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PGA Membership Pathway Program Associate Steffi Vogel is living her dream for a second straight year in the TPS Murray River event at Cobram Barooga Golf Club this week.
Vogel has been an Associate Professional for the past three years at the club she grew up playing golf at and having the chance to tee it up in the second leg of the mixed-gender Webex Players Series on her home course has her over the moon.
“It was like a dream come true having the event come here again,” Vogel said. “I’ve always practised and thought ‘imagine there being a professional tournament here’ so to be able to have it is unreal. The rest of the club is buzzing too.”
The 24-year-old started swinging a club at a young age courtesy of her father Terry who was an elite amateur golfer and is now superintendent at Cobram Barooga after being a greenskeeper at the club where he is a 20-time club champion for more than 30 years.
“Born and bred here. Been here my whole life,” Vogel said.
“Started playing here years ago. I’ve probably had a handicap since I was ten and played a bit before that as well.
“Dad used to play in the high-level amateur events like the Interstate Series and we used to come out with Dad while he was practising. I used to fiddle around while he was hitting balls.
“My sister and I would slide down the face of the bunkers and all sorts of stuff. I eventually picked a club up and started doing juniors clinics and went from there.”
As she rose through the junior and amateur ranks, Vogel followed in her father’s footsteps by playing in the Interstate Series for Victoria in 2018 and 2019, and not long after she took the professional plunge.
She enrolled in the PGA Membership Pathway Program to gain varied and valuable training within golf and took to her studies like a duck to water.
Vogel’s week consists of practice on Monday and Tuesday, then anywhere from eight to 12 hours per day for the remainder of the week in the pro shop conducting lessons, coaching junior clinics and heading out for more practice on a Sunday afternoon.
At the 2021 Victorian PGA Associate Graduation & Awards Dinner, she won the Leading Victorian/Tasmanian Academic Award and the 2020 Victorian PGA Trainee of the Year award.
Now, she is eager to add some a strong showing on the course to her impressive resume.
“This week I just want to do better than last year. I didn’t make the cut,” Vogel said.
“So, I really, really want to make the cut and play all four days. That’s the ultimate goal.”
Last season Vogel played each of the four Webex Players Series event as well as the Vic Open, and she has confirmed that same schedule again for this WPGA Tour of Australasia season plus the Women’s NSW Open and the Australian Ladies Classic.
She missed the cut at last week’s TPS Victoria but feels as if she is has already made significant strides forward.
“It’s been a great experience for me. I struggled a little bit last year. I didn’t really know what to expect. This year I feel a bit more comfortable,” Vogel said.
It is no surprise that this week’s familiar surrounds are helping her to feel more settled, but despite knowing Cobram Barooga’s Old Course like the back of her hand, Vogel is keeping her tactics very simple.
“I’m lucky that I’m quite accurate off the tee because the rough is quite thick out there at the moment,” she said. “The person who wins this week is going to have to hit it straight off the tee. Keeping it on the fairway is my game plan.”
Whatever numbers go on her scorecard, playing golf at home has always been about family and friends for the Vogels and the coming days will be no different.
“The members, my friends and family have always been really supportive of me so it’s going to be great to see some of them out there watching me,” Vogel said.
Australia’s largest and most successful teams’ golf event is back – the 31st season of The Scramble officially getting underway from tomorrow.
The Scramble, which will see approximately 300 events held nationwide from February 1 – October 1, gives amateur golfers the chance to play together in a friendly and fun format, with both a mixed and women’s only section available.
Competing for places at a Regional Final and ultimately the Championship Final, all “Scramblers” at local events around the country are feverishly putting together their teams and strategies in preparation for their first tee shot.
Event Manager for the PGA of Australia, Louise Meagher is thrilled to see The Scramble back for another year.
“The Scramble is an iconic event on the Australian golfing landscape,” she said. “It has paved the way for golf participation across the nation for 30 years now and we are very proud of that.
“It is a unique event, with a fun and inclusive nature and we are looking forward to running it again in 2023.”
Although the official window opens on February 1, with 100 events already locked in, some couldn’t wait, as Brighton Lakes Golf Club kicked off the season last week with a capacity field of 160 entrants.
Head Professional Kurt Stegbauer was excited to see The Scramble return in 2023.
