Golf Genius Reveals Female Golf Growth Strategies; JGA Attends

Global Golf Bodies Convene on Female Participation

Golf Genius launched its 12-month Digital Series on 27 August 2026. The initial webinar focused on strategies for increasing golf participation among women and girls globally. This session attracted 267 attendees from 21 countries. Participating organisations included The R&A, Scottish Golf, England Golf, and Golf New Zealand.

Other bodies present were Golf Australia, Golf NSW, the Japan Golf Association, PGA of New Zealand, PGA Holland, and PGA of Australia. Golf Ireland and the WPGA Tour also sent representatives. Golf Genius designed the series to help national governing bodies share knowledge and implement best practices across the industry.

Research Demonstrates Impact of Incremental Play

Research presented during the webinar revealed that introducing incremental play significantly boosts female participation. A survey of 419 women, who participated in the Operation 36 programme across the United States and Canada, showed a 54 per cent increase in women playing and practising weekly.

Operation 36 has generated 240,000 new participants worldwide, with 96,000 being women and girls. The discussion explored three main themes. These included the role of specific activities in building habits, the coach's function as a community anchor, and how incremental learning drives retention among new players.

Panellists like Molly Moore and Alistair Spink from love.golf, and Matt Reagan from Operation 36, shared their insights.

Industry Challenges and Technology Adoption

A live survey of webinar attendees highlighted several challenges facing organisations aiming to increase female participation. Forty-eight per cent of respondents reported having a strategic goal for female participation growth. However, 23 per cent stated their organisation currently runs no specific programmes for women and girls.

Furthermore, 44 per cent of organisations relied on manual workflows to track programme success and report on it. Only 5 per cent used a dedicated golf participation dashboard for this purpose. Golf Genius states these findings show areas where it can provide support. This includes offering insight, best practice guidance, and market-leading technology solutions to golf bodies.

Future Series Focuses on Digital Ecosystem

Aston Ward, Chief Operating Officer for the Confederation of Professional Golf, commented on the need for positive activities to attract and retain women and girls in golf. He noted the session provided practical ideas applicable at a local level.

Mark Ingrey, Facilities Manager for Golf NSW, described the series as a valuable platform for associations to share technology use and exchange best practices. Craig Higgs from Golf Genius noted the strong attendance demonstrates industry appetite for practical insight. The Digital Series will continue through to The Open Championship at St Andrews in 2027. The next session in September will examine the Global Simulator Golf Market Report.

Implications for Asian Golf Management

The active participation of the Japan Golf Association in this webinar shows a clear interest from Asian golf bodies in these growth strategies. The data on incremental play and its impact on female participation offers a direct model for golf clubs and federations across Asia. Organisations in regions with developing golf markets can implement similar structured programmes.

Adopting technology for programme tracking, as highlighted by Golf Genius, could improve efficiency and demonstrate measurable growth. Asian clubs and national associations seeking to expand their player base should consider these data-driven approaches. This will help them develop targeted initiatives and move beyond manual administrative methods.