High Performance
Golf Australia’s High Performance program has four key objectives:
Performance Environments Providing a platform for our athletes to transition to Top 100, Major and Olympic Champions.
Athlete Support Systems Providing athletes with support structures to facilitate their transition to Top 100, Major and Olympic success.
Workforce Development Maximising human potential across the High-Performance workforce is fundamental to the successful delivery of our HP strategy.
System Alignment Uniting and aligning the Australian Golf HP system to harness our collective strengths, talent and resources.
Golf Australia’s High Performance mission statement is to create and implement elite athlete preparation platforms and structures which provide the best possible coaching, support service, daily training environment, sports science services and competition opportunities for Australian athletes.
The state high performance programs collectively form the Golf Australia High Performance Program. The state high performance program is responsible for case managing each athlete’s daily training environment and long-term development processes.
Golf Australia must have a clear and integrated understanding of how the athlete is developing and how limited funding is being spent. It is also important GA has a close relationship with each athlete’s primary coach and key personnel as they are part of the athlete’s journey and an integral part of the overall team.
Our purpose
GA High Performance strategic purpose is to ‘win well to inspire more Australians to play more golf’. To achieve this, our key priority is to produce athletes who are capable of:
Winning Major Championships;
Winning Olympic Medals;
Achieving top-100 world ranking positions
These are the most effective means to boost participation in the game and attract funding to golf in Australia, due to the publicity and profile such results create.
Golf Australia has a selection process for athletes in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. These states and territories fall under the newly aligned selection process for the GA High Performance Program.
All athletes selected will be named in early March with the national program beginning by April 1 and finishing December 31.
Program selection criteria:
Australian citizen
All Golf Australia high performance program athletes must have completed - or be in the process of completing - secondary school
Results (state, national, international)
Rankings
Dedication to the process of reaching their full potential on and off the golf course
Potential to reach Golf Australia’s long-term high performance strategic objectives
The New South Wales high performance program is not currently administered by Golf Australia. Please check with the appropriate state body for specific details of each program.
Targeted funding
Targeted funding is additional money provided to athletes tracking towards Golf Australia’s long-term high performance strategic objectives. It can be in addition to what athletes receive from their state high performance programs, but can apply equally to those training outside such programs. In order to receive targeted funding:
Athletes in existing state HP programs are encouraged to consult with their respective state HP managers to request or be identified for targeted funding.
Athletes whose daily training environment is outside their home state’s high performance program – including those in the NCAA/US college system – are eligible for targeted funding provided their development is monitored by their respective state HP program manager. Two-way contact between the athlete and state HP manager is vital and encouraged.
Targeted funding can be applied to development and tournament opportunities, both domestically and abroad.
Download Golf Australia's event classification, as at Feb 2025.
College Golf
College golf is a viable pathway for aspiring young athletes.
The below booklet has been designed to answer some questions you may have about the process of attending college in America and to help provide a bridge between the athlete and perspective schools.
After reading this, student athlete prospects will have a more knowledgeable understanding of intercollegiate athletics and the processes involved in attaining a scholarship as a student athlete.
Each of the components listed in the booklet have been broken down into subcategories to assist with explaining the fundamental topics of each component thoroughly. If you still have any pondering questions or require additional information after reading this booklet, the websites provided will offer great assistance.
It is important to understand Golf Australia does not endorse athletes in pursuing their athletic or academic career in the U.S Collegiate system. We see the college system as a potential pathway option.
This booklet offers the potential athlete and parents a guide into the system so an educated decision can be made on the direction the athlete can pursue both athletically and academically.
Golf Australia believes the Australian system is the best in the world with State High Performance programs offering world class resources and structures around the athlete.
Download the Golf Australia College Recruiting Guide
Elite amateurs will have direct access to membership of the PGA Tour of Australasia under a new pathway system developed by the PGA of Australia and Golf Australia.
To be known as the PGA Affiliate Future Tour, this new pathway will provide the opportunity for amateurs who play in PGA Tour of Australasia events to accrue points and earn a PGA Tour of Australasia Tour card for the following season.
The leading amateur who accrues the equivalent points to the player finishing 50th or better on the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit will earn a tournament exemption category for the following season which they can utilise either as an amateur or by joining the PGA as a professional.
In addition, the second and third placed amateurs on the Future Tour Order of Merit who also earn points equal to or better than prize money earned by the 50th-placed player on the PGA Tour of Australasia Final Order of Merit will be eligible for a tournament exemption category that will be positioned after the 51-60 category in the tournament exemption categories.
Any amateur in the field can join the PGA Affiliate Future Tour program by paying a fee before the first round. Points allocated to eligible amateurs will be aligned with the professional prize money payout table.
For more information on the Affiliate Future Tour Membership, please visit the PGA of Australia website.
Golf Australia's High Performance Pathway
Tier 1 – Golf Australia Rookie Squad The Golf Australia rookie program comprises of male and female professional athletes who are in the first 5 years of their career. Tier 1 athletes are considered the future of Australian golf and have the tools capable of achieving the programs objectives of winning major championships, Olympic medals and top-100 world ranking positions. Past program members include Cameron Smith, Hannah Green and Minjee Lee.
Tier 2 – State High Performance Program A Tier 2 athlete is a state-identified elite amateur athlete who has demonstrated the ability to compete successfully at national and international level and is showing the potential, desire and commitment on and off the golf course to be a future Tier 1 athlete. This program is designed to add value to the athlete's current training environment while providing both professional and amateur tournament access nationally and internationally.
Tier 3 – State Development Program A Tier 3 athlete is a state-identified developing amateur who is showing the potential ability to compete successfully at national and international level and is showing the potential, desire and commitment on and off the golf course to be a future Tier 2 athlete. This program is designed to add value to the athlete's current training environment while providing amateur tournament access nationally and internationally.
Tier 4 – State Talent ID Programs The Tier program is the state talent ID program for U/18 athletes who are showing the potential, desire and commitment on and off the golf course to be a future Tier 3 level athlete. Athletes are invited to various state camps and training sessions offered annually.
Apply
To apply for one of Golf Australia's high performance programs, click here.
Click here to download the document to view the Golf Australia National Program & Team Selection Policy.
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