There is often talk about how we can get more women to play golf – but there are also those who are actually doing something about it. Julie is one of them.
She is a coach, entrepreneur, and one of the forces behind Girls Night Golf – an initiative that has, in just a few years, grown into a go-to place for women who want to play, develop, and have fun with golf. With passion, warmth, and a large dose of inspiration, Julie has helped build a community where new golfers feel at home from their very first swing.
In this interview, she shares her journey, why security and community are so important, and how golf can become both more fun and more inclusive for more people.
Welcome into Julie's world – where golf is more than just a game.
1. How did your journey in golf begin? Was there a particular moment that made you fall in love with the sport? I have played golf for as long as I can remember – it has always been a big part of my upbringing. We have spent many good hours together as a family on the golf course, and I have seen pictures of myself with a golf club in my hand when I was two years old. So it is actually difficult to say exactly when it started – it has just always been there.
2. What inspired you to start Girls Night Golf? I have always missed having more girlfriends to play golf with. The environment was small, and that was actually one of the reasons why I didn't pursue golf further after my teenage years. Instead, I took a coaching education and worked as a golf coach for 7 years.
Three years ago, I happened to be playing in a simulator when a person came up and recommended checking out "GN Golf," which Mikka Haglund had just started. A brand new concept with training sessions for girls, by girls – and with a very low threshold for joining. I joined one training session and completely fell in love with the concept! Since then, I have gone from being a participant to a coach – and now I am a co-owner and responsible for marketing and communication.
3. What challenges do you see for women who want to start playing golf, and how can we overcome them? Many have told me that they think it is a bit scary to start, especially alone. Many need a push from a friend, or start because their partner plays. My best tip is to just jump into it!
There are so many great opportunities to meet others, especially through training sessions and events. Golf is so social – and I have actually never met anyone on the course who hasn't been interested in getting to know people. At GN Golf, I have made some of my closest friends just in the last year.
4. How do you work to create a welcoming environment for women in the golf world? As a coach, I have met incredibly many nice golfers over the years – and it is so nice to see that there have been more and more girls on the course!
I started @golfbyjulie a year ago to promote our GN training sessions, and the response has been completely overwhelming. It seems many have missed someone they can relate to – and to see a slightly more low-threshold and personal side of golf. I want to create a safe and inspiring environment and show that golf is more than just an "old man's sport."
5. What types of events and activities does Girls Night Golf organize? Our goal is to make golf fun, social, and educational – regardless of level! We have three regular concepts:
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Monday training: every other Monday on a simulator, with different themes and 2–3 coaches present. There are often 20–30 girls registered.
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Clinics: smaller groups with a focus on specific themes, together with our PRO Emilie Kvamme.
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Afterworks: social gatherings and fun tournaments with a focus on meeting and mingling.
Our biggest event so far is the New Year's tournament, which has been a huge success for the last 2 years. We are very proud of this event and have received insanely many nice responses so far. It is truly a great motivation to continue. The concept is to gather young golfers for a big simulator scramble tournament with sponsors, great prizes, and a strong emphasis on the social aspect. We reserve 50/50 spots for women and men so that there is an even gender balance. We hope to see more similar concepts in the future and that girls get to take a bigger space in the golf world.
6. Do you have a particular golf memory that is especially close to your heart? Yes! I was a leader for a summer camp at my home club where over 40 juniors participated. The camp always ends with the kids hitting over the 18th hole at Asker – a spectacular hole with only water between the tee box and the green. One year my niece was participating, and the feeling when she hit over and landed on the green is something I won't soon forget. After that, she also got hooked on golf, and we have gained another golfer in the family ❤️
7. How do you view golf as a social activity? Golf is perhaps one of the most social sports. We at GN organize training sessions with a focus on the social aspect and creating an arena for girls to get to know other golfers. What is so nice about golf is that you only compete against yourself, so you can play with golfers of all levels and still have a good time. I like to think of it as getting quality time with the people you are playing with, regardless of whether it's someone you know or someone completely new. You do, after all, walk for 4 hours on a golf course, without a phone, only focused on the game and getting to know the people you are walking with.
But it is not just on the course that it is social. We try to organize smaller events and create more meeting places for golfers, both girls and guys. There has been a much greater focus on low-threshold tournaments and shorter tournaments in recent years. Among other things, I have booked the simulator for 2 hours and invited to a friends-of-friends tournament where I have invited friends who have brought their friends. Those are the best events in my opinion.
It is the ultimate icebreaker to play golf, because everyone I have met who plays it can talk about it for many hours.
8. What advice would you give to women who are curious about trying golf but don't quite dare to take the step? My tip is: jump into it. Go to an event, sign up for a training session, or send a DM to someone you see playing golf. It might seem scary at first, but I promise – the environment is so inclusive. I have never experienced anyone getting a negative response to that; either it doesn't fit and then you just plan another day. Every girl I have gotten to know through golf is very open to meeting new people and finds it easy to include new girls in the group.
