GRASSROOTS GOLF

Women in Arizona are Finding New Ways to Play

WORDS BY TOM MACKIN

Golf Gals

While leading junior golf clinics two years ago at Dobson Ranch Golf Course in Mesa, instructor Cheyanne Stewart noticed a lot of moms standing by and watching their kids closely. To get them off the sidelines and onto the tee, she started a group called “Golf Gals,” which quickly created a thriving community among the participants.

That’s just one of the recent grassroots efforts now underway in the state that are focused on attracting more women to the game.

Stewart’s primary method for achieving that goal has been to create a fun environment for the Golf Gals.“They don’t come to practice every day or to lower their score,” she said. “That’s not their initial thing. What makes it fun is developing a group that will support you and encourage you to go out and practice. I’ve created multiple clinics that focus on the social aspect, like having a driving range meet-up and always including a free drink, to show we’re not here to be too serious.”

Participation in Golf Gals has been steadily increasing. “On our group WeChat, I have 125 ladies now,” said Stewart. “It’s awesome to see how they are dropping invites to the group to play at other courses or even just meet up for dinner together. That’s really sweet to see. And when I tell the Golf Gals about the junior program at Dobson, then they start signing up their kids for that too. It’s really cool to see moms and daughters playing, which really helps grow the game.”

A thriving social aspect has been the key to the group’s success. “We all come from different backgrounds, but to see us sit in the same room talking about memories from past rounds or trips has been great,” said Stewart. “Or when they tell me I wouldn’t have met my best friends if it wasn’t for Golf Gals. I was always being hard on myself when it came to the instruction part, but they always remind me that I have made an impact in their life beyond golf. I will always treasure that.”

Tori Totlis, who started playing in her mid-20s after having her first child, found that golf tapped into a competitive spirit she honed while growing up playing tennis and softball. “I developed a passion for the game,” she said. “I want to show women the steps of how to get started in golf, what to do next, and empowering them in a way they feel they are worth going to get fit for clubs. I think a lot of women start playing golf and they might be using their husband’s old set of clubs, and maybe just play with him. For me, opening the door to all the other ways golf can change your life, and your friendships in the community, is really my mission.”

Golf Gals

Totlis is now using her business background to build a community through golf-centered retreats, tournaments, social media, and a podcast (for more info, go to competeconfidencegolf.com). “I loved attending conferences and networking, and I thought, ‘Why can’t we do that with golf?’”

So she created events such as the sold-out Desert Classic at Papago Golf Club in Phoenix this March 5-8. The three-and-a-half day event features a golf tournament, clinics, entertainment, and a shopping night. “It’s just celebrating women’s golf, but it also gives them an opportunity to meet 220 other women,” said Totlis, who also has upcoming events in Mexico, Pebble Beach, Dallas, and Ireland. “It’s a partner tournament but individuals can sign up. That’s where a lot of the magic happens. The singles are all by themselves and they leave with all these friends.”

Alex Andersen was introduced to golf by a boyfriend six years ago in San Diego. When that relationship ended, she wanted to continue playing. “I found out it was really fun and I wanted to get my friends into it,” she said. “If I could make it look fun, they would want to do it, too. It’s intimidating, so I just started with range meetups for beginners. I got so much interest in those that I did a glow golf tournament at night.” Those events worked so well that she launched a program called Babes Golf (babesgolf.org).

Last year she added a chapter in Arizona through a connection with Dobson Ranch Golf Professional Natalie Farahani. The group hosts range meetups, golf outings, and clinics (featuring local golf instructors), and members have access to an app for information sharing.

“Women’s initial thought is that they have to be good right away, and that’s very intimidating,” said Andersen. “Showing them that not everyone is good helps. This is a hard sport, and you can play for years and still be bad. But it’s all about just having fun. I really preach that.”

Babes Golf has attracted women from different backgrounds and careers. “Our average age is around 32, but we do get older women in their 50s and 60s, and they have just as much fun as the 25-year-olds,” said Andersen. In addition to scheduling monthly golf outings and clinics in 2023, the group will also conduct a monthly social meet up at a True Spec location in Arizona.

“It’s really about the energy we have,” said Anderson. “We’re not doing this to be competitive. I know a lot of people end up being competitive, so we can connect them with groups like the Arizona Golf Association (AGA) for their tournaments. There’s room for everyone because everyone has a different vibe. It’s wherever you feel most comfortable.”

The AGA itself offers a number of ways to get into the game, including a Nine and Wine Mentoring Series, non-competitive Scramble and Just For Fun days, and the AZ Under 30 Club for young adults between ages 19 and 29. On the competitive side, a Women’s Short Course tournament, which debuted last year, will be held March 11-12 at Augusta Ranch Golf Club in Mesa, as well as a 2023 schedule filled with individual and partner events.

“Because there are few individual events for women, namely just our championships, I said, ‘Well let’s do an individual Short Course event,’” said Le Ann Finger, Director of Golf Operations for the AGA. “We’ve got it scheduled now as a two-day, weekend event. I’m hopeful that will attract some women who have not played in our tournaments. We set the course up at just over 3,000 yards for 18 holes, and hope to get a field of 40-60 women.”

And if you think more men play in AGA events than women, you’re right. But dig a bit deeper into the numbers and that ratio is actually flipped. “We had 1,473 men play in our events last year and 833 women,” said Finger. “But if you look only at unique golfers from those lists, there were 638 unique women and about 626 unique men. So we’re sort of comparing apples and oranges when comparing more men playing in events than women. But if you look at unique golfers, it’s pretty comparable.”

Still, with approximately 25,000 female members – placing the AGA among the top five golf associations in the country for that category – increasing that number of women playing in tournaments is a priority. “It’s up to us to continue to offer events for women, whether that’s a tournament or a social event for those not ready to compete,” said Finger. “Other groups now out there can be a perfect on ramp to learn the game and be with people who are likely of the same ability, so you can relate and find people to play golf with.”

Visit azgolf.org for more information and to register for events with the Arizona Golf Association.