“Our members love The Scramble,” he smiled. “Golf is all about growing communities and events like this give our members and their guests the chance to do that.”
Brighton Lakes has a strong affiliation with The Scramble and a good track record of success, too, having made the Championship Final in two of the last three years.
A record that the club will be looking to uphold, the early signs are positive, as the winning team of Josh and Brock Speechley, Paul Byrne and John Harker recorded an impressive score of 50.87.
Remarkably however, the real highlight of the day came on the par-3 eighth hole, when Brett Sharp – who won his way through to the 2020 Championship Final – made a hole-in-one to catapult his team into eighth position on the leader board.
Meanwhile, at Pacific Dunes Golf Club in New South Wales, Head Professional Jamie Hook welcomed a strong field of 148 to their 2023 Scramble over the weekend.
“I really enjoy being part of The Scramble, such a long-standing event,” Hook said. “It’s a great way to connect with the PGA brand and to provide club members the opportunity to connect with PGA Professionals.”
Pacific Dunes has been running a Scramble for a decade now and Hook has been responsible for managing it at the club for the last seven years.
“I know the members always look forward to the event and it is always well supported by visitors and guests as well.
“We really want to ensure a great day for all involved.”
For more information on The Scramble, how to get involved or to register an event, click HERE
The PGA Golf Learning Hub opened its doors for 2023 on Monday, as Term 1 commenced for on-campus and online students.
Students completing courses with the PGA Institute, the PGA’s Registered Training Organisation, as well as those enrolled in various PGA Academy programs, hit the books – and the golf course – in a bumper first day for the New Year.
“It’s wonderful to be back for 2023, welcoming students both here on campus and online,” said the PGA Institute RTO Manager, Suzanne Burns.
“We know that our sport is booming at the moment, so to see students of varying ages embracing their passion for the game and looking to turn it into a career is a very special thing.”
New on-campus Institute students enrolled in the Diploma of Golf Management, met their returning classmates and received their official Learning Hub golf bag and apparel, before an afternoon of classes.
Bronte Kirkman, who currently works at Cheltenham Golf Club in Melbourne, is looking forward to expanding her understanding and fully immersing herself in the industry, as she begins her time with the PGA Institute.
“I just love golf,” she smiled. “I already work at Cheltenham, so this is a great chance for me to learn everything there is about club management and other aspects of the sport.
“I also really want to improve my golf game, so to have the chance to do that as well is really exciting for me.”
Nick Bielawski, Coaching Programs Manager for the PGA of Australia was also pleased to meet a new cohort of golfers on Monday at the PGA Academy. Both the Golf Performance Program and the Golf Development Program welcomed students; keen to immerse themselves in a true golfing experience to help take their game to the next level.
“The programs we offer are designed to help golfers take the next step in their golfing development,” Bielawski explained. “All of our students have the drive to improve and we are looking forward to going on that journey with them.”
For Brock Caldwell, the PGA Performance Program was enough of a lure to move across the country from Western Australia. A member at Seaview Golf Club in Cottesloe, he has made the move to lower his handicap and improve all aspects of his golf game.
“I want to get to a level where I can eventually look to start playing professionally,” he said. “I’m looking forward to having a training plan with real consistency and driving my passion to improve.”
Bielawski is also excited that the 2023 cohort of PGA Academy students will have access to the new TrackMan Performance Zone at the Golf Learning Hub. Including four state-of-the-art simulators, the facility will help fast-track game improvement for everyone.
“Getting our students using our brand new TrackMan simulators means that we can use data and real-time insights to aid game improvement,” he said. “We are really proud of the facility and it’s a big step forward for the PGA Academy offering.”
For more information on the various PGA education programs, click HERE
Popular local star James Marchesani kept his head and shot a second-round 65 to move into the outright lead at the TPS Victoria event at his home club Rosebud Country Club today.
Tied in the lead through round one at 8-under, the 32-year-old multiple club champion at this layout rattled home the back nine in 32 to get out in front on his own, admitting that sleeping in his own bed at home in Rosebud and having his family around him has agreed with him.
“It’s been fun, and the golf’s been good, which is another bonus,” said Marchesani, a six-year PGA Professional who has had a tough past 12 months, missing out on playing rights in Asia and Europe.
