Ten 2015 New Year's Resolutions for Women Golfers

By: Nancy Berkley


Here they are - my New Year resolutions for every woman or junior female golfer who wants to learn to play golf or improve her game. Share my resolutions and make 2015 your best golf year ever!

1. Give a gift of introductory lessons to a friend who is "New to Golf." There are now many facilities that offer value-priced introductory lessons. You might consider taking the lessons with her; that's what friends (and parents) do. Alternatively, invite three friends, hire a golf instructor, stay around for lunch and have a party!

2. Take a playing lesson. As soon as you are comfortable on the practice tee and are able to make contact with the ball regardless of how far you hit it, ask a golf professional to give you a 30- or 60-minute "playing lesson" on the course. Tell her or him that you want to ride around at least nine holes and take a variety of shots from different places. You will be surprised how much more comfortable you will feel about learning the game when you know more about a golf course, in general.

3. If you have a friend who may think of herself as an "advanced beginner" and you know the game a little better, take her out on the course. Spend some time on a green and toss out two balls. Explain green etiquette: How to mark your ball, who putts first, who holds the flag, etc. Good green etiquette is a real confidence-builder. Sooner than you think, your good friend could also be your favorite golf partner.

4. Regardless of how good your game is, join the women's association at the facility you frequent the most. An active women's association encourages your club's management to pay attention to its female golfers. Ideally, your women's group should have a leader that women respect who can be your "voice" in communicating with management. A single, respected voice is usually more effective than a dozen women asking for the same thing. If there is not a women's association, ask the golf director or head golf professional or the board of directors to help you start one. Volunteer to help getting it organized.

5. Find your problem distance and master it. For example, focus on the 100-yard marker and practice that distance over and over. If you discover you are always 20 yards short of the green, practice short pitches and chips. "It's not how you drive, it's how you arrive" is a common golf saying. Make this the year you master your short game and putting.

6. Resolve to master the green-side bunker shot. Most women will hit better shots onto the green if they don't tighten up their swing in fear of landing in that hazard near the putting surface. So, put a stop to that. Master this shot so you can get the ball up and out and hopefully close to the pin.

7. Learn what a golf "handicap" is. (Here's where your golf professionals or a good friend who understands handicaps can help you out.) Handicaps allow golfers of different abilities to play on a level playing field. Register for a handicap at your local golf course or through the association you belong to. Once you are able to play nine holes and keep score in accordance with the rules of golf, you are eligible for a handicap. There are handicaps for nine- rounds and 18-hole rounds. Do not let anyone (including your golf professional) tell you that you don't need a handicap. It doesn't matter if you have the maximum handicap as, eventually, if you like the game and stick with it that handicap will get lower and lower to reflect your improving skills

8. Most women golfers are "recreational" golfers. They enjoy the social part of the game, being with friends and being outside. Winning is not all that important, and they may not even keep score or play a compete nine or 18 holes. Golf is about having fun. You can still add a little element of competition by putting in a sum of money (as little as a dollar per person) and pay out to players who one-putt. That's fun but still recreational golf.

9. For women who are able to play nine or 18 holes based on the USGA's official Rules of Golf, you are ready for "competitive golf." That means no "do-overs" or mulligans and taking penalties for lost balls, out-of-bounds shots and hitting into water hazards and taking penalty strokes. Accept the fact that winning or losing a golf match really says nothing about whether or not you are a nice person or good friend. It's okay to win a match against a friend. It's just one round on a good day for you. Next time, it may be her turn to win. Encourage your professional to offer some fun tournament formats. You may not always want to play competitively, but you will probably find that it sharpens your focus. Try this in 2015.

10. I read one scientific study recently that found golfers live longer than non-golfers. The study was completed in a country where people lead active lives so its participants may be predisposed to longevity for other reasons. But as someone who has played golf and observed women golfers for 50 years, I think the game really does enhance posture, flexibility and balance. Our brain and our body must talk to each other and work together as we play this game and that's healthy, too. So, my final resolution for 2015 is my marketing message: Be Happy, Be Healthy, Live Longer, Play Golf.

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. Nancy is a member of the World Golf Foundation Women's Committee that will be launching a comprehensive new website for all women golfers at the PGA Merchandise Show in January 2015 in Orlando, Fla. She is a featured speaker at PGA Section meetings and at national conferences. 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.