Creating Community for the Next Generation of Golfers
LPGA*USGA helps more than 90,000 young women across the globe master vital life skills by teaching them more than just the game of golf: Girls Golf inspires them for the game of life.
This fall, Dormie Network was pleased to host Girls Golf clinics at Ballyhack and Hidden Creek, marking the third year we’ve helped grow the game through supporting this initiative. These no-cost events, open to girls aged 6 – 17, offered instruction on the fundamentals of golf in a fun and safe environment with a focus on the organization’s 5 E’s: Empower, Enrich, Engage, Exercise, and Energize.
Games and Goats at Ballyhack in Virginia
Ballyhack in Roanoke, Virginia, hosted the area’s annual clinic on Saturday, October 16.
The event, organized by LPGA*USGA Girls Golf at First Tee Roanoke Valley, kicked off with a talk and demonstration from two-time LPGA Tour winner and Dormie Network ambassador Laura Diaz. Laura, who also joined for the event in 2019, shared tales of her time in golf and encouraged the girls to continue pursuing the sport.
The nearly-40 attendees, several of whom were first-time golfers, rotated through four stations to learn nuances of the game, lean into their creativity, and meet two of the club’s four-legged employees.
Matt Bevan, Ballyhack Head Golf Professional, helped the girls navigate a putting course on the club’s practice green, which featured goat statues and tall grasses as obstacles. Golfzilla joined on the practice tee again this year, giving the girls a target for chip shots.
The course’s scenery offered a perfect backdrop for the watercolor station. Philadelphia-based artist Bryce Johnson sketched the Blue Ridge Mountain view from the clubhouse’s back porch as inspiration, and the girls could reference either his piece or the live mountains for their own artwork. When finished, each participant received a framing mat with the event logo and Dormie Network logo. The fourth station featured two of Ballyhack’s African Boer goats, supervised by Sam the Goat Herder.
One lucky participant snagged the coveted door prize (a plush goat club cover with a pink flower), and all walked away with a Girls Golf gift bag and a Ballyhack ball autographed by Laura Diaz.
“Even though golf is an individual sport, community is key to keeping girls involved,” said Jennifer Blackwood, Executive Director of First Tee – Roanoke Valley. “The clinic gave the younger girls something to aspire to, the older girls a chance to be leaders, and everyone the opportunity to meet a professional who has made her passion into a career. We are so very grateful to be able to share Ballyhack with our girls, and grateful to the network for making it all possible.”
""It was such fun to be a part of Girls Golf Day and to connect the worlds of fun, friendship, creativity, and golf, said Wade Whitehead, a Dormie Network member, Roanoke educator, and MC for the event. ""Laura Diaz was the perfect spokesperson and reminded everyone that golf is a game to played across a lifetime, with friends, coworkers, and even fellow competitors. Ballyhack staff did a superb job, as they always do, and, everyone left excited about the future of girls golf in the Roanoke Valley. The Dormie Network’s support of our local First Tee chapter has been irreplaceable and I can’t wait for another opportunity to bring our communities together.""
Seasonal Sport at Hidden Creek in New Jersey
Hidden Creek’s clinic, held Saturday, October 23, in Egg Harbor Township, was similarly successful but with a twist: each activity commemorated Halloween.
The event hosted 32 girls (four were brand new to the game!) and featured five stations, each centered on one of the 5 E’s.
Former LPGA Tour player and Dormie Network Institute Director Meaghan Francella commenced the clinic with a full-swing demonstration, alongside Pam Boccaccio, Site Director of USGA*LPGA Girls Golf Jersey Shore. Pumpkin tic tac toe provided putting practice, and chip shots knocked down scary ghosts.
The craft station offered felt character assembly with age-appropriate complexity, spanning pumpkins, skeletons, cats, and owls. At the final station, participants wrote thank you notes to the Hidden Creek staff and Girls Golf leaders.
Hidden Creek’s participants also left with plenty of swag inside a Girls Golf gift bag and enjoyed buckets of candy throughout the event.
“This clinic is a great platform to introduce girls to a sport they may never have tried,” said Pam Boccaccio. “These skills are so transferrable: by teaching them to putt, the girls are actually learning distance control. They already know how to play tic tac toe, so we’re making golf approachable by offering activities that are fun and focused.
“The whole day was so much fun,” Pam continued. “The girls who came back from last year were excited to see what the new activities were, and the first-timers’ faces just lit up seeing the spooky-looking games.”
Cultivating Common Ground at Briggs Ranch in Texas
The clinic held at Briggs Ranch in San Antonio, Texas, on November 20 finished out First Tee – Greater San Antonio’s 2021 event calendar strong.
Twenty-five girls between the ages of six and fourteen, most of whom were fairly new to the game, rotated through five stations each focusing on one of the organization’s 5 E’s.
LPGA Tour player and Dormie Network Ambassador Alana Uriell kicked off the event with a welcome and warmup demonstration on the range, in partnership with Vincent Kabaso, Program Ambassador for First Tee of Greater San Antonio. Alana shared stories from her golf career, spoke with the girls about their own career aspirations, and signed hats from their swag bags.
Girls paired up to compete in a chipping race down a ladder made of tape, with differing points for each hole. For the Empower station, participants navigated an ambitious putting course with tennis ball obstacles.
The craft station offered two options: canvasses to paint what the girls were thankful for, and ornaments on which they could feature a word that empowers them.
“The girls have a lot of fun at these events, but parents are also grateful that we’re creating a sense of community and offering this chance for the girls to get involved,” said MJ Resendis, Program Manager, following the tenth Girls Golf event in San Antonio this year. “We’re really excited to see what next year looks like.”
Yet Another Way to Give Back to Girls Golf
As part of our partnership with LPGA (and sponsorship of Laura Diaz and Alana Uriell), for each new member who joins Dormie Network through this exclusive offer, we will donate a portion of the initiation deposit to Girls Golf.
Photos courtesy of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf at First Tee Roanoke Valley, USGA*LPGA Girls Golf Jersey Shore, and First Tee – Greater San Antonio