Yoga & Golf Day - Kilworth Springs
Yoga & Golf Day - Kilworth Springs
The Women’s Golf & Yoga Day was held on Saturday 18th April at Kilworth Springs GC and provided an inclusive and welcoming opportunity for women aged 16–50 (A underrepresented group in golf) to engage with golf in a relaxed and supportive environment.
Scheduling the event on a weekend allowed working women to attend more easily and contributed positively to participation levels. Funding received from EG enabled the day to be offered at excellent value, with attendees paying just £10 per person.
The event attracted 16 women, representing a broad range of golfing experience and ability. Participants included golfers with handicaps as low as 3.3, women completely new to golf, and one attendee who had never previously held a golf club. This diversity created a highly inclusive atmosphere and demonstrated the accessibility of the programme.
The day began with a specialist yoga session delivered by Emma from View Yoga. The session focused on golf-specific asanas designed to improve rotation, balance, stability, relaxation and mindfulness. The session concluded with a deeply relaxing Savasana accompanied by Tibetan bowls, helping participants feel focused and prepared for the day ahead.
Following yoga, attendees participated in a 45-minute short game clinic concentrating on putting skills. Coaching was delivered by CGI Rachel East and Activators Lily Burrell and Beth Swain. The clinic catered successfully for all abilities and focused upon putting with some fun competitions and challenges.
After lunch, participants took part in a friendly 9-hole Am-Am competition. The format encouraged social interaction, teamwork, and confidence-building across differing ability levels. The competition concluded with prize presentations and positive feedback from attendees.
Outcomes & Impact
The day was considered a significant success both in participation and continued engagement outcomes.
Most notably:
7 attendees had previously participated in the WIGC Social Scramble, demonstrating ongoing engagement with county initiatives. The event successfully attracted women across a wide spectrum of golfing experience. The inclusive and social environment encouraged confidence, enjoyment, and relationship-building among participants. The affordable pricing, supported by EG funding, removed financial barriers and increased accessibility. £10
The event clearly demonstrated the value of creating flexible, welcoming, and female-focused opportunities to encourage sustained participation in golf.
Participant Feedback
Feedback from attendees was extremely positive. One participant, Samantha Keen, shared the following testimonial:
“I just wanted to say thank you for such a good day yesterday, it’s been my favourite women’s event in the two+ years I’ve been playing. I appreciate it takes a lot of energy and time to put these together…you and your team smashed it and I feel grateful for being able to take part. ”
This feedback highlights the strong impact the event had on participants and reflects the success of the collaborative delivery team.
Gabriella Crowfoot wins the 2026 County Championship
The 2026 L&R LCGA Championship began at Birstall Golf Club on Sunday 3rd May when 29 players, including 5 juniors, completed 36 holes in the qualifying round, with the top sixteen going forward to compete in the Championship and Russell Trophy knockout matches on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May. As always there were some excellent scores recorded even though it was noted that some of the greens were very tricky.
The sun shone on Day 2 for the eight quarter final matches in the morning session, four of which were contested by juniors, all of whom won.
Gabriella Crowfoot (Junior), Diana Miller, Edie Spiers (Junior) and Ellie York came out on top in the Championship matches and qualified for the semi-finals in the afternoon. Ella Cunningham (Junior), Lucy Wheeler (Junior), Francesca Brimm and Lisa Porter won their matches in the Russell Trophy quarter finals.
The afternoon matches were extremely hard fought but once again the juniors triumphed with Gabriella Crowfoot winning 5&3 and Edie Spiers, having a superb game and winning 7&6 to qualify for the 36 hole Championship final on Sunday. The winning semi-finalists for the Russell Trophy were Ella Cunningham and Francesca Brimm.
With a somewhat colder start on Sunday the stage was set for the final day of the Championship. Four players remained to contest the finals of the Championship and the Russell Trophy.
The Championship final was battled out over 36 holes between Gabriella Crowfoot (Longcliffe) and Edie Spiers (Cosby). Gabriella played a very impressive first 18 holes and at the end of the round was 6 up. She continued her domination in the afternoon and won the match 12 & 10 to become the 2026 L&R LCGA Champion for the first time. What a great start to the season as she travels to America later in the year to further her golf career. However there was some stunning golf played by both players and it was a treat to watch two juniors playing at such a high level. Congratulations must go to both of them but in particular to the new County Champion Gabriella.
