To encourage nine to 16-year-old girls to play golf and stay in the game, clubs across Australia can now apply for Australian Golf Foundation (AGF) grants to offer girls’ golf scholarships.
Introduced in 2021, the concept has proved very popular nationwide and has enjoyed exponential growth as more clubs and facilities become aware of the funding opportunities.
“The program has exceeded all of our expectations,” said Bonnie Boezeman AO, director of the AGF and founder of the scholarship program. “We started the program in 2021 with 37 clubs and 226 girls. Now, in 2023, the foundation funds 142 clubs and just under 1000 scholarships.
“We are again looking forward to growing the program and continuing to provide life-changing experiences for girls across Australia.”
With a 10.1% increase in junior girls’ membership recorded across the nation in 2021/2022, the program is proving a great way for clubs to embed girls within the club culture, encourage them to play, obtain a handicap, and achieve greater membership numbers.
As a part of the program, each girl holds a scholarship at their local club which includes group tuition and membership for the year, along with a branded shirt and cap and their own FootJoy glove to wear with pride.
Applications are now open and close on October 28. You can find out more about the program here and apply for the next round of funding here.
You can read a case study of how girls’ golf scholarships are benefitting Bunbury Golf Club here.
Sisters Bonni and Lilli Andrew are thriving after coming to golf through AGF scholarships at Bunbury GC
