Ballarat welcomes gender equality
Ballarat Golf Club is a club that has a history spanning back to 1895 and has seen generations of golfers take their place on the honour boards. It is also a club who through solid governance has recently made a very important step to address a weakness, that of gender equality.
Saturday, competition day at Ballarat Golf Club, sees a full field of up to 220 golfers. Up until last month only 16 tee times were made available to female golfers on competition day, the rest were open to male golfers. However females paid the same membership fee. In the 125-year history of the club there have only been four female board members. There are currently 695 male golfing members and only 143 females. Similarly, there are 71 junior boys and only nine junior girls.
To address these glaring issues of gender inequality the club’s board, spearheaded by board member Greg Anders, adopted a strategic plan for the Ballarat Golf Club that included the following objective: “to be recognised for its leadership and commitment to the principals of equal opportunity and to be acknowledged as a successful model of gender equality and equity in a golf club environment”.
Thus, a gender equality task group has been established, the club has become a member of the CoRE Alliance (Communities of Respect and Equality), a group who is dedicated to the prevention of gender-based violence and who emphasises the need to promote gender equality.
The club’s first ever female vice president has been appointed, a range of new membership categories and fee structures have been introduced and all members will now be treated equally and equitably, including an open timesheet for women and men for Saturday competition, and an open competition for all members on Saturdays and Sundays.
Further to this work is the implementation of goals around stronger gender representation from the board of directors including a strong push to establish pathways for women in senior leadership roles within the club. Any opportunity to help create opportunities to encourage participation are being taken, including a recent application made by the Golf Club for travel grant, offered by the Victorian Government, on behalf of one of their nine junior girls.
Congratulations from Inside Golf on these forward-thinking initiatives!
New website for Noosa Springs
Noosa Springs’ new user-friendly website has gone live. Not only is it easier to navigate, but it contains new features that mean even greater value and convenience for users.
Members and guests can now buy gift vouchers online, which can be used for spa treatments, rounds of golf, fitness sessions or fitness memberships. There are also vouchers that can be redeemed anywhere in the resort.
More: www.noosasprings.com.au.
Shop til you drop at McLeod CGC
THE golf shop personnel at McLeod Country Golf Club’s have never been busier, according to the club’s general manager Sean Kennedy.
Ever since the club’s management took charge of its golf shop over 12 months ago, there has been a stampede as members, guests and visitors take advantage of the extensive range of apparel on offer.
Happy customers are snapping up the latest Vanity Fairways stylish women’s (and men’s) range of attractive gear.
“A year ago, we partnered with Vanity Fairways and we are over the moon with the results,” Kennedy told Inside Golf.
“The results have exceeded our expectations, not only through Vanity Fairways but the whole golf operation. Our golf operations manager Michelle Williams has played a massive role in us achieving this success.”
Delivering excellent service has instigated the turnaround in the business.
“The service Michelle and her team have been able to deliver to our members and guests is second-to-none,” Kennedy said.
“The golf shop is the first point of contact anybody has at the golf club so it needs to be positive and welcoming and making sure everyone is enjoying their visit to the golf club.
“We make sure that first point of contact is what people expect and the feedback we are getting is the staff are going out of their way to deliver an excellent experience for everyone.”
In coming months, McLeod golf shop will widen its range of men’s apparel to suit the trends and fashions demanded by golfers.
What McLeod golf shop does not carry is a huge range of golf equipment that oftentimes tends to gather dust on the shop floor.
Rather, the club prefers to offer its members and guests one or two demo days a month.
That’s where the golf club manufacturers showcase their latest equipment offerings.
“Demo days is where the members are purchasing their golf clubs,” Kennedy added.
“Of course, we carry most brands of golf balls, tees, ball markers and other items golfers need.”
Right now, there is an exciting vibe and freshness around the club located in the western suburb of Mount Ommaney just 20 minutes from Brisbane’s CBD.
More: www.mcleodgolf.com.au
Chief writer David Newbery has been living, breathing and writing and editing golf for more than 30 years. His extensive knowledge of the game comes from covering golf around the world. Hired by Inside Golf in 2009, David previously worked as the editor of The Golfer for 25 years and before that worked for numerous daily newspapers in Australia and overseas. The Brisbane-based journalist describes his golf game as “a work in progress”, but has had the privilege of playing golf with some of the game’s best players including nine-time major winner Gary Player. David enjoys travelling, reading, music, photography and spending time with family and friends – on and off the golf course. 
![Win the golfing experience of a lifetime, at the Hawai‘i International Week of Golf, valued at $6,900 [Winner Announced]](https://www.insidegolf.com.au/wp-content/uploads/Hawaii-Comp-500x294.jpg "Win the golfing experience of a lifetime, at the Hawai‘i International Week of Golf, valued at $6,900 [Winner Announced]")