Marchesani leads by a shot from Queenslander Jake McLeod (66 today), who got hot on the back nine as well shooting 7-under.
But it is a packed leaderboard, with New South Welshman Jordan Zunic, Victorian teaching professional Grace Lennon and Melbourne pro David Micheluzzi at 10-under, just four from the lead.
The legendary Karrie Webb remains in contention in a group at 9-under overall after a 68 today in beautiful conditions, notwithstanding the annoyance of a three-putt at the last hole.
The scoring was not quite so low, although Sydney’s John Lyras made three separate runs of three consecutive birdies in his 62, the day’s low round.
Marchesani made eight birdies mixed with two bogeys on the day, pulling along with him the biggest gallery of anyone in the field owing to the presence of many friends and Rosebud members.
He had a putt from inside 10 feet for birdie at the last and a 64 to go with his opening 63, but it slid by the hole.
Afterwards, the Victorian conceded that thoughts of winning a tournament at home – it would be his first tier-one victory on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia – would surely enter his mind.
“I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t. But yes, try and treat it like any other day out here. I’m feeling very relaxed in front of family and friends which I think’s been a big help, and it’s good to see a lot of the members coming out and supporting me too. I’m expecting a good crowd tomorrow, I reckon.”
His closest pursuer is the 28-year-old McLeod, who said he’d been in “no man’s land” on the front nine before his putter kicked into gear on the back side. Five birdies and a second, straight eagle at the par-5 16th hole put him into the final group for Saturday. “I got back to some of those feels I was working on yesterday and I just putted well on the back side,” he said. “Pretty much holed everything.”
Melburnian Lennon’s appearance near the top of the leaderboard has been another highlight this week.
A contemporary of LPGA Tour players Minjee Lee, Su Oh and Hannah Green, she struggled as a touring professional and opted to teach. Ironically, it was some of her own advice to amateurs that she followed over the past two days.
“It’s been obviously a little while since I’ve played some big tournaments, but it’s great, I’m enjoying it, I’m trying to take a lot of my own information I pass on to my students. I’m trying to keep things simple out on the course, not overthink this which is one of the principles that I try to teach my students.”
The 31-year-old Lennon is comfortable holding her day job, although on the evidence of the past two days she might have to reconsider. “I love playing golf, but I also love the stability of working at the driving range and stuff like that,” she said. “If I keep shooting 66s I might have some decisions to make!”
Among those to miss the halfway cut re tournament host Geoff Ogilvy (70-71), defending champion Todd Sinnott (73-69) and Queensland star Anthony Quayle (70-72).
Sixteen elite juniors will join the field for their own 36-hole event from Saturday, with one player joining two open-age players in each of the last 16 groups as part of the tournament’s commitment to put golfers of all genres together in the same space.
Australian golf icons Alex Mercer and Bob Shearer have been honoured for their service to golf after receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Australia Day 2023 Honours List.
Long-time golf administrator Annette Court has also been recognised for significant service to golf administration and the community by being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
One of the most revered figures within Australian golf for his work with tour players such as Steve Elkington, Jan Stephenson, Peter O’Malley and Michael Campbell, few have influenced the game more than Alex Mercer.
Mercer was the PGA Professional at Royal Sydney Golf Club for 35 years and is one of just three PGA Members recognised as ‘Immortals’ alongside Peter Thomson and Charlie Earp.
While he was an accomplished player, he made a lasting impact through his teaching, gentle nature and innate understanding of the golf swing, providing an entry point for thousands of Aussie golfers.
A PGA of Australia Life Member, the late Robert (Bob) Shearer sadly passed away at age 73 in January 2022, with the golfing community mourning and remembering him as one of Australia’s most decorated professionals.
In a playing career that stretched across four decades, Shearer amassed 27 professional wins including the 1983 Australian PGA Championship at Royal Melbourne Golf Club and the 1982 Australian Open at The Australian Golf Club in Sydney.
PGA of Australia Chair, Rodger Davis, said it was special to have two golfing greats acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to the game
“Bob and Alex are both legends of golf in Australia, and we’re incredibly proud to see them recognised and awarded the Medal of Order of Australia,” Davis said.
