Carolyn Allingham

BY LINDSAY HALCOMB

Carolyn Allingham: Great Woman, Great Mentor, Great Golfer, Great Employee! Carolyn is our LPGA Pro here in Canadian Lakes and over the years has had her hands completely full in the summer months with all things golf. Carolyn mentors adult women golfers and many, many junior golfers. I have some personal experience watching Carolyn teach and mentor and as my son, Owen, has been enrolled in Junior Golf League for the past three years and my associate, Annette Schuman, took Carolyn’s clinic this season. Annette is loving the lessons and Owen is still perfecting his game. It doesn’t matter if you are an adult, adolescent, or child that has learned alongside Carolyn because the adult, the adolescent, and the child will give you the same warm smile when asked how lessons with Carolyn are going. It’s like each person I speak with cannot say enough good things about her and we find that fantastic! Carolyn lives a very dedicated life to golf and she is truly the happiest when she watches the people she has mentored improving. The feeling is mutual too. We asked a handful of people to say a little something about Carolyn and below is some of what they had to say. We love you, Carolyn, and what a legacy you are building!

A Teaching Pro. Carolyn has been a teaching Pro at Canadian Lakes, MI. She is best known for teaching beginning lady golfers and children. She is an excellent teacher. One of her students is currently on the current MSU Men’s Golf team.

The Symetra Tour, previously known as the LPGA Futures Tour and known for sponsorship reasons between 2006 and 2010 as the Duramed Futures Tour, is the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour. The tour is open to professional women golfers and to qualified amateurs.

In 2009, she hosted a group of ladies from Canadian Lakes to attend the Ladies Symetra Event in Illinois. Some women worked at various jobs throughout the tournament. This trip was a one-of-a-kind trip that we all enjoyed thanks to Carolyn.

We were able to attend all the golf events. We also had an invitation to a party the evening before the tournament. We met many of the golfers. Walked the course from one end to the other each day. We played in an event with Carolyn as our pro. Lot of fun was had by all of us.

Carolyn has brought so many golfers to Canadian Lakes. She teaches at least one group of young kids and one or more groups of beginning lady golfers. She is a great teacher with a mild manner, but they know the game very well. She is a wonderful addition to Canadian Lakes Golf. — KAREN CHESTNUT

Where do you start? Mentor, teacher, someone who has helped and coached and taught the basics of golf, from the swing, to putting, and the rules and golf etiquette. LPGA Carolyn has helped many golfers from the many years of Junior Golf Camps to the Friday Junior Golf League, to the many women who have learned the game and that continues with their Wednesday league. She does this with a smile, even if she has told you several times how to do the same thing. She shares her love of this game. Her saying back to basics still rings in many a ear. Bow to the queen that puts everyone back to the basis.

— JUDY SMARCH

I love golfing in the junior golf league! It is really fun and the mentors are so happy and encouraging. Having Carolyn help me to be as good as I can is awesome! This year I moved to the red tees and I thank Carolyn and her friends for helping me get there. I love golfing in Canadian Lakes and having fun learning with my friends.

— OWEN HALCOMB

Carolyn and the junior golf league started my golf experience. I first entered the junior golf camp at a very young age and learned throughout the years how to golf. Then in the junior golf league I got to enjoy playing golf with other kids my age. This year is the last year I can play in the junior golf league, and I am sad for it to end for me. It has been a fun activity to do during the summer and a great experience, and Carolyn’s positive attitude really helped that.

— RYAN COLLER

“Whooo-hoo!” If I was to think of my first memory of Carolyn Allingham it would have to be this. It was often heard after a good shot from one of my kids receiving her instruction at summer golf camp. As I sat and watched her manage kids of all ages and skill levels and try and keep their short attention span on learning the game of golf, I thought this lady knows what kids need to hear. She made them feel like they had just hit a home run in a major league ballpark, and in turn made my kids want to come back for more. Golf camp turned into golf league for my daughter and she was blessed to have had good competition for her age to grow up with, which drove her desire to become better and better. Carolyn’s early instruction helped Tori to earn Canadian Lakes Women’s club champion at 16 and then again at 17 years of age. It also helped prepare her for many accomplishments in high school and college golf recruitment. In fact, her college golf coach once told me that “Tori could play golf anywhere. Her knowledge of rules and her course etiquette are not usually found in a young golfer.” These things can all be attributed to Carolyn’s youth program here at Canadian Lakes. In addition to having friendly competition and fun growing the game of golf, her students learn how to behave respectfully on the golf course and know more about the rules of the game than most adults I’ve watched. We are so very thankful to have had her instruction as my children were starting out. She is one of the real treasures of Canadian Lakes. If you drive past the Pines on Friday morning, you may hear a “Whooo-hoo!”...and know she has just made some young golfers whole day. —

CHARLOTTE AND TORI BASSO

I have been helping with the Jr Golf League for at least 15 years that was created by Carolyn Allingham. There have been years when she has had 15 juniors enrolled to the year when she had 42. She doesn’t just send the kids out on the course to play but she gets in a cart and watches them to provide them with tips on their game. She stresses the rules and etiquette on the course while making sure they are having fun. Carolyn loves to be around these juniors. She involves them in discussion to get to know them better. One of her favorite days is the last day of the league when the juniors play with the mentors, followed by a party at the pavilion. Everyone gets recognition for their participation in the league and I hope everyone can join me in recognizing Carolyn for her hard work and devotion to this program.

— SUE MALZAHN