Helping regional golf administrators lead like pros
Published: 27 August 2025A new Victorian Government backed Golf Australia program is helping Victorian golf club administrators to lead like pros when it comes to running a regional amateur golf club.
The Golf Australia Club Governance Program, powered by the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) was launched in late May 2025, and has so far trained more than 50 senior leaders from 15 regional golf clubs across the state from Peterborough to Mooroopna.
The aim is for Golf Australia to train over 1,700 administrators across more than 240 clubs and associations throughout regional Victoria by June 2027.
The training equips participants, most of whom are volunteers, with essential skills to run their golf clubs at a more professional level.
The training includes workshops and top tips from AICD professional trainers covering financial literacy, budgeting, asset management, performance oversight, understanding governance principles, roles and responsibilities, legal obligations of directors and more.
Program participant Bindi Gove, Honorary President of the Peterborough Golf Club, explained, ‘Regional Clubs by their nature are run by volunteers and having a level of professionalism amongst that volunteer workforce through this type of training will really help maintain the sustainability of regional sport.’
Transcript
Golf Australia, Club Governance Program Video Transcription – August 2025
[Opening with aerial drone shots of Lonsdale Links Golf Club. Cut away to people participating in a workshop inside a room in the club house]
[Music – country style banjo]
[Title Caption – Golf Australia, Club Governance Program]
Jenny Carden – Captain Barwon Heads Golf Club
We're here today at Lonsdale Links to participate in the Golf Australia Club Governance Program.
It's very instructive to have the opportunity to have discussions and case studies that they present for us particularly pertaining to golf and golf club governance.
Graham Hill – President Apollo Bay Golf Club
Having the costs fully covered is extremely helpful for small regional clubs and in a small community like ours, beautiful Apollo Bay on the Great Ocean Road, financial accessibility is not nearly as easy as it is in metropolitan areas.
And without that funding, we wouldn't have been able to send two people on a course of this quality from our club.
Bindy Gove – Honorary President Peterborough Golf Club
Hi, I'm Bindy Gove. I'm the Honorary President of the Peterborough Golf Club. We've got a simple vision at Peterborough.
More people playing more golf more often. I'm aware of the AICD because of my corporate life. I know of the value of AICD training.
The fact that it's free of charge means it delivers sort of almost double the value. I obviously will be sharing my learnings across the other volunteers in our club.
Jenny Carden – Captain Barwon Heads Golf Club
We are increasingly realising that it's very important that the committee does have education.
Graham Hill – President Apollo Bay Golf Club
The liabilities on the directors of the club, you might call it a committee of management or whatever, but the liabilities on directors are exactly the same as they are on people in similar positions in large businesses.
Bindy Gove – Honorary President Peterborough Golf Club
Regional clubs, by their nature, are run by volunteers and having a level of professionalism amongst that volunteer workforce through this type of training will really help maintain the sustainability of regional sport.
[Music]
[Caption – We acknowledge the support of the Victorian Government through Sport and Recreation Victoria’s Sustainable Volunteer Workforce Program 2024-27]
[Logos – Golf Australia, Victorian Government, Australian Institute of Company Directors]
The training program is one of 12 new initiatives backed by our new Sustainable Volunteer Workforce Program.
Other funded organisations include Tennis Victoria. They’re using the funding to provide administration support for local clubs – giving volunteers more time to focus on their programs and activities.
Swimming Victoria, in partnership with Diving Victoria, has created a new Aquatic Leader role in the Barwon South West region to address challenges such as declining volunteer numbers and pool closures.
The Sustainable Volunteer Workforce Program supports sport and active recreation sector initiatives and partnerships that help attract and retain volunteers and staff, reduce volunteer workload, and ultimately increase participation opportunities for Victorians on and off the field.
It is part of our $60 million Regional Community Sport Development Fund that is delivering infrastructure and programs to support more regional Victorian families and children to become and remain physically active.
Increasing sector capability and supporting the development of a highly skilled sport and active recreation workforce that in turn leads to a strong, sustainable industry is a key objective of Active Victoria 2022-2026 – A strategic framework for sport and active recreation in Victoria.
To find out more about the program and funded projects visit Sustainable Volunteer Workforce Program.