Last year, the weather wasn’t very cooperative when the CWGA launched an effort to draw more members, but that didn’t dampen the association’s enthusiasm for the new CWGA Experience and more socially-oriented golf events in general.
Though the inaugural CWGA Experience originally was postponed, then hampered by windy and cool weather when it was held the following weekend last spring, CWGA officials think enough of the idea that they’re tripling the number of “Experience” events this year. They’re also scheduling several other fun, social golf outings that they hope will reach some potential new members as well as meet the needs of existing members.
Those ideas were among a wide variety of topics discussed Saturday at the CWGA Annual Meeting (pictured) held at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Englewood. About 250 people, representing approximately 100 clubs across the state, attended the event.
“We’re trying to offer the non-traditional golfer something that they’ll find beneficial, so they’ll want to join the association,” CWGA executive director Robin Jervey said.
Among the women the CWGA hopes to reach more effectively is the working woman who has limited time to devote to the game, and those who are more interested in golf as a social experience than as a competitive one.
To that end, the CWGA is promoting the Affiliate membership that it started last year. In addition, the association will hold three CWGA Experience events this year, along with three “Nine and Wine” outings designed as nine holes of golf after the workday. Also on the schedule this year is a CWGA-hosted outing to the U.S. Women’s Open in Colorado Springs and a mixed member play day held for both CWGA and CGA members.
The continued expansion of social-golf events “is very important,” CWGA president Joanne Braucht said on Saturday. “It’s in direct response to a survey we did of all our members a couple of years ago. “¦ What we learned was that 10 percent of our membership plays competitive golf and competes in our championships. So that leaves 90 percent who play social golf and who don’t enjoy competition. That doesn’t mean that they’re less of a golfer at all. So our push is to address the needs of our entire membership — not just the 10 percent — and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
CWGA Experience days planned for Saturdays this year are May 7 at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, May 21 at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs, and June 18 at the Olde Course at Loveland. All are set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and all are open to CWGA members ($69) and non-members ($99). The Experience includes a variety of clinics led by prominent local instructors, as well as lunch, goodies and, of course, the opportunity to dispense CWGA information.
Nine and Wine events are scheduled for June 1 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club’s par-3 course in Denver, July 27 at the Pelican Lakes Falls Course in Windsor, and Aug. 25 at Columbine Country Club’s par-3 course in Littleton. In addition, the CWGA and CGA will hold an 18-hole mixed member play day Aug. 2 at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster.
“We’re trying to cater to working women,” Jervey said. “A lot of women want to play, but couldn’t care less about having a handicap and competing. So we coordinate events trying to get new people to play.”
On top of all that, the CWGA is hosting a member outing to the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs to watch the final round of the U.S. Women”˜s Open on July 10 with a discounted VIP ticket package. But the CWGA’s presence at the Women’s Open hardly will end there.
Jervey and Kim Nissen, the CWGA’s director of rules and competitions, will serve as rules officials at the U.S. Women’s Open. Meanwhile, the CWGA will be in charge of marshaling the ninth hole at the Broadmoor’s East Course during the tournament. And Colorado will host a U.S. Women’s Open Sectional Qualifying tourney for the second straight year, this time on June 5 at the Broadmoor.
As for Affiliate membership in the CWGA, it costs $20 per year and provides all the benefits of a traditional CWGA membership except for a USGA handicap and ability to compete in CWGA championships. Among the perks are a 20 percent discount on greens fees at CommonGround, which is owned and operated by the CWGA and CGA; special pricing for CWGA-sponsored clinics and golf outings; twice-monthly e-newsletter updates on golf news and happenings; and discounted travel.
The CWGA drew a small number of Affiliate members through the CWGA Experience last year, but officials hope with many more events on the schedule this year, the number will greatly multiply.
“After the Experience, we didn’t have much to market to (Affiliate members in 2010),” Elbardawil said. “So we didn’t push it after that. But this year we’re going to be promoting it all season long since we have multiple events that they can participate in. We’re really hoping to get a boost in that program.”
With CWGA membership numbers overall dropping roughly 5 percent over the last two years combined, officials hope their new initiatives, combined with a gradually improving economy, might provided a significant boost.
“We’re trying to find products that people are interested in, so we’re throwing a few lines out there and seeing if anything sticks,” Jervey said. “We’re excited about what we’re doing this season, and hopefully it will be successful.”
CWGA Annual Meeting Notes
MEETING, SEMINARS WELL-RECEIVED: CWGA leaders were very pleased with the number of people (250) and member clubs (100) that turned out for Saturday’s meeting, which included seven “breakout session” educational seminars, a silent auction benefiting Colorado junior golf, and a luncheon combined with a business meeting. Some women attended from as far away as Glenwood Springs.
“The turnout was excellent,” CWGA president Joanne Braucht said. “This was one of our larger gatherings.”
The breakout sessions covered subjects such as slow play, the Rules of Golf, building a vibrant women’s club, club fitting, enjoying the game more, money matters for women, and dietary tips to maximize your golf potential.
“Everything I was hearing about the breakouts was very good,” CWGA executive director Robin Jervey said. “They seemed to enjoy the different topics, so I think we did a good job of picking things that people wanted to hear about.”
RECORD AMOUNT RAISED THROUGH SILENT AUCTION: Saturday’s silent auction, held in conjunction with the CWGA Annual Meeting, netted a record $8,277 for CGA and CWGA junior programs. That amount eclipsed the previous high for the auction by $744.
SCHULTZ RECEIVES CWGA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD: Sally Lou Schultz (pictured at left), who volunteered for the CWGA for about 20 years and was once a president of the association, on Saturday received the CWGA Volunteer of the Year Award, recognizing a lifetime of service to the organization.
Schultz has taken particular pleasure in her extensive work with junior golfers, and she still serves on the USGA Girls’ Junior Committee.
“It”˜s been very rewarding,” she said. “The highlight was watching them all grow and mature and coming into their own, whether it was in their game of golf or life in general.”
