Now that the Wegmans LPGA Championship is over and the professional athletes have left town, women’s golf isn’t making Rochester headlines like it was back in June. That may lead to the perception that there aren’t many local golf opportunities for women, particularly for amateurs.

Thankfully, that’s not the case.

“Rochester is a golf town,” said Susanne Yarnall, the publicity director for the Women’s Rochester District Golf Association. “There are more opportunities than ever, more women-friendly leagues and courses.”

But what if making the transition from being a woman who is interested in golf to being a woman who is actually taking the steps to become a golfer seems overwhelming? It’s a normal feeling – even pros like two-time LPGA champion Heather Daly-Donofrio understand that type of hesitation. But the benefits of golf outweigh the challenges.

“At times the game of golf can be intimidating, but what all players need to understand is that the game is difficult for everyone, no matter the age, sex, or ability level of the player,” wrote Daly-Donofrio, now the LPGA’s director of tournament operations and player services, in an email. “Golf is a game that you can play for a lifetime and is a wonderful way to spend time with your friends, entertain business clients, enjoy the outdoors and, if you walk, get some exercise.”

Daly-Donfrio, who started golfing at age 15, became a professional golfer in 1993 and won on the LPGA tour in 2001 and 2004, emphasized that competition is not always the best motivation. “The key is to enjoy the game and not to worry about how well or poorly you play,” she wrote.

It is also helpful to take lessons, and get involved in local organizations, Daly-Donfrio added.

And Rochester has plenty of golf organizations to choose from, Yarnall said.

The WRDGA strives to further the advancement of golf by assisting in the development and recognition of amateur women golfers, while promoting good sportsmanship and friendly competition, according to its website. Yarnell said there are organizations in Rochester for all types of female golfers – whether you are simply looking to learn, socialize and network, or if you would like to play competitively, there are lots of options. Another example of a Rochester women’s golf organization is Rochester chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA). And there’s no reason not to introduce girls to the sport early on. The Genesee Valley Golf Course is home to the First Tee of Rochester program, Yarnell said.

“People should be aware of the talent that comes out of Rochester and that’s because of the programs we have,” Yarnell said.

For those women just starting out, Daly-Donofrio recommends bringing along a friend. She said that her sister starting golfing at age 45, and brought a friend with her as she got started. “Before long she and her next-door neighbor were comparing notes and swings in the driveway,” Daly-Donofrio wrote.

For Betsy Fox of Brockport, she didn’t even have to leave her yard to find a golf partner. Her husband, John Fox, first introduced her to the game approximately nine years ago. Fox picked it up herself as a way to regain upper body strength after a medical issue and has been golfing regularly ever since.

“My best advice for women starting out is to get fitted for a good set of clubs. Find a good instructor and take a few lessons,” Fox wrote in an email. “And don’t golf with your husband until you are comfortable swinging a club!”

Fox said it can be challenging when a husband and a wife are at different skill levels, but it’s worth it to power through. They enjoy golfing together, as well as separately. They are members of separate organizations – he belongs to the Brockport Country Club and she belongs to the Arrowhead Golf club. Unaware that Daly-Dofrino had pointed out the same benefits of the sport, Fox demonstrated that amateurs find the same enjoyment out of the sport as the pros do by writing that both she and husband “love that we can get outside and enjoy the weather, and it is great exercise.”

“Golf is a mental game and that basically is the most challenging part of the sport,” Fox continued. “Women tend to get very frustrated when things don’t come together as quickly as they would like and golfing is always challenging – if it wasn’t we would all be on the pro circuit,” she pointed out.

For additional information on the organizations mentioned in this article, visit:

www.lpga.com	www.thefirstteerochesterny.org	www.ewgarochesterny.com	www.wrdga.org

Article Written By Jessica Nicastro

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