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Tracy’s prestige within golf is undeniable. Four WPGA Club Professional Championships (including three consecutively), a heralded coaching career and the title of WPGA Chairwoman tells you all you need to know about her talent, but it doesn’t come close to the full story.
‘Girls don’t play golf, do they?’
That’s the question Tracy asked her father when she first picked up a club aged 12. She wasn’t a million miles from the truth; becoming the only girl in the junior team at Weymouth Golf Club. Obstacle? What obstacle? When you win your first ever junior competition it really doesn’t matter what gender you are. Tracy dominated as an amateur before becoming an Assistant Professional, followed by a brief stint on the European Tour before returning to coach as a Head Pro and win an extraordinary three WPGA Club Professional titles. Does that answer your question, 12-year-old Tracy?
‘It’s getting better but needs more exposure’
Of course, social media is the first thing everybody mentions when you mention ‘exposure’. Tracy uses a ‘village Facebook group’ to advertise both for existing members and newcomers to the sport, with one particular campaign producing great success for female members. This campaign was called ‘Bring a non-golfing friend’; a self-explanatory title. This resulted in ‘five or six’ new female members, with socialising in the clubhouse afterwards proving to be a particular hit as the new members became good friends.
Recognising this, Tracy tells me that clubhouses up and down the country need to be ‘more friendly across the board’ in order to help make golf a more accessible, attractive game for newcomers.
Making it Happen
Having spoken with a couple of female PGA Professionals whose junior careers spanned through the first decade of the new millennium, it was fascinating to see the difference. One of them captained the junior team- similarly to the female current junior captain at Tracy’s Bigbury Golf Club- whilst another was one of six women on an Applied Golf Management course at university. In contrast, junior captaincy is one of the few things missing from Tracy’s impressive resume.
Don’t be mistaken, Tracy Loveys has not just been lucky enough to witness an improvement in the women’s game; she’s been a key figure in making it happen.
‘Golf is a game for life’
When I asked her if there was any other message she’d like to add, the message was clear and simple: ‘Don’t be scared! Have a go! Golf is a game for life’.
Written by Joe Carabini
