Nestled halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Windaroo Lakes Golf Club works tirelessly to offer the joys of golf to more women and girls than ever before. 

Already a signatory the R&A Women in Golf Charter, the club is setting itself for a bumper edition of Women & Girls Month this March; a range of clinics, competitions and come-and-try days all in the offing.  

It forms part of a broader attitude at the club, as Women’s Golf Co-Ordinator Janine Barney explains. 

“The management at Windaroo Lakes and everyone else at the club is right behind getting more women and girls playing the game. 

“A lot of what we do in this space is about increasing participation and growing the membership base.” 

Janine, herself a PGA Professional and owner of Golf Fore Women, is proud to offer a range of events next month to continue the club’s good work. 

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, she is running a free women’s clinic in the morning, followed by morning tea, before an afternoon come-and-try session for girls after school. 

“We will open up the PGA training bay and make sure they have a great experience and leave feeling like they have learnt something. 

“Both sessions have already got strong interest,” she smiles. “So, we shouldn’t have a problem in filling up both of them.” 

Janine is also offering a Chip and Sip Ambrose competition on March 10th – an opportunity for new and experienced women alike to come together and enjoy an afternoon of golf in a friendly, social setting. 

The Chip and Sip events, which have become a staple at Windaroo, give women the chance to play an Ambrose round on a shortened course; meaning the golf is accessible for players of all skill levels. 

“We have been running them three times a year for about eight years now,” Janine explains. “They have become very popular events; we started with 34 women but now we need to cap registrations at 80. 

“We run them as fundraisers for different charities, so this one is for Brain Cancer,” she details. “There will be some free introductory clinics, some chipping and putting, a glass of wine and then 9 holes of Ambrose on a shortened course.” 

Designed to aid the transition to playing on the course, the Chip and Sip events cater to everyone. 

“It’s lots of fun, and even if there are new players who have never played before, it is structured so that they’ll play with some other experienced players, and I give some pointers to help them through as well.” 

More broadly, Windaroo Lakes is a welcoming and inclusive place for women and girls twelve months of the year.  

Janine’s Golf Fore Women program is in full swing at the club, meaning there are up to eight clinics per week available, and even an introductory membership offer to help women and girls make the transition from learning the game, to playing on the course and in competitions. 

“I started the business to help more people move into the game. I saw a real need to concentrate on helping women and girls playing, which we have done here at Windaroo Lakes.” 

The program has been a total success, as Janine notes that only last year the club saw a 33% increase in the female membership, while in her time at the club, the number of women playing competition golf has almost quadrupled. 

A trend that is set to continue, Windaroo Lakes can be very proud of their ongoing investment in the future of women and girls both on and off the course. 

Headlined by International Women's Day, the golf industry will again celebrate the contribution of women and girls in golf, using Women & Girls Month to encourage greater participation and increased involvement at all levels. For more information on Golf Australia’s Women and Girls Month, click HERE 

For more information on the Women and Girls Month initiatives available at Windaroo Lakes, click HERE