Established in April this year, the program helps to make golf more accessible for women, promoting the invaluable physical, mental and social benefits that the game provides.

“The whole concept was around promoting golf as being something fun, social and good for both the mind and body,” Barradell says. “We are so excited to open up that opportunity.”

The program, which provides participants a free, restricted 12-month membership, is designed to align with The Eastern Golf Club’s vision to support growing participation amongst women and girls. Barradell and his team at Eastern clearly struck a chord with the local female community, as they received over 300 expressions of interest.

Initially slightly overwhelmed by the uptake, Barradell was thrilled to see so many people – and such a range – keen to be involved.

“The first induction evening was crazy with 180 people in attendance,” he recalls. “We had women of lots of different ages and abilities join, which has been great.”

From that starting point, the program has gone from strength to strength, as Barradell and his team at The Eastern Golf Club continue to offer a premium experience for their newest female golfers.

“We have had another 50 or so join since that initial night in April, he recalls. “It’s just fantastic.”

Members of the program receive a range of benefits and can enjoy a fully immersive golfing experience at Eastern. Weekly clinics and practice sessions provide a warm and welcoming environment for everyone; where participants include those totally new to the sport, some who are returning after some time away, and others simply looking for an edge.

“I think a lot of the time, there can be an intimidation factor when women are looking to get in to golf,” Barradell explains. “Essentially, we are trying to remove that.”

The clinics themselves cover every aspect of the game, to ensure that participants are able to enjoy getting out and playing, without having to face the stress of competition golf.

For Barradell, that has been a rewarding experience, too.

“We have a structure that we follow; working through chipping, putting and full swing,” he explains. “It has been something new and of course it has its challenges, but it’s just so rewarding.”

The program is also acting as a catalyst to get an increased number of women onto the course. With the benefit of having 27 holes at The Eastern Golf Club, including the Shark Waters Par 3 course, Barradell is seeing more women on the fairways than ever before.

“Our women’s fields have doubled since the start of the program,” he says.

Even after the final putt is holed, members of the Women’s Get Into Golf program are able to enjoy an all-encompassing experience at The Eastern Golf Club.

“We are running special monthly events as well,” Barradell explains. “From equipment fittings, to rules seminars and even fashion shows, we are keen to make sure we get the girls together as much as possible.”

An outstanding initiative, the Women’s Get Into Golf membership program is setting the standard for increased female engagement. Opening the door for greater participation in the game, Barradell and the team at Eastern are helping more and more people embark on their own golfing journey.

“It’s all about having more people at the golf club,” he says. “That’s a good thing for everyone.”

A PGA Professional since 1995, Barradell considers the Women’s Get Into Golf initiative as something of a watershed moment.

“The take up has just been great,” he says. “It really has to be one of the biggest success stories I have ever seen.” 

What have you learnt about the game recently that sticks out for you?

“Just how underestimated the social side of the game is. The connections that players make while on the course is vital to growing memberships and facilities should do what they can to encourage social events in conjunction with the game.”

Having been involved in the game for a long time, what is your most memorable golfing experience?

“Mixing with PGA Touring Professionals Gavin Coles and Peter O’Malley as a junior in Bathurst was a very exciting experience and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them do what they do on the course and it is something that I will remember for a long time.

Other than that, I really value spending time with family and friends on the golf course away from business. It is a great chance just to enjoy our surroundings together; that’s the best thing about golf. It’s not just the game we play, it is who you play with and share that time with that makes it the best game ever.”

You have a wide-ranging job as a PGA Professional, what’s your favourite part of your job?

“I love getting out of the Pro Shop and teaching people to play the game of golf. The thrill I get from teaching when I see a student hit a shot that they thought they weren’t capable of hitting is fantastic.”

What barriers do you think we still need to break down to get more Australians playing more golf, more often?

“I believe course access is certainly a barrier; clubs are leaning heavily towards membership and competition play as opposed to social play. I think it’s important that we open up social play as much as possible.

I also believe that we need to do all we can to get more women playing the game. For a long time we have known that encouraging female participation is one of the best ways to grow the game of golf, so we need to do everything we can to get more women and girls out on the fairways as soon as possible.”

What is one piece of advice you would offer to a new PGA Professional?

“I would advise a new PGA Professional to keep learning and developing their knowledge around the game of golf. There is so much information available to us and we are only just scratching the surface of what we know, even long after we become a PGA Professional.”

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Now part of the innovative GolfBox Academy, working across Joondalup and Osborne Park locations, Glenn takes great pride in being a PGA Professional.

