MEET TRICK SHOT ARTIST EXTRADONIARE & PRO GOLFER - TANIA TARE

Tania Tare is one tricky lady. A professional golfer who promptly rose to fame via the social media era. A focused individual who regularly travels the globe playing at the worlds best golf courses - all the while creating incredible golf trick content for her legion of fans on Instagram. Ladies Golf Magazine interviewed Tania recently and we gained a few key insights into her fascinating life. 

Hi Tania, where are you from and how old were you when you first started playing golf?

I am from Auckland, New Zealand and I hit my first golf shot when I was 14. Full disclosure though, I learnt tigers trick shot commercial when I was 12. Just never hit a ball off the ground until I was 14. Don’t ask me how that happened haha.

Please tell us about your proudest career achievements.

Hmm. I would have to say shooting 63 (-9) in a college tournament in Missouri. Was just a wild round of being in the zone but I also think it’s crazy to think I left 6 shots out there. For example, hitting one of my plugged bunker shots a foot. I think winning my first professional event because I am normally a second or third placer and it was the first time I managed to cross the mental barrier of winning. I also vividly remember the first time I broke 80 in a tournament, and the first time I broke par in a tournament (69) which is still a course record.  

Which golf tournament was your favourite to compete at?

New Zealand Women’s Open will always be my favourite. But the LPGA event at Windross just because it was the hardest event I’ve played. I also really enjoy the Michigan Women’s State Open up Crystal Mountain Resort.

Your golf trick shot skills are phenomenal. How many hours a week do you spend perfecting your skills?

I don’t practice trick shots often. I normally only practice them if I have a live show coming up or if I want to try and create a new mover combo. I try when I’m at the course to practice regular golf 90% of the time.

Who are your sponsors and how do they support your career? 

I have amazing sponsors that are extremely supportive of me on and off the course.

My sponsors are:

• Ping
• Adidas
• Audemars Piguet
• Oncore Golf
• Troon

Plus, I have many other brands that I have long term close relationships too and we work together often including Mercedes. They support me by making sure I have everything I need to perform at my best and have the best opportunities for content creation. They also help connect me to parts of the golf world I may have yet to make a connection too. They also give me the opportunities to take my talents around the world. I am extremely fortunate.

Which Australian golf courses would you love to play one day?

Barnbougle Dunes, Hamilton Island and Cape Wickham

Please share with our readers a few professional athletes that inspire you and why?

This might sound weird, but I don’t really have any celebrity people I look up too much. Most of my inspiration comes from people close to me. For example, I watched how hard my mum had to do to give us what she could, and my dad etc. What it motivated me to do was make something of myself so I could give them back what I felt they gave me. Another are my American “moms” who are like my family here while I’m constantly away from home. The other people that inspire me are my siblings because we basically challenge each other to go bigger and better back and forth and we love to see each other succeed. My family is and will always be my biggest support system.

Your social media audience is huge. As one of the most recognizable golf trick shot artists your devoted fanbase is continually growing. How do you keep your content fresh? 

I would say this is the hardest part about trick shots now. But I also think it's the most exciting. The creative aspect of trick shots is what in my opinion kind of separates a quality artist and another trick shot person. So it’s definitely a key component of trick shot content. The other thing is there is a kind of science to creating content. It’s not all about a trick shot. Most the time camera angles make a big difference. Location etc. I also since I began found it interesting what your audience likes and what you may like I a video can be completely different. And I began creating tricks within a certain range. To me, the perfect trick for social media is something that looks easy but is too hard to do. It can’t be too easy that everyone can do it cause that’s not impressive. But it can’t be too complicated that the difficulty loses the audience and its comprehended as easy. So my key thought is always “complexity through simplicity"

Final question. Any advice for young women seeking a career in the golf industry? 

If it feels uncomfortable, say yes. I am a big admirer of women breaking barriers and seeking bigger and better for themselves. The only thing that stops women from doing this, is fear of failure and ridicule. Ridicule I think happens more rarely than you think. Failure is where you learn and become better. You don’t grow from comfort zones.