It's About Time for Whaley

By: Nancy Berkley

Suzy Whaley made golf history Saturday evening, November 22, 2014, as she was sworn in as Secretary of the PGA of America Board of Directors. Suzy is the first female officer in the PGA's almost 100-year history. And I say: "It's about time!"

I met Suzy 15 years ago. In 1999, the National Golf Foundation (NGF) asked me to write a book for golf professionals and facility managers about how to attract more women to the game. There was no book like it. I always credit the NGF for being among the first major U.S. golf association to focus seriously on the potential and importance of the women's golf segment.

At the same time as I was writing my book, Suzy was completing her requirements for the PGA's professional certification. She decided to do her final required research paper on how to attract more women to golf. She read my book and we got together and talked more about the data I had been collecting and my suggestions for the industry.

When I updated the book and the NGF republished it in 2003 as "Women Welcome Here! A Guide to Growing Women's Golf," I asked Suzy to write the Introduction. I pulled the book off the shelf a few weeks ago as the PGA election was approaching and reread her Introduction. She had the vision and commitment a decade ago about the "why" and the "how" to grow the game of golf.

A copy of that Introduction written over 10 years ago is at the end of this article. It is amazing and reassuring that Suzy's commitment to the game has not wavered in any respect.

But there are a few other points I want to make. First, I hope that Suzy is not labeled as a token "female-golfer representative" on the PGA Board. She must represent the interest of all golfers - male, female, young and old. Going forward, her love of golf and heartfelt desire to expose more people to golf will and must transcend any single segment of the game.

Second, I hope that more women become members of the PGA Board. (In addition to four officers, there are 17 directors representing one from each of the PGA's 14 geographic districts on the PGA Board.) In my experiences in the business world, I always found that being the only woman at the table was better than not being there at all. But, to really ensure that the PGA cares about women golfers, its board, which will be predominately male for years to come, should have at least three female members at all times.

In my experience, "three" is the magic number that gives women a voice at all board and committee meetings - whether it's a committee of 10 or 50 - and regardless of how many men are sitting at the table. I have consistently advocated that all golf facility boards and golf committees should always have a minimum of three female members. Visibility overcomes the "minority" status that, unfortunately, has clouded and retarded the growth of women's golf.

Finally and third: In a recent note to Suzy before the election, I said I can't wait to add your victory to my &"History of Women's Golf Timeline" (beginning with Mary Queen of Scots). See http://nancyberkley.com/774892.html. And in four years, when it's expected that Suzy will become president of the PGA of America - the first female president in its 100-year history - I hope to add that to the Timeline.

But, I also wrote to her that I hope she is not known as the best "female" president. I hope she is recognized as one of the "great" PGA presidents - leading the game of golf to new heights for all golfers of all genders and ages in the U.S.

Her election Saturday could be the tipping point that turns the game of golf around in the U.S. She will battle a lot of traditional thinking on that PGA Board. But if you knew Suzy, like I know Suzy, Oh! Oh! What a future this game has!

Below is a reprint of Suzy's Introduction to "Women Welcome Here - A Guide to Growing Women&'s Golf" by Nancy Berkley - published by the National Golf Foundation in 2003 - and still available at www.ngf.org.

INTRODUCTION

By Suzy Whaley, Head Golf Professional
Blue Fox Run Golf Club, Avon, Connecticut

My interest in golf began when I was very young. I played golf all the way through high school and college and decided to make a career out of it. My goal was not to become a tour player. I chose instead to focus on teaching golf and was certified by the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional division.

A few years ago, I decided to become certified as a PGA of America professional as well. The PGA and LPGA programs have different areas of concentration and it is not uncommon for women to fulfill the requirements of both teaching certification programs.

My final requirement for the PGA Golf Professional Teaching Program was a presentation on a topic influencing the golf industry. I knew I wanted to focus on female customers and had read Nancy's 1999 book Women's Golf Program That Work. As I worked on my presentation, her book encouraged me to develop new and creative ways to help women enjoy the whole golf experience. I am quite certain that this edition will become required reading for anyone that wants to reach, teach and keep women golfers.

Women make 80% of household buying decisions, so it amazes me that facilities are not doing everything they can to attract and educate the female customer. That includes creating women's instructional programs, hiring female instructors and female personnel, creating women's sections in the golf shop and women's days, and providing baby-sitting and special on-course etiquette and rules seminars. These are just some the ways to make women feel more comfortable and therefore more likely to return.

Let me also add that women and men cannot be treated or taught the same way on the lesson tee. Women are not as strong as men overall and therefore their power and distance are limited. This, however, does not mean that women cannot play the game well or enjoy it as much as men. What it does mean is that a woman's swing must be more technically sound than a man's, so she can use her full range of her power and all the important muscles to hit the ball. Using only her upper body, usually the weakest part of a female, results in poor distance shots. Women generally must also be taught weight shift. Many women (especially those who finished high school before Title IX took effect) have not been exposed to as many athletic activities and do not automatically understand the basics behind hitting a golf ball farther.

As golf professionals, we must be willing to take the time to educate women. No one likes to feel ignorant - it makes any activity feel unpleasant. Golf primarily has been a man's game, but we are responsible for helping women learn to enjoy the pleasure of the game by giving them the tools they need. I have shared my thoughts with Nancy on how to offer those tools, and I hope you find them helpful as you come across them in the pages of this book.

In the next ten years, I think women's golf is going to make tremendous strides. Programs like the First Tee, Link Up 2 Golf, LPGA-USGA Girls Golf are leading the way in growing the game at the earliest entrance points. For us to keep women involved in the game we need more facilities to offer baby-sitting and women-specific programs. We also need to find ways for experienced women golfers to mentor new women golfers.

Golf is a game of self-discipline, ethics, hard work and honesty. (Hopefully it's also relaxing and fun along the way.) It teaches us and challenges us each time we play. My wish for women's golf is that it continues to grow and prosper and makes itself available to any woman who would like to take it up.

My hope is that readers of this book will make that happen.

Suzy Whaley

Nancy Berkley, President of Berkley Golf Consulting, is an expert on women's golf and junior-girls golf. She is a frequent contributor to www.cybergolf.com/womensgolf. Her book, "Women Welcome Here! A Guide to Growing Women's Golf," published by the National Golf Foundation, is an industry reference on marketing golf to women and spotting trends within the industry. She offers information and advice about the golf industry on www.berkleygolfconsulting.com and is often quoted in national publications. She was a contributing editor of "Golf for Women" magazine and a founding advisor of "Golfer Girl Magazine." Her interviews with women in the golf industry now appear on www.golfergirlcareers.com. Nancy lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Harvard University and Rutgers Law School. After a business and legal career, she decided to write about the game she learned and loved as a teenager. She describes herself as a good bogey golfer with permanent potential.

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