By Jack McDonald from Belgravia Leisure

In a unique offering, women at Yarrambat now have the option to mix mat Pilates with golf through an initiative designed to encourage more women into golf.

Yarrambat Park Golf Course, managed by Belgravia Leisure in partnership with Gia Pilates, launched Coreswing in November with the support of the Victorian Government Change Our Game grant.

Combining Pilates, golf coaching from a woman PGA professional, and post-session social coffee to engage women aged 20-45 in golf, Coreswing is designed to improve women’s participation in golf by creating a welcoming and supportive environment.

By integrating mat Pilates—a popular and accessible form of exercise—with golf instruction, Yarrambat was able to communicate to a group in which many had never considered trying golf before.

The program was a terrific success, with the first term of the program selling out in three days.

“I absolutely loved both the Pilates and golf sessions, and the instructors were fantastic! Thank you so much for offering the Coreswing program,” one participant remarked.

The Coreswing program emphasises inclusivity and community building. With Pilates enhancing golf skills such as coordination and flexibility, the program fosters confidence, camaraderie and skill development among the participants.

Additionally, the initiative promotes social interaction through a relaxed, coffee-centric post-session setting, designed to assist community building around the sport.

Improving female participation in golf is such important focus for the golf industry broadly, and finding innovative ways to engage with women through programs such as Coreswing is crucial to ensuring the game is more accessible.

Term two of the program will kick off in February 2025, with Yarrambat offering a second class to ensure double the women who have access to the program.

Beyond this, Belgravia Leisure envisions Coreswing becoming a program it can offer nationally across its golf course network.