Golf Australia – April 2018

16 APRIL 2018 | golf australia

AROUND

THE

TRAPS OPENING SHOT

GOLF can be an intimidating game for

fi rst-time players, especially women. This

might explain why the number of Australian

women playing golf is not as high as it

possibly should be.

But a Golf Australia program for women

called Swing Fit is reversing that trend.

The program introduces women to the

basics of golf in an interactive way, as well

as providing simple conditioning and

movement exercises.

Swing Fit can also help increase your range

of movement and fl exibility, improve upper,

mid and lower body conditioning and even

your cardiovascular health.

For example, one Swing Fit program being

run in Sydney’s southern and eastern suburbs

has seen more than 220 graduate and take

up the game socially, while nearly 10 percent

have gone on to join local golf clubs.

Community golf instructor Andrea McGann

started with the Swing Fit program in

September 2016, introducing women to the

game at Randwick, Woollahra, Bardwell Valley

and East Lakes golf clubs. There are currently

55 women enrolled in the weekly sessions.

“This program eliminates the intimidation

factor for women,” McGann said. “For

women to start from scratch learning about

golf they need to be nurtured.

“In my program we do a six-week beginner

program, following on from that I take them

through a six-week intermediate program

were they go out onto the golf course and

learn about etiquette and pace of play. By the

end of that they are ready to go and play with

their friends or join a golf club.

“I also take them to a golf shop where

they have fi tting sessions, try the clubs and

see what works for them. So it’s a matter

of holding their hand right through a three-

month period and then they are raring to go.”

McGann said without this program women

would be thrown into the golfi ng deep

end and told to swim and that “simply

doesn’t work”.

“Can you imagine deciding to take on a

new activity in life, and most of the ladies are

40 plus, and being told there is the 1st tee,

there are your clubs ... there you go. It’s too

intimidating for them because it is a male

dominated sport,” she said.

Swing Fit graduate Carolyn Weller said

she had previously restricted her golf to the

BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS

Andrea McGann conducts

a Swing Fit class at Sydney’s

Randwick Golf Club.