Women's Golf Month - Don't Miss the Opportunity

If you are a woman and have been waiting for an easy way to learn to play golf and maybe meet some other women who like the game, opportunity is knocking at your door - whether you're a beginner or an experienced player.

The entire month of June is American Express Women's Golf Month when thousands of golf instructors at courses and ranges around the country will be offering special programs at discounted prices to attract women to the game.

I would like to say that all the instructors participating in Women's Golf Month have been waiting for the opportunity to teach you how to play golf. But that's probably not true. What is true is that golf rounds and players in the U.S. have been declining, and almost every course is looking for ways to reverse that trend.

Since only about 6% of adult women in the U.S. currently play golf, facilities and professionals are more interested than ever in trying to court female customers. It is somewhat ironic that women are the beneficiaries of the slumping golf environment, but I'm not complaining. In fact, I urge you to take advantage of the attention.

The easiest way to locate a course participating in Women’s Golf Month is to go to www.playgolfamerica.com, a site sponsored by the PGA of America, LPGA Tour, National Golf Course Owners Association and other golf industry organizations. Click on Women’s Golf Month and, by typing in your city, state and zip code, you’ll find out which women’s programs are available in your area.

Another route is to use a search engine (97% of women golfers report they use the Internet!) and search for "Women’s Golf Month" and your city. You may be surprised at what’s going on. Finally, don’t forget to check your local chapter of Executive Women’s Golf Association.

As part of Women’s Golf Month, some golf clubs have chosen to bring in speakers for special events. I’ve been invited to speak at Poppy Ridge Golf Club in Livermore, Calif., east of San Francisco, at the annual Business Golf for Women Seminar on Tuesday, June 3rd. As part of Women’s Golf Month, Poppy Ridge, for example, offers a free golf clinic for women every Monday and Friday in June at 5 p.m. For details, see www.poppyridgegolf.com.

If you’re like many women, you don’t want to embarrass yourself even in a group golf clinic. So you might want to do a little preparation. A good place to get ready for Women’s Golf Month is at the Golf for Women magazine’s website at www.golfforwomen.com. The website (like the magazine) is an amazing resource for women golfers - both new and experienced. One of my favorite new features is the instructional videos by some of the best female golf teachers in the country at http://www.golfforwomen.com/instruction/teachers/2008/01/videotips.

Also worth looking at is the new book: "A Girl’s On-Course Survival Guide to Golf" by Christina Ricci. The book is available at www.GolfSurvivalGuide.com. Christina is not a tour player or even an LPGA or PGA instructor, but she’s mastered the game and does a great job explaining it.

I hope you'll take advantage of Women's Golf Month. But, if after you search for a program in your area and still don't find one, don't give up. In fact, I see this as another opportunity. And that is to become an advocate for women's golf.

With over 16,000 golf facilities in the U.S. - not including driving ranges - and over 27,000 golf professionals, building awareness within the industry of any new program takes time. In fact, Women's Golf Month began as Women's Golf Week in 2005. It's only because women have been turning out for this event that it has grown.

Our job is to make sure golf professionals know we're interested in the game. If a local course, range or instructor has not officially signed up for Women's Golf Month, they can still offer you a special deal in June. Let me know if you meet resistance.

Nancy Berkley, President of Berkley Consulting, is an expert on women's golf. Her book, "Women Welcome Here! A Guide to Growing Women's Golf," published by the National Golf Foundation, is an industry reference on marketing golf to women. She is a contributor to Golf for Women magazine and Chair of the Advisory Board for Golfer Girl Magazine where she writes a special series on careers in the golf industry. She is a resource for golf-industry trends and marketing advice on her website www.nancyberkley.com. Nancy also offers a Quick Question-Free Help Line on her website. After a career as a lawyer and business executive, Nancy founded Berkley Golf Consulting and The Woman's Only Guide® to Golf to share her long-time passion for golf and to help grow the game. Nancy describes herself as a bogey golfer who is too busy to play enough golf. Contact Nancy at info@nancyberkley.com or on www.nancyberkley.com.