The 2024 Advanced Skills Trial Program.
In order to encourage more women to gain the confidence to participate in a broader range of District-wide events, including SGGI Championships and higher level Pennant competition, SGGI ran a trial Advanced Skills Clinic from late 2023 into early 2024.
Prospective participants, with GA handicaps in the 15-22 range, from all South Gippsland Clubs were invited on recommendation from the Women’s Match Committee and their Club Women’s Captain.
Participants agreed to commit to 4 sessions, initially on Sunday mornings across the December to February timeframe, at Leongatha Golf Club. They paid an up-front fee of $40, with SGGI subsidising the remaining cost.
Participants were required to complete an assessment sheet, stating their personal aims in areas they wished to improve their golf techniques, noting their strengths and weaknesses. This enabled golf Professional, Melissa Taylor, to follow their progress.
12 women, from 5 clubs, were nominated.
The sessions included putting, chipping, bunker play and course management. Participants were given test sheets to record their practice activity between each session. At the completion of the fourth session, players were sent a summary e-booklet for future reference.
Feedback from attendees was very positive.
SGGI feels that the trial was very successful and has decided to again offer the program in late 2024.
Clinic #2
The second round of SGGI-sponsored Skills Clinics had five clubs taking up the invitation to nominate players for the 4 sessions. The handicap range was extended this time around, being GA 15-28. Cost to participants remained at $40 for the 4 sessions. The first 2 sessions were 29th Sept and 6th Oct; next 2 sessions were on 27th October and 8th December.
We suggested for this series of clinics that clubs keep an ’emergencies’ list so that they could fill any vacancies that might arise if either of their participants was unable to attend a session.
As there were more players nominated than places available, SGGI decided to again offer the Skills Clinics in January-February next year. This series of 4 clinics will be the last for a while, as Melissa will be going on maternity leave, hopefully returning to coaching in October 2025.
Dates for the next clinics will be January 12th & 19th , February 2nd & 16th .
Clinic # 3, 2025
Twelve women were nominated by their clubs to attend the 3rd round of Skills Clinics in Jan-Feb 2025. Melissa Taylor again conducted the 4 sessions at Leongatha Golf Club on Sundays 12th & 19th January, and 2nd &16th February. Each session ran 8:30-10:00.
Participants benefited from Melissa Taylor’s individualised advice and their targeted practice sessions of golfing skills including putting, short game and course management.
Session 2 focused on the short game of chipping, with attention to different distances and set up for varying lies, plus consideration of ball run after landing, when using different clubs.
Session 3 also focused on short game skills, but this time the focus was on pitching and accurate alignment.
Unfortunately session 4 was unable to be held, but regardless, participants had high praise for the value of these clinics. They were also grateful to SGGI for subsidising the cost.
SGGI looks forward to seeing the participants apply their new and/or improved skills at future District events and Pennant matches.