Castlecliff Golf club is offering a Ladies' Beginner Coaching Session to entice women on to the golf course.
NZPGA Gold Professional, Golf Manager and coach Rodney Donaldson says he will be taking the session.
"We want to promote golf to the ladies," says Rodney, adding that they would like to encourage younger
women to give the sport a go.
The coaching session is free and participants play some games and win prizes. Afterwards there will be drinks and finger food in the clubhouse.
The day is a New Zealand Golf initiative under the She Loves Golf banner, part of a nationwide drive to broaden the interest of golf.
"Our ladies members will be coming out on the day as well to show the social side of the club, because it's not just about golf." They will also provide a buddy system throughout the session. Golf clubs will be supplied.
"Hopefully, I will have a few free memberships to give away."
While it is true that a lot of retired people take up the sport, champions are all much younger. Lydia Ko is 19 and has been playing golf for some years now. She turned professional at 17.
Rodney is Castlecliff raised and was a junior member. Photos of Rodney with junior pennants teams is on the clubhouse wall. Rodney took a round trip via Taihape and Canada back to Whanganui, before moving to Hawke's Bay to do his pro golf apprenticeship, a three-year coaching course. The course also covered skills for business and sport.
"You have to play to a four over par average throughout the year," he says.
He then moved back to Whanganui. At 31 he is one of the younger faces in the club. He has been 18 months in the job and says when he came back to Castlecliff a lot of members remembered him. Rodney's father Mark was also a member.
The Ladies Beginner Coaching Session is on Sunday, January 15 at the Castlecliff Golf Club, 8 Awatea St, Castlecliff.
¦ To register ring Rodney on 344 4554 or go to the Castlecliff Golf Club Facebook page and sign up
