The Value of a PWGA Membership
T
he Pacific Women’s Golf Association was founded by Helen Lengfeld in 1947 to promote the best interests of amateur golf, specifically for women living in Northern California. Our mission is to serve our 9,000 members at public golf courses through our 200+ member clubs. In addition to offering opportu- nities to compete, we provide other services that are often taken for granted. Camaraderie: One of the best benefits of joining a PWGA women’s golf club is making friends with fellow golfers. I joined a club shortly after moving to California several years ago. All the friends I have made have been a result of my joining a club; some have become very close friends. I started playing in the PWGA playdays, became more involved with PWGA, and can now proudly say I have friends throughout Northern California. Course Rating: The
PWGA has a force of more than 60 course raters (all PWGA members) and trainees to cover its eight geographical areas. The area course rating chairs are trained at USGA Calibration Seminars every other year and they pass on that informa- tion to their committees. In addition to member courses, PWGA course raters do courtesy ratings for courses not affiliated with a women’s golf association, and occasion- ally lend help to our sister organization, WGANC. All
By Peggy Ocrant Pacific Women’s Golf Association President
of these women volunteer their time and expertise to keep the course ratings up to date. A rating is usually good for seven to 10 years. So what makes this so
important? Without a current course rating, a golfer is less likely to obtain an accurate handicap index. The USGA Handicap System uses the rating and slope of a course in its formula to calculate the handicap index.
USGA Handicap Index:
This is one of the main perks of a PWGA membership. Al- though there are some golfers out there who feel they don’t need a handicap to enjoy golf, my guess is the majority of golfers prefer to have a handi- cap. The beauty of the USGA Handicap System is that it allows golfers at all levels to compete with each other. This is key in nearly all of the major tournaments that the PWGA offers to members. You don’t have to be a great golfer to win—you just need to either play to or better than your handicap to have a chance to win. Secondly, hav- ing a handicap enables you to track your personal improve- ment. Golf is an individual game, and being able to see yourself improving is reward- ing and satisfying. Rules Education: There are
several members who are rules volunteers. All of these women have been to rules school, rove the major tournaments and provide rules seminars for our members. They are always available to answer any questions, and often poll each other to make sure the answers given are correct. They also use other resources such as the NCGA or USGA for the more difficult questions.
(left)
Red Bluff High School, recipient of the PWGA Jr. Girls Grant Program
(below)
PWGA course raters do courtesy ratings for courses not affiliated with a women’s golf association
TPP Seminars: TPP is the
Tournament Pairing Program, which the PWGA uses for its major tournaments. Several of the area tournament chairs also use this program to conduct area playdays. The PWGA offers the software to all its clubs and training seminars to learn how to use the program.
Benevolent Projects:
The PWGA has four be- nevolent projects it supports. Many individual members and member clubs give gener- ously to The Komen Founda- tion, the Junior Golf Associa- tion of Northern California, the United Voluntary Services Swing Club and the PWGA Jr. Girls Grant Program. In addition, the PWGA annu- ally donates money from the
general fund to support all of these great causes. This year the PWGA is
proposing a dues increase to cover expense increases over the course of at least five years. This is causing many members to question whether the membership is of any value or even necessary. It is my hope that those in doubt will consider all of the aspects of the membership before making the decision to leave. Your dues not only ensure our association stays viable, they also support your board of directors—a working board that consists of volunteer members who genuinely care about the association and the membership. PWGA. . .we are not just
playing a round! SUMMER 2012 /
NCGA.ORG / 71
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