Improving at golf in a welcoming environment is proving popular among women at Brisbane Golf Club.
Skill acquisition and social connection are the two key pillars that Brisbane Golf Club has built an introductory program upon that has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of women playing at the club.
Led by two-time PGA of Australia National Coach of the Year – Game Development, Asha Flynn, and with the support of director of golf, Joe Janison, Brisbane Golf Club has seen an influx of women actively engaged at the club in beginner clinics all the way through to club membership.
At the core of the successful transition from beginner through to club member is the structure of the skill development element along with a connection not only with their fellow newcomers to the sport, but to other women within the club.
Starting from scratch
In developing the women’s introductory program, Flynn put herself in the shoes of those the club hoped to appeal to. She identified the core skills beginners would need to not only get around a golf course, but that they could find success in relatively quickly and then build upon.
“In planning our six-week Essentials Series, we simply identified the essentials that someone needs to play golf in six weeks,” Flynn explains.
“At Level 1, they need to know how to chip, they need to know how to putt, they need to know how to hit an iron, they need to know how to play out of bunkers and they need to know how to drive.
“I teach them how to chip with a 7-iron because it’s a lot easier and they enjoy it a lot more when they see instant gratification of a shot.
“All they need is four clubs – driver, 7-iron, sand wedge and putter – to get around the course in the first six weeks.”
In the Development Series of the program, Flynn and Brisbane’s other PGA professionals introduce additional skills such as chipping with different clubs, chipping off a variety of lies and putting skills such as speed control and green reading. Yet the acquisition of skill is only one aspect of giving women the motivation to continue in golf.
Strong connectivity
There is a growing case study within Australian golf that social connectivity is the key to success of any women’s golf program. Brisbane Golf Club endeavours to not only generate a welcoming environment for women new to the game but connect them almost immediately with current women members at the club.
‘Nine and Wine’ events see participants in the women’s programs join a member for a nine-hole ambrose followed by drinks in the clubhouse, while a simple WhatsApp group also helps build camaraderie.
“I set up a little WhatsApp called ‘Asha’s Angels’ for all the ladies that have done the series,” Flynn adds. “I’ll pop a message in and it’s not to sell clinics, it’s literally to go, ‘Hey, where is everyone playing golf?’
“You’ll get responses like, ‘I’m at Moonah,’ ‘I’m in South Africa.’ These ladies have played golf for three months and they’re like, ‘I’m here,’ ‘I’m there.’
“They’ll see things on Instagram and flick it through. It’s my version of trying to create a community away from the actual clinics.”
To find an introductory program led by a PGA professional near you, visit GOLF.com.au