The Russell Trophy final was played over 18 holes – the finalists being Junior Ella Cunningham (Kilworth Springs) and Francesca Brimm (Glen Gorse). Ella got off to a good start and although Francesca fought hard she was unable to pull back Ella’s lead and Ella won on the 16th, 4&2. Congratulations to Ella on winning the Russell Trophy and to Francesca for reaching the final and making it such an excellent match.
Other winners over the three days were Gabriella Crowfoot who won the Cathy Stephens Trophy for the best gross score during the qualifying round, Jo Morris- Bourne who was the Senior’s Champion and Gabriella Crowfoot who won the Junior prize and the Buckingham Cup for the best net scored by a Junior during the 36 hole qualifying competition. Lauren Day (Ullesthorpe) won the Best Nett with a total of 1 under par over the 36 hole Qualifying competition and Diana Miller (Lingdale) won the second net.
Thanks must go to Birstall Golf Club for hosting the Championship this year and in particular to Lady Captain Jo Brocksopp, whose help over the three days was invaluable. Thanks also go to to Kieron, the Assistant Pro, who entered the scores in the Pro shop on Day 1 when there was no internet in the Clubhouse following a power cut, to the green staff for all the preparation of the course, and to the catering staff. Last, but not least, the three referees Bea Cotton, Angela Allington and Geoff Jameson did a fantastic job.
Some excellent golf was played throughout the Championship and it was a delight to see three Juniors in the finals for the first time.
Congratulations to all our players and winners over the Championship, and particularly to Gabriella Crowfoot our 2026 Champion, and to our Runner up Edie Spiers
Full results can be found at:-
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12387380212235515362
and selecting the relevant round from the drop down menu at the top.
England Golf Awards evening
Members of the Executive Committees, 2025 & 2026 attended the awards evening on Tuesday 3rd March at the Deansgate Hotel, Manchester, representing our County on what was a most enjoyable occasion.
Congratulations to Luffenham Heath Golf Club on winning the award for 'Tournament Venue of the Year' category for hosting the England Golf Junior Boys Carris Trophy
Sadly, we didn't win the award for 'County of the Year ' that honour went to Cheshire. Cosby Golf Club who were finalists in the' Women in Golf Charter Club' category sadly didn't win either but we were all very honoured and proud to be finalists.
Having three finalists from Leicestershire & Rutland at the awards evening was a significant achievement and a testament to the collective efforts of our Clubs, volunteers, players, and supporters.
We certainly provided the biggest cheers of the evening when the finalists were read out !!
England Golf Club Activator Course
England Golf Club Activator Course
Friday 13th February – Kirby Muxloe Golf Club
On Friday 13th February, eleven women from clubs across the county successfully completed the England Golf Club Activator Course, hosted at Kirby Muxloe Golf Club.
Representatives attended from Cosby Golf Club, Kilworth Springs Golf Club, Kirby Muxloe Golf Club, Longcliffe Golf Club, and Ullesthorpe Court Golf Club, demonstrating strong county-wide commitment to growing the women’s game.
The course provided participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver fun, safe, and inclusive golf activity sessions within their clubs. Key areas of learning included:
Planning and delivering structured beginner sessions Adapting activities for different ages and abilities Using game-based approaches to develop fundamental golf skills Creating welcoming and supportive environments for new participants Supporting club initiatives focused on recruitment and retention
Participants were supported throughout the course by the two England Golf instructors, Craig Thomas and Pete Forster, who were excellent in creating a safe, inclusive, and fun atmosphere where all individuals could thrive.
Following the course, L&RLCGA has established a Club Activators Group to allow the newly qualified Activators to keep in contact, share good practice, engage in discussions, ask questions, generate ideas, and support one another as they implement their skills at their home clubs.
By completing the course, these new Club Activators are now equipped to lead introductory sessions independently, assist PGA Professionals and Community Golf Instructors and help establish clear pathways from beginner participation into sustained club membership.
The successful completion of the course marks an important step in strengthening volunteer capacity across the county and supporting long-term growth in women’s golf. L&RLCGA congratulates all eleven participants and looks forward to seeing the positive impact they will make within their respective clubs.