An exciting summer beckons for Katie Clarke as she aims to elevate her golf content creation to the next level and encourage more people to take up golf.
Katie, better known as ‘Little Birdy Golf’, has 18,000 followers on Instagram and has recently returned to Ardee, County Louth, from her office job in London to work full-time as a golf content creator.
“I want to give golf content everything I have. I want to create content that shows people golf is fun and an engaging sport,” says Clarke, whose mind is brimming with ideas to grow the game and introduce newcomers to golf.
Katie plans to travel to various golf tournaments on the DP World Tour to create content with players, and she will participate in the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open pro-am. She also has trips planned to Spain, Portugal, and Austria.
The 33-year-old has always been a golf enthusiast. She learned the game as a child on her grandparents’ front lawn before joining Ardee Golf Club, where she played regularly into her teenage years. After dipping in and out of the game, she fully returned to golf during the Covid-19 pandemic, and it wasn’t long before ‘Little Birdy Golf’ was born in August 2023.
The name is a tribute to her late grandfather and with 18,000+ Instagram followers and over 1,000 on TikTok, Katie aspires to reach 100,000 followers on Instagram now that she can dedicate herself to golf content creation full-time.
“I’m still figuring it out, to be honest. There’s been a lot of trial and error. Most of my content is aimed at beginner golfers and those looking to get into golf. I try to focus less on myself and more on how I can help others,” she explains.
“I constantly feel like I’m not doing enough. My brain works at a million miles an hour. The key to success is narrowing ideas down to four or five things you love doing that resonate with others and focusing on those.
“I want to be authentic, and I’m not afraid to fail. Just post your video, forget about it, and move on—but that’s easier said than done. I’m always seeking improvement.
“This is such a massive passion for me that I’m happy to invest every penny in it. I want to help others, and that’s what has worked for me over the years. Eighteen thousand is a great number, but when you see people with over 100,000 followers, that’s my aspiration—to make this a full-time career so I don’t have to juggle two jobs and can do something I love every day.”
Katie has developed a unique approach to growing the game and attracting beginners. In March last year, she published two colouring books – Little Birdy’s Golf Day and Little Birdy’s Trip Around the Globe – dedicated to portraying golf as an inclusive and diverse sport for all. This was the culmination of a long-term dream, and she hopes to expand on it with more books in the pipeline, including a baby book.
“The reasoning behind them is that everyone says they want to grow the game, but they aren’t actually doing anything. It’s become such a catchphrase these days,” adds Katie, who has brand partnerships with Adidas through Scottsdale and Srixon.
“I see golf as something everyone can do, whether you’re in a wheelchair or from any background. I have several friends on the G4D Tour, and I want to make golf as inclusive as possible.
“I’d love to create more books, and I’ve been exploring baby books because people often ask how early is too early to get their kids into golf. My answer? Start from day one.”
Katie has a handicap of 21 and is eager to improve her game this summer, aiming to lower her index as much as possible. However, she faces greater challenges than a tricky flop shot over a bunker. Katie lives with early Stage 4 kidney disease and endometriosis, which affect her daily life, with potential dialysis treatment and a kidney transplant on the horizon.
For now, she manages her conditions and refuses to let them hinder her dreams. She tackles these challenges head-on, despite the limitations they impose on her golf and content creation. For her, golf is the perfect escape.
“It’s held me back in terms of how much I want to do. Energy-wise, I’d love to play golf every day. If I play two rounds in a row, I really feel it. The endometriosis causes a lot of pain and frequent flare-ups.
“I feel the more you dwell on something, the worse it can be. I used to do that before golf, especially with my kidney disease. I was in and out of hospital for various appointments and struggled immensely because every doctor would say I’m too young to have kidney disease. But I handle it much better now because of golf.
“I don’t have the energy to do as much as I’d like, but golf has helped in more ways than I can count.”
While living in London, Katie hosted golf events to bring together a community of beginner golfers, fostering lasting friendships through a WhatsApp group. One of her main projects for 2025 and beyond is to bring these events to Ireland, introducing beginners to golf. She plans to host a golf event in every city she visits while travelling for golf.
“I want to start growing events here and see where it leads. I want to bring all golfers together. I have WhatsApp groups in London where people who met through my events are now playing golf together. “My vision for these events is that everyone connects through golf.”
Her story is one of resilience, creativity, and a relentless drive to grow the game. Keep an eye on ‘Little Birdy Golf’—she’s just getting started.
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