“For me, it is pretty much everything,” he says. “Having the opportunity to give back – not just to our Membership but to golfers in general is something I’m pretty proud of.”

The GolfBox Academy – the coaching and club-fitting arm of the Western Australia-based golf superstore, GolfBox – gives Glenn the chance to work alongside fellow PGA Professionals Gavin Reed and Ben Percival, to give golfers an all-encompassing golfing experience.

“It’s more than just retail,” he explains. “We give customers the chance to get information on their equipment from a PGA Professional at the same time as they get advice on their game.”

One of the significant employers of PGA Professionals in Western Australia, Glenn views the GolfBox Academy as something of a one-stop-shop for golfers.

“We strive to give the customer a great fitting and coaching experience, as well as a great retail experience,” he says. “So, we’ve got both ends of the stick covered.”

Glenn and his team are committed to providing an engaging and cutting-edge environment for all golfers when they walk through the doors at the GolfBox Academy. Employing a range of coaching tools and keenly embracing technology, golfers are given an immersive experience under the watchful eye of PGA Professionals.

At Joondalup, golfers hit into a large, curved simulator screen, but the real innovation begins once the ball has been struck.

“We use GC Quad and Foresight technology,” Glenn explains. “Together, they form a great tool from a data point of view to understand what the golf ball is doing.”

Combined with force plates that inform how each golfer is moving, Glenn and the team at the GolfBox Academy are able to gain an in-depth understanding of each player.

“With all of our technology, we are able to fast-track everyone’s improvement.”

Although he now thrives in the new environment, Glenn, like many golfers, understands there can be an adjustment period to moving away from the golf course.

“The transition can be a big one,” he says. “But from a game development perspective, to go into an environment where it’s neutral – there’s no distractions – has been fantastic.”

“We are able to have a look at exactly what the golf swing is doing without worrying about a range of external factors,” he explains. “From there, the instructional process becomes a lot more simplified for the students and for us.”

To that end, Glenn is finding that working at a facility like the GolfBox Academy allows him and fellow PGA Professionals the chance to expand the horizons of golfers, breaking the mould of how golf has been played in the past.

Where traditionally, golfers might not have thought it possible to teach feel, beyond hitting thousands of balls and grooving a swing, Glenn is quick to challenge that thinking.

“I am a big believer that with data and technology, you can actually teach feel because of that constant feedback loop,” he says.  

More broadly, through his role at the GolfBox Academy, Glenn recognises and cherishes the responsibility of helping ever golfer he meets – and understands that this extends beyond the golf swing.

“Everybody wants to shoot a better score, but I find just as much joy in working with people who play the game for reasons other than being good golfers,” he explains.

“The game is invaluable for people’s mental and physical heath and helping people to recognise that excites me every day.”

More than six years on, Hook’s dedicated service to the club and its membership remains front of mind, taking great pride in servicing the club’s burgeoning membership base.

Positioned in a thriving quarter of Port Stephens, Hook is focussed on growing golf at Pacific Dunes; running group golf programs, clinics for women and juniors, as well as corporate days to make the game more accessible to more players than ever before.

“I’ve got a responsibility to the membership,” he explains. “That’s everything from offering a well-stocked pro shop, growing participation for everyone and offering the best advice and service I can.”

While Hook’s focus might have shifted, his prodigious skill on course remains – something that has been highlighted by his recent strong performances.

Hook claimed a two-shot victory in the PGA Professionals Championship Final at Links Hope Island and followed it up the next week with a strong showing at the Australian PGA Championship where he made the cut and finished tied for 31st.

“I was never someone who needed to play all the time to be in decent form,” Hook explains.

“I knew I could still play and work, I just came to recognise I couldn’t dedicate my focus to playing full-time.”

Hook is once again looking forward to putting his best foot forward on the course as he represents his club, country and broader PGA Membership at the Four Nations Cup in South Africa from September 2.

It is a selection that continues a proud string of representative honours for Hook who has represented his state and district in the past, the opportunity to play in Australian colours a feat that is understandably a great source of pride.

“I started out wanting to be a professional golfer, but I never really thought I would get the chance to represent my country,” he says. “I really am very honoured.”

That sense of pride and genuine excitement is one that has been echoed by the membership at Pacific Dunes, indicative of the strong bond that Hook has been able to form in his role as Head Professional.

“My results and golfing journey have always been well received by the members,” says Hook. “That’s everything from a Wednesday competition, right through to the PGA Professionals Championship.

“It’s really nice. They support it all and definitely enjoy celebrating success with me.”

While that support will extend when he tees it up for Australia, Hook remains cautious of one thing.

