By Serrin Bertino

Three sisters - Ivy, Winnie and Pearl - are loving their golf on the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria. For their father, Jack Timmins, this is a dream come true. “Having all of my girls play golf gives me a really good excuse to get out on-course,” he jokes. “But in all seriousness, it is a wonderful way for us to spend time together, doing something we all enjoy.” At 10 years of age, the eldest sister, Ivy, has obtained an Australian Golf Foundation (AGF) Girls Golf Scholarship for 2023. Realising a love for the game after hitting golf balls in her backyard, Ivy has enjoyed clinics at numerous locations before settling at Curlewis Golf Club and earning a scholarship. “The scholarship program is fun,” she said. “I have made some good friends; the pros are really encouraging, and I love being the best golfer I can be.” Getting her handicap just three weeks ago, Ivy has already won her first competition – the Geelong and Bellarine District School Sport Victoria event at Torquay “It was so exciting,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to win.” Ivy now qualifies for the regional School Sport Victoria event in November. For Jake Cole-Sinclair, Golf Relationship Officer at Golf Australia, seeing Ivy win the schools event is the icing on the cake. “This is a wonderful example of the pathways available for girls to enjoy golf,” he said. “From MyGolf and the AGF Girls Scholarship program, girls can pursue their golf by competing in district and regional School Sport Victoria events.” Ivy’s younger sisters, Winnie (age eight) and Pearl (age six) are also thoroughly enjoying their golf. Both taking up the sport at just four years of age, the duo already has years of experience behind them. Frequent mini-golf enthusiasts at Curlewis Range and attendees at the club’s weekly MyGolf clinics, Winnie and Pearl are both keen to follow in Ivy’s footsteps. “Next year when I am in grade three, I want to play in the school tournament like Ivy,” said Winnie. “And I just played my first round of nine-holes three weeks ago,” said Pearl, who loves hitting her driver, putter, and fairway woods. Whilst many siblings tend not to agree on many things, for Ivy, Winnie, and Pearl, it is easy to agree that ‘girls should play golf because it is fun.’ Applications for 2024 club funding is now open and close on October 28. For more information on the program click here

To apply for the 2024 program click here Australian Golf Foundation is the national foundation for golf in Australia. The AGF supports Golf Australia’s vision to grow golf by investing in targeted initiatives to inspire all Australians to enjoy and play the game. Find a local scholarship program near you. Visit australiangolffoundation.org.au for further information. Australian Golf Foundation is thrilled to partner with NEXTGEN Group as the principal partner of the AGF Scholarship Programme in 2023, with significant further support provided by Golf Australia, Golf Victoria, Victorian Golf Foundation, Golf Queensland, Golf South Australia, Golf Tasmania, Golf Western Australia, Western Australian Golf Foundation, Golf Northern Territory, Golf Management Australia, WPGA Tour of Australasia and PGA of Australia, as well as a number of additional generous private benefactors.

The scholarship program has come to fruition thanks to the foresight and generosity of Bonnie Boezeman AO, Director of the Australian Golf Foundation, who originally established the program at Killara Golf Club, NSW.