PGA to run women’s golf campaign at the Open

Spectators at the 147th Open Championship will be getting behind the Professional Golfers’ Association’s #WeLoveGolf campaign by sharing the reasons why they love the game.

Visitors to The R&A SwingZone which is manned by 30 PGA coaches and staff, will be asked to celebrate their love of the game by sharing photos taken with the #WeLoveGolf logo on their own social media channels.

The PGA will also share its favouritesas momentum builds around the campaign, which supports the PGA’s wider strategy to encourage more women and girls to play golf by creating a positive, more inclusive image of the game.

PGA CEO Robert Maxfield said: “We want to show people what golf looks like in the 21st century. There is a diverse community of people who play the game and a myriad of ways to play it, but people still hold onto the clichés of the past because we don’t tell them that things are any different. If we really want to change the way non-golfers think about golf, then this is the perfect platform to do so.”

The #WeLoveGolf community has been steadily growing since its launch at the end of May. The www.facebook.com/WeLoveGolfPGA group provides a source of information about golf and connects people with an interest in the game to PGA professionals delivering innovative golf programmes.

As well as asking members of the public to share their love of the game, the PGA is also encouraging industry members and celebrities to get involved. There will be a branded ‘photo wall’ set up in the PGA marquee for people to take photos against, as well as leaflets explaining the campaign in more detail.

Robert Maxfield added: “We are really excited to see just how far this activity can reach. Every year, our staff hear amazing stories from the thousands of people using the SwingZone facility and we know that by sharing those stories we will inspire others to think about taking up the game.”