No Guys Allowed I
f you happened to be at Santa Teresa Golf Club the other day and thought
you glimpsed a couple of women playing in grass skirts and leis, no, you weren’t hallucinating. And that really was an all-you- can-drink mai tai station by the first tee. The dude spin- ning a hula hoop around his neck? That was golf shop manager Robie Kramer, who was supposed to be giving a group lesson on, uh, golf. And the statuesque, glamorous blond playing in flip-flops? That would be the hostess of these
Savvy Women in Need of Golf group is ensuring the game stays fun for females
festivities, Kristie Weyhe, the director of SWING NorCal. “Golf doesn’t have to be serious to be seriously addicting,” says Weyhe. Savvy Women In Need of Golf is described as a “traveling cocktail league” by founder Jenny Jennings. From her home base in Loveland, Colo., Jennings has spent the last two years hosting twice-weekly, no-boys-allowed outings designed to lower the considerable entry barriers for women interested in the game.
“Golf is such an intimi-
dating sport for beginners, especially women,” says Jennings, a 31 year-old mother of two who moon- lights as a hairdresser. “The whole point of SWING is to create a fun, low-pressure atmosphere where women can learn the game.” Pause. “The alcohol definitely
helps.” Weyhe and Jennings met less than a year ago but bonded immediately over the shared a belief that golf needs more glamour and fun and less stodginess. Thus SWING NorCal
was born, with Weyhe, an entrepreneur based in Los Gatos, hosting weekly events at courses like Coyote Creek, Cinnabar Hills and Los Lagos. SWING members pay a $100 registration fee and $19.95 to have access to a wide variety of outings. Among Weyhe’s ideas for
future gatherings are Putts and Butts, which would
“
Golf doesn’t have to be serious to be seriously addicting.”
SWING founder Jenny Jennings
SWING NorCal director Kristie Weyhe
include a cigar tasting, and Bloodies and Basics, pairing group lessons with Bloody Marys. The SWING model is so intoxicatingly fun a San Francisco chapter recently opened. Amidst all the mirth is an important lesson for an industry that has seen an alarming decline in partici- pation numbers. Nationally, girls and women make up less than a quarter of all golfers, so they are the most important demographic for growing the game. Weyhe doesn’t necessarily see herself as an agent of change, but she has some savvy observations. “The whole point of
playing golf is supposed to be to have fun, right?” she says. “I think people forget that sometimes.” And, she adds, “A glass of champagne will definitely help your game.” –Alan Shipnuck
To join SWING NorCal, visit the organization’s Meetup page at
Meetup.com/Swing-NorCal. Sign up to see upcoming events, and receive member benefits such as reduced green fees, free range balls, pro shop discounts and sponsor offers.
The SWING NorCal group on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links with head professional Chuck Dunbar 18 /
NCGA.ORG / FALL 2014
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