Three northern Wheatbelt clubs have benefitted from a series of beginners’ golf clinics for adults and juniors.
Thanks to a Regional Servicing Grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, PGA professional Rob Farley travelled to Miling, Ballidu and Wongan Hills golf clubs in May to deliver instruction to more than 40 keen beginners.
Amongst the successes were a women and girls-specific clinic at Miling GC and the first session of a junior golf program at Wongan Hills GC, both of which were very well supported.
Over at Ballidu GC, the club made great strides towards increasing its male membership numbers, with men making up 13 of the 18 participants in their two clinics.
Due to low numbers, the club hasn’t run any men’s competitions for the past three seasons. That’s set to change in 2025 given the success of the free beginners’ sessions, which have already led to four participants taking up membership.
“It’s a great boost for everyone at the club,” said Ballidu Club President Kim Hasson. “Getting more men playing golf has been a big goal for the committee this year, so we were delighted by the positive response to Rob’s sessions.”
Farley’s Wheatbelt trip was rounded out with a practical workshop that saw five members from the three clubs earn their National Program Deliverer accreditation.
This will allow them to deliver clinics to adults and juniors at their own clubs and help introduce more people to golf in the longer term.
All in all, it was a good few days for the profile of golf in the region, according to Ned Haywood, GolfWA’s Regional Club Support Officer for the North region.
“The level of engagement from the local communities for these sessions really shows how valuable these grants can be for regional golf clubs,” he said. “Being able to access a coach of Rob Farley’s pedigree can play a huge role in bringing more people into golf.
“The fact that we now have five new National Program Deliverers in the region is also great news for the long-term health of the sport in the northern Wheatbelt.”
Rob Farley in action at Ballidu Golf Club
Interested in staging a similar initiative at your club? Then contact your local GolfWA Regional Club Support Officer: –
South West and Lower Great Southern – Brett Symons (email Brett)
Wheatbelt and Goldfields – Scott Ballantyne (email Scott)
North – Ned Haywood (email Ned)
