Muslim Golf Association launches Taster Tour for women
Amir Malik has a mission. “It’s to get women in niqabs on golf courses,” he says. As the founder of the Muslim Golf Association, Malik has been inspired to change the sport for the better – providing opportunities for people of any faith to come together and play in a comfortable environment.
Now he has launched the first UK Muslim Women’s Golf Taster Tour and has been stunned by the incredible demand for places.
More than 700 have expressed an interest in sessions which will take place all over the country this year and, last week, the second of those took place at the venerable Walton Heath, in Surrey.
For Malik, it’s about helping people learn about golf in a “safe, non-intimidating, Muslim friendly environment”. Whether it’s a hijab, niqab, or abaya, participants are encouraged to wear whatever they feel comfortable in, with no dress code and no experience required.
Joining forces with Syngenta and Love.Golf to present the sessions, and supported by Azanti, Sprint Logistics and Page Group, Malik said he had been heartened by the welcome he had received when approaching clubs to host a session.
On Walton Heath, he said: “They were forthcoming and said, ‘we want you to come here’. We’re speaking to clubs who are saying, ‘teach us, tell us, educate us. What is Halal?’
“That’s the conversation I want to be having. That’s all I’ve ever asked for. Just ask the questions and they have been so supportive.”
Further events will be held in Glasgow and Leeds next month and in Surrey in August – with more on the way.
“We’re really excited and we’ve only scratched the surface,” added Malik. “I hoping people get inspired and I’m obviously targeting the Muslim community.
“But think about how many other ethnic minority groups that must be out there that we are neglecting – that the industry itself I think is genuinely neglecting.
“The problem isn’t the game, it’s the access, isn’t it? It’s the barriers that people are putting up. I’ve not done anything revolutionary at all. All we’ve done is just packaged the same concept in something that’s slightly more palatable for that audience.”
He continued: “We’ve got a long way to go and we’re going to go on a huge learning curve now. There is so much that I think we can do. We’re only at the beginning of this journey. I’m so nervously excited. We could create a real movement and that’s what I would love to do.”
To learn more, visit the Muslim Golf Association website.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