“I consider a lot of the members to be my close friends which is great – but it does mean that they’re more than willing to let me know if they don’t think my performance is up to scratch!”

Regardless, Hook is confident that he and the team can put in a strong showing in South Africa where they will face off against PGA Professionals from South Africa, Canada and New Zealand.

“I know we are all looking forward to it and I’m sure once we get over there and see the Australian flags the competitive spirit will kick in,” he adds.

“I’m sure it will be a great week.”

Australia’s Four Nations Cup representatives were drawn from the top four finishers at the PGA Professionals Championship Final at Links Hope Island. This year’s PPC Final will be held at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in Melbourne from October 10-11.

The youngest member of the team of four PGA Professionals, King continues to chase his dreams as a professional golfer while balancing his full-time work commitments at Queensland’s Mount Coolum Golf Club.

It is a delicate balance but one which may pay off handsomely when the matches against New Zealand, Canada and South Africa take place at Kyalami Country Club in Johannesburg.

King completed the PGA of Australia Membership Pathway Program in early 2021 and now works under Stephen Jenkins as the Assistant Professional at Mount Coolum.

Harbouring a strong desire to play on tour, King manages his schedule so that he can play regularly with the Mount Coolum members, the practice of throwing balls on the tee to determine partners fortifying a skill he may call upon in South Africa.

“I work split shifts during the week so I can play competitions with the members on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” explained King, who finished second at the PGA Professionals Championship at Hope Island in January to qualify for the Australian team.

“There’s a bit of pressure when you’re the pro and you’ve got to hole a putt for someone else,”

“To be fair, I guess that’s pretty much what we’ll be doing in South Africa in a couple of weeks!”

A profound level of dedication – both to his game and the club – has always come naturally to King.

“Balancing my work with my ultimate playing ambitions is something I’ve always done ever since I’ve been in the shop,” he says. “It’s certainly something I’m used to.”

It’s paying off, too. For King, who earned five starts on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia last year, the big-time tournament exposure has been invaluable and is a significant driver in his continued development as a player.

“It’s all about getting a level of comfort in those big events,” says King. “The big one for me last year was getting a start in the Australian PGA – I learnt so much, about myself and from what all the others were doing.”

A career-best finish T16 at the Northern Territory PGA Championship also a highlight, King is enjoying the process of learning and growing as an individual.

While his priorities haven’t shifted – he still wants to be the best golfer he possibly can – King is aware that his personal development can only lead to stronger performances on the course.

“I’m finding out a lot about myself,” he says. “Everything from travelling a lot more, playing events, having to be more independent. They’re simple things but it’s made me grow a lot.

“I’m learning to be more comfortable and confident around all sorts of people.”

Growth that will surely hold him in good stead in South Africa next month when he tees it up alongside Jamie Hook, Matthew Guyatt and Murray Lott, King can’t wait to represent his country on the world stage.

“Representing Australia is something I always wanted to do as a kid. To be able to do that in golf really is an honour.”

King and the rest of the Australian team depart on August 30, before the Four Nations Cup gets underway on September 2.

Head PGA Professional at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club since 1997, Richard Hatt could be excused for shirking the responsibility of cleaning the club’s fleet of golf carts. Instead, he remains as dedicated to every aspect of his wide-ranging role as he was the day he started.

“I want to be hands on,” he says. “I’m always keen to be involved with the club – every part of it. Otherwise, it’s time to go.”

Over the course of nearly 30 years, Hatt has become an integral part of The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. His passion and dedicated service acknowledged in a recent release to members, as the club announced his contract extension.

The quality that makes him an invaluable asset to Australia’s Sandbelt gem, Hatt’s unwavering passion has underpinned everything he has done since taking on a role at Royal Melbourne – and even long before – as he went about forging a career in golf.

“Growing up, I would eat a golf ball,” he recalls. “Mum would drop me off (at Peninsula Country Golf Club) and I would go round and round and round. I’m obsessive by nature and I instantly got hooked on it.”

His love for the game blossoming at that early stage, Hatt worked alongside the Head Professional at Peninsula, David Good. There, he got his first taste of working in golf; helping with repairs, running members’ competitions and lending a hand in the shop.

Inspired to take a role as a Trainee (now PGA Associate) Professional once he finished school, Hatt worked closely alongside Good for two years at Peninsula.

“I went to him, worked for him and he was a great mentor. He taught me golf, I played non-stop and he helped me fall in love with the game.”

