Yourcaddy #4 | Page 72

Melissia Pretty is a former full time amateur golfer who turned professional recently. Melissia owns a golf events company @mjpgolfevents, has modelled for golfing brands and presented at numerous golfing events. I don’t know how many times a day I must tell people what I do for a living and get a blank, confused expression gaze back at me. Yes I am a golfer and yes I am wearing 6-inch heels. Clearly this is not a combination they come across very often but I guarantee you there is not a day that goes by when I don’t have to try and justify what I do for a living. I’m a golfer, a model and a business woman. A lot of people ask me how I prove myself to the people that think women should be in the kitchen, seen and not heard. The answer is simple. I offer them a game of golf. Now I understand for the old school man’s man seeing women play golf of the red tees on their course is hard enough but to see a women hit a ball past you off the yellow tees must be even more difficult. Especially when this ‘woman’ is 24 years old, very self-assured and thrives of proving everyone wrong. I was once told I don’t help myself with my “confident nature, loud mouth, petite curvy frame and dare to bare skirts which barely cover the shorts underneath’ but by the end of 18 holes I hear a lot of people say “She was a really down to earth girl”, What do they expect me to be? Some IT girl that loves herself? I am infact very very different to how people think I am. I am also a very good golfer that has every right to be doing what I do for a living. So what does a typical female golfer look like? I look at the current beauties of the game. The likes of Paula Creamer, Charley Hull, Amy Boulden and Lexi Thompson. Strong powerful women on and off the golf course. Entrepreneurs, businesswomen. They are a product. They are extremely talented golfers but they are marketable because of how they look. Little girls see the pink skirts or the long blond hair and they want to play golf. I remember watching Anna kournikova back in her day and going to JD sports to buy a tennis racket. Getting young girls into the sport is what it is all about. Getting women in general to not feel like only men can play a sport is very important. We don’t live in the 1900’s anymore. Women 72 | YOURCADDY MAG - ISSUE 04 can go in the clubhouse, wander through most bars and play pretty much when they want. Golf has grown but so has female domination in sport in general. The Women’s World Cup this year has got little girls all over the world wanting to kick a football around as well as putting their tutu on for ballet classes. It is powerful to be female in 2015.