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Avon Valley Golf

The Avon Valley Women's Coaching program is aimed at encouraging women to actively participate in golf in the Avon Valley region – a combined program between 16 golf clubs in the area.

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Avon Valley GolfAnne Johnson, the Coaching co-ordinator, started the program in 2004 when she realised a need to boost women’s participation in golf due to declining membership numbers across Perth and regional Western Australia.  The program has gained significant momentum over the past 12 months and female membership in the Avon Valley region has increased by 30 per cent.

The program's key objectives

  • Encourage women to participate in golf in a fun, interactive and social environment.
  • Encourage young women to participate by providing free babysitting facilities.
  • Increase general membership numbers at the Avon Valley golf clubs.
  • Coincide the women’s coaching with the juniors coaching to make use of existing resources.

Creating the Program

The Avon Valley Women’s Coaching program was created using the fundamental principles of the Avon Valley Juniors Coaching Clinic, which has proven successful over the years. The intention was always to run the two programs at similar times to maximise the use of limited resources; therefore the format and structure of the programs are fairly similar.

Promotion

  1. Word-of-mouth promotion.
  2. Flyers.
  3. Application forms are mailed to a database of previous participants before each clinic begins.
  4. Letters.

Instrumental factors in the program's success

Funding from DSR and Women’s Golf has enabled clubs to match dollar-for-dollar the cost of the clinic to participants.  A few years ago Avon Valley Golf carried out research via verbal communication and a study of the Women’s Golf year books.  The research revealed membership was declining and women in the area were unaware of the many health and social benefits associated with golf.  There was also a general perception that the sport was unaffordable.  

Avon Valley Golf set out to educate women about the many benefits associated with playing golf and worked with DSR and Women’s Golf to develop the dollar-for-dollar matching incentive.  

Avon Valley Golf has successfully made the sport affordable and enjoyable for women in the area.  Volunteers, and in particular Anne Johnson, have played an enormous part in getting the program up and running to what is now a very successful tool for increasing women’s participation in golf.

Highlight of Avon Valley Golf

A 30% increase in women’s membership last year.

Self-sustainability

The program would not be possible without the continued support from DSR and Women’s Golf.

Top Five Tips:
  1. Make sure you have a committed team of volunteers driving the program.
  2. Offering babysitting facilities free of charge has been a fundamental reason for the program’s success.
  3. Good organisational skills are essential.
  4. Learn how to seek funding and ask the right questions.
  5. Create a good social environment around the club.
 
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