Sport
18 March, 2025
Golf scholarship program
The future of women’s golf in Nyngan looks bright with 14 young players signing up for the 2025 Australian Golf Foundation (AGF) Junior Girls Scholarship program.
The program in Nyngan is convened by Jodi Douglas, who was “blown away” by the number of girls who showed up to the first coaching session last week.
The program was launched in 2021 by the AGF to increase the number of women playing golf and has been taken up by around 180 clubs around the country.
Jodi applied for it at the Nyngan Golf Club this year and will have regular sessions to guide the girls, aged nine-to-16, to learn the sport and eventually receive a handicap.
She said neighbouring clubs at Cobar and Warren have also introduced the scholarships and there may be an opportunity for the girls to get together and play at those courses as well.
“The response in Nyngan has been amazing. I was blow away by the number who came to our first Wednesday afternoon session, and some of them are already showing some real talent,” Jodi said. As part of the program the girls will receive coaching from Golf NSW western regional manager Gary Begg.
Jodi said the aim of the program was to increase the number of women who play golf.
According to the ACF, participation in golf is increasing however women and girls are under-represented at just 20 per cent of total participation.
Since the program started, more than 3,000 scholarships have been granted around Australia and 88 per cent of the recipients have retained their club memberships upon completing the program.
The program has been popular in regional areas, with around 60 per cent of the scholarships have been awarded to girls from country areas.
Once they have completed the program, the girls can join an alumni network, gaining access to special events, reciprocal playing rights, and stay connected with other girls in the program.
The vision for the golf program is to grant 10,000 scholarships by 2030 and level the playing field.
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