Courses that tailor their facilities to appeal to women golfers will prosper as a result, according to a new piece of research.

Better financial results and quicker pace of play are among the benefits of following best practices for women golfers, according to the study, commissioned by the Little Family Foundation.

According to 'The Right Invitation: 2011 Women’s Golf Longitudinal Research’ there are as many eight best practices that especially resonate with women golfers, and courses that employ most, if not all, of them are apt to see as much as a 16 per cent increase in play. 

The 2011 study confirmed the findings of 2009 research as it compared 15 golf facilities that followed best practices against a comparable group of facilities that did not.

According to the survey, best practices yielding in dramatically enhanced loyalty to a facility from women players include: 

• Four or more sets of tees, with the front tees ideally under 4,500 yards, to allow all golfers to reach greens in regulation (average women golfers have a driver swing speed and drive the ball no further than 135-140 yards, research says)
• A golf shop in size of at least 500 square feet with a selection of women’s clothing and equipment and a dedicated women’s department
• Both male and female staff in the shop
• Abundant directional signage on the course
• Ample drinking water available at a minimum of three tees per nine holes
• Both  male and female staff available for golf instruction
• The availability of childcare.

Best practice facilities reported higher merchandise and F&B sales, as well as a better overall profit per round.