“It’s just over a year since we lost Bob, and while we would love to be celebrating this moment with him, I know Kathie and their two sons Brett and Bobby will be as grateful and proud as Bob would be.
“Bob was one of the best golfers Australia has produced, and Alex is one of the best coaches and teachers having guided players such as Steve Elkington and Peter O’Malley to the very top of the game, while always maintaining a passion for helping young amateur players.
“He was made an Immortal of the PGA back in 2017 and it is wonderful to see his contribution to the game honoured in such a way.”
PGA of Australia CEO, Gavin Kirkman, said that Mercer and Shearer’s recognition was indicative of the role that PGA Professionals play in the promotion and success of golf.
“The late Bob Shearer and Alex Mercer are icons of golf in Australia and have played a major role in influencing and inspiring thousands of Australians to play the game,” Kirkman said.
“Alex is without question one of the most accomplished and respected figures in the history of the PGA of Australia, and the tributes paid to Bob when he passed show what a monumental figure he was. We could not be prouder to see two of our members awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM),” he said.
Court, a member of Barwon Heads Golf Club and Royal Melbourne Golf Club, was honoured for service to golf administration.
She was President and an executive member of Women’s Golf Victoria and vice-president of Women’s Golf Australia for many years, refereed for more than 30 years, and is the current patron of the Golf Society of Australia as well as a life member of that organisation.
Golf Australia Chair Andrew Newbold paid tribute to the trio of award recipients. “These are three great servants of our game in different ways,” said Newbold. “Alex Mercer with the incredible legacy he has left for golf, the late Bob Shearer for his playing record and his remarkable love for the game, and Annette Court for her selfless work at club, state and national level administration over many years. Golf Australia is forever grateful for their tireless and inspirational efforts to make the game better.”
Golf Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland said: “Congratulations to all three recipients of these awards who’ve made their families very proud. Bob, Alex and Anne have given a lot to the sport of golf and they thoroughly deserve to be acknowledged in this way.”
“Oh, it would be well into the thousands.”
Jamie McCallum can’t help but laugh when asked to consider just how many junior golfers he might have worked with during his time as a PGA Professional. Even a ballpark figure doesn’t bear thinking about for the 2021 PGA National Coach of the Year – Game Development, who delivers a range of programs to budding youngsters every day at the thriving Albert Park Driving Range.
“Between school holiday clinics, school groups and our own MyGolf program, yeah, it’s a lot,” he laughs.
A former Australian Tour player himself, McCallum understands that fostering a love of the game relies on having strong role models to show the way, something he was lucky enough to enjoy when he came to the game as a 12-year-old.
“I got lessons from a PGA Professional at that time from Ian Donnelly at Keilor Golf Club,” recalls McCallum. “He instilled all the basic fundamentals in me from the start; things like my grip and stance.
“From there, I just became addicted. I started to love the game and would play whenever I could.”
Although the notion of getting hooked on the game in such a way is not uncommon, McCallum appreciates that he was very fortunate to have received the level of care and attention that he did from Donnelly. So, once he became a PGA Professional himself, McCallum sought to offer the same experience to every young golfer he came across.
“I’ve taken his lessons into my own coaching,” he explains. “A lot of the way he went about it with me as a junior has shaped my philosophy today.”
Beyond the stance, grip and swing, McCallum believes that when it comes to junior coaching, PGA Professionals have a broader responsibility to tee up youngsters for success, whatever that looks like for them.
He remains a firm believer that golf is a game that should be enjoyed for life, and that a positive introduction to the sport goes a long way to ensuring people have the desire – and the basic skills – to pick up a golf club whenever they may want to later in life.
“All I want to do is introduce them to the greatest game there is,” McCallum smiles. “I stress to every kid that you can play this game for life; with family, friends, at university and even work. You can have a good skill for life and I just love the whole picture of that.”
Not in the game to produce a production line of Tour professionals, though he is quick to point out that if any junior does have the desire to follow a high-performance pathway, he would be keen to support their journey, McCallum’s philosophy to his work is delightfully simple.
“I just want to make sure they all have the most enjoyable experience possible.”
To make that happen, McCallum employs a wide range of techniques to engage kids of varying ages, abilities and even interest levels. A combination of mini games, competitions, slightly more specific drills and even the odd prank has kept them coming back over more than a decade.
