Golf participation quadruples in Oxford in just two years at county’s oldest course
The number of young people playing golf in an organised environment in Oxford has quadrupled in the last two years.
Oxford Golf Club reported four times as many junior players are regularly engaging with its weekly coaching sessions and dedicated youth tee times compared to 2023 when it had a dozen registered players aged under 18.
The Cowley course – which is Oxfordshire’s oldest club and opened in 1873 – has stepped up efforts to engage the younger generation with golf through a free membership scheme for sons, daughters and grandchildren of existing members.
It has also partnered with The Golf Foundation by joining the regional Golf Sixes league – a fun, team-based, introduction to golf via a six-hole Texas Scramble format.
Ashley Butress, Junior Organiser at Oxford Golf Club, said: “Golf is stereotyped as a sport for the older generation, but in reality our operation is quite the opposite.
“Investing in the youth of today ensures our club can enjoy a bright and sustainable future which aligns to our ambitious development plans both on and off the course.
“We’re working with more juniors now than at any point in the club’s recent history which is a huge positive for ourselves and golf’s future.
“As someone who started playing golf aged 10, I understand how important a positive first experience on the course is. Through our holiday camp, weekly coaching sessions and regular playing opportunities, we’re making that first touchpoint as fun and inclusive as possible which is what has prompted our junior membership increase.”
The club runs three weekly coaching sessions on Saturdays during the season, including a girls only session for the next generation of female golfers.
It also allocates dedicated tee slots to junior members from 3pm every Sunday and runs holiday camps during the school breaks. Ashley said golf acts as a perfect ice-breaker activity in connecting young people of different ages, backgrounds and experience levels.
“Golf is an ability-based sport – which has huge advantages for accelerating the personal development of our junior members,” said Ashley.
“We have members aged 8 and 16 who will play together, with the older member acting as a mentor while the younger player develops those skills which can be applied on and off the course.
“Communication and teamwork are critical in golf, and in the real-world. Seeing these skills develop naturally through fun and engaging sessions is really rewarding and partly why we’re committed to continuing the growth of our junior membership base.”
For further information about Oxford Golf Club and its junior initiatives, visit www.oxfordgolfclub.co.uk/membership/junior-membership/.