The Women in Golf Awards has published key findings from the Education and Insights Day it hosted for past award recipients in conjunction with Colt Mackenzie McNair and Bernhard Academy.
Findings reveal a deep passion for the sport, a shared commitment to progress, and a nuanced understanding of the cultural and structural barriers that women continue to face.
“Many people outside of golf still believe that it is a sport and an industry that is not welcoming for women,” commented Nicole Wheatley, founder of the Women in Golf Awards. “But, thankfully, the real-life-experiences of the women who work in golf do not reflect this. Women do face challenges working in male-dominated environments, but these are very similar to those in other industries and wider society. The great news is that there are amazing employers in golf who are facilitating change and women wo are thriving in their roles.”
Many of the findings available through the Executive Summary Report underscore both the progress made and the work still needed to be completed to create an inclusive, supportive environment for women in golf. As well as breaking down external barriers, the report highlights internalised limitations created by years of underrepresentation which also need to be addressed.
“Women are accustomed to being under-estimated,” continued Nicole. “Many women shared stories of facing scepticism or surprise about their roles. And it became clear that this can lead women feeling like they need to prove themselves or hesitating to speak up due to an internalised belief that they won’t be welcome or taken seriously — even in environments that may be more open than assumed.”
The report goes on to reflect that men play an essential role in facilitating the careers of successful women. They quickly pivot to accommodate a woman finding herself as ‘the first’ in a particular situation and are often the role models and mentors who are enabling women to achieve their potential. For employers the key take aways are around the power of representation, particularly having women in visible roles and encouraging them to take space at the table — literally and figuratively.
“Through community, mentorship, and intentional leadership, the industry has a powerful opportunity to evolve,” concludes Nicole. “Through our work with the awards, which will include several more opportunities for learning in 2025, we are giving women the chance to create new networks and to be more visible. We can already see the effect this is having on award recipients and past attendees of the awards and we’re incredibly proud that we’re playing a significant role in encouraging women to enter and stay in the industry.”
2025 will see the first Continual Professional Development (CPD) courses during the day of the awards in November and the Education and Insights Day will be repeated later in the year.
The Executive Summary is now available to download from www.womeningolfawards.com