“Sometimes I mix in one of those exploding balls on the tee,” he laughs. “That’s the sort of thing that sticks in the minds of kids and you can see their faces light up with excitement.”
It’s that pure joy on the faces of the next generation that lights up McCallum, too. From helping a junior clinic group get a photo with Usain Bolt, to running a MyGolf promotion in partnership with triple-Premiership player, Tom Hawkins, McCallum is always keen to create lasting memories at the golf course.
“They remember these things, and it makes it enjoyable for them.”
He also knows that coaching juniors isn’t for everyone, but considers it one of the great privileges of being a PGA Professional that gets to play such an integral role in the development of young people.
An honourable outlook, it is just part of his nature and happily it is golf that allows McCallum to express it every day.
“I love mentoring and working with young people,” he explains. “Not everyone is suited to it, but it works for me and my personality so I actually find it quite easy.”
A source of fulfilment as well, McCallum is happiest when he can see that juniors he has coached in the past, maintain their association with the game in one form or another. From those who pop back to the range and share a memory about a particular clinic, to those he has helped secure work in the industry, McCallum knows that as a PGA Professional, he has the chance to make a lasting impact.
“What we are doing is much more rounded than just golf.
“We are instilling life skills as well as golf skills.”
PGA Professionals are delivering junior clinics right around the country. MyGolf is Australia’s national junior coaching program; delivered under the guidance of a PGA Professional, it is the perfect way to get started in the game.
Aware that the secret would soon get out, Michael Sim set his alarm for 11.59pm so that he could register for the second tournament in the TrackMan-powered NEXT Golf Tour.
A former top-50 player in the world with four wins on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour in the US to his name, Sim uses the simulator bays at Burleigh Bunker on the Gold Coast primarily to dial in his iron and wedge distances and check club path and attack angle.
An e-mail from TrackMan’s Director of Sales in Australia and New Zealand, Brook Salmon, alerted Sim to the new 10-event virtual tour promising a minimum of $US100,000 prize money for each event.
He signed up for the opening tournament, shot five-under at the Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West and finished tied for 12th when the tournament closed on Monday, Sim expected to bank close to $1,000 for his efforts.
A four-time winner on the Nordic Golf League, Denmark’s Mathias Gladbjerg won Round 1 by one stroke with a score of eight-under 64, TrackMan CEO Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen personally delivering his cheque for $US17,477.
Sensing it would grow in popularity, Sim made sure not to miss out on Round 2 by setting a midnight wake-up call, all 250 spots snapped up within the first three hours.
“I knew how popular it was starting to get,” said Sim, a two-time winner on the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.
“I actually set an alarm clock for midnight to enter and by the time I got up at quarter to five in the morning it was sold out.”
Entry for each competitor is $US130, $100 of which is put straight into the prize pool.
Given demand, Round 2 was opened up to 500 competitors and the expectation is that by Round 3 there could be as many as 1,000 entrants playing virtual golf for very real money.
“If we get 1,000 players we’re really going to see some sizeable prize purses and the ability for someone to make $50,000 for a 45-minute round of virtual golf,” explains Salmon.
For Sim – and touring professionals just like him who have access to TrackMan technology – the possibilities offered by NEXT Golf Tour are endless.
“If you’ve got a week off and an event’s on, it costs you $200 and you might win $25,000; why wouldn’t you do it?” Sim asks.
“I’m going to play them all. The guys at Burleigh Bunker have been great and it’s a great facility down there.
“You’ll see way more Tour guys start to jump on. I’m not sure how big the fields are going to get but if the fields do get bigger, I’d like to see two or three rounds. Then you’ll start to see the better players win or certainly up the top of the leaderboard.”
In addition to the overall strokeplay champion, each event offers cash prizes for aggregate closest to the pin, birdie streak, longest drives for men and women and greens in regulation.
Although hitting greens can bring its own reward, the fixed putting that is in play means that anything inside three metres is automatically counted as a one-putt, between 3.1m and 20m is an automatic two-putt and outside 20m is an automatic three-putt.
“There’s a little bit of strategy involved with that,” said Sim, who played his tournament round in 38 minutes, all of which is recorded and verified by TrackMan representatives.
“I was two-under and then I had two holes in a row where I was 3.6 and 4 metres away and they’re only pars.
