FOURTEEN-year-old Audrey Domaille is a star at many sports.
She is a fantastic basketballer and has been picked for the Netball Victoria Talent Academy.
However, it is golf where her family ties lie.
Audrey and her nine-year-old sister Pearl have been developing their games under Murray Downs Golf and Country Club head professional Lisa Jean as part of the Australian Golf Foundation’s Junior Girls Scholarship Program.
The program aims to retain girls in golf by connecting them with fellow players and creating a fun team environment.
It has improved the sisters’ games out of sight, according to their mother Nonie, who is overjoyed that now both her daughters can join her and their “granny” Kathy on the course.
“When they first started, they couldn’t really hit the ball, but now they’re very confident, especially for Audrey being a bit older she can play with us, has a handicap and knows how to score,” Domaille said.
“Pearl has learnt and is continuing to learn the basics, but it’s allowed her to play 18 holes which she was very excited about.
“Without the scholarship program, they would have, not just not learnt this, but probably stopped playing as well.”
Audrey has dropped her handicap from 54 to 34 within 12 months, while Pearl attained her own handicap and recently played her first round of 18 holes.
Both girls were highly complimentary of the program and coach Jean.
“It’s made me understand the game and I can actually hit the ball properly now,” Audrey said.
“It means we can play with mum and granny more competitively, which is really fun because we all love trying to beat each other.”
Pearl continued: “(Jean) makes it look so easy.
“When I was about to hit the ball in my swing, I used to have my front foot lift up, but now I can keep it down.”
Jean has been instrumental in improving not just the two girls but the half dozen or so others involved with the program.
“They’re going really well – Audrey is killing it with the added tuition, I think it helps having her whole family there playing with her,” Jean said.
“Pearl has improved massively in only a year, she went from pretty much a raw beginner to getting her handicap.
“It’s a great program and initiative – we’ve got funding again to do it this year, so five new girls are coming in to do it, which is brilliant.”
Road trips with mum and granny have been the recent highlights of the girl’s golf journey, with a trip to play in Tocumwal a particular favourite for both girls.
According to Jean, this family connection is crucial in keeping young girls in the sport beyond their formative years.
“It really helps to have families play to keep the girls interested – particularly in the country because they go to netball or tennis with their friends,” she said.
With many talented junior girl golfers being lost to other sports, the program was labelled as “terrific” by the girl’s grandmother Kathy Parkinson.
“It’s been fantastic because not many young girls play, and those that do, like the ones in the program, tend to fall away,” Parkinson said.
Through the scholarship program, successful clubs receive $2000 to offset the cost of group tuition for the year, as Golf Australia attempts to change the perception the sport is a male’s game.
