National Golf Month 2017 Begins This Weekend

May marks 2017's National Golf Month and this year the focus is on inspiring more women to try golf

National Golf Month 2017 Begins This Weekend

Free taster sessions exclusively for women will be offered by clubs, centres and pros across the country when National Golf Month begins on Monday.

Figures from Sport England show just 14% of players in England are female.

As a result, existing players are being asked to bring along family members and new players to their local clubs and centres to try golf across the country over the month of May.

The campaign also aims to showcase the social and health benefits of playing the game.

On an average round of golf, a total of 531–2467 calories can burned and players can walk between 11,245 and 16,667 steps.

Related: How far do you walk in a round of golf?

Together with showcasing these benefits, National Golf Month will also be aiming to address the key barriers preventing women from starting golf in the first place.

It is proven that the benefits associated with golf, such as the release of mood-enhancing endorphins, can help reduce the risk of anxiety and depression.

If you are interested in finding out what you can do to support National Golf Month, or to find out what local opportunities are available visit: nationalgolfmonth.com

Who is supporting National Golf Month?

Among the celebrities who have given their backing to the campaign are the BBC pair of GM columnist Dan Walker and Naga Munchetty, and Sky Sports' Henni Zuel and TalkSport's Georgie Bingham.

Related: Dan Walker becomes new Golf Monthly columnist

2014 Ryder Cup-winning captain Paul McGinley, together with Ladies European Tour pros Charley Hull and Mel Reid, are among the golfers who have added their support, with Hull and Reid also acting as spokespeople.

When asked about her thoughts on National Golf Month, Hull said earlier this year:

"It’s clear that women’s golf is an untapped market in this country compared to the rest of Europe.

"National Golf Month presents a real opportunity for clubs, centres and pros to exploit this participation gap and come up with new and engaging ways to grow the sport."