IT'S been described as a good walk spoiled, or a long way to carry a bag of sticks. But there's no denying that the game of golf is definitely on the upswing. More and more people are taking up the sport, with golf courses and driving ranges opening up around the Bolton area - as they are around the rest of the country. And, according to figures from the Ladies' Golf Union, the number of women golfers in Britain has more than doubled in the past 10 years.

An estimated 275,000 are now playing the game on a regular basis, with more young female than male beginners learning each week. Unlike the many men who have taken up golf (and still do) in order to enhance their career prospects on the basis that more business is done on the golf course than in the office, women and golf get together for more diverse reasons.

According to Bolton golf professional Karl Morris, based at the Douglas Valley Driving Range in Blackrod, women are discovering that this is one sport they can take up at any age.

"A lady in her 80s came here the other day for lessons," he said. "Her husband had been a keen golfer and she had always liked the game but never got round to playing.

"He'd sadly died recently and so she decided to finally take up golf herself, and she loved it."

Karl teaches both men and women, of all ages, although he says that women are generally more prepared to learn from the beginning. "They treat golf tuition much like they do driving tuition: necessary in order to do it properly," he added. Women are also much more likely to invest in lessons to learn to play golf the correct way, rather than just go out and try to play.

Caroline Barnard is a good example of just this trend. This 31-year-old Bolton-based interior designer has long been a keen tennis player but decided to take up golf after a friend persuaded her she would enjoy it.

When we met at Douglas Valley, she had just had her third lesson - and was already hitting the ball well. "I'm really enjoying this....I can't wait to get out on the golf course!" Joyce Williams took up golf "properly" about four years ago when she saw an advert in the BEN about the re-opening of the ladies' section at the nearby municipal course, Regent Park, off Chorley New Road, Lostock.

"I'd played a bit before - on holidays. My husband Richard plays at Ellesmere Golf Club and I used to caddie for him sometimes," explained Joyce.

She was 58 at the time, and soon found that the handful of women who first re-started the section were kindred spirits in their sporting aspirations.

Soon, more women - one or two with enviably low handicaps - joined and the section thrived. These days, there are around 30 women members, all of whom play and, although this number is not necessarily large by general golf club standards, it's a healthy reflection of the growing interest in the sport. Joyce, a mother and grandmother, reckons that golf has not only introduced her to a new social circle and given her rewarding friendship, but helps keep her fit.

"I love walking," she said, "but there's no way I would walk 12 miles a week on my own. If I play golf two or three times a week, I easily walk that sort of distance, and I enjoy the game at the same time."

She's currently president of the Regent Park ladies' section and feels strongly that golf offers a great deal to women of all ages "although there are not many young women coming into golf, something that's common to most clubs I think." "But it's definitely a sport that older women can play. I had a round with a lady of 84 recently, and she was a very good player."

Although golf has often had an elitist image, Joyce says that you needn't spend a fortune to start playing.

"A pair of golf shoes, decent trousers and good waterproofs ("they're vital!"), and a couple of clubs or a half-set are enough," she stated.

The benefits - both socially and physically - are soon evident, "and the company's great!" added Joyce.

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