“If I’d got those I would have been four-under after eight and that gets your mind thinking. You almost feel like it’s the last round, back-nine sort of thing.”
That a player of Sim’s calibre admitted to feeling nervous energy while playing a virtual tournament adds even greater legitimacy to what TrackMan has created with the NEXT Golf Tour.
“’Simmy’ is a pretty even-keel guy on the golf course but you could see there was that nervous energy, the nervous smirk,” said Salmon, who watched Sim complete Round 1.
“He air-mailed a green and by his own admission said it was because the heartbeat was racing a little bit because he was pushing to birdie three of the last five to equal the lead.
“There’s a guy that has played on the biggest Tour in the world yet he’s still getting a buzz out of virtual golf. It was cool to see.
“I’m sure our owners would be thrilled to see a person of that ilk have those feelings and emotions.”
There are more than 400 TrackMan units throughout Australia and 23 TrackMan-powered commercial simulator centres.
The NEXT Golf Tour is open to both professionals and amateurs but amateurs are limited to winning a maximum of $1,000 as stipulated by both the USGA and the R&A.
Entries for Round 3 – to be played on Medinah Country Club from February 1-12 open on January 19.
For more information visit nextgolftour.com.
In his fifteenth year as a PGA Professional, Luke Young remains passionate about developing his skillset, expanding his offering and learning as much as possible about the industry that has given him so much.
Currently completing the Advanced Diploma of Leadership and Management with the PGA Institute, Young is finding that hitting the books is helping him to thrive in his role as assistant General Manager/ Director of Golf at the Northern Golf Club.
“It has been beneficial in a practical sense, because the tasks that I’m doing for the assessment are things I am currently doing in my job anyway, Young detailed. “It’s making my outcome at work better, because you get some ideas from the modules you’re doing – It’s been a really good start.”
Having begun his PGA Associateship at Heidelberg in 2005, Young has worked right throughout the golf industry. In the golf shop and coaching on the range at first, he moved on to run his own business; operating coaching services out of Yarrambat in Melbourne’s North.
“I really enjoyed that process and wanted to develop my coaching during those years,” he recalled.
A desire for increased stability, however, led him to accepting the Director of Golf role at Eastwood Golf Club. A position he held for three years, Young came to enjoy the administration side of the game.
“Being behind the scenes and pulling the strings can be particularly rewarding when things come together and you see the outcome working,” he said. “I think PGA Professionals are best placed to do it (working in club management), with a range of experience you just have a better sense of what will work and what the membership is after.
“Grounding as a PGA Professional makes it much easier to put all these different hats on; from changing a keg, signing up a member, giving a ruling or helping behind the till, the days are always so diverse.”
A man in demand, Young returned to Heidelberg to run the golf shop on a contract basis for a further six years in 2014. The chance to balance a level of stability while still having the opportunity to coach, Young was also able to impart some of his knowledge onto the next generation of PGA Professionals.
“I had five Associates go through their Associateship under me during that time,” he said. “That was really rewarding and now to see them progress through the industry on their own journey is great.”
As the broader golf industry boomed in the wake of the pandemic, Young made the move to Northern, where he started out coaching and club-fitting, before the management and administration side of the game came calling once again.
“The club asked me to split my week with twenty hours of coaching and twenty hours of golf operations,” Young explained. “I was keen to dive into the operational side of things again and after six months, we had achieved a lot.”
Not one to overstate it, Young completely redesigned the website, completed an overhaul of the club’s marketing, oversaw a change to all online systems, as well as an updated point-of-sale.
“I was really enjoying it and getting an insight into how the club works,” he laughed.
From there, the team at Northern was more than willing to support Young’s progress, agreeing to fund his study with the PGA Institute; their preparedness to invest in his development accompanied by a promotion to his current role.
Young’s chance to bring together his range of experience and take Northern’s offering to the next level, he believes that the process of ongoing education is vital for PGA Professionals looking to keep up in a rapidly changing industry.
“The golf industry is changing so much at the moment,” he explained. “Operationally, it is moving so quickly with technology and the general attitude towards getting more and more people involved.
“I really think that the training that is available is the best way to understand how to communicate effectively with current and prospective golfers alike.”
