GOLF clubs from across the region are being encouraged to consider a growing national trend to go gender-free off the tee.

A concept from the USA is showing signs of catching on as separate ladies’ and men’s tees are abandoned, creating greater options. It’s seen as the perfect way to encourage improving players, to retain ageing players and to promote social golf.

It has seen a breakaway from the traditional red tees for ladies and yellows for the men, although none of the 44 golf clubs in the Durham County Union have asked to be assessed for the change so far.

Jonathan Ward, DCU secretary, said: “It is certainly something I would be happy to see. I support any idea that makes golf more inclusive and that’s what this would do. We will certainly never be disappointed to see clubs thinking outside of the box to try to increase participation.

“It would enable a man and wife to go around together for instance; how many times have you seen a couple playing golf together and the man tees off 30 yards in front of his wife?

“I think this way is also designed to take away the stigma of playing off the red tees. If they were green and opened up to men and juniors, then I think you’d see more playing off them.

“If someone fancied going out with their irons, or for a quick nine holes, they might want to play the shorter holes and doing away with the men’s and ladies’ tees would help to improve that.”

Trentham Park in Staffordshire is a fitting example of how a club has abandoned the tee colours successfully. It now has a black course (6390 yards), blue (6188), green (5255) – plus a composite blue/green course measuring 5694.

Each of the four courses has been measured and rated for both men and women, who now have new scorecards, new tee furniture and new signage. There are also white tees, further down the fairways, for juniors.

Ward said: “Something like that means a club’s members can play together, off all tees, in special competitions.

“We are currently – along with the Durham County Ladies Golf Association - going through the process of rating all of our courses because we are moving in line with the USGA so that all of the courses around the world are rated to the same system.

“The aim is to have everything standardised by 2020, we are working our way through around five or six courses a year and most of those we have done so far have seen the standard scratch has gone up by a stroke from 70-71 or whatever.

“If a club wanted to change their approach to move away from the gender tees then we would be happy to reassess the course.”

The plan is for golfers losing length to move to forward tees; improving players can gain an extra challenge by moving back and social golfers can choose to play together off the same tees.

Gemma Hunter, England Golf’s Handicap & Course Rating Manager, said: “It is still very new here but I know of over 30 courses which have rated at least one course for both genders.

“This is all about making the best use of your golf course for all your members and for newcomers who want to take up the game. You’re not building new holes or tees, you’re just rating what you already have.”