Women’s golf getting in the swing

The Professional Golfers Association, Ladies Professional Golf Association and United State Golf Association have been involved in initiatives to bring the sport to kids.The First Tee is a youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its values to young people.

This past year, there was one league in the Asheville area: Hendersonville Country Club had three teams of 34 players, and High Vista Golf Club had one team of 12 players, according to Hayley Wilson, who handles public relations for the PGA Junior League.

Each of the UNC Asheville golf team members interviewed for this story had a familiar theme of how they got into the game a family member introduced them to golf.

Rick Constance, who is the manager, golf professional and course superintendent at Lake Junaluska Golf Course in Waynesville, created the Lake Junaluska Girls Junior Golf Association with the intent to give girls an opportunity to learn and to play golf without cost being a factor.

The membership continues until the player graduates from high school as long as she continues to participate in some way — as in the case of high school girls helping run golf clinics.

We have funds from interested donors to provide scholarships of $1,000 a year to girls that participate in our junior program and go on to play golf on the team of their respective colleges.” Thompson’s journey in golf was made possible by a never-quit spirit and support from the Lake Junaluska girls golf program.

She started playing golf in the seventh grade at Canton Middle School when a friend asked her to try out for the middle school golf team because she didn’t want to be the only girl on the team.

“It serves as a developmental program for Pisgah High School, Tuscola High School, and other schools in Western North Carolina so that no other girl finds herself ‘the only girl on the team,’ ” Thompson said.

With golf opportunities expanding and the potential to be “the only girl on the team” decreasing, Thompson said it is good time to take advantage of those offerings and get into golf.