A PGA Professional since 2003, Portelli was one of the first to complete the 20-hour All Abilities Accreditation course that is a joint initiative by the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia.

Seeing an opportunity to expand his coaching business and bring a whole new realm of golfers into the game, Portelli completed the course in 2016. Shortly thereafter he reached out to local disability organisations to offer golf as an activity.

One of those to take up the offer was the Sale and District Specialist School, a school that caters specifically to children aged 5-18 with an intellectual disability. The school brought more than 40 kids out to Maffra Golf Club to try golf, including a boy with cerebral palsy who was confined to a motorised wheelchair.

As kids moved forward to try their hand at golf, the boy found himself at the back of the class, until Portelli asked the teachers whether he might like to try, too.

“They sort of looked at me blankly like, Oh, I’m not quite sure how this is going to work,” recalls Portelli, who has been coaching at Bairnsdale Golf Club for the past four years.

“I asked him first if he was able to have a go and he could communicate with me in what I would say was fairly non-verbal. He would grunt and nod to let me know he understood what I was saying.

“I pushed an alignment stick into the ground, put a rubber driving range tee on top with a ball so it was probably three feet off the ground.

“We used one of the bigger-headed All Abilities kit clubs which he could hold with his right hand and put a hoop out five metres out on front as a target.

“I got him to swing the club and hit the ball towards the target. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

“You could see the teachers react like, Oh cool, he can have a go. He can participate.’”

Given close to a decade of experience coaching All Abilities golf it is just one example of how Portelli is not only changing the lives of those he coaches, but also those who are witness to what is possible.

Seb McCormick is a Special Olympics athlete that Portelli has coached for the past two years at Bairnsdale Golf Club.

McCormick has represented both Queensland and Victoria in Special Olympics competition and regularly plays in the member comps at Bairnsdale.

The relationship between Portelli and McCormick has developed so much in the past 18 months that where Portelli would once get only one word answers to his questions, now when they play the coach struggles to get a word in.

“He just yaks to me now the whole time. He just talks to me the whole time,” says Portelli.

“He’s completely come out of his shell. He loves his golf, he’s always excited to be there.”

So excited is McCormick to be at the golf club that he has told Portelli that he is getting a job there; news that he hadn’t yet shared with his parents.

“I’ve learned too, that he can be quite creative sometimes,” Portelli adds.

And when Sebastian rips a drive 180 metres down the centre of the fairway, it’s not only a thrill for coach and player but a demonstration to members of golf’s enormous reach.

“There’s a lot of members that know him now and will say g’day to him,” says Portelli.

“It’s opened up those members’ eyes that people with those disabilities can get out there and play golf.

“We can make it possible.”

To find an All Abilities accredited coach near you, visit www.pga.org.au/find-a-pga-pro/

That, along with her willingness to experience every aspect of the wide-ranging golf industry, has seen her rise to the role of Director of Sport at one of Australia’s most prestigious clubs.

Four years into her career as a fully qualified PGA Professional, Odgers has been heading up the sporting operations at Peninsula Kingswood Country Golf Club since September 2023.

“I knew I wanted to be somewhere that is busy,” she says of finding the right work environment.

“I love meeting people, interacting with members and the whole social side of the role appealed to me.

“And that is what I get here at ‘PK’. The variety is great.”

Although her rise has come quickly and brings with it extensive responsibility, it has been a relatively seamless transition for Odgers, who demonstrated an aptitude for hard work as soon as she became a PGA Professional.

Splitting her time between Woodlands Golf Club and Peninsula Kingswood, Odgers was working 50-hour weeks; predominantly as a golf coach at Woodlands and in her first administrative role at ‘PK’.

“I was certainly flat out, but I wanted to keep doing both,” she reflects.

“I had just set up a women’s program at Woodlands and we had 50 women come through for the first year and a similar number register for the second.

“I wanted to be there to help see it through and I was also doing 30 hours a week here at ‘PK’.”

A busy time, it helped Odgers develop the skills she needed to succeed in the industry, and proved to those at Peninsula Kingswood that she was ready to take the position as Director of Sport.

A wide-ranging role, ‘PK’ boasts two championship golf courses, a gym, pool, tennis courts and a bowls facility, meaning that no two days are alike for Odgers and her team.

“I am only nine months in, so now moving into winter I am keen to keep looking at what we can do with all of the facilities that we have on offer here,” she says.

“Ultimately, it is about ensuring our members and visitors understand what they can do and how they can maximise it.

