With a professional background in retail buying but a passion for golf, Caroline Shukla left the fashion industry and founded Skratch Women in 2021 with a mission to inspire, encourage and support inner-city women to enjoy the skill of golf for both personal and professional gain.
Caroline started her golf journey as a child. Having always been around family members playing the sport, swinging a golf club came easily to her and in her 20’s when she decided to pick-up the skill full-time with professional coaching to support her. As a result, she noticed a change to her mental and physical wellness which came with the opportunity to enjoy regular mid-intensity exercise and the great outdoors.
Playing golf as a young woman is no easy feat. It is currently an extremely under represented demographic which makes encouraging participation a difficult task. Associated with historic male traditions and rigid rulebooks, golf is not necessarily seen as a modern women's game. However, Caroline is passionate about redefining the image of golf and advocating the personal and professional benefits of the skill so women can enjoy it in the same way many of their male counterparts do.
Location: South London
Industry: Retail
Job Title: Food Buyer
Handicap: No official one right now, but ask me in 6 months!
How she got into golf: My dad used to take me around the golf course when I was younger but I was never really hooked at that age, I think in part due to lack of a girls community back then. I play when I go home and abou
Location: South London
Industry: Retail
Job Title: Food Buyer
Handicap: No official one right now, but ask me in 6 months!
How she got into golf: My dad used to take me around the golf course when I was younger but I was never really hooked at that age, I think in part due to lack of a girls community back then. I play when I go home and about 1.5 years ago after a half-decent round I decided to challenge myself to give it a proper go and see where it could take me!
Why she's passionate about getting more women into golf: Since turning my focus to golf I've enjoyed the mental and physical challenge of the sport and doing it alongside likeminded women. The biggest reward for me is introducing girls to the sport who had never even considered it, either because they don’t know anyone else who plays, they don’t know how to get started, or perhaps their only exposure has been through a predominantly male dominated environment that don't offer the same learning opportunities that Skratch supports through their female community.
Location: North London
Industry: Tech
Job Title: Senior Group Product Manager
Handicap: Don’t have one yet
How she got into golf: My dad. He literally booked me into a residential golf school 3 years ago frustrated that he couldn’t play with me during covid, so I got thrown into an intense deep end of learning, ended up loving it and haven’t
Location: North London
Industry: Tech
Job Title: Senior Group Product Manager
Handicap: Don’t have one yet
How she got into golf: My dad. He literally booked me into a residential golf school 3 years ago frustrated that he couldn’t play with me during covid, so I got thrown into an intense deep end of learning, ended up loving it and haven’t looked back! I didn’t know any women under the age of 60 that played golf until I came across Skratch Women and it’s been lovely getting to know and play with women of a similar age. I’m very much still on my improvement journey but eager to get a formal handicap soon. I’m also very excited to be our first North London Ambassador to grow our relationships and events with clubs North of the river.
Location: South West London
Industry: Marketing
Job Title: Account Manager
Handicap: TBC! Don’t have one currently but planning on getting one in the very near future so stay tuned!
How you got into golf: I started taking some lessons in 2022 and immediately fell in love! Not only with playing but also watching the pros, learning about player
Location: South West London
Industry: Marketing
Job Title: Account Manager
Handicap: TBC! Don’t have one currently but planning on getting one in the very near future so stay tuned!
How you got into golf: I started taking some lessons in 2022 and immediately fell in love! Not only with playing but also watching the pros, learning about players, courses and different brands and equipment! Walking around a beautiful course in the summer is such a unique experience and amazing way to be able to spend your time and I hope to do a lot more this year!
Why she’s passionate about getting more women into golf: Golf has so much capability as a social sport and one you can build some amazing lifelong memories in if you have the right people to do it with. However, after starting golf by myself I was so excited when I found Skratch! Not only does it give golf girls the opportunity to learn, play new courses and go to events and trips, but also meet new people and make new friends, a very rare opportunity as an adult in a big city! And I’m so excited to see more golf girls join the community in 2025 and hopefully make some new amazing memories of their own!
Location: East London
Industry: Infrastructure
Job Title: Senior Policy Manager
Handicap: 32
How you got into golf: I played as a child in Scotland with my family - my mum was an excellent golfer! - unfortunately I became too intimidated by the lack of other girls playing and quit until I wanted to pick up a new hobby in my mid 20s
Why she'
Location: East London
Industry: Infrastructure
Job Title: Senior Policy Manager
Handicap: 32
How you got into golf: I played as a child in Scotland with my family - my mum was an excellent golfer! - unfortunately I became too intimidated by the lack of other girls playing and quit until I wanted to pick up a new hobby in my mid 20s
Why she's passionate about getting more women into golf: Becoming an excellent golfer or low handicapper isn’t likely to be on the cards for me, and that’s okay! But golf is a fairly unique sport in that ability does not impact your freedom to take part. I’m passionate about supporting the team to build a welcoming community, where women can come together in an easily accessible sport and develop friendships on and off the course!
As we spread our roots from our international hub in London, we now have ambassadors far and wide. Ellen will be launching Skratch Australia in Sydney this Autumn 2024, which will see huge growth with accessible venues and great weather all year round!
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