Girls Golf Opening Up

Girls in the NY Metro area have more opportunities than ever before to play and compete at top private clubs--even if their families aren't members.  One way that happens is through the WMGA (Women's Metropolitan Golf Association) Junior Girls' Fellowship Program, which is accepting applications for 2015 right now. Here's how it works:

You have the opportunity to apply for the Women's Met Fellowship which would afford you all the playing privileges and responsibilities of a regular WMGA junior member. The recipient would be able to join the association for a one-year period with the opportunity to receive the honor again.  The Association conducts about 30 competitions each year, providing WMGA  members with one of the largest and most varied playing schedules in the Met area. The schedule includes individual, partner, family, and team tournaments.  All entry fees and tournament related costs will be paid by the player.

To be eligible a girl must meet the following criteria:

• She must be between 12-18 years of age (must not have reached her 19th birthday by 1/1/2014 and started college)
• She must have a handicap index of 14.0 or less
• She or her parents may not be a member of one of our member clubs
• She must reside in the WMGA district (60 miles from Columbus Circle including all of Long Island)

Applications are due April 20, so click here to learn more.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf

A Young Golfer To Watch

The metropolitan area is swimming with good--and possibly great--young players, but one who hasn't received the recognition she deserves is Ellen Oswald, winner of the 2012 NYS Women's Amateur. Oswald, who plays out of Westchester Country Club, graduated from St. John's last year where she played on the women's golf team and was a four-time Academic All-American.

Ellen Oswald, NYS Women's Amateur Champion. Photo courtesy of the WMGA.

Oswald won the NYS Women's Amateur at Seneca Falls Country Club by five strokes over Sara Eichelberger of Rochester. It was Oswald's first time in the statewide event, but the win capped a strong season she finished as runner-up Player of the Year for the Women's Metropolitan Golf Association and was named Women's Amateur Player of the Year by the Westchester Golf Association. She finished second in the WMGA Stroke Play Championship the week after her NYS win and had also placed second in the WMGA/MGA Met Amateur Championship in June.

Word has it that Oswald has put her degree in finance to one side for the time being and is working on her game in Florida this winter with Mike Diffley, head pro of Pelham CC and St. John's alum. We'll be keeping an eye on her when she starts competing again this in the met area this spring.

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf