Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the English Women’s Golf Association (EWGA)?
A. EWGA is the governing body for women’s amateur golf in England. It looks after the interests of about 115,000 women and girls in 1780 golf clubs. Every female playing member of a golf club affiliated to EWGA automatically belongs to the association.
Q. Where is EWGA based?
A. 11, Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3EB
Telephone: 0121 456 2088
Email: office@englishwomensgolf.org
Website: www.englishwomensgolf.org
Q. What does EWGA do for me?
A. We do something for everyone. We run 28 tournaments catering for golfers of all ages and abilities, we actively encourage new women and girl golfers, we manage the handicapping scheme for English women golfers, rate courses, answer queries on rules and regulations, train elite golfers and select England teams and run a website.
Q. What does membership of EWGA cost me?
A. The annual subscription for 2009 is £8.15 providing an income which is spent on providing services to members. We don’t spend any subscription income on training elite players – this programme is funded by a Sport England grant. Members also pay £2.50 to the Ladies Golf Union.
Q. What is the Ladies Golf Union?
A. The Ladies Golf Union (LGU) draws together the national women’s organisations from the four home countries. It is recognised internationally as a governing authority for women’s golf. Its main aim is to advance and safeguard the interests of women’s golf. It runs events including the Women’s British Open, the British championships, the Curtis Cup, the Home Internationals and the Coronation Foursomes.
Q. Why do I have to pay a subscription to EWGA and the LGU?
A. All members of EWGA are also members of the LGU. EWGA collects both subscriptions and passes on the LGU’s share. Juniors do not pay an LGU sub.
Q. What is the club levy?
A. Each club pays a £15 levy to EWGA to help with the costs of county match week and regional competitions.
Q. EWGA has two boards. Why?
A. After a two-year period of consultation members voted for this system as a modern and efficient way of running the association. The management board includes an independent chairman and four non-executive directors who were chosen for their business skills. The management board has overall responsibility for the organisation. The operational board draws its members from the counties and is responsible for all golf-related matters.
Q. Boards sound rather remote to me. How do they know what’s going on in grassroots golf?
A. There’s a direct, two-way communication link through our organisation. Each club sends a delegate to county meetings. Each county is represented on one of six regional committees. The chair of each regional committee sits on the operational board, which reports to the management board.
Q. What does the club delegate do?
A. Each women’s section appoints a club delegate as their EWGA contact. She’s the person who receives all the EWGA information and makes sure it gets to the right people. She’ll make sure you don’t miss anything to do with our news and activities. She represents your club at county delegates’ meetings.
Q. What are county delegates’ meetings?
A. Each county organises at least four meetings a year with club delegates. The delegates will hear about and discuss the work of EWGA and the county and represent their club’s views and concerns on all golfing matters.
Q. Will anyone take any notice of the views of women in my club?
A. Definitely. The counties must reflect the wishes of their club members when they vote on resolutions at general meetings of EWGA.
Q. When and where is the Annual General Meeting of EWGA?
A. The next AGM will be held at the National Motorcyle Museum, Solihull, on 13 January 2010. The 35 English county associations are entitled to vote on resolutions.
Q. Why did we change our name from the English LADIES’ to the English WOMEN’S Golf Association?
A. “Women” sounds more up-to-date and in tune with our decision to transform our association into a modern, efficient business. Most female sports these days are described as women’s sports.
Q. How does EWGA encourage more women and girls to play golf?
A. Our campaign, Driving Women’s Golf, is designed to get more women and girls into the game. EWGA and the English Golf Union have a joint team of regional development officers who work with clubs and counties on recruitment initiatives. Helpful leaflets and factsheets are available for download from www.englishgolfunion.org
Q. Can EWGA help clubs with the cost of recruiting new golfers?
A. EWGA and the English Golf Union offer grants of £150 to clubs running junior coaching and of £200 to those running taster sessions for beginners. There’s a £50 bonus for clubs taking up both grants. EWGA also makes grants to county associations to support girls’ golf. Details: www.englishgolfunion.org
Q. How can I learn to play golf?
A. The website www.getintogolf.org is packed with information to help adults and juniors take up golf. It includes details of free coaching initiatives.
Q. Does EWGA run competitions?
A. Yes. We run over 20 events a year. Most of these are handicap competitions, such as the PING Four Ball Better Ball Tournament of England, the Australian Spoons foursomes competition, regional seniors’ events and the Abraham Trophy for England’s most improved girl golfers. We run eight national championships.
Q. What are the EWGA Medals?
A. These are annual competitions open to the winners of the EWGA medals in clubs affiliated to EWGA. There are six regional finals with a maximum of 100 players in each one. The top ten scores in each regional final shall qualify for the grand final.
Q. Does EWGA value its handicap events as much as its national championships?
A. Yes. All our members are equally important to us and we aim to offer each of them competitions which they will enjoy and find challenging.
