Hidden Valley Golf Club and Kilmore Golf Club are once again offering young girls the opportunity to learn golf for free via the Junior Girls Golf Scholarship program.
Funded by the Australian Golf Foundation, AGF, the scholarships will be awarded to a handful of girls between the ages of nine and 16 who are eager to learn the ins and outs of golf.
The scholarship students will be offered 24 lessons with a professional golf instructor over a 12-month program and a one-year membership to the respective golf club next year.
The club memberships will ensure the girls involved can participate in club competitions and obtain a handicap.
Students also get a welcome package, which includes a T-shirt and a hat.
The clubs are offering scholarships to six girls each, with more positions available depending on interest.
Lessons are set to commence at the beginning of next year.
Girls are required to bring their own golf clubs to the lessons.
Hidden Valley Golf Club president Jon Blackwell said the junior scholarships functioned as a long-term investment into women’s golf to ensure the sport had a more diverse group of players in years to come.
“It’s not just about Hidden Valley, it’s about promoting golf in general,” he said.
“It’s about building participation in golf and growing the number of girls playing the sport.”
Mr Blackwell said the lessons would equip juniors with the basic foundational skills of golf.
“[Juniors] come in and they try the sport and they might like it or they might go off and try come other sports, but now they’ve got the foundations,” he said.
“You can swing the golf club, you know the rules and the etiquette that goes along with the game, and you might come back in five or 10 years’ time.”
Kilmore Golf Club president Bea Lay said the scholarships were a terrific opportunity for young girls.
“All we ask is that applicants display a desire and willingness to improve their golf skills, obtain a handicap, play in club competitions – or at least social play – and engage in any extra-curricular activity that fosters friendships between scholarship holders,” she said.
Both Hidden Valley and Kilmore clubs welcome all girls to apply.
Organisers encouraged those interested to contact either club as soon as possible, with applications closing early this month.
For more information on the Hidden Valley scholarships and to apply, contact Jon Blackwell at hiddenvalleygolfclubwallan@gmail.com.
For more information on the Kilmore scholarships, contact Bea Lay 0437 712 973 or Helen Dennett 0407 542 949. Alternatively, people can email info@kilmoregolfclub.com.au.
