Par for the Course: 2023 IGSSA Golf Competition

From L to R: Olivia Gamble (Health and Physical Education Teacher), with students Steph Kerr (Year 8), Layla Morris (Year 9), and Ava Donovan (Year 11)

Did you know that golf has increased dramatically in popularity among women? According to Front Office Sports, in 2021, girls made up a respectable 35% of junior golfers compared to just 15% in 2000.

It was great to see three of our students participate in the annual IGSSA Golf Tournament, held at Cottesloe Club last Friday. Contrary to this week, the weather was absolutely beautiful and made for a fantastic day out on the green.

Ava Donovan (Year 11) and Steph Kerr (Year 8) participated in the 18-hole event, which was played as a combined Stroke (Gross) and Stableford competition. This particular event is open to students with an official golf handicap, attracting some incredible talent across the IGSSA schools.

Layla Morris (Year 10) took part in the 9-hole team Ambrose competition, which is designed for developing golfers and emerging players who are in the process of attaining an official handicap.

It was fantastic to see the girls showcase their skills and interact with girls from other IGSSA schools who share the same love and passion for golf.

Here is what the students had to say about their experience competing in the tournament: 

Steph Kerr: I feel that I performed well. I played to five over my handicap, so not my best round, but it was an unfamiliar course, and I had received new chipping wedges the day before, so it was nothing I didn’t expect. I regulation-birdied the first hole, so at least it started with a bang!

I was also playing in a group with one of my friends Meg, who I play with almost every Sunday at my club. So, the fact that I knew her so well added an extra layer of fun to an already engaging competition.

I love playing golf because it allows me to have an outlet to let my emotions go. If I have built up anger, I can let it all out on the golf ball and send it flying down the fairway. The game can be anything you want it to be. You can play by yourself if you want to be alone, or you can have a fun day out with friends if you feel like being social. Also, only some people play golf. It means that I get a whole new set of friends when I’m playing golf, instead of seeing all my school friends and talking exclusively to them, like in what happens in many other sports. 

Layla Morris: I feel I performed pretty well on the day. Obviously, with golf, you can always perform better, but I think I did the best I could on that day. My favourite part of the day was lunch after because I got to see some other girls I knew and catch up with them, especially since we don’t go to the same school. A challenge I faced was definitely how difficult the course was. I usually play on pretty flat courses, but Cottesloe is a very hilly course. I love playing golf because there are few women in golf, let alone young women. It feels very empowering to play a male-oriented sport.

Ava Donovan: I enjoyed experiencing the course and playing with the other girls from the other schools, who I have played with before. I hit the ball well on the day, but my putting let me down greatly. I enjoy playing golf because it is relaxing yet challenging. 

We look forward to seeing the number of students participating in this competition grow in the coming years!

You can visit the IGSSA website here for more information on this tournament. 

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