“Whatever it might be, there is always something different to focus on,” she explains. “Just recently we have had club championships, the culmination of the Pennant season, as well as regular corporate days to accommodate.”

A lot to balance, Odgers notes that while there is plenty to learn, she takes confidence from her already bountiful experience and grounding as a PGA Professional.

“I did not expect to be in this position so quickly, but I am finding out that I was already doing lots of these sorts of things before in my role as an Assistant Professional,” she adds.

“Now it is about learning and taking on extra responsibility – whether that is retail or the financial side of the business, I am keen to embrace it all.”

Also keen to keep getting more women into golf, Odgers believes programs like the one she established at Woodlands – and a similar one that is thriving at Peninsula Kingswood – are essential.

“The growth in the women’s game has been the biggest change I’ve seen whilst working in golf,” she explains.

“Having a female PGA Professional presence is so important when new women come into the game, and I am proud to help play a role there.

“I do still love coaching and would love to keep doing a bit here, to help those women who are new to golf.

“As always, it is just about balancing out those priorities.”

First when he picked up a club as a 12-year-old, and then again almost three decades later when he played a round with a corporate client and was inspired to make golf his career – first through the PGA Institute and later the PGA Membership Pathway Program.

That willingness to shift and follow his passion after more than 20 years working in banking and health insurance has been a truly rewarding one for Bashforth, who is now dedicated to growing the game of golf in Queensland.

“I took a risk,” he reflects. “At more than 40 years old, I sold my property and went down to the Gold Coast to complete the PGA Institute program.”

Although Bashforth didn’t set out to become a PGA Professional initially, the quality of his game stood out while he was completing the Institute program – and enrolling in the PGA’s Membership Pathway Program became a reality.

“Again, I took a bit of a risk. I completed the PGA Institute course and then secured a traineeship at Riverside Oaks Golf Club in Sydney,” he adds.

A mature-age student, Bashforth remembers feeling a bit uneasy initially, but was buoyed by the diverse and engaging content he was learning.

Moreover, with a solid grounding in finance and corporate processes, he found the business side of the Program relatively straightforward.

“I knew where I wanted to head with it all so learning all of the golf-specific side of things was wonderful,” he says.

“From club repairs, to coaching, you feel like you learn everything there is to know about golf.”

Equipped with that raft of knowledge, and ready for a new career, Bashforth graduated as a PGA Professional in 2019.

On the move again, he headed back up north to accept a role as Assistant Professional at Gladstone Golf Club.

It was there that Bashforth first discovered a love for coaching and introducing newcomers to the game.

He took on the role of offering Get Into Golf – Golf Australia’s official beginner golf lesson program – there in 2020. After moving through COVID, he took the program to the next level.

“I was offering two two-hour sessions on Sundays, with the motivation being to try and get more women involved in the game up here,” he reflects.

What initially started as clinics on the range morphed into on-course action, as Bashforth helped participants to take the next step.

“We ended up running nine-hole shootouts for women. We would get the beginners and the members all together.

“Not many clubs could say that they would be getting 40 or 50 women out on the course all together. That was really cool.”

Bashforth’s passion for Get Into Golf has continued since a recent move to Bundaberg Golf Club.

There, he implements a similar model to the one he established at Gladstone, and the club and community are reaping the rewards.

“We are now seeing more and more women at the golf club,” he smiles. “Whether that is on the range, on the course, or even buying clubs in the shop, it is really good to see them following it through from the clinics.

“Some are even joining up as members of the club, which is fantastic, and certainly a driving force behind what we do.”

Proud to have seen the golf landscape change from what he describes as “not massively inclusive” when he first started out, Bashforth is glad to work in an industry that welcomes everyone.

“Now the audience we attract to the game is vastly different. People are showing up to driving ranges to give it a go and see if they like it,” he smiles.

“That’s a wonderful thing and so important for golf to grow.”

For more information on entry points into a career in golf, visit www.pga.org.au/education/

Host venue, The Western Australian Golf Club, was in immaculate condition and the greens firm and fast, presenting a complete challenge to the 22 PGA Professionals in the field.

A run of three straight bogeys early in his round had Barr on the back foot but he recovered with four birdies on his inward nine to shoot 2-under 68 and win by two shots.

Carramar Golf Course Professional Greg McClurkin shot even-par 70 with Perth Golf Centre’s John Boulton third at 1-over 71, the trio among the seven players to qualify for the PPC National Final at The Heritage Golf and Country Club in Melbourne from October 22-24.

Barr was fourth at the 2023 National Final and hopes to improve on that to play his way into the Australian team to travel to Canada next year.

