Golf might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of women but that’s starting to change.
According to Golf Australia, more than 60 per cent of new golfers who joined in 2025 were women.
Once seen as a members-only boys’ club sport reserved for retirees and corporate deals, golf is undergoing a reinvention.
Scroll through TikTok and you’ll find women of all ages and all skill levels sharing their swings, their misses and their progress, and having fun doing it.
“It becomes obvious very quickly that golf isn’t this serious, exclusive world people imagine,” says Skye Choueiri, a PGA Pro coach at the Sydney Golf Academy. “It’s welcoming, it’s playful, and there’s a whole community ready to cheer you on, online and in real life.”
Across Australia, more women are picking up a club for the first time, drawn not just to the game itself, but to everything that comes with it.
How golf is winning women over
Golden Bachelor winner Sunny Long hasn’t always been a golf person.
“I actually first picked up a club back in 2005 for business,” she tells The Weekly. “Back then, it felt rigid, stuffy and very much a male-dominated space.”
Fast-forward to now, and her experience couldn’t be more different.
“What surprised me most was the inclusivity,” she says. “I expected that old, quiet environment, but instead found this vibrant, supportive world of women cheering each other on.”
Now in her 50s, Sunny has been documenting her golf journey on TikTok, showing other women that you don’t need to be good, or even know what you’re doing, to enjoy it.
“It’s actually quite liberating to be a beginner at 40-plus,” she says. “There’s something refreshing about being ‘bad’ at something and just enjoying the process.”
The exercise you don’t have to force yourself to do
Golf might not scream “workout”, but it adds up in ways people don’t expect.
“You can easily hit 10,000 steps without even realising it,” Sunny says. “You’re so focused on the game.”
And it’s not just the walking. “People massively underestimate how physical golf actually is,” says Skye.
“You’re walking kilometres, rotating through your whole body, building strength, balance and coordination. It’s genuinely a full-body workout disguised as a sport you can do at any age.”
It’s also one of the few sports you can pick up later in life and stick with.
“Golf is something you can start at almost any age and keep playing for decades,” says Golf Australia’s Head of Women and Girls Engagement, Tamara Mason. “That consistency is where the real long-term health benefits come from.”
A rare kind of mental switch-off
Golf demands your full attention. You can’t scroll, multitask or run through your to-do list mid-swing.
“For so many women I work with, it becomes the one hour in their week where their brain finally gets to switch off,” says Skye. “Once they find that, it becomes their sanctuary.”
Sunny feels it too. “In my career, everything has been about high-speed decisions,” she says. “So I really appreciate how golf forces me to slow down. As soon as I step onto the green, I release whatever stress I’ve been carrying.”
According to Golf Australia, 73 per cent of golfers report a positive impact on their mental health. Tamara says that comes down to a combination of movement, social interaction and the simple enjoyment of the game.
“People feel calmer, clearer and more energised after playing,” she explains
Why it works for busy women (especially mums)
One of the biggest misconceptions about golf is the time commitment.
“It doesn’t have to take over your day,” says Skye. “It can be 30 minutes on the range before school pickup, a quick lesson during nap time, or a relaxed hit with a friend on a Sunday morning.”
“Golf moulds itself around your life in a way most sports simply don’t,” she adds.
As a coach for the Mums, Bubs & Clubs program at Moore Park Golf, she sees the benefits firsthand.
“Mum guilt is real. But more women are realising that taking time for themselves isn’t selfish, it’s necessary,” she says.
“When you come home after a round, you come back more present, more energised and more yourself. Your family feels that difference, and it benefits everyone.”
The part that keeps women coming back
While the game draws people in, it’s often the social side that keeps them there.
Golf Australia found that 76 per cent of players says it improves their sense of connection.
“You spend hours walking and talking, which creates a deep level of connection you just don’t get over a quick coffee,” says Sunny.
For her, that sense of community has extended beyond the course.
Sharing her journey online has opened up a whole new network and even sparked interest at home.
“My daughters never wanted to play,” she says. “Now, after seeing more of it online, they’re curious. They can see it’s actually fun.”
So is it time to give it a go?
If you’ve always assumed golf “isn’t for you”, it might be time to rethink that.
“The first thing I tell every beginner is this: forget everything you think golf is,” Skye says. “You don’t need your own clubs, you don’t need to know the rules, and you definitely don’t need to be good.”
For a growing number of women, golf is becoming a way to move, to connect and to carve out time that feels like your own.
As Sunny puts it, “It’s a great way to socialise, exercise and be outdoors.”
