Girls are being encouraged to take up golf as part of a new initiative celebrating women in the sport.

Bolton Golf Club is just one of two golf clubs in Bolton to be chosen as the official host to coach girls golf as part of Team England.

The new sessions will run for six weeks for girls aged 11 to 18 and there is hope at least someone will take after one of the best girl golfers in the North-West - Ruby Wrigley.

Ruby is just 13-years-old but has already won with the Lancashire Girls Junior Jamboree team after getting into it when her brother Alex took it up.

Head coach Matthew Galley said: “We’ve launched this programme in Bolton to get more girls into it because it’s a male dominated sport.

“You have to go through a whole selection process to be a host club for the programme so we are lucky to be one.

“Girls like Ruby are the future of the sport because they’re showing that they can take this up and make it in this field.

“Ruby has a handicap of 15 and she’s absolutely brilliant to coach as well, she’ll go far.”

The first six week block has already started but girls can still join or wait until July for the next one.

Matthew said: “We have some of the best facilities here in the North West and we will also offer the girls coaching after the six week period if they choose to continue.

“It’s also about having fun and making friends as well as doing something different.

“Some young people might do it if their families get into it so this is a way of getting girls into it who don’t have family members into it.

“We want the sport to become more accessible for girls to enter.

"Ruby is amazing and so is her brother. She is talented and we want more young girls to take part so we can make a group of girls playing too."

Marketing Chair at Bolton Golf Club Andrew Dickson also recognised the importance of girls golf.

He said: "At Bolton Golf Club we have recognised that the historical membership model was well past its sell by date and we are now making positive measures to encourage women and girls to play golf.”

To find out more visit the website.