The youngest member of Australia’s five-person team, Stubbs is fearlessly chasing her dreams of becoming the world’s best female golf coach, harnessing lessons learned playing professionally to help her both as a player and a coach.

After turning professional in 2015, Stubbs took the chance to play overseas in both Europe and China, a grounding she believes will make her an effective coach.

“I kept pursuing that dream of playing professionally,” she recalls. “I loved it. I’ve always loved competing.

“Travelling as a professional during that time of my life was an incredible experience and I think it really rounds you as a person.

“It’s certainly made me the person and the coach that I am today.”

Now Stubbs, who became a full PGA Member at the start of this year, works as the Teaching Professional at Castle Hill Country Club where she is taking her coaching to the next level.

Determined to help as many golfers as possible, she has expanded her instruction to both in-person and online offerings, embracing technology and the power of social media to make golf instruction more accessible than ever before.

“I’ve always said that I want to help the whole world and I’m conscious of ensuring that I can reach as many people as possible,” she explains. “Only doing that in-person reduces the amount of people you can help.”

Stubbs emphasises that time spent in COVID lockdown- as well as when courses in New South Wales were closed due to floods – inspired her to take her coaching online as well. Now, she offers tuition through online platform Skillest in addition to her coaching at Castle Hill.  

Tailoring a range of programs to the individual’s needs, her online offerings range from one-off swing analysis, right through to 24/7 swing support and communication.

“It’s more feasible for the player and for the coach,” says Stubbs, who had three top-five finishes on the WPGA Tour Australasia.

“It means that the player knows they are practising the right things and, in a sense, keeps them accountable as well.

“Where there can be a lag time between lessons in-person, I am able to provide instant feedback for everyone online.”

In addition to those who sign up to her online programs, Stubbs also maintains a strong social media presence, sharing tips and insights for everyone, particularly via her Instagram account.

“I think social media is extremely powerful when used correctly,” says Stubbs. “We do need to be cautious, though, when people just start trawling for answers to their swing.

“There’s no doubt that creating quality content for social media is time consuming, but it is certainly rewarding in the long run.”

Regardless of whether a student shows up on the range or on screen, a lesson with Stubbs is built on the same fundamentals as she tries to understand their goals and then simplify technical advice as much as possible.

“I try to make a distinction between whether someone is chasing a quick fix or whether they are looking to make longer term progress,” she says. “Then it’s about communicating the information in a manner the student can understand. I’m very hands on.

“You learn to explain things differently to different people. We are always learning as PGA Professionals and it’s important we continue that process.”

For all of the time and dedication she gives to help other golfers on their journey, Stubbs is particularly excited to have the chance to focus on her own game and represent Australia next month.

“I’ve always wanted to represent Australia,” she smiles. “I’m incredibly proud to do it and to have the flag on my arm is just super, super cool.

“I can’t answer it any other way.”

Stubbs will tee it up alongside Anne-Marie Knight, Nicole Martino, Katelyn Must and Angela Tatt at Twin Warriors Golf Club in New Mexico October 24-29. The field, comprised of teams from six world PGAs, will compete in a 54-hole strokeplay format, with each team’s lowest three scores counted after each round.

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.