‘I’m a Muslim woman who’s been introduced to a fantastic new sport: golf’

Saudi Arabia’s golf association, Golf Saudi, has been teaching British Muslim women to play the game at a golf course in England.

The coaching of the women, who are all members of the Muslim Golf Association (MGA), took place at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, on the first day of the inaugural Aramco Team Series – London event.

A spokesman for Golf Saudi said the clinic was part of its ‘aims to introduce the game of golf to female golfers in Saudi Arabia and internationally’.

The clinic was given by Golf Saudi ambassador Camilla Lennarth, who provided technical tips to help the participating MGA ladies improve their game. This session was held as part of Golf Saudi’s Mass Participation programme, which

The MGA was founded in 2020 as the world’s first dedicated golfing platform that caters for male and female Muslim golfers.

Camilla Lennarth said: “I’m happy to be part of this initiative. Being able to work closely with Golf Saudi always gives me the opportunity to play a more active role in developing and supporting the game. I’m happy to be able to introduce the game to more ladies and inspire them to take up the sport in future.”

Amir Malik, the founder of the MGA, described the experience as inspirational: “It was a phenomenal event and such a proud moment for the MGA to be invited as guests of Golf Saudi. The MGA ladies got a unique insight into the professional women’s game by having the opportunity to spend time in-person with Camilla Lennarth, which for any budding golfer is priceless. Events, such as the Aramco Team Series provide inspiration to future generations of up-and-coming golfers, both male and female and long may they continue.”

Farah Bhatti, one of the participating MGA ladies, described the positives of taking part in the clinic having suffered during the pandemic: “Having recently experienced life-threatening issues of my own, my physical and mental health has been seriously impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a Muslim woman, finding an activity to not only suit but also improve my lifestyle seemed impossible, until now. The MGA has not only given me this opportunity but has also introduced me to a fantastic new sport in golf!”

Bhatti continued: “I was invited to attend the Aramco Team Series-London event and having met with Ladies European Tour pro Camilla Lennarth was such a fantastic opportunity. To hear first-hand about her sporting journey and how she started out in golf from a very young age was a real privilege. By sharing the highlights of her career as well as offering us simple tips on how we could each individually improve our own game was simply fantastic. This experience is one I will never forget!”