To quote Pele: “No individual can win a game by himself”. Chloe-Allyn Gallacher grew up loving team sports, like football, basketball and netball. But when she moved to London from her home in Perth in Western Australia, she struggled to find anyone to play with. Back then,  her now husband took her to the practice range on their first date and with one hit of the golf ball, she was hooked. This turned out to be a serendipitous moment where she found a remedy to her dilemma in one of the only games that you can play alone: golf. Fast forward to today and the world of golf, she is far from alone. Chloe is a trailblazer for women’s golf today.

Of a handful of UK-based golf influencers, Chloe-Allyn Gallacher is the original golf influencer in its purest form. She began documenting her golfing journey in 2016, using her Instagram account @onthegreenwithchloe to find people to follow to help with her golf education. The process of documenting her golf journey has led to 10k followers in the first year and now she is at almost 40k. Building a sense of community around her was a very important part of the process, the key ingredients of which have (unsurprisingly) been the dedication to daily interactions: posting, commenting and starting conversations.

Over the last decade, golf has seen huge progress in making the game more female-friendly and Chloe has played a huge part in this process. With her effervescent positivity as seen in her social media, she has created a safe place for golf fans to connect, share ideas and, to find other people to play with. Along with enhancing women’s golf, the community also offers the opportunity to look inside the life of often elusive golf idols, which can in turn inspire a younger audience. All of this has culminated in her being asked what to wear, recommendations for good local golf courses and most significantly, where are the most female-friendly places to play.

With reverence, Chloe is clearly honoured by the trust that exists between her and her following. She is also grateful for the skills golf has taught her, in terms of problem-solving and patience as well as mental and emotional attributes, like taking one shot at a time. It’s hard to believe that before she discovered golf, Chloe described herself as anxious and lacking in confidence and as  a  person who was afraid to try something new. Even going to the practice range alone was a hurdle to overcome.

Chloe is keen to share her wisdom to encourage more women into the game and emphasises: “Look for lessons for beginner or women-only groups(if you are a woman) to build up courage and confidence and learn the ‘etiquette’ first” and  “surround yourself with women or beginners around to support each other” -something she never had starting out. Further sage advice is to “ Start on a par3 course to begin with” to get comfortable on a golf course. Not forgetting the social media groups on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok with information on all of the above.

Now for the fun part. Chloe has covered some of the best golf experiences in almost every continent and appreciates the differences and contrasts. She is a fan of courses in Mauritius particularly, Heritage Le Telfair.  With views of the Indian Ocean, white sandy beaches, Heritage Le Telfair’s has an unbridled VIP experience with a seamless transition from poolside to first tee and boasts its own Michelin starred restaurant on site. Pine Needles in the Sandhills in North Carolina is a favourite in the US and in Europe, the Hacienda del Conde in Tenerife. With authentic Spanish charm which overlooks it’s Buena Vista course, Hacienda del Conde is positioned on cliffs with dramatic views over the Pacific Ocean.

Back home in Oz, The Cut in South Perth is her favourite Aussie course. On this course down under,  visitors are required to drive through the rugged ‘bush’ to get there and only on arrival the pristine course reveals itself, built into the dunes with views of the Indian Ocean. The Vines, also has a special place in her heart because of the famous surrounding the Western Australia wine country and is a favourite amongst local kangaroos and in turn, Instagram. In the UK Chloe is a regular on Walton Heath GC who actively encourages women’s golf, so much so that they are hosting the 2023 AIG Women’s Open, one of the biggest events in the Women’s Golf calendar.

One major highlight of job is meeting the golf professionals and one dalliance stands out in her memory. Having only played golf for about a year, Chloe was invited to play at a Pro-Am prior to the Women’s Scottish Open in 2017 and she found herself in a group with major champion and Solheim Cup star Paula Creamer. An unprepared Chloe had “never felt so much pressure in her life”. But she managed to overcome her first tee nerves and beyond her wildest imagination, her team went on to win the event.

And recently married Chloe has an extensive to-do list. She insists she will continue to encourage as many people as she can into golf, making it a better landscape for women in particular. She is looking forward to presenting more content on her Youtube Channel and collaborating with her sponsors Puma and DestinationGolf.travel. She will still be working to improve the media coverage of women’s golf as well as seeing more golf at a grassroots level (in more schools). She is most excited about showcasing new courses around the world, whilst improving her own game.

Despite sharing your life story on social media, it is still a bizarre experience meeting fans at the big events and being asked ‘how was your holiday was last week in…?’ by someone whom she hasn’t met. Knowing what it is like to feel alone, Chloe savours every minute of the connections she makes and she couldn’t be happier when she interacts with the community she has worked hard to build. Her bubbly and enthusiastic nature is infectious and welcoming, the perfect role model for the game.