Women’s SC Golf Association grows the game with big plans on the tee for 2021

Golf is not a one-size-fits-all game, and finding a niche for players of all skills and goals can be challenging. Still, the Women’s South Carolina Golf Association always searches for ways to accommodate all comers.

The planning works.

The planning worked so well in 2020 that, WSCGA executive director Clarissa Childs said, “We had about 1,800 women get GHIN handicaps for the first time last year, and that’s a lot.”

No doubt fueled by the desire to find an outlet during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of those adding GHIN handicaps — via the USGA and its Golf Handicap and Information Network — suggests the WSCGA is achieving the sport-wide quest to “grow the game.”

“We had a really good year,” Childs said, “and we’re looking to improve in 2021.”

Early indications are promising. Entries opened Wednesday for one-day events on March 9, and 20 players entered at the first opportunity.

The association offers competition for all ranges of ability, from the Women’s State Amateur and South Carolina Women’s Open for highly skilled players to opportunities for those new to the game.

The women’s organization has blossomed since Childs, a former USC star and LPGA Tour player, became executive director in 2017. Events have become so popular that most have waiting lists.

The women’s amateur game in the state is especially strong at the top, a fact emphasized by the quality of play in 2020’s biggest tournaments.

In the Women’s State Amateur, Furman golfer Anna Morgan (Spartanburg) edged Hilton Head Island high school star and future Furman teammate Savannah Hylton in a playoff for the title. In the State Women’s Open, former USC All-American Katelyn Dambaugh won her first professional tournament against stout field of fledgling pros and top-level amateurs.

Programs for juniors and senior players are strong, and Childs hopes to attract more mid-amateurs. Meanwhile, the association’s “Fun and Funky One-Day Series” provides an outlet for those less skilled or just learning the game.

“We want to introduce players to tournament golf without the pressure of individual scores,” Childs said. “We play different formats with four-player teams, and it’s been popular with our members.”

One of those One-Days will be played at Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course, the top-ranked course in South Carolina and site of the PGA Championship in May.

Dates to circle on the calendar this year: the Women’s State Amateur, June 1-3 at Columbia Country Club; and State Women’s Open, Aug. 13-15, at Cobblestone Park Golf Club.

“We hope we’ll be able to do more for the players this year,” Childs said. “The Women’s Amateur was the first tournament after the coronavirus stopped everything in mid-March, and the restrictions kept us from doing all we wanted to for the players in the Women’s Open. We hope conditions will allow more social interaction off the course.”

Although most tournament sites have been set, a few remain to be determined thanks, Childs said, “to the popularity of golf.”

“Some clubs are having so much member play that they can’t give up their course for a three-day tournament,” she said. “But that’s a good problem to have.”

Like other amateur organizations, the WSCGA will adjust playing conditions in accordance to health guidelines. Shotgun starts will remain on hold until at least June, and host club restrictions will determine such things as raking bunkers and touching pins.

“We’ll see what’s working and reassess if needed,” Childs said.

Perhaps the biggest take-away from 2020 is the number of women who secured the USGA-sanctioned handicaps.

“Love it or hate it, getting a GHIN handicap is a commitment, and I’m pleased to see more players making that commitment,” Childs said. “It’s a game I love, and I love to see more people taking advantage of the opportunity to play.

“I’m excited to see where we are as an association, and we’re working to get better all the time.”

The planning works.

Chip shots. Winners of the Carolina Golf Association’s player of the year awards included Adrian Anderson (Murrells Inlet/junior girls), Max Green (Hilton Head Island/junior boys) and Jayne Pardus (Mount Pleasant/senior women).