Spotlight: Charlie Douglass

There are a variety of roles for women within the golf industry, Charlie Douglass is a Ladies European Tour professional and Communications Coordinator for Club Inc.

W&G asks the questions ….

You are currently unable to play professional golf due to a long-term injury, tell us about your roller coaster journey

I began suffering with back pain in December 2012 and after four months of physio without any real progress I decided to get an MRI scan. This showed that I have two bulging discs at L4 and 5. I received chiropractic treatment and went from barely being able to get out of bed in the morning to being back on the course. However, I wasn’t able to practise so this affected my preparation and performance, plus any more than two days of 18 holes became too painful so I ended up resenting making cuts! Last October I decided enough was enough and have put the clubs away until I can play without any pain. I’m now making progress, albeit slowly, and am back to practising short game with a view to being back on tour in 2015. It’s been an immensely frustrating time but I’ve tried to create some positive opportunities for myself off the course.

How often can you practise?

I’m currently limited to about thirty minutes of chipping and putting practise a day which doesn’t sound a lot but having spent eight months unable to do anything at all it’s amazing! I will probably never be able to play and practise the amount I did before my injury, but in a way I believe that’s a good thing because it will ensure the amount of practise I am able to do will be completely focused, and I will definitely appreciate my time at the course a lot more!

What led you to your current role with Club Inc. Golf Studios and what does it involve?

In January I placed an advert through my LinkedIn page looking for work in the golf sector and Club Inc’s MD Niall Flanagan got in touch. I am the Communications Coordinator and this involves running the social media accounts as well as writing and distributing PR material for both Club Inc. and our clients. It’s a refreshing change to be part of a team after being a ‘one man band’ for so long!

You were a guest in the Sky Sports Golf Studio during coverage of the Curtis Cup match. Tell us about that experience

I’ve been involved with Ladies European Tour commentary before so I felt absolutely fine, but when I woke up on the morning of the first day I was so nervous. It suddenly dawned on me that not only would I be live (all my previous commentary experience was pre-recorded), but I’d also be on camera! I had a panicky trip to the shops with my mum to pick my outfits and planned how I would have my hair and make up, which was taken care of by the lovely team at Sky. The first five minutes on air felt like torture, much worse than first tee nerves, but after that I loosened up and by the end of it I didn’t want it to finish!

Is TV work an area that you would like to develop?

I would love to further develop my TV career. Ladies’ golf is becoming more popular and stereotypical views are changing. I would like to be involved with the process of making golf more appealing to women and girls by bringing a relative presence to the coverage; it wasn’t that long ago I left amateur ranks so women and girls will be able to relate to that.

What other ambitions do you have?

There are so many things I want to achieve on and off the course, but I’ve always been a very firm believer that goals and ambitions are a very personal thing so perhaps ask me in forty years when I’ve retired!

What tip would you would give to up and coming junior golfers and professionals?

Quality is far more important than quantity! Ensure you always focus on improving something during your practice sessions and don’t just beat balls. Practise doesn’t make perfect, it makes permanent so if you practise poorly you can only expect poor results.