It’s in with the new for Maria at Aylesbury Vale

02/03/2023

New club, new season, fresh start: that’s Maria Tulley’s mind-set for 2023.

Maria, who qualified as a PGA professional in 2008, was appointed in December as golf coach at Aylesbury Vale Golf Club after making the switch from Studley Wood GC.

Still a keen competitor, she has also had a reset on her playing objectives and already has half an eye on Qualifying School dates in the second half of the year.

But in the last couple of months or so she has been laying down the foundations for her coaching business at Aylesbury Vale.

So far, so good for Maria. She has enjoyed a really positive reception from the Buckinghamshire club’s membership, which is almost 700-strong.

Tulley, 36, said: “I have been busy, busier than I thought for this time of year. It’s not just new people, it’s ones coming back as well.

“When I first went there, I did an introductory offer for any member just to let them try me out as a coach; if they liked it, to come back. And I’ve had return custom paying full price.

“After each lesson I do video feedback on an app and the members seem to love that. They’ve not had that from a coach there before. That’s personal preference for me when I’ve been coached in the past…when you go away from the lesson you can easily forget what’s been said.”

Maria is also using the club’s facilities – including the practice range with its undercover bays – to prepare her own game for what looks like being a busy playing schedule over the coming months. To get her season started she is hoping to play plenty of PGA golf in the East.

Maria said: “I love playing still. I want to try and play in as many regional pro-ams as possible. It’s offering a service to the members as well – offering them a chance to go and play a different golf course with me in a pro-am for the day.

“I want to be somewhere where they see me as an asset and provide the club with something other than just teaching.”

A little bit longer term, Tulley is planning to try and earn a spot in the Women’s British Open at Walton Heath.

The former Ladies European Tour Access Series player also has designs on top-tier golf and later this year would love to have a crack at the LPGA Tour’s Qualifying School. If not, another shot at the LET’s equivalent could be on the agenda for Maria.

So, in the spring and early summer, expect to see the personable and friendly Cornish professional teeing up wherever she’s able to get a card in her hand to build towards a tilt at some lofty targets further down the line.

“It’s (about) playing as much as I possibly can,” she summed up. “And then hopefully I’ve played enough golf to give myself a decent chance to get through Q School or something like that.”