Crowborough Beacon Golf Club is strengthening its position as a champion of women’s golf as it prepares to welcome a second batch of students to its successful Ladies Love Golf Academy.
The subsidised, four-stage programme – which includes coaching lessons, golf etiquette lessons, chaperoned rounds with existing female members and a host of social activities – aims to give developing female golfers all the tools needed to be a thriving member of the club both on and off the course.
An impressive 26 per cent of ladies who attended the original free taster sessions graduated into full members over the last year and the club is expecting to see similar uptake next time around.
LADIES FESTIVAL SUCCESS
Ladies’ members also starred at the club’s Festival of Golf back in June, which saw members and guests come together for six unforgettable days of sport and camaraderie. In total, more than 600 men and ladies played alongside each other on the club’s par-71 course across all six events, with separate prizes for the leaders of each category.
Arguably the highlight of the week was the Beacon Trophy and Salver, a re-introduction of the club’s prestigious Beacon Trophy that saw ladies compete alongside their male counterparts for the first time.
Highly involved in championing women’s golf at the club over the summer was intern Evelyn Parks, who is studying Applied Golf Management Studies (BSc) at the University of Birmingham and spent extensive time at the club helping to implement many of its strategies to further women’s golf.
Other unique incentives include new membership discounts for ladies across multiple years (50 per cent off the first year and 25 per cent off the second), a partner incentive offering a discount to members partners, and 50 per cent second-club discount, which was recently been taken up by recognised European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) golfer Aimi Bullock, who chose Crowborough Beacon over several clubs closer to home because of its course, facilities and strength of player.
Chris Dowrick, secretary at Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, said: “Promoting ladies’ involvement in golf and in the club is absolutely critical to Crowborough Beacon’s long-term vision and we have massively stepped up our focus in this area over recent years.
“We were absolutely thrilled with the success of our first iteration of the Ladies Love Golf Academy and if we can replicate that impact again it will be an excellent result for the club.
“With the key role our ladies’ members played at the wonderful Festival of Golf in June, we’ve also seen a perfect example of just how central to the club they are.”
As Europe prepares to host the 2026 Solheim Cup next November, the time has never been better for British venues to step up their ladies’ golf participation.
Crowborough Beacon is also set to host the Sussex Ladies Amateur Championship in 2026 and has been selected by England Golf as a venue for 2027 for the English Girls Strokeplay Championship, welcoming girls from more than 40 countries.
Though renowned architects including Harry Colt and Alister MacKenzie have worked on Crowborough Beacon’s course since the club was founded in 1895, the identity of the original designer remains unknown to this day.
Famed for its dramatic landscape and panoramic views at one of the highest points in Sussex, the club is also known as a favourite of legendary author and Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who served as club captain in the early 20th century.
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