9. What does a typical training session look like with you as a coach? It varies, but I am very focused on making it simple. I want those who come to take away tips and exercises they can use on their own – and most importantly feel a sense of mastery and golf joy!
10. What do you find most rewarding about working as a golf coach? It is without a doubt seeing juniors and beginners start to master the game – and feel true joy for it.
11. What changes would you like to see in the golf world to make the sport more inclusive for women? We must create safe arenas and show that everyone is welcome. Many don't feel they "fit in" or are good enough – and that often has to do with how events are communicated. It is about making it visible that all levels can join, and also inviting and making room for women. I won't sign up for a tournament where there are only pictures of groups of guys and a high focus on results. Low-threshold, scramble, and social – then I am in!
12. How do you work to build a sense of community among the members of Girls Night Golf? For us, it has been important that people feel safe and like part of a big group of girlfriends. So we work on making it personal, social, and that one can relate to us who are involved. We in the team are a combination of golfers who have played their whole lives and others who have recently started. In the training sessions, we always find exercises adapted to every level and lower the threshold for trying and failing. We are also very keen on getting to know our members and not creating any distance between us in the team and the participants, so we show up at all training sessions and say hello and talk to each and every one.
13. Do you have any role models in golf or outside of the sport who have inspired you? It is a bit cliché, but I have always looked up to my big sister. She played golf actively long before me and has always been positive and played steadily. I remember it was extra special to see her on the podium and take home prizes from tournaments.
14. What do you think is the biggest myth about golf, especially when it comes to women who play? "Girls don't want to play tournaments." I often hear this when tournaments are organized. It is unfortunately often the case that girls don't sign up for the big tournaments, but it doesn't come from not wanting to play, but rather from not feeling welcome or that it is safe to participate. We have organized tournaments several times where it has sold out in just a few hours and filled up with girls of all ages. It is much more about facilitation and welcoming the girls, rather than there not being a desire to join.
15. How do you balance your own playing with coaching others? The years I worked actively as a golf coach, I hardly touched my own golf clubs. The handicap uses the last 20 rounds to calculate, and it was only last year that I got the rounds that were from 2017 out. I still have rounds from 2020 that count towards the handicap, so in other words - I haven't played much myself...
16. What are your future plans for Girls Night Golf? We have lots of plans for GN, but we have a project that is approaching and that hopefully will be very big. We want to organize a big tournament to benefit women's health. This is an important topic that we want to include in golf, in a social and fun tournament. Right now we are looking for partners and sponsors for this event. So if you who are reading this think it sounds interesting, just get in touch, and we would love to hear from you!
17. How do you view social media as part of growing the golf community for women? Social media is gold for reaching out to girls with the same interest as us and for staying in touch! We work to be personal and relatable there, so that the girls who join the training have a relationship with us and dare to reach out if there is anything. It becomes like a big group chat for friends where everyone is welcome to share their golf experiences and we share information about news and upcoming events. Now we have started a new column with "stories from our members," with the goal of showing what effect GN has had on girls in our area. The first story was about two girls who met at the New Year's tournament and have played together since. Those are exactly the kinds of stories we live for 🫶
18. What types of reactions do you get from women who participate in your events? So many nice ones! There are so many who have thanked us for creating a space where they feel safe and seen. We do get some messages on our social media from girls around Norway who want us to start similar offerings where they live, and it is of course also incredibly nice to hear that what we are doing is wanted by others.
I remember one incident in particular where I was a bit taken aback. It was a group of girls who came up at an event and said that they had followed me ever since the start – and that I was the reason they started playing golf. Then I have to admit that I was a bit taken aback and thought it was strange that someone knew who I was and what we were working on. It is easy to forget that there are actually real people behind the views and clicks. But it was incredibly special, and it is of course a motivation to continue!
19. If you could dream freely – what would be the ultimate Girls Night Golf event? Oh, we love to dream! The ultimate would be to be able to take a big group of girls on a golf trip to Spain or warmer climes, play golf all day and organize a banquet in the evening with lots of good food, bubbly, and goodie bags. There really isn't anything better than playing golf with girlfriends, and being able to top that off with heat, good food, and a nice dinner would be a dream!
20. Finally, what does golf mean to you personally? Golf for me is a social thing where I get to meet new people and take care of good relationships. It is on the golf course that I really get quality time with family or friends, and I will always be grateful that I was introduced to the sport so early. I think it is so nice how one learns patience, to be mentally engaged, to adapt to new people and situations through a sport. I would argue that you become a better person by playing golf, because it is just as much about the mental aspect and having respect for yourself and others as it is the technique. And finally, you never stop learning - so you can play golf for the rest of your life and always learn something new!
Thank you, Julie, for taking the time to answer so generously and honestly to all the questions.
It is truly noticeable how much heart and thought lies behind everything you do. Girls Night Golf is something very special – not because it is perfect, but because it is real. It is fun, inclusive, and full of warmth. Exactly how golf should feel for more people.
It is clear that Girls Night Golf is not just about lowering handicaps – but also about raising community and making golf more open and inclusive. Thank you for everything you do to make more people feel welcome on the course!