I first met Nadene Gole about three years ago via a mutual friend Nicole who is Nadine’s ‘bestie’.

Nicole was a single figure handicapper at Victoria Golf Club on Melbourne’s stunning Sandbelt and she explained to me that Nadene was her team mate and a former touring professional.

As a sports lover I was curious to learn more about Nadene’s career and this proved to be a difficult exercise. It appeared as though Nadene had put her time in golf into the archives and despite her love for the game, she hadn’t played competitively for almost twenty years.

This had started to change in 2019 when she went back to ‘The Vic’ and started playing team events again. It wasn’t immediate, but the competitive juices were coming back.

Nadene had spent eight years in her twenties playing on both the European and Japanese professional tours winning the Danish Open in 1996. She then decided to quit golf to concentrate on her children who are now both in their twenties.

Over the last twenty years Nadene has dabbled in real estate and run a business with her husband Sam, a handy golfer in his own right and Nadene’s caddy.

In 2019 Nadene started playing more regularly and competing in Masters events for over 50’s. When you think of how many over 50’s golfers there are in Australia and globally, this is a giant market and highly competitive.

Within two years Nadene was and still is the number one Amateur Masters golfer in the world.

On the way to this achievement she has set some extraordinary records. She is the first golfer to ever win every state title in Australia as well as a national title both here and in NZ.

Now, as of last week, Nadene Gole is the first Australian to win the Amateur Masters British Open. To win it, she had to come from six shots behind on the final day and a play off.

She is made of tough stuff. As a four year old Nadene suffered third degree burns down her left side badly damaging her left arm. She was told she would never straighten that arm again.

Born and raised in Traralgon by golf loving parents, Nadene started playing at the age of twelve and was professional by the age of twenty. She is also an ‘Ice Berger’, stupidly diving into Port Phillip Bay every morning for a 1km swim!

Travelling the world to play as an amateur let alone a professional is very expensive and without the support of ‘The Vic’ members and friends it isn’t possible. Nadine has her clubs provided by Drummond Golf but that’s where it ends. If you know anyone who would be interested in sponsoring Nadene, please let me know and I’ll pass on the details.

Nadine is a fantastic advocate for over 50’s and educating them to get the best out of themselves no matter what ability. She is one of the most humble and focussed individuals I’ve ever met.

Just a post script to this. Last year the Australian Open for men and women was held at ‘The Vic’. I had never been to a golf tournament before so Nadene kindly offered me a ticket which I gratefully accepted.

Scouring the list of stars that were playing, I noticed that Karrie Webb AO, the greatest Australian female player of all time was on the list. Officially retired she was a guest of the tournament.

I told Nadene I wouldn’t mind following her around for a few holes. She replied, “Just make sure you’re quiet. She can be a bit prickly.”  “What’s prickly mean?”  “She’s got a bit of a tongue on her.”

How could that be? This is women’s golf right? Demure and respectful at all times.

So the day starts and all the big names have huge galleries following them. I look for where Karrie is playing and make my way there. I’m the only one watching her.

She tees off at a par four and the ball goes slightly off the fairway into some rough. I position myself twenty metres forward of the ball.

She hits what looks like a lovely approach to an elevated green. It looks good and I can’t help myself and call out “great shot!” The ball then slowly starts moving after hitting the green and rolls into an adjacent bunker.

Karrie turns to me and in what can only be described a demonic tone, “that’s why you don’t go f.…g early!

Nadene did warn me.