PGAs of Europe and love.golf unite
The PGAs of Europe and love.golf are united in an initiative to grow female participation across Europe
A new partnership between the PGAs of Europe and love.golf - the pioneering group coaching programme for women supported by Syngenta - is set to develop coach education and make a positive impact to female golf participation. The PGAs of Europe is the collective body of 35 National associations, representing over 21,000 golf professionals and coaches.
Now recognised as a PGAs of Europe Golf Development Partner, love.golf will be one of the Association’s preferred female coaching initiatives to promote to its network of PGAs (Professional Golfers' Association) and PGA Professionals in Europe and around the world.
Watch more of the link-up between the PGAs of Europe and love.golf here |
With the unprecedented retention rates of love.golf - which average 80% of women progressing to further caoching and playing - combined with access to shared learning through its community of coaches, the move aims to make a long-term impact to the growth of female participation.
Ian Randell (below, left), Chief Executive of the PGAs of Europe, said: “This year has seen a drive to put female golf into the spotlight, which we wholeheartedly support.
“Through our new development partnership with love.golf, we now have a vehicle for PGA Professionals throughout Europe to access shared learning, research and grow female participation on the ground in a meaningful and sustainable way.”
Alastair Spink, founder and Head Coach of love.golf, (below centre, pictured with Simon Elsworth, Syngenta EAME Head of Turf & Landscape), commented: “We have made significant progress in our mission to increase female participation across the UK, where we continue to work with new and existing coaches.
“As love.golf has continued to grow, it has generated significant international interest. Becoming a PGAs of Europe Golf Development Partner means we can embrace that opportunity and extend the impact of the love.golf initiative through collaborative projects across Europe.”
The innovative love.golf programme has gained wide recognition for successfully challenging traditional perceptions and rewriting the standard model of women’s coaching.
With methods based upon industry-leading research by Syngenta and academic study by Alastair Spink, the programme is characterised by its alternative approach that gets women out on the golf course at an early stage.
The relationship between love.golf and the PGAs of Europe began early this year with the introduction of TV and radio presenter, Jenni Falconer, to the game. The goal - to document the feelings and emotions that women who are completely new to golf may be experiencing, and to share that through a variety of social and video content, as part of the #FalconerForeGolf campaign.
As development partners the two organisations intend to build on the success of that activity, using it as a blueprint for future projects in different territories and ultimately impacting change on a wider scale across the continent.