Gradually making a name for himself, Hatt was sought out by Royal Melbourne legend and long-time Head Professional, Bruce Green, in 1993. The beginning of a long and flowering relationship – and another invaluable mentorship – it all happened in the space of one conversation.

“He said, ‘I’d like to offer you a job,’ and I thought Fantastic,” Hatt recalls.

“I asked, ‘When do you want me to start?’ and he said ‘Tomorrow!’”

The next day, Hatt set his clubs down on the practice fairway and gave his first lesson at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

“I started doing lots of coaching – like a lot. My biggest day, I did 18 lessons in one day.”

With a fastidious attention to detail and imbued with a desire to help every golfer improve, Hatt Began collating lesson notes. Documenting every student’s development, Hatt – who still coaches most mornings – has amassed quite a collection.

“I’ve kept every lesson book since 1993. My wife thinks I’m crazy, but one day I’d love to sit down and work out how many lessons I’ve actually done.”

***

By 1997, Hatt was made co-professional alongside Bruce Green, a partnership they shared up until Green’s retirement in 2018.

Immediately, he was put to the test on the world stage as he helped to co-ordinate the hosting of the 1998 Presidents Cup.

“We were negotiating merchandising rights with the PGA TOUR and all of those sorts of things,” he recalls.

From there, it was a continual process of learning, development and expansion of his skill set, as Hatt – under Green’s watchful eye – came into his own as a Head Professional.

“Bruce taught me how to engage with the members,” he says. “I learned a lot from his guidance.”

It is the strength of this relationship with the club’s membership – along with his perception of his own role – that has been the foundation of Hatt’s success at Royal Melbourne.

“We’ve got around 2,300 managers here. They’re the members,” he explains. “We are here for them and they’ve got the say.”

In an era when most golf clubs are transitioning to managing their own golf service and retail, Royal Melbourne has maintained a club and contract arrangement with Hatt; one that continues to inspire him and his team in the pro shop to strive for excellence.

“We live and breathe it,” Hatt said. “At the end of the day, it’s my staff, my shop and how good or bad I go is up to me.”

“One of my great strengths is that never do I come in and not want to do something different,” Hatt says. “Every single day.”

“I’m thinking up harebrained ideas all the time – what can we do to entertain these members and look after them? I’m always looking to make it interesting for them, I’m driven that way.”

For Hatt, this process lasts long after each member walks off the 18^th green.

From putting his staff through a merchandising course, to hand-wrapping Christmas gifts for members and even developing a manual for how the Pro Shop should be arranged at all times, he understands that little things amount to a premium experience for everyone at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

“It’s that engagement and making it exciting for members to come to the club. We respect where we are and are trying to be the best at everything we do.”

His unwavering drive was highlighted throughout the COVID lockdown period. Hatt was prepared to reinvent himself and his business, dedicated to providing the best-possible service, as well as ensuring the safety of his staff.

Immediately taking action once the doors were closed, Hatt thought outside the square. He and his management team created an online store for members, ran quizzes that engaged up to 400 people at a time, sent out newsletters and provided online coaching and playing tips to engage the community while the fairways were vacant.

“It was a disaster, but we made it an asset for us,” he said. “We did a lot of things that we normally wouldn’t do and it gave us a good kick-starter.”

The value he places on his people shone through, too – as Hatt managed to retain every member of his staff.

“I never lost one staff member through the whole time. My goal was to keep them all.”

“The easiest option might have been to let them all go and save the money, but I couldn’t let them down.”

His tireless flexibility is on show once again as the club embarks on an extensive project to install an underground car park and revamped storage area under the existing practice fairway.

Although the practice facilities have been largely closed since November last year, Hatt has implemented a range of solutions.

“It’s the same principle. We’ve had to innovate.”

Increased bunker clinics and golf schools, as well as a transition to a new member-integration system have typified the adaptability, but Hatt is most excited about the changes being made inside the pro shop and launching a new experience for the members.

“It’s going to be brand new for the members. We always want to make it exciting for them to come to the club.”

***

For a man who wears a number of caps every day to help enhance the experience of every golfer he meets, the one he wears the least is actually playing golf.

“I don’t play as much as I did in the past,” he says. “There’s always something else busy that’s happening.”

Not that it particularly bothers him; Hatt gets great joy from immersing himself in golf in other ways.

“I still feel like I’m playing golf when I’m talking golf, thinking golf and living it,” he says. “I still absolutely love the game, even after all this time.”

That love, combined with a genuine sense of care has ensured his longevity at Royal Melbourne – something that Hatt is grateful for every day.

“It’s a passion. It started as a passion and became a job,” he says.

“I never really see it as a job though. I never have.”