A firm believer that the current trend is taking golf in the right direction, Young is keen to use his rapidly expanding skillset to be at the forefront.
“I would love to be a General Manager one day and to run a facility that is quite literally open to everyone,” he says. “From the steady weekly member, to someone who just wants to come for lunch and has no idea how to hit a golf ball, that level of inclusion and diversity of experience is where I want to head.”
A noble ambition, Young knows that he is giving himself every chance to achieve that dream.
“The whole industry is opening up, golf clubs are becoming facilities for everyone to enjoy and embracing education and training helps to make us better at driving that.”
For more information on the PGA Institute and the courses available to everybody, click HERE
Successful in business and with a passion for golf, SParms PGA Legends Tour Member Greg Rix has been able to combine the two, having formed an enduring relationship with the PGA of Australia that continues to bear fruit.
I’m probably a little bit different to most PGA Members. I went through Q-School to become a PGA Member and actually came to it quite late in life; 2013 is when I became a PGA Member, but I have supported the organisation going back to the 1990’s, so my involvement with the PGA is quite a long one.
I initially got involved taking over the sponsorship of the trainee (now PGA Associateship) championship in Queensland. I did this for a number of years to get it back on its feet and continue forward with the championship that the PGA had in place. So, it’s a longstanding connection, but my Membership is coming up to a decade.
I am a Member of the SParms PGA Legends Tour and now have a continuous membership, which means I have passed all the criteria to keep my membership which is not easy in itself; it is quite a challenge. I was a squash professional when I was younger, until persistent injuries forced me to retire. I realised when I was taking my surgeon to tournaments that my time was probably up and golf became a focal point for me. I missed the competitive side of things, and that’s why I went to Q-School to gain my Membership.
My PGA of Australia Membership means a great deal to me, it really is an achievement of which I’m very proud. It wasn’t easy, anyone who thinks it’s easy is kidding themselves, but now I hold it very close to my heart.
I’m also probably one of the largest sponsors of the Legends Tour; across multiple events and as the promoter and underwriter of the Gold Coast PGA Championship. When I became a Tour Member, it was never my intention to be just a playing Member. I wanted to continue my role to support the PGA – and the tour that I am fortunate to play on.
It is my love for the game that drives that. The game has been very important for me; I run quite a large business which has its tensions and problems and golf has always been my escape from my daily routine and a way to get away from work.
The business, Rix Developments, was started by my father Norm. He was able to build an empire; he created it all and he’s worked tirelessly. He still works today – at the age of 87 – and to be honest, I don’t think he’ll ever retire. It is because of the business that I have had the opportunity to support the PGA and other organisations as well. I am proud to say that working with my dad has made it all possible, and that I’ve been able to be a part of the business and to help grow it.
I’ve learned a lot through my time in business, but my credence is loyalty. I think loyalty covers a lot of bands, and people who are loyal to you deserve loyalty back. That means honesty and integrity, so there is no doubt that business has taught me to be responsible and loyal.
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When I joined the PGA and went to the first presentation dinner in 2013, I noticed there were no trophies handed out. There were lots of guys winning for the first time and the cash goes into their bank account and that’s the end of it. So, I started sponsoring the presentation dinner, and now all winners receive a trophy from any wins they’ve had in the previous season. It is heartening how many Members have come up to me and said how much it means to them. They may only win once, but they now have a piece of that win that they can keep on their shelf at home as a reminder of the achievement.
As a player, I travel with my wife Wendy, and we are going to places that we’ve never been to, or would never have gone to, if it weren’t for the Tour. I’ve been to Samoa, New Caledonia, the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria – it is taking me to places of the world and Australia that I had never been exposed to. It is a wonderful opportunity to see these places through tournament events. That is my fondest memory, and greatest asset from the whole experience.
I do want to spend more time at golf, but my business doesn’t always allow that. This year I played very few tournaments – maybe 20 – when the average is probably more like 30 or 40. My business gets in the road of my golf, it should be the other way around! We’ve just started another huge project with Rix Developments, so my golf is suffering. Peter Senior is a close personal friend of mine and he says it to me all the time; when he goes to the range, I go to the office, so therein lies the difference.
