Progressive Nikki is loving her golf journey

After Nikki Etheridge first started her golf journey nearly three years ago she would adopt the encouraging thought, “progress not perfection”, and this genial and upbeat Scot now laughs and confirms, “There is a lot of progress, but no perfection yet!”

Nikki’s point will be understood by all who try this fascinating game, which is impossible to master but offers innumerable benefits in compensation. Nikki is also perhaps her own harsh critic here. Having not played the sport for long and, as time allows, as she practises the technique in her swing, the 37-year-old from the West of Scotland is quietly building an impressive golf game.

Her playing with friends and thoughtful sessions on the practice range combine well with some joyful trips up to the Highlands to play with her Dad, Peter, while Nikki’s working week is also much prized, in her role as a specialist health and work practitioner for the famous Beatson Cancer Charity in Glasgow.

In 2015, Nikki was diagnosed with having a sarcoma tumour in her left foot, and is now a below-knee amputee.

Fast forward eight years, and Nikki discovered online that Scottish Golf had started ‘disability golf hubs’ to attract more new players, and Nikki would enjoy several visits with the Scottish Golf team, and including women’s group sessions, at the all-purpose, beginner-friendly Golf It! centre in Glasgow, which was opened by The R&A in 2023.

“I realised that golf could be something that would be quite accessible with my mobility and what I’m able to do. It could help me keep fit and of course there was the chance then to play with my Dad, something I had wanted to do for a long time,” explains Nikki.

“It was quite nice for me when I stumbled upon golf, but also it’s such a keen interest for my Dad, and to be able to play with him and just share what I’m up to, has been great. It’s a four, four-and-a-half-hour drive up to Brora Golf Club [55 miles north of Inverness], so I don’t get to see him and play all the time, which I think makes it nicer when we do get to go out together.”

Nikki adds: “Since playing more, I’ve also realised that I really enjoy the mindfulness aspect of golf. It really takes you away from everything else that’s going on because as you are so focused on what you are doing at the time, you just forget everything else.

“Personally, I love being outside, so it’s also a nice way to get outdoors and do something that you enjoy, at the same time in lovely surroundings.”

Nikki believes the feeling of accessibility at facilities and a warm welcome were very important for her to get started.

“I’d say to other people give it a try. For me, finding a safe environment where you feel comfortable is important. The sessions with Scottish Golf really helped: to be around people with disabilities and not have to worry about that aspect of it because you knew you were being coached in a way that kind of worked for you.

“Without para-sport being visible and without seeing people that you can relate to being on the course and playing golf, it’s hard to know whether you’re going to feel comfortable in that space, or if it is accessible if you have a disability.

“I saw that Scottish Golf were running the disability golf hubs, but then that kind of extends out to social media too. You think, ‘Oh, I can see somebody who’s also got a disability or has the same level as impairment as me. And they’re trying it, and they’re doing all right. Maybe I could give it a try too’.”

The collaborative atmosphere for golfers of all abilities at Golf It! was instantly appealing, says Nikki.

“There were people at the driving range who were hitting balls just like I was. It’s just nice to see everyone trying, everyone is there to learn, to improve, and that it is a lot more accessible; a safe space for all sorts of groups of people, not just people with disabilities, but other minority groups or people who might not otherwise access the game.

“I also met another amputee there and he had been a golfer before his amputation. He was actually able to give me tips on how he navigated weight transfer and how he thought about his swing as well. So that was really helpful.”

Nikki adds: “I think even in the short time that I’ve been playing, even I can see a difference in just those two, three years, of women’s golf increasing, but also there is definitely a shift in disability golf as well, which is really exciting actually because it opens up possibilities, hopefully gets more people into the game and it is a little bit more visible than maybe it has been in the past. So it’s really great to see the change and to see the work that has been done to try and get more people into golf.

“I’ve met loads of people through golf and it has opened doors. It’s quite a nice way to catch up with friends, but also have a laugh at the same time. When you get stuck in a bunker or the ball goes off to the right, which is most of the time, it’s still fun and all part of learning together.

“For me, golf is a work in progress and I quite like that about it. It’s going to take a while to get there and I’m still figuring out how my body works as well in my swing and my weight transfer, and turning my body and all of these things. So yes, I quite like that it’s like a research project. It’s like an investigation. It is progress not perfection. There are many ups and downs and I’m just trying to trust the process with that.” (See Nikki play here.)

Golf’s challenges, its benefits, including mindfulness, seem to sit well with the rigours of the job Nikki loves at The Beatson Cancer Charity in Glasgow. Nikki works as a specialist health and work practitioner for people who are returning to work after cancer treatment.

“Our team helps people who are anxious about how to navigate these life changes, including with their employers, while also offering training to the employers on how to better support people with cancer at work,” explains Nikki.

“It’s busy and challenging work, but it’s great. I love the job. I got involved because my amputation was due to cancer. I had just been finding my way through life and then I felt that it would be really good for me to work within cancer services. So here I am.”

When we spoke, Nikki was vowing to practise more over the summer. “And I would really like to be able to play in the Scottish Open for Golfers with Disability because I like that it’s quite an open event. If you’re not at that elite level, there are still ways for you to get involved and be part of the disability community. So I’m quite excited. That’s kind of what I’m working towards at the moment, to try and get involved in competitions and meet more people through golf.

“I think you don’t know whether golf is for you until you give it a try. You might love it!

“I grew up next to a lovely, lovely golf course. It’s one of those things where I think back and I’m like, wow, I wish I had done that when I was a kid. My Dad did try. He took me down for a practice, but I wasn’t quite there at that time. But I am now.”

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