Bay No 1 walks away after missing NZ team | Bay of Plenty Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Bay of Plenty

Zoe Brake, Bay of Plenty's top female golfer, is ditching her golf clubs and taking to the high seas.

Brake, 18, leaves next week for three months of basic training with the Navy before embarking on a career to become a hydrographics system operator.

She has quit New Zealand Golf's high performance academy, disillusioned with golf after missing the four-strong New Zealand's women's team to contest the Espirito Santo Trophy in Buenos Aires next month.

Brake said the next few years would be about her.

"Not making that team, and not even getting in as reserve, made me think "stuff it, it's about me now and about time I tried something new in my life".

"I won't even think about golf for the next few months. I want to stay in the Navy for five, six, or seven years and get some money behind me before assessing where I'm at, although, if I love it, I may stay there the rest of my life.

"If, in a few years, I feel as though I have the drive to make it as a pro golfer then at least I'll have some money and discipline behind me."

Brake, a +1.6 handicapper at Whakatane and No1 for Bay of Plenty in their interprovincial-winning teams, sent a letter to NZ Golf high performance manager Simon Poll outlining the reasons for her abrupt change in career.

She was also critical of NZG's selection policies, which she felt hadn't been followed. Poll replied this week requesting an "exit" meeting with Brake.

"It's taken that long for them to listen to my view. I never expected to be in the team for the worlds because I never expect to get in any team, but it was still a disappointment," she said.

"There were points that listed what the team was selected on and some of the other girls didn't meet that criteria. Caroline (Bon) has beaten me in one tournament all year, the amateur strokeplay. I wasn't playing anywhere near my best golf and still beat her in everything else.

"My results were good enough to be in the four; not just results but my commitment to New Zealand golf, my leadership and respect to other squad members. There are players that don't deserve to be there with some of rubbish that has gone on overseas."

Brake, national strokeplay champion last year, has struggled with her game this year. She spent six months in Auckland with coach Craig Dixon before deciding that wasn't working and heading home.

"I've been in a huge hole and came close to straight giving the game away and getting rid of clubs for good. My ex-coach wasn't helping ... which is why I came home and changed to Jay (Tauranga's Jay Carter). Straight away he changed two little things and my golf's back to how it used to be."

Highlights this year include qualifying for the Australian Open, finishing sixth at the Australian strokeplay and helping New Zealand to second at the Queen Sirikit Asia Pacific teams championship. Brake hasn't played 18 holes of golf since winning the Bay Open in July.

In the national high performance academy since she was 13, Brake concedes her decision has surprised many people.

"If didn't join the Navy I'd be in limbo, hanging around doing nothing. I can't see myself working at McDonalds or New World because I've got higher expectations. A lot of people have put time and effort into me in the last six years and for some it will be like I'm giving up, but the door's still open."