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So were to start… My name is Caroline Martens and I was born and raised a true Norwegian, as someone would say a Viking!! I am today 23 years old and have just moved back to Norway after being away for 4 years studying and playing golf in the big U.S.A. I started playing golf at the age of 13 when I saw that my mom picked it up so easily. I figured if she could do that stuff, then I can do it too. So I tried but it was not as easy as I had expected and here I am today ten years later still trying to master this sport that I thought looked so easy back then!
As a 17 year old I won the Norwegian Championship and it was then I realized I wanted to do this craziness for a living. At the same time as I dreamed of getting on tour one day I realized that getting a degree would be important to do first so that if plans would not go as followed I would have something to fall back on, and that is what got me to Louisiana in 2005.
I was recruited to play college golf in the US by LSU, Louisiana State University, at the age of 18. Scary as it seemed at the time, moving away from home to a new country where nothing seemed familiar, turned out to be the best experience of my life both golf wise and life experience wise. While at college I took a bachelor in psychology which I intend to work on further one day. I loved the subject and I found the human mind so fascinating that when I got back to Norway I got a job at a psychiatric hospital working alongside some of Norway’s best psychologists and doctors.
Then the golf: I turned pro in December 2009 and have been playing some small tours around in Europe during the winter season just to get started. Currently I’m playing on the LET Access Series, which is a great tour. It’s strange to move from playing college golf on a team of five to ten girls to be playing by yourself out there with no one to rely on or turn to if needed. But strange as it seemed in the beginning it is so much fun doing this for a living. Not only do we meet a lot of great new people along our journey but the places we go to by traveling all over Europe is amazing. However, saying that, it’s not all just fun and games running around playing golf every day. There is a lot of preparation and hard work that needs to be put in for all of this to be possible. You need financial sponsors, coaches and managers. It’s not for free to have ambitions! Even before I turned pro I was looking for possible sponsors and people that could help me out. I was lucky to run into some people with great connections and I am today sponsored by Peak Performance and Callaway golf, I really appreciate their support and still hope to gain more sponsorship by others in the future.
A little while into the season I was asked to represent Norway in the European Nation’s Cup which was held at La Sella Resort, Valencia, Spain. The week before this tournament I was playing a LET Access Series event in north of France but just a few days before I was heading further on to Spain one of Iceland’s volcanoes seemed to not want that to happen. Me alongside all other travellers in Europe could not get any where by plane so I ended getting on the road with three friends driving to Valencia. The trip ended up being the most fun I’ve had so far on tour. After two long days in a very small car we got there safely and so did all the other girls in the tournament as well. Even though some you could say had a longer drive then others…. one of the girls from Finland drove all the way from Helsinki to get to La Sella, and it must be said that she won the longest drive competition..This tournament was the most fun and greatest experience I had ever had. Six days of fun, games and great competition. Many of the leading golfers in the world and many of the nicest golfers I have ever met made this week, a week to remember forever!
The rest of the season I will continue what I have started, playing good golf and a lot of golf all over Europe. I am planning on going to Q-school in December to get a full card on the LET tour but until then I will continue to have fun on the LET Access Series and prepare well on my way to the top.
Peace out for now!!
