20 Apr 2022 | Women and girls |
Mother-daughter duos delight in golf
by Dane Heverin
For Adelaide-based mother-daughter duos Sarah Douglass-Norris and Eva Norris, and Christine Burton and Kristalle Blum, golf truly is a family affair.
Douglass-Norris is a former Ladies European Tour player who now resides at The Grange as a PGA professional. One of her responsibilities among the countless initiatives she runs in order to get more women and girls playing golf is running MyGolf Girls clinics, which her 13-year-old daughter Eva came through.
“It’s nice to see her start from the beginning and see her grow to a good level,” Douglass-Norris said of her daughter.
“It reminds me of my mum. We are going through the same journey that I went through with my mum. I don’t expect her to be a pro but to like, and appreciate, the game is what I would like to see for Eva.”
Their golfing journey together began when Sarah would push Eva around in her pram as she would play nine holes in the evenings during their time living in the French Alps.
“Mum and dad used to drag me around the golf course when I was young,” Eva said.
“I was hitting golf balls around the house with plastic clubs all my childhood. While I started lessons at five years old, ten years old was when I really started to play out on the course.”
That was around the time she got involved in MyGolf, where Sarah took on coaching duties.
“Not many people are lucky enough to have their favourite sports coach as their mum,” Eva said.
She has since progressed to making precious family memories in competitions with three generations sharing in the moment.
“Last year Eva had a hole-in-one, mum was on the hole behind me and she didn’t believe it at the start,” Douglass-Norris said.
“They kept pointing their fingers - it was pouring with rain - beanies on, umbrellas up. I thought they wanted a ruling, but I heard them say ‘hole-in-one’ and I ran towards her.”
PGA professional at North Haven Golf Course Burton and Blum, who won the inaugural The Athena and is making her way in professional golf, also knows what that lifelong journey with the game is like.
“A golf club was put in my hand at the hospital the day I was born,” Blum said with a laugh.
“Then I was pushed around the golf course in a pram by mum. I am a third generation golf professional and love that I have been able to continue the traditions in our family.”
The similarities between Douglass-Norris and Burton are extensive. For instance, Burton also spent time playing on the Ladies European Tour and now runs MyGolf sessions at a public golf course in the hope others will get as much out of the game as her and her family have.
“Golf is the lifeblood of our family. It has given us a career, travel, friends, homes, so many family memories and so much more,” she said.
“If it wasn’t for golf, I would never have met my husband. I would never have got to show my children a life away from Australia. Golf has given my children a job out of school, and I would never have been able to provide so much positive energy for everything in my life without golf in it. I learnt golf; I play and teach golf; I love golf.”
She also strongly believes in the positive impact golf can have on the life of young females.
“Golf teaches us so many life skills. It teaches us respect, resilience, patience and independence,” Burton said.
“It helps us forge friendships and network with a wide variety of women and men who can become mentors as they enter the workforce, or just provide positive connections as they traverse through a young person's life.”
April is MyGolf Girls Month where Golf Australia promotes girls participation within golf to raise awareness so others can catch the golfing bug via the MyGolf Girls program.
Find out more about MyGolf here.
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