“I played at Heritage last year and finished fourth,” said Barr.

“I know that you can actually get a chance to represent Australia for the PGA so if I can play well there again, you never know.”

Starting from the 10th tee, Barr picked up an early birdie at the downhill dogleg par-4 12th but dropped to 2-over with a three-hole stint on the bogey train immediately following.

Two-over through 10, Barr made a terrific birdie at the par-4 second and then pressed home his advantage with further birdies at four, five and eight for a two-stroke win.

“I was a bit rusty,” Barr conceded.

“We haven’t played for a few weeks since we were in Broome for the Pro-Am and I struggled.

“I got off to a great start, but then struggled with three consecutive bogeys.

“I felt like the world was against me a bit but managed to pull together on the back nine.

“Made a nice birdie putt on the my 17th hole to get to 2-under and at that point I knew that I was in the lead.
“Made a nice two-putt on the last hole, which is a challenging par-3 here at The WA Club, and I’m really pleased about qualifying and the chance to represent Western Australia.”

As the top-three finishers, Barr, McClurkin and Boulton are all exempt for the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder WA PGA Championship in October while Barr also earns a spot in the Nova Employment Australian PGA Seniors Championship in November.

Playing at her home club, Nicole Martino was the winner of the women’s qualifier with Travis Lord, Darren Garrett, Michael Draper and Mostyn Farmer also exempt for the National Final.

Final scores

Born into a golfing family, Sarka’s father – himself a PGA Professional – owned and ran a driving range facility in the Czech Republic. 

“I spent every day there from the age of five,” she recalls. “I got quite good and spent a couple of years in the national squad as a junior.” 

A prodigious talent, Sarka fell out of love with the game when matters of performance began to take precedence over enjoyment. So, after a phone call to the national squad, she put the clubs down for a decade, and began the hunt for a different challenge. 

“I wanted to move away from home; to go somewhere I would need to learn the language and test myself,” she says. “I came to Australia because it is so far away, and I couldn’t just go home when I got uncomfortable.” 

After completing a Cert III in Fitness and working in restaurants Down Under, Sarka found her way back to golf, this time with a renewed perspective as a 25-year-old. 

“I was working at Barnwell Park Golf Club in Sydney, and they encouraged me to join the Membership Pathway Program (to become a PGA Professional),” she recalls. 

“I always had a dream to be a good player, but often in that early time in Australia, I felt a bit of an outsider – that I didn’t belong. 

“That changed once I started teaching golf. I found that I really enjoyed it and found it very fulfilling.” 

Since graduating as a qualified PGA Professional in 2023, Sarka has been dedicated to sharing the joys of golf with more women than ever before. 

Having worked at the innovative GolfSpace facility in Sydney – where she was responsible for boosting female engagement – Sarka wanted to challenge herself further; accepting a role as Teaching Professional at Education City Golf Club in Qatar. 

Home to three golf courses and a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence that includes a 3D Gears system, Trackman technology and a SAM Balance Puttlab, Sarka feels at home. 

“I fell in love with the facility immediately,” she says. 

“There is so much practice space and even a fully private studio to allow for Muslim women to have lessons in privacy.” 

It is an environment that allows Sarka to pursue what she describes as “a mission to help women feel more empowered through sport”. 

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The busiest of the teaching professionals in just her third month, Sarka ran a campaign targeted at women and girls in February, which reached more than 200,000 people. 

“The main thing for me here is to get more local Qatari women through the door,” she says. 

“We want to build a community of women golfers. 

“Helping people to feel like they can belong, create connections and motivate each other, that is what it is all about.  

“And if they want to go a step further and take the game more seriously, we have the resources here to help them do that, too.” 

A noble mission, Sarka understands how it can feel on the other side and wants to ensure more people get a rewarding experience within golf. 

“I remember how it felt when I was new to the game,” she adds. 

“It can be intimidating, and I want to help people through that experience and instead let them dream on about what is possible in golf. 

“At the moment, this makes my heart full, and it is my absolute priority.”

Applications for the next intake for the Membership Pathway Program open on Monday, July 1. For more information or to apply, click here.

Yet when she began the PGA of Australia’s Membership Pathway Program straight out of high school, pitting her game against some of the best in the world was the furthest thing from her mind.

“I had no intentions of playing whatsoever,” said Vogel, who grew up playing junior golf at Cobram Barooga Golf Club and began the MPP under PGA Professional Michael MacGregor at her home club.

“I originally did it just to be able to either coach or be in a pro shop.”

For some who enter the MPP, playing is not the No.1 priority.

