Sandra Carlborg - Professional player and Long Drive champion

This is huge! We have had the honor of asking a few questions to the popular Sandra Carlborg, who has a long and successful track record in Long Driving and as a professional on the Tour (Ladies European Tour, South Africa, and the Swedish tour).

Sandra has played professional golf for 13 years around the world, with a 14th place finish on the Ladies European Tour as her best result. She has several top-10 placements on the Swedish and South African tours and a few professional victories in tournaments in Sweden.

Today, she is a great inspiration who creates significant interest in the sport of golf.

What made you start playing golf in the first place, and what made you fall in love with the sport?

I started playing golf with my grandfather and grandmother, and later with the rest of my family as well. I have always played a lot with guys, my brother and my cousin. I started competing as a 12-year-old, won my first tournament, and then I won 7 tournaments that year, so that was fun 😊 We were a group of friends during our teens who spent a lot of time together both on and off the golf course. We also went to tournaments together. For a while, there were 7 of us from little Alingsås on the top junior tour, Teen Tour as it was called back then.

Which aspects of golf do you enjoy the most, and what keeps your passion alive?

I love that golf is for everyone! You can play together regardless of handicap or who you are. It’s social, and you get out into nature.

Is there a particular moment or a specific tournament that has defined your career?

I have very strong memories from my first European Tour qualifier. I was 20, a newly turned pro, and off I went to southern Italy with my dad as my caddie. I was just going there to try it out. I played great and won the pre-qualifier. I then finished 20th in the final qualifier and immediately received full status on the Ladies European Tour, LET. Suddenly, I was one of those I had heard about on the radio and seen on TV!

Another wonderful memory is from my first European Tour event in Sweden at Barsebäck. I started well, and my uncle almost choked on his coffee when he turned on the TV and heard Christer Ulfbåge say, "Right now in the lead, Annika Sörenstam, Carin Koch, and Sandra Carlborg" 😊 (Annika later won the tournament, but a fun achievement nonetheless).

You run many different types of events – what do you find most rewarding about organizing golf-related events?

I love to inspire, entertain, and share my knowledge on how to get speed in your driver. I call Long Drive the "Rock 'n' Roll of Golf"—cranking up the music and rocking out with the driver gives me an incredible rush!

Golf has traditionally been seen as a fairly male-dominated sport. How do you think we can get more women to discover and start playing golf?

I agree, way too few women! I believe in creating female networks through golf. Make sure to have fun and turn golf into a social, fun activity.

What are the biggest barriers women face when starting to play golf, and how can we overcome these obstacles?

Many can suffer from performance anxiety, feeling they aren't "good enough" to go out and play with others. That’s where you need to boost them; after all, that’s what is so wonderful about golf, that everyone can play with everyone. No one cares about your score; everyone is busy with their own game.

How has your presence on social media, such as YouTube, helped reach new golfers, and what do you hope those who follow you take away from it?

On YouTube, it feels like people are mostly interested in the playing episodes. There, I share my game strategy, how I think before shots, what kind of shot I’m going to hit, and with which club. The goal there is to inspire golfers on how to think when they play and before their shots. I now play offensive golf, hitting lots of drives because it’s fun and because I think that’s what people want to see. I sometimes have to explain that it might be a smarter move to play it safe 😊!

What role do you think golf clubs play in creating a more inclusive environment for women and new players?

Create practice opportunities and playing opportunities where it is easier for them to get to know others to play with. Also, they can invite me for an inspiration day 😊

If you could give one piece of advice to a woman who is curious about trying golf but perhaps feels unsure, what would it be?

Try it! Take a friend with you and give it an honest chance. Golf is fun but can also be challenging. Give it some time; the more you play and practice, the better you get, and the more fun it becomes 😊 Set your own goals and compete against yourself 😊

How did it go when you started playing golf?

When I was little, walking was mostly annoying and boring; I remember clinging to Mom's bag and hitching a ride. I mostly have memories of jumping long jump in the bunkers and looking forward to ice cream after 9 holes.

When I then started competing as a 12-year-old and making friends on the golf course, it quickly became a big part of my life, and I spent entire summers on the golf course.

How far have you hit a golf ball when it hasn't been a competition?

I held the world record for 8 years at 357.7 meters (391 yards), which I hit at a competition in Orresta. In 2017, there was a competition in Denver, and that’s where I lost my world record. A girl from South Africa, Chloe Gardner, hit 400 yards. A few hours later, I hit 401 (366 m), so I took back the world record for a few hours before losing it again when Troy Mullins from the USA hit 402. Phillis Meti from New Zealand then knocked me out in the semifinals, where she hit a sprinkler and drove it 406 yards, setting a new world record. So, there were 4 of us girls who hit over 400 yards that day. Phillis Meti broke her own record the following year and now holds the world record at 413 yards. As far as I know, those are my two longest drives. It’s hard to get the same adrenaline during practice!

What was it like to win a competition in China?

It was different, of course—my first time in China. That was the largest prize check ever on the women's side at the time. I won 25k dollars plus 2k dollars for the longest drive. (The guy who won got 100k dollars). The competition itself was organized by New Zealanders, and the competitors were mostly the same ones I was used to facing. This was in 2018, and I beat Phillis Meti in the final, whom I had faced in many finals over the years and who is still one of my absolute biggest competitors today. A fun tournament and an important win in my career. I competed while pregnant throughout 2019, so it would take until my comeback in 2023 before I won on the big stage again. That time, also in Tennessee, against Phillis Meti. She won the World Championship that year, but a key note for me was that I had the World Championship's second-longest ball at 343, longer than Phillis, who won 😊 There will probably be a few more World Championships to come 😊

How does it differ to play Swedish tour tournaments compared to tournaments in South Africa?

I’ve been to South Africa 4 times. I love the climate, the food, and the golf courses there. Most tournaments were around Johannesburg, and for security reasons, we only stayed at the hotel, the golf course, and the shopping mall. In Cape Town, Durban, and Nelspruit, we could move around a bit more freely, but it’s different to always be on guard. It felt weird when the people picking up balls on the range did it by hand and, at best, with a helmet on their head. It also felt strange that our caddies weren't allowed into the clubhouse and that they were considered "well-paid" when they received a few hundred kronor from us per day. I hope it’s different today! Every year, I left a large portion of my golf clothes and shoes that I had brought with me to my caddie. I also remember leaving a mobile phone once. I had the same caddie all 4 years I was there.

What do you think about dress codes on the golf course?

When it comes to the women's side, I wouldn't say we have much of a dress code left. We see a lot of short skirts and sleeveless tops. I know when we played the LET in Dubai, they told us to have collars on our tops, and I remember it at an older club in the British Isles as well. Personally, I think you can dress however you want on the golf course as long as you are clean and tidy 😊

We say a HUGE THANK YOU to Sandra for taking part in this and wish you the best of luck in the future.