With the continued drive to encourage more junior girls to get involved and take up golf, twenty-seven young players, aged between 7 – 12 years old, attended the VP Bank Ladies Open for a get together, golf clinic and to watch the professionals and elite amateurs competing in the event.
The Golf 4 Girls initiative was launched two years ago by the Association Suisse de Golf (ASG) and Claudia Wörrle-Krakau, with the full support of the ASG’s General Secretary, Barbara Albisetti. Wörrle-Krakau feels it is important to appeal in a different way to young girls than boys.
“More than two thirds of the juniors in our golf clubs are boys and they like to train and compete at different levels. Longer, better, faster, stronger are the goals to go. But not for the girls! They like to chat, have fun, use their senses while practicing and socializing on the course. Training in mixed groups is mainly targeted to the larger boy’s groups,” said Wörrle-Krakau.
“My idea was to bring girls together at the beginning of the season close to their home club and later in the year all over the country. The advantage is a wide network which helps the girls also to feel good when they play our regional and national tournaments. We push that by letting them play “Ping-Pong-Golf” – if they are meeting up for practice or playing on different courses together with other G4G-Girls for four times a year, they will receive a present at the end of the season.”
The programme, which is recognised and supported by the R&A, has grown over the last two years with a team of fifteen instructors educating juniors in groups of four.
The G4G girls enjoyed a full day’s itinerary, meeting the other juniors, having their photos taken and going out onto the course to watch the future stars of women’s golf in Europe.
“The idea of the day in Gams was to come together, have fun on the range and learn new skills. Furthermore, the girls explored the difference between amateur golfers and professional golfers. For the future, it is essential to have an idol, bond and adapt. Of course, it was a highlight for my little ladies to feel special while being photographed, ” said Wörrle-Krakau.
