Staff WriterEngland Golf will launch Get into Golf Week from 3–9 August 2026, a national push designed to help beginners, families, juniors and the mildly curious discover that golf is not, in fact, an ancient code understood only by men in waterproof trousers.
A Summer Invitation For First-Time Golfers
The idea is pleasingly simple: try golf this summer.
Across the week, clubs, facilities and community venues in England will be encouraged to offer beginner-friendly, bookable activity for people who want to give the game a go without needing a full set of clubs, a private tutor, or the emotional resilience required to decode golf’s dress codes unaided.
It is a well-timed move. The campaign lands in the peak summer holiday period and follows The Open and AIG Women’s Open, when golf generally enjoys one of its rare moments in the wider public shop window. For a game that often talks about accessibility while guarding its front gate with a committee, a diary and a laminated etiquette notice, this is a useful national nudge.
Why England Golf Is Putting Beginners First
England Golf says interest in people wanting to get into golf has surged over the past year, with over 150% more people looking at Get into Golf activity and bookings up 165% compared to 2025.
That is not a small lift. It suggests the appetite is there; the challenge is turning interest into action before potential players wander off toward padel, pickleball or whatever new sport currently requires a branded water bottle and a waiting list.
The growth points to something golf has needed to understand for years: many people are not anti-golf. They are anti-confusion. They do not know where to start, what to wear, who to ask, whether they will be judged, or if a first session will involve being stared at by six single-figure handicappers named Martin.
Get into Golf Week is designed to remove that awkwardness.
More Than 4,500 Golf Activities Already Listed
England Golf says there are already more than 4,500 activities and opportunities listed on its Get into Golf website, with the August campaign expected to sharpen the focus on sessions that feel less intimidating and more practical.
The week will place emphasis on short-format and range-based sessions, social and family-friendly experiences, junior opportunities during the school holidays, and activity delivered not only by golf clubs but also by facilities, community spaces and Community Golf Instructors.
Support from Junior Hubs and the Golf Foundation is also expected to strengthen the offer, alongside existing grassroots programmes including Get into Golf Rookies and Girls Golf Rocks.
That matters because the beginner pathway in golf has too often resembled a country lane in February: technically present, occasionally beautiful, but not always obvious in the dark.
Local Clubs Will Decide How Far This Goes
The national campaign gives the movement a banner. The real work, as ever, will happen locally.
England Golf is encouraging more venues to host sessions and create beginner-friendly opportunities, with support from county bodies, clubs, facilities, community partners and instructors.
That local element is crucial. A national week can attract attention, but a warm welcome at a range bay, a relaxed junior session, or a family event at a nearby club is what turns a passing thought into a second booking.
Matt Draper, Development and Membership Director, said: “The growth we’ve seen across Get into Golf over the past 12 months is extraordinary, and it shows just how many people want a simple, welcoming way to try the game. Get into Golf Week is about opening our doors even wider and giving families, young people and complete beginners the confidence to take that first step. Golf is for everyone, and this week will help us prove it.
“This campaign works because it’s built around real, local opportunities. When clubs, facilities and community partners upload sessions and create beginner-friendly experiences, people respond. Get into Golf Week gives us a national moment to shine a light on that activity and inspire thousands of new players to get involved this summer.”
A Timely Push For Golf’s Grassroots Future
For golf, participation is not just a numbers game. It is a culture test.
The sport has worked hard in recent years to look less closed-off, especially to women, girls, juniors, families and people who did not grow up with a seven iron in the boot and a parent muttering about slow play.
Get into Golf Week gives England Golf a chance to connect its national message with real-world activity. The timing helps. The Open and AIG Women’s Open can provide inspiration, while the school holidays provide the calendar space. The missing piece is making the first step feel easy enough that people actually take it.
That is where clubs and facilities have a genuine opportunity. A beginner does not need a lecture on shaft flex or a sermon on bunker etiquette. They need a welcome, a club, a ball, a bit of encouragement and permission to be gloriously average for half an hour.
The Bigger Opportunity For Golf
If Get into Golf Week succeeds, it will not be because golf suddenly becomes simple. Golf will never be simple. It is a sport where a stationary ball can make intelligent adults question their entire moral framework.
But it can become easier to enter.
By focusing on bookable, beginner-first sessions, family-friendly activity and local delivery, England Golf is aiming at the part of the game that matters most: the first experience. Get that right and golf has a chance to build not just new players, but new habits, new friendships and new members.
For a sport that often worries about its future, this is the sort of campaign that feels less like a slogan and more like a door being propped open. The trick now is making sure someone is smiling on the other side of it.
