The conversation about how to get more women and girls into golf is one we’ll keep having, but something just as important and deeply connected to growing participation is focusing on where it all begins.

Every great champion starts somewhere, and grassroots golf is the heartbeat of the game, as with any sport. It’s where kids and beginners pick up a club for the first time, take that tentative swing and discover the magic of the game. Without strong grassroots programmes, the future of golf for both women and men simply can’t grow. My schooldays feel like a distant memory, but when it came to sport, the options were limited. It was hockey or netball, take your pick. Even tennis was something I s...