Anyone who says golf is easy is lying or selling you something. That goes doubly so for those who have been kept out of the game due to perceived biases, costly entry points or a lack of confidence. Women Golfers Give Back’s Get Golf Ready event, however, ensures that the businesswomen of the Delaware Valley are prepared for the next time they need to meet a client on the green.
Golf is one of the top networking activities when it comes to client outreach. Few enterprises match the power that golf provides to expand networks and improve business relationships. When nonprofit organization Women Golfers Give Back noticed how many women were unequipped with the skills to play the game, they started the Get Golf Ready clinic.
Ellie Good, who’s a member of the Women Golfers Give Back events committee and chair of the Golf Give Back events, says, “Golf has given me so many opportunities, with people that I’ve met, business connections and traveling. It’s just been a wonderful opportunity for me and opened so many doors. I am glad to support this program and get other girls involved in the game, and now women who have not had the junior golf experience that I had.”
Good has played golf her whole life. It’s been integral to her success, and now to her work with the nonprofit. She’s aware of just how intimidating it can be to get started for many individuals and recognizes that some have likely never stepped foot on a golf course before.
“Of course, it’s a very male-dominated sport, as many are. But hopefully, this program can relieve some of that intimidation. We have three different stations: putting, chipping and then also etiquette and FAQ,” Good shares.
The aim of the program is not to create golf pros overnight — though all the program instructors are professionals — but to ensure that the women attending can say “yes” to a company outing or business trip moving forward.
While program participants may not walk away with expert skills, they should feel comfortable enough to step foot on the green with their male counterparts, many of whom are likely not pro-level players either. Overall, Good hopes that the upcoming event will remove that initial barrier and let women into the conversation beyond golf.
Women Golfers Give Back is expecting 50 to 60 women again at this year’s event, which takes place on May 16 at Gulph Mills Golf Club in King of Prussia. Some will be more experienced than others, while many may have never picked up a club in their life. Doubtless, all will leave the event with more connections than when they arrived, as well as more assurance in their abilities and confidence in their game.
Get Golf Ready
Gulph Mills Golf Club, King of Prussia
May 16, 4:45-8 p.m.
Related: Gear Up for Golf Season Around the Main Line