They see an avenue to be able to build a career within the Australian golf industry but, as Vogel discovered, taking the path to become a PGA Professional does not signal the end of your playing days.

Through weekly PGA Open matches, Vogel found that her game developed so much with regular competition that it fuelled her passion for playing at a high level again.

“Through the Monday matches I started playing really well and I thought maybe I actually do want to play as well on the side,” she added.

Emma Ash was a star junior growing up in Adelaide but recognised early the difficulty in forging a career in golf purely through playing.

A two-time winner of the SA Junior Amateur Championship, Ash appeared destined for the LPGA or Ladies European Tour until her brother’s interest in PGA education opened her eyes to the career paths that were available.

“It was always that I wanted to play, but as I got older and I got more realistic in life. I realised that there probably wasn’t the likelihood of making a career out of playing,” said Ash.

“I thought there was a big gap in coaching, particularly female coaching. From my experience as a player, I was never exposed to a female coach other than Fiona Pike and Anne-Marie Knight.

“I wanted to follow those footsteps and try to provide opportunities for more young girls in that coaching stream.”

After six years of concentrated work in the coaching realm, Ash made a return to the WPGA Tour of Australasia at the start of 2024.

She began with a victory at a rain-shortened Melbourne International and, like Vogel, made the cut at the Women’s NSW Open at Magenta Shores Golf and Country Club.

With her coaching business performing strongly, Ash is able to tee it up without the financial pressures that others may be feeling.

“It just makes it easier. I’m not playing for a cheque each week,” she said.

“I’m playing just because I enjoy the game, just want to have fun and I’m still competitive.”

Vogel, who was sixth at Webex Players Series Murray River and top-30 at the Vic Open, attributes all of the playing opportunities she has enjoyed the past 12 months to her PGA grounding.

“I’m very happy that I went through that direction. I certainly don’t think I’d be here without it,” said Vogel, who also played the Australian Women’s Classic at Bonville in April.

“I definitely recommend it. The assignments take a bit of time but you have plenty of time to do it whilst you’re out here playing.

“It’s good to have something away from playing as well to be able to focus on and to go back to when there are no tournaments.”

A new addition to the Membership Pathway Program is a dedicated ‘Playing’ stream, designed to not only provide qualifications but the foundation needed to mix it with the elite of world golf.

“They’re playing full-time on the LET and it’s good to see what they’re doing with their games,” Ash said of her LET experience.

“I encourage anyone to do the MPP just to give you more opportunities within the sport.”

To express your interest in starting the PGA Membership Pathway Program click here

A new pair of shoes on the member walking in to pay their Saturday comp fees.

A new hybrid in the bag of the member at their latest lesson.

Expanding the retail offering at Busselton was one of Williams’ very first priorities… and now he had proof of where members felt they were not receiving the full service.

“Everyone from a regional area who goes to a city, goes to a big golf shop,” says Williams.

“I asked a member where he got his new 5-wood and his answer was, ‘I was up in Perth last week.’

“That was just happening all the time so expanding the range really was a no-brainer.

“We have a premium golf course, so why not premium service and products in the golf shop?

“Regional golf courses seem to concentrate on cheaper-end products and only enough to display the product but no real stock.

“They’re always having to order stock for the members rather than having it readily available.”

Awarded the WA PGA Club Professional of the Year at the WA Golf Industry Awards in March for a range of initiatives he has introduced at Busselton the past two years, Williams went beyond simply stocking the pro shop with more gear.

To encourage members to shop close to home, Williams set about creating a shopping experience that matched what they would find in a major department store in Perth.

“Even with little space I modelled the shop on a high-end golfing experience by simply displaying everything more clearly,” Williams says.

“At some regional clubs the golf shop can begin to look a bit old and tired but it doesn’t take much to transform the look and feel of a real golf shop experience.

“If you order 12 putters from Taylor-Made, you ask if they have a putter stand you can use for the display.

“You’d be amazed at how many people will pick up a putter if it’s displayed well and well-positioned within a golf shop.”

While he hopes these initiatives have played a part in Busselton’s membership growing from 630 to 900 in just two years, Williams acknowledges that timing plays its part.

In the wake of COVID, Busselton itself has grown significantly and golf has been booming across the country.

It was a classic case of preparation meeting opportunity, but Williams has done everything he can to turn that good fortune into an atmosphere where new members feel welcomed and valued.

And reassured that they won’t find a better deal in the big smoke.

“If somebody comes in and says that they can get the same pair of shoes $30 or $50 cheaper somewhere else, I’ll match it,” adds Williams, who spent 20 years working in numerous clubs throughout Europe.

