One of the more lamentable aspects of golf is the relatively small number of women who occupy high profile places in the ranks. Unlike tennis, there is limited scope to have group events or inter-sex events that can increase the role of women in the sport. This is not to denigrate the role of women pioneers who have taken to the game with enthusiasm and have created great achievements over the years.
One of the female golf legends is only second to Serena Williams (of the tennis dynasty) in terms of prize money. It is no longer too surprising to see women play golf and play to win the sport at the very highest levels. This article aims to come up with some suggestions that could increase the role of women even further than it currently is.
Where are the ladies?
We have all been conditioned to learn by examples. The existence of role models can have a wonderful impact on people including young people. If we are to encourage ladies to join the sport of golf, it is important that we already have women playing the sport on a regular basis and ensuring that they are television on a regular basis. It is like a cycle of development where without the resource you cannot accumulate even more resources. Without the presence of the women golfers on the circuit, it is even more difficult to get other women to get involved in the sport. The responsibility for taking this initiative forward has to be with the golf bosses who regularly collect six figure salaries and are entrusted with the duty to expand the sport across the globe.
If the sport is lucky enough to get as many women as it possibly can in these few years, they then need to look at the way that they treat women on the circuit. Tennis is a great example to golf in terms of trying to get women on an equal footing with the men. Issues such as maternity leave and the rankings systems are made to ensure that the individual circumstances of the ladies are taken into consideration before official golf policy is made. There is some expense involved but the reputation of the sport deserves better than a game that excludes women on a massive scale. There will be chauvinistic voices that will try to derail this initiative with some base arguments about the relative weaknesses of women. This is a nonsense that should be ignored at all times. In order to become a truly modern sport, golf must embrace women.
The power of education and sensitization should never be underestimated. Surely, there are many women in the world for whom golf is just another word. How then can we expect to increase the ranks of women in the sport when the knowledge base is so low at the moment? It is important to get the message out that golf is an enjoyable sport with plenty of facilities geared to women. Everyone should then be made welcome.
