GolfSixes League 2019 tees off

The GolfSixes League 2019, featuring 250 golf clubs in England, Scotland and Wales and involving more than 3,000 boys and girls and their families, has teed off.

The Golf Sixes League Launch at Goodwood Golf, West Sussex. Sunday 5th May 2019.
Pictured is action from the day including photography with professional golfer Meghan MacLaren.
Photograph by Sam Stephenson, 07880 703135, www.samstephenson.co.uk.

The junior inter-club, six-hole team format event started on May 5 at Golf at Goodwood in Sussex and is set to be a hit with kids, families and golf clubs.

Rising Ladies European Tour (LET) star Meghan MacLaren was guest of honour to help launch GolfSixes League. Which, this year, will be about twice the size of the 2018 project.

The Golf Sixes League Launch at Goodwood Golf, West Sussex. Sunday 5th May 2019.
Pictured is action from the day including photography with professional golfer Meghan MacLaren.
Photograph by Sam Stephenson, 07880 703135, www.samstephenson.co.uk.

GolfSixes League, inspired by the European Tour shorter team-golf model, will once again help golf to reach fresh new family audiences and show their children that golf can be a great game, while helping golf clubs to create and maintain stronger junior sections and widen their community links. GolfSixes League means quicker six-hole matches against other clubs. Squads of 12 boys and girls practice together with their PGA coaches before the weekend fixtures, all played wearing coloured team shirts with GolfSixes League branding. Every child taking part in GolfSixes League receives three Titleist golf balls.

The growing initiative has become a key part of national charity the Golf Foundation’s ‘Start, Learn and Stay’ philosophy that helps more young people from all backgrounds and abilities to enjoy the benefits of the sport. A short video, which sums up the value of GolfSixes League, can be seen here: https://bit.ly/2HTdSqL

The Golf Sixes League Launch at Goodwood Golf, West Sussex. Sunday 5th May 2019.
Pictured is action from the day including photography with professional golfer Meghan MacLaren.
Photograph by Sam Stephenson, 07880 703135, www.samstephenson.co.uk.

GolfSixes League reached 102 golf clubs in 2018, in 24 regional leagues, involving 1,160 juniors. There was a 34 per cent increase in membership at the clubs involved. For 2019, of the now 56 leagues, 38 will be in England, three pilot leagues will be staged in Wales and 15 in Scotland. Last year, some 25 per cent of players were girls and the aim is to increase this ratio as the Golf Foundation urges all golf clubs to include at least two girls in each team of six players.

Image by Leaderboard Photography

A GolfSixes League final is planned to take place at Gleneagles at the time of September’s Solheim Cup.

Golf Foundation chief executive Brendon Pyle said: “Meghan’s positive attitude both on and off the course will certainly help to inspire all our GolfSixes League players, including of course more girls. Our team has seen that GolfSixes League is proving very popular with girls and their families. As an early signatory of The R&A’s Women in Golf Charter, the Golf Foundation has a key focus in encouraging more girls into the sport, and supporting girls to become young leaders and role models for other girls in the future.”

Ladies European Tour 2019. Women’s New South Wales Open, Queanbeyan Golf Club, Queanbeyan, New South Wales. Australia. 7-10 March 2019. Meghan Maclaren of England with her trophy. Image by Tristan Jones

For more information, visit https://www.golf-foundation.org/clubs/golfsixes-league/