“We never make a loss doing that. We sometimes don’t make much money, but my philosophy there is we don’t just turn over a pair of shoes, but we make a member happy.

“We’ve had 200 brand new lady beginner golfers come through here in the last five months, and they’re all new to golf. We show them all the aspects of golf; the first tee, the clubhouse facilities, we give them a welcome pack which gives them everything they need to feel welcome and at home.

“Having stock makes the shop come alive.

“There’s a new range of shoes; a new line of summer or winter clothes, stock is constantly changing.

“There’s something happening all the time, and that’s important.”

Any idea.

The latest idea.

The craziest idea.

Most importantly, whatever got them to the best idea.

There would be what Arnold references as the “light bulb moment” but it was only possible because they disregarded convention and asked the simple question: ‘What would we want from an indoor golf centre?’

“Everybody that walks in asks, ‘Where did you design this from?’ And Tim and I say, nowhere, because we’ve never seen this before,” says Arnold, a PGA of Australia Tournament Member since 2007.

“We’ve travelled the world playing golf and there’s nothing like this.

“The only way we could make it work was being creative.”

Through his father Colin – a PGA Professional of 50 years who spent more than 30 years at Cronulla Golf Club, Arnold has had a connection to the PGA from the day he was born.

Winner of the Australian Amateur in 2006, Stewart became a Tour Professional in 2008 before completing the Tour Professional Articulation and becoming a full Vocational Member in 2016.

He says that Arnold’s career playing in the US and his own international playing experience was critical in shaping their vision.

“Initially, our goal was to bring golf to the forefront for parents with kids and try to get golf to be more accessible for people over here, like it is for us in Australia,” Stewart explains.

“We tried to build our facility in a way that we could maximise its impact for people looking to learn golf without any of the typical barriers for entry.

“Our opportunity to travel around the world playing golf at so many amazing facilities really helped us in our concept and with that, avoid mistakes we had seen and build what we thought a golf facility should look like from our perspective.”

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The genius in the space that is now Golf House Academy is its versatility.

Arnold describes it as a football field that can be split into four quadrants.

When completely opened up – with glass walls that encase the High Performance Swing Lab – people who walk in can see the entire space from front to back, including the 18-hole, 111-foot-long putting green.

But the space can be split in half for group lessons, cordoned off for individual lessons or separated in such a way that a group of friends can come in and hit balls beside each other as they would on a range.

It was that flexibility that made Arnold, Stewart and their business partners reframe who they thought it would appeal to.

Observing the success that Aussie Kids Golf Academy was having in the city, Arnold saw opportunity in the family demographic in the east of Atlanta yet has been surprised at the clientele they have attracted in the first three months of opening.

“Families come in with their kids and want to do a lesson while their son takes part in a clinic,” Arnold adds.

“This is accessible for everyone, whether you’re a tour pro or an absolute beginner.

“There are no dress codes, we have golf clubs, we have everything.

“There’s a massive market of people that tell us that there was nowhere for them to practice or play.

“It’s been massive among women who can be intimidated going to a driving range.

“We crank the music. We ask what kind of playlist they want to listen to and off we go.”

Making the space open, light and inviting was also a key focus in the design.

Skylights bathe the facility in natural light and the detail in the furnishings was such that people come in and show no inclination that they want to leave.

Complementing that atmosphere is a staff that treat visitors more as friends than clients.

“Our secret sauce is people come in expecting X and they leave with X and Y,” says Arnold.

“Part of that is our culture in Australia, being personable, nice, giving them a great experience.

“If the lesson’s an hour and they’re not hitting it well or whatever, our coaches will regularly run 10 minutes, 20 minutes or 30 minutes over.

“Our staff are absolutely phenomenal. They’re really good people. They’re not clients, they’re really friends.”

Arnold acknowledges that property prices in Australia can make it prohibitive to establish a centre the size of Golf House Academy.

Yet he urges PGA Professionals looking at new business opportunities to explore every idea and to not be afraid to do it differently to everyone else.

Among their innovations, Golf House Academy boasts retractable vinyl walls that give the space flexibility and a game-changing use of impact screens that completely altered how they could maximise their footprint.

“The width of the back space is almost 20 metres so if you use a net, you need four feet between it and the wall,” Arnold explains.

“Tim had the idea of using an impact screen which means you only need 30 centimetres off the wall. That gave us an extra five or six feet, which was huge.

“Once that happened, everything fell into place.

“That was a light bulb moment for sure.”