It's easy to judge a book by its cover, but my conversation with Grace Charis quickly changed my perspective. Initially, I had preconceived notions about her, largely due to her reputation as a social media influencer and TikTok golf star, famous for her slo-mo videos showcasing her swing in outfits that leave little to the imagination.
I expected the 21-year-old California native, now living in Texas, to be as ‘out there’ in personality as she is with her cleavage. However, she turned out to be the complete opposite - understated, down-to-earth, and full of the fun-loving spirit you'd expect of someone her age. She agrees that her persona doesn’t match what you might expect from her braless appearance.
In the past, I’ve been somewhat critical of social media influencers like Paige Spiranac, Karin Hart, and Claire Hogle baring their bodies on the golf course. Growing up in a different generation, where this wasn’t the norm, I’ve questioned whether these influencers are setting the right example for young girls and positively impacting the game.
When it comes to showing skin, Charis commented, “People have certain values towards that. It’s a free world, you know. Like in Europe, people go naked to the beaches all the time, so I don’t really see the difference.”
Not that I didn’t already know, but talking to Charis highlighted the massive impact of the social media-driven world we live in. Her rise to fame, with 3.5 million Instagram followers and 3 million on TikTok, is a perfect example. She didn’t intend to follow this path - she was studying to be a news broadcaster. But after her first post, wearing a revealing blue jumpsuit while holding a golf club, trended on social media, her following began to spiral, and this has dictated and directed her career, which is proving lucrative.
@graceeecharisss Golf
♬ Radiation - j9uuza
Charis was a committed rower, but then COVID hit. “I was in shape, we had a good team, and we were ready to compete, but then everything changed. I was so bummed,” she said.
With golf as the only sport available, Charis started visiting a driving range. It’s fair to say that when she posted her initial video, golf wasn’t her main focus; it could have been a football, a cricket bat, or any other prop. Golf just happened to be the sport of the moment.
“I like the edginess of having your booty and body shape showing in the golf swing, but when I first got into it, I wasn’t trying to be a golfer. It was more about trying to get views and be in the creator's space. I let social media dictate what I’m wearing - this outfit does well, or this outfit is not doing as well.”
Charis took inspiration, not from other female golf influencers, but from movie stars and in particular Brooke Monk, mostly recognised for her dance and lip-sync videos on TikTok.
“I looked up to Brooke. She gets so many views, she posts every single day. She’s a hard worker and she’s beautiful. Looking at what she does and how she handles social media has helped me get into it, and I’m in a different place now than I was when I started. I’m making my own trends and going down a path that I want to go down.”
Charis has already taken a slight detour on that path because what started as a bit of fun almost four years ago - hitting balls at the range - golf has become more important to her than ever.
Over the last 18 months, she has taken the game very seriously by working extremely hard with her coach and playing four or five times a week. Recently, she joined Stonebridge Ranch Country Club in Texas and has achieved an impressive 5 handicap in a relatively short time.
Whether she’s wearing revealing outfits or not, Charis wants to gain public respect as a credible golfer. “It’s a weird way into the game, but I’m trying to get better because a lot of people see me as just some online chick that’s trying to make money and sell things. I’m not seen as a golfer, but I’m edging my way into that by being good at golf and posting videos of great shots.”
Now that Charis has immersed herself in the golf world, I sensed her naivety about the amount of shock value her posts would create in a sport which, let’s face it, would leave many traditional golfers with their mouths wide open!
“Since going to all the tournaments, like the Open at Troon, and visiting exclusive golf clubs, I’m starting to realise that it’s crazy what I’m doing, but you know, I’m not going to stop.
“When I first started, I don’t think I had any idea it might have been seen as disrespectful to the game or turning it into something it’s not. But I’d rather focus on the aspect that it’s growing the game. Whether we like it or not, even though it is kind of sexualised, I’m getting a lot of people to come into the game, just watching a golf swing, so I think that’s a positive in a lot of ways.”
Of course, most of her audience is male, but she also has a significant number of female followers and was pleased to tell me that many young girl golfers approach her wanting a picture, which gives her a real buzz.
Charis is not the type of golfing role model that I had growing up, and despite now having a better understanding of why this freedom-loving young woman took this path, it still might take me a while to accept beautiful and athletic women exposing their bodies so extensively within the realms of golf.
But it’s the way it is nowadays, so I will embrace it as much as I can. In response to suggesting that good athletes don’t need to get their breasts out, some will view it as degrading, Charis replied, smiling, “You can be a good athlete and still have them out!”
