Captain Freya leads the charge to get more girls to take up the game of golf

Selected Clubs throughout the country are offering free taster sessions to young female wanna-be golfers, supported by teenage “ambassadors” already making their mark in the sport under a scheme backed by follow-on professionally-led coaching sessions that will deliver golfing skills that will last a lifetime.

The Leighton Buzzard club will be opening its practice range to girls on Saturday, April 22 from 3pm to 5pm for an introductory lesson with club professional Maurice Campbell and two pro colleagues.

Girls attending the “Golf Rocks” taster will be provided with golf equipment and need to attend in comfortable clothes.

To join in the fun, just phone the Leighton club pro shop on 01525 244815 to book in.

Each “student” taking part will advised of the low-cost follow-on courses available to develop their golfing skills even further and will be given a free seven-iron when they have completed the course.

Girl golfers from the County squad will act as ambassadors, sharing their enjoyment and inspiring other girls between the ages of 5 to 18.

The campaign to inspire new players into the sport and “have fun” is backed by the Bedfordshire Golf Development Group, the Bedfordshire Ladies County Golf Association and supported by England Golf.

Bedfordshire is one of seven new counties to join the national campaign, which is aimed at increasing the number of girl golfers at all clubs.

The Bedford and Beadlow Manor clubs are also holding taster sessions on April 22 while the Tilsworth Golf Centre has its “Girls Golf Rocks” day on Sunday, April 23 from 2pm to 4pm.

Following the tasters, the four centres will each offer a five-week coaching course with PGA professionals, with the ambassadors on hand to encourage the newcomers. All the girls completing the coaching course will be presented with a US Kids Golf 7-iron to help them get started.

Leighton’s Freya Daniels, who at 16 is the Bedfordshire girls- captain says: “I play golf because I love the competition, meeting new people and making lasting friends.

“You become part of a close-knit team and mix with new people which is really fun.”

Bedfordshire Junior organiser Christine Goode added: “As a small county with a small junior section, we want to open our doors to more girls who might have never thought that golf was the sport for them, and to dispel the myths that golf is elitist. Golf is open to all - those who want a competitive sport and those who want social exercise.”

Results of Leighton Ladies stableford competition: Silver Division – 1 Farida Cerosio, 33pts; 2 Niki Clark, 33pts; 3 – Judy Ammon, 32pts. Bronze “A” – 1 Elsa King, 36pts; 2 Jill Pniewski, 35pts; 3 Elaine Powell, 34pts.

Bronze “B” – 1 Margaret Browning, 28pts; 2 Christine Bateman, 26pts; 3 Sheila Turnock, 24pts.