At the start of Women’s Month, Bryanston Country Club is celebrating a group of young women who have been taking part in the Progressive Women in Golf programme.
Progressive Women in Golf seeks to bring young girls from disadvantaged areas and expose them to the game of golf. Eight girls from Walter Sisulu Primary School in Olievenhoutbos were welcomed to the club in 2015.
Leigh-Jane Middleton, the head teaching professional at the Bryanston Country Club golf academy said that the girls have grown so much since they first started. Middleton said it has been such a wonderful experience to see the girls develop not only as golfers but as lovely young women.
Progressive Women in Golf was started by Malethola Matube to give young girls exposure to the sport and give them the opportunity to grow and develop their skills. The non-profit organisation was officially launched in 2015 when the Bryanston Country Club started teaching the eight young girls. The programme has now helped 100 hundred young girls from across the province.
Each Thursday morning, the Bryanston Country Club bus fetches the girls to transport them to the club for an hour of training. Middleton said,
“When they started they had never touched a golf club and it’s been a slow process because they don’t have the facilities to practice at home but now I would be comfortable to see them play nine holes by themselves.”
Middleton added that they have also learned the etiquette at the club as well as the knowledge of the different clubs. She added that she could not do it without the help of her team Julie Bruyns and Sean Coomer who assist with training the girls.
Matube has been enrolled at the Wits Golf Academy as a young woman said that she learned how golf is not just a game but can also be used as a tool for personal development. “It’s been so overwhelming to see the girls grow, they are so confident and so clear about what they want to do with their lives.”
She added that the programme also focuses on the girls’ parents and their schools to ensure that their development is supported. The aim of the programme is to ensure that the programme lasts over a few years to nurture and support the young girls.
Middleton said that the young girls who started when they were eight or nine have become more motivated and work hard at school.
Members at the club have shown their support for the young girls and have sponsored eight sets of clothing and equipment. The girls were also gifted with junior memberships at the club so that should they wish, they can play at the club at any time.
While the club has been supportive in training the girls Matube added that it would be wonderful to get more sponsors involved over a prolonged period of time to offer a sustainable programme for the young girls.
Details: Bryanston Country Club 011 706 1361
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