Busselton Golf Club becomes first regional WA Women in Golf signatory

Busselton Golf Club is the first regional WA club to join the R&A Women in Golf Charter, and the fourth Western Australia signatory to the global initiative.

Busselton follows Gosnells, Lakelands and Sun City in becoming a charter signatory in the West.

Office Manager at the Busselton Golf Club, Jude Hood believes the process is an important step for clubs in changing perceptions of what golf is all about.

“For us, signing up to the Charter was a bit of a no-brainer,” she said.

The Charter outlines a set of principles that signatories commit to implementing in order to promote gender equality in golf.

These include measures to encourage more women and girls to play golf, improve access to facilities and coaching, and create more opportunities for women to work in the golf industry, including in leadership roles.

Working closely with Golf Australia, the Busselton Golf Club developed a Women and Girls action plan, which has already seen a number of key initiatives undertaken.

From next year, women’s club championships will be moved from a traditional weekday slot to a multi-day format to enable more working women and students to participate.

The club has also introduced a new series of beginners clinics for women, the first wave of which in October swiftly sold out.

These clinics are scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays to offer as much choice as possible.

The clinics are described as “Swing and Sip”, with attendees invited to enjoy a sociable drink with their fellow participants at the end of each lesson.

Swing and Sip participant Jacqui Webb said “I’d never played before. Now I am eight weeks into my introduction to golf, and I can’t wait to play a full round.”

Existing women members will act as on-course mentors to newcomers who may feel intimidated taking the step into competitive golf.

“We want to encourage people to come and play here and we want to be seen as a club that is proactive and welcoming to everybody,” Ms Hood said.