The funding we receive from the Taskers Trophy is vital and we cannot thank enough the Lincolnshire teams who entered the competition once again. It is invaluable to supporting both the playing and personal development of our girls.
Thank you for the support we receive and thank you to Taskers for organising this fantastic competition.
The funding raised through our county teams participating in the Taskers Trophy is crucial to our aim to retain, nurture and develop girl golfers of all ages and abilities within a pathway that strives for excellence. It will enable us to continue providing a wide variety of golfing activities for girls such as matches, competitions, social gatherings, training and leadership opportunities.
We aim to support girls of all abilities, currently from +4 to 54, plus those without a handicap, throughout Lincolnshire. The funds will go to support our Futures, Development and Performance Squads which support both the playing skill development and personal development of girls all across Lincolnshire. One example of how, without this funding, we would have to cut our spending would be to reduce our Development coaching squad by four girls (each girl’s coaching over the winter costs approximately £150).
Our county girls training and coaching [programme is split into three levels, Futures, Development and Performance Squads, based on England Golf’s 5 Principles (world class holing out, outstanding short game, precise wedge play, ball flight control and strategy and technical awareness). This year the £680 funding will be split between our five squads; 8 girls in each squad will have the opportunity for team building, personal development, playing skills development, course knowledge and preparation, on course activity and obtaining/improving a handicap index. Each place costs around £150.
40 girls have been invited to join the Squads and take part in training sessions. We are providing approximately 100 hours of delivered sessions with PGA Professionals and Professional Practitioners. Sessions will incorporate the following:
Futures Squad – will focus on bringing girls from around the county together, team building, personal development, playing skills development, course knowledge and preparation, on course activity in addition to preparing to obtain/develop a handicap index.
Performance and Development Squads – will create a coaching curriculum focused on England Golf’s 5 Principles, as detailed above. This will be in addition to player development planning, goal setting, skills tests, self-reflection and progress mapping, course preparation and course management.
Because of this funding we will be able to redirect other funds towards the Girls Order of Merit events which take place at Woodhall Spa Golf Club, catering for newer/learner golfers, alongside more elite golfers. These events provide an opportunity for the older girls to become young leaders and support the coach with the sessions. Redirected funds will be used to support coaches costs, facility costs and young leaders expenses. The funding will also mean we are able to use other funds raised for our Girls Golf Get Together events, which help encourage social engagement and personal skill development. They encourage a sense of belonging, community and an opportunity to build long lasting friendships. The now annual Christmas junior girls bowling trip was a huge success in 2023 where some of the Tasker funding went towards prizes, facility costs and refreshments.
The funding will continue to support girls engaged in our Lincolnshire Girls Golf programmes. We currently have 125 girls registered with our County Association, with approximately 8 girls aged between 6-18 who have participated in County competitions, events and coaching in 2023. We hope that number will increase in 2024, particularly amongst the younger girls.
Personal Development (confidence, motivation, concentration, respect, perseverance); Good social skills; Increase in number of girl leaders; Improvement in ability level and decrease in HI.
As has happened in 2023, we hope the girls in our Performance squad will come away equipped with the skills and confidence to be chosen for our County teams and possibly the England squad – we are delighted one of our juniors who has come up through our training scheme, with an HI of +4 plays for the EG junior girls team.
The Order of Merit events last year provided an opportunity for the older girls to become young leaders and support the coach with the sessions and we are delighted two of our girls became England Golf Young Ambassadors and one has taken up a new role volunteering for England Golf at their numerous events held at Woodhall Spa GC, along with significantly reducing her HI. We have four other junior girls who turn 18 this year, all of whom have volunteered to help our coaches in the 2024 season.
We anticipate all 40 girls will complete the county squads training programme.
This supports the following county objectives:
1. To provide a pathway for girls from grassroots through to elite and national level
2. To provide playing, competitive and leadership opportunities at all levels
3. To offer a fun, inclusive and welcoming environment where girl golfers are encouraged to participate and build friendships that last a lifetime
4. To nurture individual talent as part of a team environment
5. To increase the number of girl golfers by improving communication, promotion and engagement
Part of last year’s funding supported our Girls Order of Merit events which 45 girls attended. It funded coaches costs, facility costs and young leader expenses. Other parts went towards the Girls Golf Get Together, covering some of the prizes, part of the facility and refreshment costs and a further portion went towards providing coaching and training as detailed above.
Sheilah Mitchell - Chairman and Acting Junior Coordinator Lincolnshire Women's Golf Association
