The man proceeded to share his wisdom from a putting lesson<\/a> he had many years ago, which was the transformational, groundbreaking advice, telling Holden to keep her head over the ball. He checks she understands this hugely complicated concept and instructs her to try it. Hannah continues her practice and holes the next putt. The man then proudly says, \u201cThere you are.\u201d What a guy!<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n The reaction to the post was telling. Many women responded with recognition, \u201cThis happens to me too.\u201d Others, largely men, questioned the video’s legitimacy. Was it staged? Why didn\u2019t she say, \u201cNo thank you.\u201d Was it exaggerated for likes?<\/p>\n With so much we see online being staged, these questions seem reasonable and neutral, but to me they reveal something deeper about the culture of golf and about how women\u2019s experiences are routinely minimised, doubted or reframed to make them easier to dismiss.<\/p>\n At its core, this isn\u2019t about one interaction, one video, or one social media post; it is about how women exist in golf spaces and what they are expected to tolerate in order to be there.<\/p>\n The Burden Of Politeness<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with one of the most common responses women hear when they say they don\u2019t appreciate unsolicited advice: \u201cWhy didn\u2019t she shut him down, say no thank you, I\u2019m all good thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n On the surface, that sounds straightforward. In reality, it misunderstands how women tend to navigate public and male-dominated spaces. Women are often taught to prioritise politeness, to avoid confrontation and to keep situations calm. This isn\u2019t about weakness or lack of confidence, it\u2019s about risk assessment.<\/p>\n When a woman is approached by a stranger, particularly in a setting where she may be alone or isolated, she has no reliable way of knowing how that person will react to rejection. For many women, a polite smile or deflection isn\u2019t agreement, it\u2019s self-protection. Women aren\u2019t saying every man who offers advice is dangerous, they\u2019re saying they don\u2019t know which ones might be and so, they behave accordingly.<\/p>\n In golf, this dynamic is amplified. Golf spaces are still largely male-dominated, practice areas are often quiet. All of this contributes to an environment where women learn to manage interactions carefully, even when they shouldn\u2019t have to. The people who think it is as simple as saying no, have likely never had to calculate their personal safety in that way.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Let Me Show You!<\/p>\n The topic of unsolicited advice <\/a>always makes me think of the scene in Greta Gerwig\u2019s hugely successful 2023 Barbie movie where Ken and other men repeatedly step in with an eager \u201clet me show you\u201d for a range of activities. They are certain of their authority and oblivious they\u2019ve not been asked.<\/p>\n Played for humour, the scene lands because it reflects something many women recognise immediately; the assumption of permission, the confidence to instruct, and the expectation that their advice will be gratefully received.<\/p>\n The film isn\u2019t accusing individual men of bad intent, it\u2019s illustrating how this behaviour can quietly sideline women\u2019s agency. In that sense, it mirrors what happened to Holden, the mystery man’s \u201chelpfulness\u201d crossed into intrusion, and she was expected to manage the interaction rather than question why it happened at all.<\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n Credibility On Probation<\/p>\n The irony is that women don\u2019t need to manufacture these moments. Ask almost any woman who plays golf regularly and she will have her own version of the story and casual sexism<\/a> she encounters.<\/p>\n Unsolicited swing tips<\/a>, rules explanations she didn\u2019t ask for, assumptions about her handicap or ability before she\u2019s even hit a shot. I have far more conversations with the women I teach about how to navigate their male friends and partners being \u2018helpful\u2019 than I ever have with the men I teach.<\/p>\n The instinct to dismiss these stories as fake says more about the discomfort they cause than about their accuracy. It\u2019s easier to believe a video is staged than to accept that the sport still has a problem with how women are treated within it.<\/p>\n From Dismissal To Sexualisation<\/p>\n Perhaps the most dispiriting aspect of the backlash of Holden\u2019s post is how quickly the conversation can slide from dismissal into sexualisation. There were comments like, \u201cIf she wants more followers, she should just hit balls in a bikini like the other social media golf girls, rather than make staged videos.\u201d<\/p>\n When women are told, implicitly or explicitly, that their golf content would be better received if they focused on their appearance rather than their skill, it reinforces a damaging message, that women\u2019s value in the sport is conditional. You can be taken seriously or you can be visible, but not both.<\/p>\n This false choice doesn\u2019t exist for men. Male golfers are rarely asked to justify their presence, tone, or credibility in the same way. They are allowed to be average, passionate, instructional, outspoken, or quietly competent without their motives being questioned. Women, meanwhile, are expected to prove that they belong<\/a>, and to do so without making anyone uncomfortable in the process.<\/p>\n![\"Male](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RUp9TvuHF6gZfyw9H5kh2B.jpg\")
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