UK Attitudes Towards Women in Golf 2023

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Are attitudes in the direction of ladies in golf altering?

It’s simple that attitudes in the direction of ladies in sport are shifting. The Lionesses’ triumph in 2022’s European Soccer Championships, for instance, signalled a stage of curiosity and pleasure in the direction of ladies’s soccer that had beforehand not been seen within the UK.

However in terms of ladies’s
golf within the UK, how a lot inequality nonetheless lingers? How rife is on a regular basis sexism,
each at knowledgeable and a grassroots stage? Do women really feel actually empowered to
take up—and stick to—golf from a younger age?

In the end, are we making any headway in terms of championing ladies within the sport of golf?

Ladies in golf: the analysis

We carried out a nationally consultant
survey of two,011 UK residents throughout golf and 21 different sports activities, opinions
on a variety of points, from the position of feminine pundits to how usually Brits watch
ladies’s golf on TV.

We additionally delved into long-held stereotypes of what constitutes a “male” vs. a “feminine” sport and explored why one in 5 males has performed golf of their lifetime in comparison with solely 7% of ladies.

Inequality in ladies’s golf

Total, survey respondents acknowledged
that, on the whole, inequality exists inside the sport, with 77% of individuals
agreeing that is the case.

Apparently, although, 80% of ladies stated there may be inequality, vs 74% of males, displaying differing perceptions even amongst those that agree there is a matter.

Ladies in golf: viewing habits

Greater than 1 / 4 (28%) of males
instructed us they’ve watched males’s golf, in comparison with simply 11% of males who’ve
watched ladies’s golf. Simply 12% of individuals, female and male, have watched ladies’s
golf.

Virtually half (45%) of all individuals, and 60% of males, say they often choose to look at males’s sport than ladies’s. Only one in 10 individuals have watched the ladies’s PGA tour in comparison with 1 / 4 of people that have watched the boys’s model.

When requested about main golf tournaments,
55% of these surveyed stated there needs to be a feminine model of the Masters.
Nevertheless, one in 10 males disagree, arguing that the Masters needs to be a males’s
solely golf competitors.

And it’s not simply ladies out on the fairways who’re discriminated towards. Virtually one in 10 individuals stated that the opinions of feminine pundits are much less legitimate than that of their male counterparts. This view was most prevalent amongst survey respondents aged 55 and over.

The gender pay hole

Though recent BBC analysis discovered that 83% of sports activities now reward women and men equal prize cash, a big gender pay hole nonetheless exists, and runs into the tens of thousands and thousands for some sports activities.

In keeping with PGA information, the world’s highest paid male golfer is Phil Mickelson, who earned an eye-watering $138m (£114.6m) in 2022. You’ll discover a lot smaller pay packets within the ladies’s sport. For instance, the best paid skilled feminine golfer in 2022 was Minjee Lee, who took residence a complete of $7.3m (£6m).

As well as, within the Forbes 2022 Highest Paid Athletes List, simply two ladies—Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams – made the highest 50.

Regardless of this clear discrepancy between women and men doing the identical job, 1 / 4 of individuals we surveyed agreed that male golfers should be paid greater than feminine ones. This rises to 35% amongst males.

Inequality in grassroots golf

With discussions round ladies in
skilled sport now a lot larger on the agenda, it may be straightforward to neglect the
significance of encouraging feminine participation in sport at grassroots stage.

Whether or not at beginner stage, in a
native league or simply amongst pals as a interest, getting energetic via sports activities
like golf performs an important position in sustaining good public well being—each bodily
and psychological. A thriving grassroots scene has additionally been confirmed to ship a variety
of advantages to society, bringing individuals collectively and constructing group spirit.

Nevertheless, we discovered that males are disproportionately enjoying golf of their day-to-day lives, with 20% of males having performed the game of their lifetime vs simply 7% of ladies.

Why are individuals postpone enjoying golf?

To dig into this statistic slightly
deeper, we requested individuals why are postpone enjoying. Round six in 10 (64%) of
ladies stated that it simply “isn’t their factor”, with far fewer males (41%) giving
this purpose.

1 / 4 of individuals acknowledged that their
health ranges maintain them again from enjoying sport, with an absence of
self-confidence, time and disposable revenue additionally cited as causes for an absence of
participation. Sadly, in fact, bodily sport isn’t at all times obtainable
to all, with virtually 10% of individuals saying they’ve a incapacity which prevents
them from enjoying.

One in seven individuals instructed us that they had been by no means inspired to play sport in class, so that they haven’t performed as an grownup, highlighting the essential position that school-age sport has to play in our lifelong participation ranges.

Inequality in school

Lastly, our survey explored the extent of gender inequality amongst school-age youngsters. We discovered that 70% of ladies and 55% of males imagine women face boundaries in terms of participation in golf.

There’s additionally a transparent distinction between
the variety of males who’ve take into account golf both as a interest or a profession selection
in comparison with ladies. Almost a 3rd (30%) of males have thought-about enjoying golf as
a daily interest, whereas one in 10 has additionally thought-about a profession in skilled
golf.

As for girls, simply 14% have thought-about enjoying golf as a interest, with virtually no ladies saying they’ve thought-about it as a profession.

The place do women face the largest boundaries to participation in golf?

Apparently, there have been differing views on this matter throughout areas of the UK. When requested “Do women face boundaries to participation in sport?”, 75% of respondents in Northern Eire stated sure. This was adopted by 62% of individuals within the South East and 58% of individuals within the North East. Simply 44% and 45% of individuals stated sure in Wales and Scotland, respectively, pointing to a probably extra inclusive tradition for ladies’ sport in these areas.

Ought to women be allowed to play golf?

We additionally uncovered some stunning and
outdated opinions round which sports activities “ought to” be performed by girls and boys.
Round half (49%) of individuals acknowledged that some sports activities are extra naturally suited
to males than ladies, with simply 35% of these surveyed agreeing that girls have the
potential to be pretty much as good, or higher, than males at most sports activities.

One in seven males surveyed (14%) suppose ladies and women shouldn’t play golf, with this view maybe surprisingly extra more likely to be cited amongst youthful generations. A fifth of 16–24-year-olds don’t suppose ladies ought to play golf, in comparison with simply 6% of individuals aged 55+.

Abstract

What’s evident all through our
analysis is that, regardless of some strong progress being made concerning attitudes
in the direction of ladies in golf and wider sport, true parity remains to be a good distance off.

Championing constructive position fashions, pushing for better visibility, and delivering extra output on TV will all assist the development of ladies’s golf throughout the UK.