Women are transforming golf in England – on the fairway, in the clubhouse, and increasingly, on the plane.
The New Wave
Something has shifted in women’s golf, and it goes well beyond the participation numbers. The women who discovered the game during the pandemic — the 1.5 million who played their first round in the UK in 2020 — have not just stayed. They have got better, got more confident, formed groups, found communities, and started booking flights. The ladies’ golf trip abroad is one of the fastest-growing segments in golf travel, and a new generation of female golfers is driving it.
Women now make up nearly a third of adult golfers in key R&A markets. In alternative formats like driving ranges and simulators, they account for half of all adult players. That is not a fringe demographic. It is a mainstream one — and it is increasingly mobile. The global golf tourism market was valued at around $25 billion in 2024 and is projected to approach $42 billion by 2030. Female golfers are among the fastest-growing contributors to that figure.
Where They’re Going
Spain and Portugal have long been the backbone of the UK golf travel market, and they remain the destinations of choice for women’s groups. The Algarve topped the destination charts in 2025, with the Costa del Sol close behind. It is easy to see why: reliable sunshine, high-quality courses at accessible price points, and resort infrastructure that caters as happily to a post-round spa session as to an early tee time. Morocco has also built a loyal following among all-female groups, adding a sense of adventure to the familiar formula.
Ireland and Scotland retain a devoted following for those seeking something more links-pure. Bucket-list itineraries taking in Ballybunion, Lahinch or the Old Course have long attracted serious golfers; what is newer is the number of all-female groups making those pilgrimages together, often through specialist operators who handle everything from tee times to dinner reservations.
A Market Taking Notice
The travel industry has read the room. Golfbreaks — the world’s largest golf tour operator, with more than 3.5 million golfers sent on trips over 25 years — launched a dedicated Women’s Golf Hub in 2024, creating online communities for female golfers to connect and plan breaks together. Women’s Golf Day, the global initiative operating in over 80 countries, formalised a travel partnership with Golfbreaks in 2025. All-female golf retreat specialists are selling out multi-day packages to Ireland, Scotland, Spain and Portugal weeks after launch, cultivating repeat clientele who return year after year.
Younger women are leading the charge. The 25 to 40 age group now makes up more than a quarter of golf tourists globally, drawn in by social media, influencer-led trips and the straightforward appeal of a well-organised golf getaway with friends. Solo female travel is growing too: women increasingly seeking curated group experiences where the planning is handled for them, and the camaraderie comes built in.
England’s Moment
For England, the timing is significant. The 2026 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes and The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale place the country at the centre of the global golf calendar. The Lancashire and Merseyside coastline — England’s “Golf Coast” — offers a concentration of championship links that few regions anywhere in the world can match. The professional women’s game is drawing record audiences and generating genuine stars: Charley Hull’s visibility and Solheim Cup heroics have introduced thousands of new women to golf, and many of those women now want to go and play the courses they have seen on television.
The ladies’ golf trip is a booming market. The destinations that benefit will be the ones that are ready — with welcoming venues, strong online presence, and the kind of experience that gets shared on a group chat before the flight home has even landed. England has every reason to be one of them.