Golf social connection and mental health benefits with Caroline Blackmore

Social connection with friends old and new is Caroline Blackmore's main aim on the golf course. Oh, that and improving her handicap. By Roxanne Andrews. 

Golf has had Caroline Blackmore’s heart for 20 years. The sense of community and social connections she has found via the sport are what she finds most profound. And she plays at least twice weekly at her local club in Sydney, at her home away from home on Hamilton Island – where she and husband Marcus have had an apartment for 15 years – or in destinations such as Morocco. Blackmore’s obvious adoration of the sport (her eyes light up when she describes her time on the green) has taken her around the globe. But it’s the lure of Dent Island’s manicured fairways and teeing off with family and friends that anchor her back to the island. 

Friendly Competition

Blackmore is a self-described “average” golfer with a handicap of 22, so it’s no disrespect to say that the social aspect of the game is super important (a sentiment she reiterates when describing the mix of faces and ages appearing at the golfing weekends she plans with her friends). “I’ve got girlfriends who are scratch golfers and girlfriends playing off a handicap of 45. Once you know the rules and can keep up, you can play with anybody. The other day I played with a 12-year-old girl, but I also regularly play with women in their eighties”. The Hamilton Island Golf Club on Dent Island hosts her annual ladies-only event, with an ever-changing list of invitees that this year included former Australian Businesswoman of the Year, Serena Batten. Blackmore and her golfing friends also have a “state of origin” competition every year, a fun team event with 20 women from Queensland and 20 women from NSW. They recently played in Port Stephens and she’s glad to say that NSW won the clash. 

Blackmore fell in love with the sense of community she finds in the game of golf. 

Play the game, live the lifestyle

When asked about the highlights of golfing at Hamilton Island, Blackmore says there is plenty to love about the Dent Island course. “I love to go over on the boat; early you never know what the weather will throw at you, weather-wise. It can be a completely different golf course almost every time you play. The views are sensational and it’s a terrific vantage point for whale watching,” she says. “Overall, it’s a great course to play by yourself or with friends. I love going to the Clubhouse after a round for a leisurely lunch. It’s a top spot and non-playing guests can book a restaurant meal on the deck.” Blackmore’s drink of choice at the 19th hole is a shandy on a hot day. And although she doesn’t geek out over her golf equipment, golf fashion is paramount. Expect to see her on the course in elegant Ralph Lauren or J Lindberg looks as well as pieces from Malbon Golf. A pair of shoes she gifted by Malbon Golf in collaboration with Adidas are currently favourites on the fairways. She is a true golf enthusiast and has been to the British Open and, at the other end of the professional golf spectrum, attended the notably wildest LIV Golf event in Adelaide. She also watches the women’s tour on television and is enamoured with LPGA player Nelly Korda’s efforts (at the time of print, Korda had bagged six wins already this season). One rule Blackmore doesn’t like business on the course. “I’m a Florida now and that’s not much of a business angle for me but it’s good to see women these days using golf courses as a networking place when, for a very long time, it was a man’s domain.” 

A fairway family affair

Blackmore’s two brothers both play golf, and she credits her parents for introducing her to the game. Particularly her father, who encouraged her to get out on the green and learn the rules and regulations by caddying for him. She happily describes as a family bonding experience. “Straight after his interview, I’m playing a quick nine at Hamilton Island Golf Club with my brother. He lives in Mudgee but comes to see me regularly when I’m up here. My daughter’s partner has just taken up golf, too. He has the golf bug and is now a member of my local club; we often play together in the Saturday comp.” 

Golf and the benefits for mental health 

Studies show that golf has many mental health benefits, with time spent in the great outdoors amongst friends a noted booster. It’s something that Blackmore completely believes in also. “I think once you get into golf, all you think about is how your golf game. That’s four hours to forget about everything else that’s on your mind. You just concentrate on that white ball and enjoy a laugh with your friends.” Blackmore says. The social benefits of gathering a crew of other golfing comrades are a happy bonus. Recently on a trip to Morocco she booked a tee time at the Royal Marrakech Golf Club. Blackmore intended to play solo but instead met three local women who invited her to play. “It was so great. My husband came and joined us for lunch after the game. Experiences like that I’ll didn’t have golf, I think I’d miss out on a lot.” As for her insider tips for tackling a round on Dent Island? “Play it low. It’s a sentence I oft repeat as I set up my shot from yet another glorious tee box with magic vistas of the Coral Sea and Whitsunday islands framed out in a mirror landscape.” 



Photography by Karla Huezo