This post is from guest writer, and amateur golfer, Tom Jeffries.

Golf is a sport in which anyone and everyone is free to play and face a healthy competition. Despite this, women on the course are outnumbered by men in every country.

What can we do to fix this? What’s stopping women from playing golf?

To know why there aren’t more women playing golf, we need to know what’s stopping women from playing golf. What barriers are there, and how do we get past them?

“Fear and intimidation are major factors in stopping women from participating” says Donna Hoffman of Women on Course. The “men’s club” stigma surrounding golf is undoubtedly something that both prevents women from entering and could be driving women away.

Not being good enough is another issue some people cite as to why they don’t play, and this can be especially prevalent if friends play.

When you first start a sport it’s natural to not be good at it, and the fear of embarrassing yourself is one shared by many potential golfers – both men and women.

The perception of the number of women playing golf could also be a factor that holds women golfers back. People often overestimate how many women actually do play golf, and this widespread misinformation can lead to not enough being done to encourage women to start – if people don’t think there’s a problem, they won’t do anything about it.

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Why do you think some women stay away from golf? How do we encourage more women to take up the game? Add your comments below.