At Harrington Waters Golf Club, a four-hour drive north of Sydney, boys have historically played golf, more so than girls. However, things are changing….

“The program (The Australian Golf Foundation Junior Girls Golf Scholarship program) has had a big effect,” said Chantale McCallum, PGA Instructor at the club. “We have gone from no girls to now nine girls who are fully engaged and enjoying their golf here."

“In the scholarship program these girls have progressed to owning clubs and are getting on-course and playing by themselves.”

This movement all started because of a grade 5 boy named Hayden.

“Hayden is in our junior clinics,” explained McCallum. “He really got behind the scholarship program and actively recruited his sister and her friends. This gave us the momentum which then prompted parents of other boys at the club to get their daughters involved.”

“All thanks go to Hayden. It makes such a difference if you have a peer encouraging other to play golf rather than older adults.”

Applications are now open for clubs to obtain 2023 funding. For further information and application form see Australian Golf Foundation website.

Australian Golf Foundation is thrilled to partner with NEXTGEN Group as the principal partner of the AGF Scholarship Programme in 2022, with significant further support provided by Golf Australia, Golf Victoria, Victorian Golf Foundation, Golf Queensland, Golf South Australia, Golf Tasmania, Golf Western Australia, Western Australian Golf Foundation, Golf Northern Territory, Jack Newton Junior Golf, Golf Management Australia, WPGA Tour of Australasia and PGA of Australia, as well as a number of additional generous private benefactors.

Australian Golf Foundation is the national foundation for golf in Australia. The AGF supports Golf Australia’s vision to grow golf by investing in targeted initiatives to inspire all Australians to enjoy and play the game. Visit australiangolffoundation.org.au for further information.

The scholarship program has come to fruition thanks to the foresight and generosity of Bonnie Boezeman AO, Director of the Australian Golf Foundation, who originally established the program at Killara Golf Club, NSW.