Q. Can I enter EWGA competitions online?
A. Competitors can enter all national championships and seniors regional tournaments online via www.englishwomensgolf.org
Q. How can I find out the scores of competitors in EWGA events?
A. Scores can be viewed online at the Tournament Information Centre on the EWGA website: www.englishwomensgolf.org. As soon as a player has recorded her score at the end of her round it is live on the web.
Q. My daughter is a promising golfer. How can she become involved in England training?
A. Players are selected for EWGA training squads on their ability. Your daughter should enter county, regional and national championships to draw attention to her skills. She should also take advantage of any county training she is offered.
Q. What is the ELGA Trust?
A. This is our charity for girls’ golf. Over the past quarter of a century it has provided grants for equipment, tuition, tournament expenses and coaching schemes. Clubs are urged to support the Trust which has seen income dwindle over recent years. Details: www.elgatrust.org
Q. Why do men pay a smaller subscription to their governing body, the English Golf Union (EGU)?
A. The EGU is a much bigger organisation with about 740,000 members.
Q. Will EWGA ever merge with the EGU?
A. This matter is under review by both organisations.
Q. What is the England Golf Partnership (EGP)?
A. It is a partnership of EWGA, the English Golf Union and the Professional Golfers’ Association, supported by the Golf Foundation and Sport England.
Q. What does the EGP do?
A. The EGP has a Whole Sport Plan to make England the world’s leading golf nation by 2020. It aims to encourage many more people, of all ages and backgrounds, to Start, Stay and Succeed in golf.
Q. Does EWGA benefit financially from the EGP?
A. Yes. The Partnership is receiving £9m from Sport England for 2005-2009. EWGA gets over £600,000 a year, which is about one-quarter of the total.
Q. What is the Sport England grant spent on?
A. Most of the money goes on our training programme for players at all levels. It also supports the England teams competing at home and abroad. We don’t spend a penny of our members’ subscriptions on training elite players. The grant also makes a small contribution to the cost of our work in the areas of safeguarding children and equality.
Q. What are County Golf Partnerships?
A. Most counties in England have set up or are establishing a County Golf Partnership. These bring together the men’s, women’s and professionals’ organisations to develop golf in the county by encouraging more people to Start and Stay in the game.
Q. What is CONGU?
A. The Council of National Golf Unions developed and maintains the unified golf handicapping system used by men and women in Great Britain and Ireland. EWGA and the EGU administer and manage the scheme in England for members of their affiliated clubs.
Q. How do I get a CONGU handicap?
A. If you belong to a golf club affiliated to EWGA you submit cards for three 18-hole rounds. These should be marked by a responsible person. Your club will assess the scores and allocate a handicap.
Q. Who is my first point of contact with a handicap query?
A. The handicap secretary of your women’s section. If necessary, she will contact the county handicap adviser who can refer the matter to EWGA’s national handicap sub-committee.
Q. Why do we now have full handicap difference in matchplay?
A. It’s fairer to the player with the higher handicap. And, despite the change, the lower handicapper is still considered to have the edge. CONGU’s full explanation can be read on www.congu.com
Q. Can I really submit nine-hole scores for handicap?
A. Clubs can choose to hold a limited number of qualifying competitions over nine-holes. It’s thought these will appeal to seniors and people whose time for golf is limited by work and family commitments.
Q. Does the scratch score of my course have to change if a tee is moved?
A. No, as long as the tee is moved within 100 yards of its original position. If there is any doubt contact your county scratch score assessor.
Q. Why should I be checked by the Criminal Records Bureau before helping with children?
A. To safeguard children. Golf clubs should seek CRB disclosures for anyone whose voluntary activities or work require regular contact with children. For more information on child protection see: www.childreningolf.org
Q. How can I go on a child protection workshop?
A. Children in Golf (CiG) is a partnership of governing bodies and golf organisations in Great Britain and Ireland committed to ensuring that golf is a safe environment for children and young people. CiG run regular workshops to increase awareness of child protection issues in golf. Details: www.childreningolf.org
Q. What does the European Union’s directive on equality mean to me?
A. The law will change shortly. As a result of the EU directive the government is proposing to extend current discrimination laws to private members clubs and end the treatment of women as second-class members.
Q. What is a PGA Level One coaching certificate?
A. This qualification from the Professional Golfers’ Association means an individual has the knowledge and competence to assist more qualified coaches in the delivery of coaching programmes, normally under direct supervision. Details: www.pga.info
Q. My club is interested in GolfMark. What’s it all about?
A. GolfMark is the national award for golf clubs which are beginner and junior friendly. It’s open to all clubs affiliated to EWGA and the EGU and once a club has been awarded GolfMark it is also recognised by Sport England as a ClubMark facility. Details: www.golfmark.org
Q. How do I learn more about golf-related opportunities at university?
A. The booklet, “Education & Careers in Golf”, is a comprehensive guide to playing golf while studying and career opportunities. It is produced by the EGU/EWGA golf development team and available from the EWGA office: telephone 0121 456 2088 or email office@englishwomensgolf.org
