheim Cup to attract new players to their courses for the first time.
Can you describe how significant a major women’s competition like the Solheim Cup can do to increase participation in the sport? Are there any relevant examples in women’s sport and golf that support this?
Media coverage helps to raise the profile and provides people with an opportunity to view the sport, which they may not have previously thought to do so. You see the top athletes compete and with any major competition in sport there is usually a twist that captures your attention.
You can see the impact the Euros had for the women and girls’ game in football, it had a huge spike in participation. It has also helped to grow the commercial power of the game and helped new initiatives to support the development of players at all levels.
With the Solheim and the format it takes, it means both teams are in it until the very last day and holding onto a lead is just as hard as chasing one! By witnessing the skill, excitement and camaraderie within the competition, it’s always hoped that that inspires players of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to give the game a go.
Women’s participation in golf tripled during the start of COVID-19. Have participation rates changed, for better or for worse, and why did the pandemic cause such a surge in participation?
Participation rates have slowed down post-COVID but a lot of this was to do with golf being one of the first sports that was reintroduced post lockdown, with it being played in wide open spaces, in nature, and it aligned to be a safe sport to take part in.
Since the pandemic, people’s routines naturally changed. However, lots of people who took up golf during the pandemic are still engaging with the sport, it allowed them a new experience and, as a sport, golf benefited from this immensely. Many clubs opened their facilities so the public and local community could go down and walk around the venue, for many this was an opportunity to view the facilities that were not previously perceived to be accessible to them, which has only benefited engagement with the sport in the long term.
Golf has often been labelled as one of the hardest sports to partake in. Can you outline some of the boundaries that are currently facing young women from participating in the sport?
There are barriers faced by younger women in the traditional formats of the game, but we are also trying to make the sport as accessible as possible for everyone. The facility affiliation programme I mentioned earlier, is making it easier for women to have an entry access point to the sport and not feel the pressure of an immediate membership at a club, which can be off-putting.
Additional barriers include clothing and ensuring new women’s players feel comfortable when playing the sport. One thing clubs can do is update dress codes where possible to align with fashion and enable participants to wear what they see their role models wear, for example those on the professional tours.
Visibility is a key component to breaking down barriers, women in senior positions within the sport help champion inclusivity and help change the stigmatised culture around the sport. We saw Julia Regis and Sarah Stirk recently join the board at England Golf which has had a massive influence on continuing our work to build an inclusive culture for the sport, which will ultimately break down barriers and see a continued rise in female participation.
At the grassroots level, what initiatives has England Golf introduced in being able to increase adoption amongst young women?
England Golf are passionate and committed to grow the game for people of all backgrounds, we’ve launched a number of activations and initiatives to help achieve this.
One key movement has been our Respect in Golf movement which encourages players of all backgrounds, abilities and ages to be able to enjoy golf, whether they’re an experienced player or complete novice. Over 885 clubs are ‘Respect In Golf’ accredited, with 649 clubs working towards it, highlighting the commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all.
Additionally, we launched ‘Get into Golf’ where you can search for beginner-friendly opportunities across the country. Clubs and facilities can upload their sessions to this for free so it’s the perfect place for anyone to find ways to get into the sport in their local community.
We also have Women on Par for when you are looking to take your first steps out onto the golf course. Instead of counting shots, you complete a range of on-course challenges that are based around learning the rules and etiquette of the game too. All of these are based on a group setting so it’s a social experience as well as learning a new skill, which provides the perfect way for anyone looking to try the sport in a pressure-free environment.
In terms of engaging younger female players, we have our successful Girls Golf Rocks programme, which encourages beginner girls aged 5-18 to learn and play golf in a fun and friendly way. The programme runs nationally across England, with all activities designed to be fun, teach the basic skills of the game, help children socialise with one another, and build their confidence by learning a new sport.
We’ve seen exceptional uptake of these courses across the country, and it has brought so many young girls to the sport who have since picked up the sport following the course. This is all exceptionally encouraging for the future of the sport.
Along with the growth of women’s golf, why is it important to get more women involved in the game?
It’s a fantastic sport you can play at all stages of your life, not just a sport to take up when you retire. We have a diverse range of clubs and facilities offering a range of experiences, no golf course is the same and you never play it the same way twice, which makes the game different every time you play.
From a social perspective, you get to develop a whole new network of friends, whilst learning new skills and socialising with like-minded people. Spending time outside in nature really helps your mental health, the sport is so rewarding in this sense, and I’d recommend anybody to give it a try.
Finally, the sport’s handicap system helps to ensure you can compete, if you want to, on a level playing field, so it makes it inclusive and accessible, no matter if you’re an experienced player or novice to the sport.
Lastly Lauren, and thank you for your time, for first-time watchers of the Solheim Cup, why should they get excited for this year’s tournament and who are some of the standout players for both Europe and USA?
There’s a great mix within the teams of talented veterans and emerging talents, with the draw at the last Solheim seeing Europe retain the cup.
The USA team will be determined to win, which should make it a great spectacle to tune into. Being back over in the US, there will be strong US support, which will make for an amazing atmosphere out on the course.
Being English, I will be supporting Georgia Hall and Charley Hull, our GB Olympians and former England Golf graduates. Linn Grant and Leona Maguire have both had fantastic wins this season so will also be strong team members for Europe as well. For the US team, Nelly Korda will be fantastic to watch, she has six wins on the LPGA Tour this year, so she has to be one of the best to watch and the one to beat!
If you haven’t watched it before, tune in, the Solheim definitely won’t disappoint!
