Junior Golf

Not just for boys!

As a kid playing junior golf, I found myself in an era where girls just did not play the game of golf in Scotland.

Yes, there was the odd exception but at my home club there just wasn't any taking part. I was also of the opinion that they did not have the qualities and talents required to play the game properly.

My early memories of female players was watching the Wednesday afternoon ladies stableford at our course during the summer months.

They were mainly wifes of bankers or lawyers and would emerge wearing bright coloured golf gloves, shoes and bermudas which must have been stretch proof going by the size of their rear ends.

We would all sit at the bay window of the player's lounge and watch them tee off at the first.

There was a burn that ran accross the fairway about 50 yards out from the ladies tee and it's main purpose was to protect the approach to the eighteenth green and of course add to the attractiveness of the course.

We used to enjoy betting on the outcomes of these tee shots and it amazed me how many of them either didn't reach the burn or topped one into it.

But oh how quickly everything is changing. Junior golf at my club in Germany has just as many girls as boys and although the boys are on average longer hitters, they are not better scorers.

She will be defending the ladies title in September and I am hoping to report that she will have played three rounds in the 70's and dropped below 8 handicap.

You may think Leela is a little extraordinary, and I suppose she is, but there are another two 12 y.o. girls in our region/county who are achieving similar results.

All three of them qualified for the German under 15's final later this year but Leela can't take part as she isn't of German nationality. I for one am not getting ahead of myself with Leela and am happy to report that she plays the game first and foremost for fun.

If by luck she continues to enjoy the game and overcomes the many distractions that face teenage girls, I am sure there are many future possibilities for her in this game.

I set her constant challenges or targets and without having to force her too much, she accomplishes them.

My one wish for the immediate future is that she starts to play on the golf course more often. She practices for about four hours every week during junior golf and team training but only plays on the course during tournaments which are normally only once or twice a week.

I can't imagine how great she would be if she stepped this up a little. I do believe her best is still to come.

She can already outhit me when she receives a 25 yards advantage from the ladies tees and hits her 9 iron an extraordinary 115 yds.

I know she can now hit almost every time in the seventies. she just has to get out on the course and get used to doing it. If the other junior golf girls would just follow suit then I am sure she would play more often.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my short update and once the club championship is finished I will report again.

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