As a golf coach, I have gained and shared a lot of knowledge in the past two years. What are the lessons that I enjoy the most? She Loves Golf is definitely one of them. I have introduced nearly 50 ladies to golf through our program since 2022 and I am excited to welcome more new golfers this summer.
Ladies have a great attitude when it comes to learning golf. They prioritize having fun over anything else. The She Loves Golf programs are designed to create a fun, relaxed and supportive environment where hitting the ball high or far is not important, but having a laugh and trying your best is. We are fortunate at Golf HQ to have a female staff member who supports our program (she is a good golfer and has completed an NZPGA introduction course) as she can relate to the challenges and joys of being a new female golfer in a male-dominated sport. We had a hilarious moment at our last session when the ladies completed the first hole (par 4) with less than 10 strokes each. It took us 60 minutes to finish the hole and I joked that if we played another 17 holes, we would be done by lunchtime the next day. This made them realize why their husbands spend the whole day playing golf with their mates.
The beauty of coaching beginner ladies is that the rules are flexible. The sessions always end with a glass of wine and some life stories that help form friendships and golf fans. Coaching these programs has been a rewarding experience for me, with the amazing support from clubs, the community and NZ Golf. We recently had a “Spring Chicks welcome to daylight saving” Ambrose tournament and 30 ladies came out and had a blast. The sponsors were very generous, providing us with Pink gins, vanishing cream and various health products. We also had some funny awards, such as the dirtiest pants award (she found the muddiest spot on the course) and the most difficult lie award (see image).
I believe that more women in golf can lead to more couples enjoying golf together and having wonderful holidays at different golf courses. But be careful, “husbands coaching their wives can result in tears, yes real men do cry” so leave it to the Pros!
