This week is National Student Volunteer Week, and Golf Australia would like to say a huge thank you to students who volunteer their time in any and all capacities within Australian Golf.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the sport, and it is great to see so many volunteers offering up their time and effort at a young age.

This year's theme for the week is Powered by Purpose. We asked one of our student volunteers, Charlotte Di Toro, about what drives her to volunteer in golf.

Charlotte volunteered at several professional events last summer and details why she wanted to get involved, what she learned from being at a professional golf event and her top tips for other students wanting to get involved in volunteering.

What initially drew you to volunteer with Golf Australia?

There was a post on the Deakin Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science course site about volunteering at the Webex Players Series in Rosebud. I attended this event in January and absolutely loved it! Everyone was welcoming and inclusive and willing to help me out as I had never volunteered at a golf tournament before. After this experience, when the opportunity came up with Golf Australia to volunteer at the Vic Open in Barwon Heads in February, I pounced on it. Again, I loved it as all the volunteers and staff welcomed me with open arms. It was such a lovely environment to be a part of.

What new skills did you develop through your volunteer work?

The main skill I developed was stepping outside of my comfort zone and putting myself out there. Through both volunteer opportunities at Golf Australia and the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia, I didn’t know anyone else that was volunteering or a staff member. Therefore, it was daunting at first to talk to other volunteers and staff as most of them knew each other, however they made it feel like I had worked with them before. By putting myself out there, I was able to make connections with like-minded people at Golf Australia and keep in contact with them.

How has this experience influenced your academic studies or career goals?

As I was heading into my third year of a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science with a major in Strength and Conditioning and a minor in Sports Coaching, I wanted to use the volunteering as a way of building my network and make connections with like-minded people who are interested in sport. I also wanted to show my commitment to travel (as I live three hours from Barwon Heads) and show that I am interested in volunteering and am happy to do things without getting paid for it. Sometimes in life you need to be willing to volunteer and gain experience without getting paid for it, otherwise you make it harder for yourself to get hired by employers if you don’t have experience. This experience has opened my eyes to the golf world – something that I had not really considered given I had never really played before, except for mini golf. It is definitely now a sport that I would consider working in.

What surprised you most about the volunteer experience?

The thing that surprised me most about the volunteer experience was how welcoming, down to earth, lovely and helpful all the volunteers and staff members at Golf Australia were! Everyone was so inclusive and was down for a chat to get to know me, alongside making me feel like it was not my first time volunteering or meeting them.

What would you tell other students who are considering volunteering but haven't taken the step to volunteer yet?

Just dive in deep and take the leap! You will 100 per cent not regret the experience; you will love it! The people you meet and the connections you make are so invaluable – nothing beats it!

What advice would you give to someone starting their first volunteer role within golf?

Be open to learning new things, saying yes and helping out wherever needed. I did not know anything about golf before I started volunteering but learnt very quickly from just trying out everything. I tried never to say no to a new experience, and there was always someone there to help me out.

Why do you think student volunteering is important?

Student volunteering is important as is allows you to make lifelong connections, gain experience, network with like-minded people and plus, it looks great on your resume!

Do you plan to continue volunteering with us or elsewhere?

Yes, I do plan to continue volunteering with Australian Golf and other sporting organisations when I am able to. I plan to volunteer at the 2025 Victorian PGA Championship at Moonah Links in December. I have also done a range of volunteer work with Netball Victoria at a range of different events as well as I love it so much – it’s so rewarding!

How will you carry forward what you learned from this experience?

The main thing I will carry forward from this experience is to keep putting myself out there and to be willing to learn and help out wherever required. I was fortunate enough to meet the most amazing staff at Golf Australia in the Volunteer HQ area who made me feel part of the Golf Australia family. If you don’t put yourself out there, you won’t meet people and will regret it later in your journey as other students will put themselves out there and be rewarded for their efforts and hard work, whether be that in the short or long term or both.