The Austin, Texas chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association takes accommodating busy schedules to another level. The chapter, one of the EWGA’s 120 in the United States – it also has chapters in Canada, Bermuda, Italy and South Africa – has about 120 members in and around Austin. The chapter operates four nine-hole leagues in different areas of the city – three on weeknights and one on Saturday mornings at the Harvey Penick First Tee campus, which is designed for beginners.
Each league has 10-20 participants, said Sandy Wood, the chapter’s marketing director.
“We used to run much higher in the early 2000s, but our participation dropped during the recession; it’s gradually been increasing over the last couple of years,” said Wood, who estimated the age range of participants at early 30s to 60s. “We get a lot of women who are just starting out. We have a little younger base on our board this year and they’re coming in with some youthful ideas, and that’s what we want, to create more awareness among younger women.”
Similar to the Fred Meyer league, the EWGA’s Austin chapter provides a mix of competition and fun. Each league creates its own point system, which can include participation, closest-to-the-hole and long-drive contests. The competition is just one factor in why the leagues have lasted.
“I think it’s really about meeting other women who they feel comfortable with and playing golf [together], and it creates opportunities to network for business if you need to,” said Wood.
New nine-hole league concepts are joining more established formats, and the Idaho Golf Association is at the forefront. In 2014, it launched the IGA Members Tour, a series of twice-monthly, nine-hole competitions that take place at courses around Boise. The idea came about out of necessity, said Genger Fahleson, the IGA’s executive director.
“We started it because we had tried to do 18-hole, casual golf days for our membership, but we have such a small population base, we couldn’t get a field bigger than two or three signing up,” Fahleson said. “As more and more information came out about the time and financial constraints for golfers, we thought, let’s try some nine-hole [events].”
Points are awarded throughout the season, but there is no required minimum number of events. The concept was modestly successful in its inaugural season, with 18 participants, and it has drawn 18 players for the first two events of 2015. All events begin between 5:30 and 6 p.m. on either Friday or Saturday, and cost about $25, which reinforces another merit of nine-hole competition: affordability. Prizes are awarded for weekly low gross and low net, as well as at the conclusion of the league schedule in September. In 2014, every participant received some sort of prize.
Kevin Kramp, the head golf professional at Hidden Glen Golf Club in Cedarburg, Wis., has utilized nine-hole competition to get members on the course during otherwise off-peak times. The club’s nine-hole league runs for nine Wednesday evenings during the summer, using an unusual team format: low ball/high ball, in which two-person teams earn points based on low score and high score on each hole. Kramp said there were 96 participants in 2014, nearly half of the club’s 236-person membership, with similar numbers in 2015.
“It was a way to get play at a different time, and to get everyone involved,” said Kramp. “It was too hard to get people involved in a typical 18-hole league. This was a way to capture that guy, and have some competition, but not the entire day, so they can still work.”
And just as importantly, they can keep work from keeping them off the course.
Scott Lipsky is the manager of websites and digital platforms for the USGA. Email him at slipsky@usga.org.
The Austin, Texas chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association takes accommodating busy schedules to another level. The chapter, one of the EWGA’s 120 in the United States – it also has chapters in Canada, Bermuda, Italy and South Africa – has about 120 members in and around Austin. The chapter operates four nine-hole leagues in different areas of the city – three on weeknights and one on Saturday mornings at the Harvey Penick First Tee campus, which is designed for beginners.
Each league has 10-20 participants, said Sandy Wood, the chapter’s marketing director.
“We used to run much higher in the early 2000s, but our participation dropped during the recession; it’s gradually been increasing over the last couple of years,” said Wood, who estimated the age range of participants at early 30s to 60s. “We get a lot of women who are just starting out. We have a little younger base on our board this year and they’re coming in with some youthful ideas, and that’s what we want, to create more awareness among younger women.”
Similar to the Fred Meyer league, the EWGA’s Austin chapter provides a mix of competition and fun. Each league creates its own point system, which can include participation, closest-to-the-hole and long-drive contests. The competition is just one factor in why the leagues have lasted.
“I think it’s really about meeting other women who they feel comfortable with and playing golf [together], and it creates opportunities to network for business if you need to,” said Wood.
New nine-hole league concepts are joining more established formats, and the Idaho Golf Association is at the forefront. In 2014, it launched the IGA Members Tour, a series of twice-monthly, nine-hole competitions that take place at courses around Boise. The idea came about out of necessity, said Genger Fahleson, the IGA’s executive director.
“We started it because we had tried to do 18-hole, casual golf days for our membership, but we have such a small population base, we couldn’t get a field bigger than two or three signing up,” Fahleson said. “As more and more information came out about the time and financial constraints for golfers, we thought, let’s try some nine-hole [events].”
Points are awarded throughout the season, but there is no required minimum number of events. The concept was modestly successful in its inaugural season, with 18 participants, and it has drawn 18 players for the first two events of 2015. All events begin between 5:30 and 6 p.m. on either Friday or Saturday, and cost about $25, which reinforces another merit of nine-hole competition: affordability. Prizes are awarded for weekly low gross and low net, as well as at the conclusion of the league schedule in September. In 2014, every participant received some sort of prize.
Kevin Kramp, the head golf professional at Hidden Glen Golf Club in Cedarburg, Wis., has utilized nine-hole competition to get members on the course during otherwise off-peak times. The club’s nine-hole league runs for nine Wednesday evenings during the summer, using an unusual team format: low ball/high ball, in which two-person teams earn points based on low score and high score on each hole. Kramp said there were 96 participants in 2014, nearly half of the club’s 236-person membership, with similar numbers in 2015.
“It was a way to get play at a different time, and to get everyone involved,” said Kramp. “It was too hard to get people involved in a typical 18-hole league. This was a way to capture that guy, and have some competition, but not the entire day, so they can still work.”
And just as importantly, they can keep work from keeping them off the course.
Scott Lipsky is the manager of websites and digital platforms for the USGA. Email him at slipsky@usga.org.
