Heidi Pearce: From range rookie to rising professional
When Heidi Pearce first picked up a club in 2020, she never imagined it would lead to a desire for a career in golf. But in just five years, the 19-year-old has transitioned from a beginner to a standout student on the PGA Membership Pathway Program (MPP) – now with ambitions to coach, lead and inspire the next generation.
Pearce’s journey to falling in love with the industry started with the community she was warmly welcomed into.
“There were some junior clinics going on and [Dad] said to me and my sister, ‘Come on, guys. Try it,’” she recalls. “I loved it. My sister hated it.”
What began as a casual introduction quickly evolved into a passion and pursuit. In Year 10 at school, Pearce’s game was still a work in progress, playing off a handicap of 23, but she was determined to improve. By 2022, she was working at the Western Australian Golf Club (WAGC) and Perth Golf Centre.
“I realised there’s a career in golf other than actually playing golf,” she says.
Pearce soon set her sights on the MPP, a nationally accredited education and training pathway that allows participants to become PGA professionals while learning all aspects of the golf business. She took not one but two gap years after high school to focus on lowering her handicap and gain competitive experience.
“I practised and played all the time, played in as many competitions as I could,” she says. The hard work paid off. Pearce was accepted into the program in 2024 and is now in her first year, while continuing to work in both other jobs.
Her pathway was paved in part by the guidance of Golf Australia and the funding support from the Australian Golf Foundation’s Junior Girls Scholarship program, which she joined during its first year at her club.
“It was great doing the clinics and actually being in a group with other girls,” Pearce recalls. “That was my biggest worry – it’s a boys’ sport, like, my dad plays it. But being in that group made it fun.”
That early sense of community has stayed with her. Pearce still mentors some of the current scholarship recipients. “Just seeing how their progress is going and watching their golf progress, it’s really good.”
CLUB SUPPORT
One of her biggest role models is Nicole Martino, golf manager at the Western Australian Golf Club and Pearce’s indenturing pro for the MPP. “She influenced all these things at the club that helped me get to where I am,” Pearce says. “I look at her and I think,
I want to do what she does.”
Pearce’s passion for the game extends beyond her own journey. “Honestly, going into the pathway program, I went into it to not play golf, if that makes sense. I only went into it because I found out I could do so many other things.”
She’s still undecided on whether coaching or management is the end goal, but developing players is the biggest appeal. “Coaching female clinics, junior clinics, getting people involved – that sounds really great. But also management, running the golf club and implementing scholarships and programs like that.”
Despite choosing a less conventional career path, Pearce says she’s received great support. “Outside of golf, I felt that maybe I’d be judged because I’m not a very good golfer, but I want to become a professional. Once people understand what I’m doing, they’ve been really supportive.”
That support has been strongest at her club, with a wealth of knowledge for her to lean on. “There are seven professionals there and each one of them are like, ‘If you want any tips, let me know. If you want to sit in on any lessons, let me know.’”
The MPP itself is demanding over its three years. Participants complete playing assessments, work hours and assignments across coaching, management and small business streams.
“The girls have to have an average of about 6.75 for the year to pass,” Pearce explains. “You play your traineeship matches every Monday.”
Getting into the program required discipline. “At the end of 2020, I was playing off 22… By the end of 2023, I was down to a 6 handicap.”
But don’t expect a strict, high-performance mentality from Pearce. Fun, she insists, is still the most important ingredient. “There was a lot of time put into it, but I loved it,” she says. “It didn’t feel like a chore.”
That philosophy has guided her into a mentoring role. Pearce captained the junior girls’ pennant team this year and caddies for younger players now moving up to women’s competitions. “My main thing is just for them to have fun. Golf was never pressure for me, and I think that’s why I kept going.”
Pearce’s own game has also improved. She’s now a two-time club champion at WAGC. “It’s great knowing I can do it. Even when I’m playing bad, I know I’ve got my name on two trophies.”
As she works her way through the MPP, Pearce hopes to be part of the next wave of industry leaders shaping golf’s future. “There are definitely more pathways than you think,” she says. “You don’t have to be the best golfer. You can have fun playing golf and still have a career in it.”
Pearce says creating inclusive and accessible entry points for women is crucial. “Some of the women’s clinics are on Monday mornings, but people work,” she says. “There needs to be more programs, maybe on weekends, that feel like an event. I’d probably go to one.”
From picking up range balls to playing in comps, mentoring juniors and learning the operations of a golf club, Heidi Pearce is steadily building a career that proves there’s more than one way to succeed in golf, especially when your heart’s in it.
“Look at your office,” she laughs. “It’s a golf club. It’s so nice. So yeah, it’s great.”