I am proud to say that Peter and I go way back. I remember one time in the early 90’s, when he shot the course record at Royal Pines – 62 – and I also shot the amateur record. It is one of the proudest achievements to see on the Royal Pines wall, Peter Senior’s Professional record, and my amateur record next to it. I think he is an asset to the world of golf, a decent human being and I think he is exactly what all Professional golfers should be, and also a very successful businessman. He is a fine example to all golfers young and old about what can be achieved.
Ultimately, I think golf and the PGA is in a very strong position in Australia. COVID helped golf at a time when you’d think it might have hurt it, and obviously the sport has boomed. I also think the PGA is doing the right thing getting Australian golf back on television.
I think golf is continuing to shine and it is important that we invest in things like the PGA Membership Pathway Program; it is the future of the game. I see it on the Tour all the time as well, there are so many children who want to play, we run clinics and they are always popular. There is just such a great appetite for golf.
For almost three decades, Ellesha Michie has been involved in golf in one way or another.
Having found her passion as a coach, she now takes great pride in helping All-Abilities players get into golf, driven to help everyone love the game.
After turning professional at the end of 2012, Michie played on the ALPG Tour in 2013. A life-long dream achieved, she took the bold step of opening her own business – EM Golf Coaching, as Michie realised that for her, fulfilment in golf lies in helping others.
“That’s when I really found my passion,” she recalls.
“Working with golfers of all ages and abilities to help them reach their potential.”
Having coached under her Membership with the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Association (now WPGA) for a number of years, Ellesha completed a transition program in 2021 to become a Full Member of the PGA of Australia. A source of great pride, it has also allowed her to advance her work in All-Abilities coaching.
“It’s a very proud feeling for me. To associate my name with the PGA badge has opened up a number of opportunities – in particular my All-Abilities coaching,” Michie adds.
Now the Head Teaching Professional at Gunabul Homestead Par 3 Golf Course, Michie is taking All-Abilities golf to the next level in the Gympie region just north of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Alongside Empower Golf and Wellness Australia Group, Michie provides free monthly clinics to NDIS clients, dedicated to making the game more accessible to more people than ever before.
“We just give them the chance to come along, have a hit and see if they like golf,” she explains of the clinics she offers.
“From there, if they like it, we move into regular one-on-one golf lessons.
“The whole idea is to get All-Abilities golfers more engaged, to get them to give it a go and have some fun.”
Determined to give her students the best possible instruction, Michie has worked hard to ensure that she can engage every golfer.
Having reached advanced status in every category of the PGA’s Accreditation and Continuing Education (ACE) Program , she also credits her time playing professionally for setting her up for success in coaching.
“I learned skills of patience and perseverance during that time,” she explains.
Skills required for any teacher, Michie now works with six NDIS clients for regular one-on-one coaching and enjoys tailoring her coaching to the individual.
“We regularly have conversations to understand what each individual player is capable of doing,” she says.
“I’ll have a chat to the parents and support workers as well. It’s my job to understand what each person can do.
“I’m a big advocate for working through it slowly. We’ll make one or two changes each time and if they don’t feel comfortable, we dial it back and work together.”
Regardless of the technicalities of the golf swing that each client might be working on, Michie’s boundless positivity extends to everyone.
“I’m a big wrap for giving lots of words of encouragement, big high-fives and even pretending there is a big crowd going crazy in support,” she laughs. “I love to help them have a good time on the golf course.”
With a simple measure of success, Michie finds contentment every time her clients leave a lesson with a smile on their face.
“It makes me happy to see them happy,” she says. “It really is as simple as that for me.”
“I just love being able – it doesn’t matter who the person is, or what disability they may have – to give them the opportunity to get out there and play golf and enjoy it.”
Keen to keep growing All Abilities golf in Queensland, Michie has a vision for the future, too. Determined to host an All Abilities social golf day at the Gunabul Homestead, she is looking forward to sharing the benefits of golf with everyone.
“We’ll get everyone along, play nine holes and share a lunch afterwards,” she says. “It will be a great chance to get everyone, including families and support workers involved and share in the special memories our sport provides.”
After all, helping Australians create special memories on the golf course is what inspired Michie to become a PGA Professional in the first place.
Hundreds of PGA Professionals across Australia have now completed the PGA All Abilities Coach Accreditation. To find the nearest All Abilities-accredited coach near you visit www.pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro/
