By Ruth Weydig, PGA Professional & CNY PGA Hall of Famer
I started swinging a golf club somewhere around 1970 or 1971. At that time, very few girls were involved in sports. Most of my friends attended dance class or swim lessons, and girls playing golf were few and far between in the Vernon area.
Over the past 40 years, junior golf participation has continued to grow locally and across the country. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson had a tremendous impact on youth participation in the game. Locally, junior golfers couldn’t wait to compete on the Mohawk Valley Junior Tour, which has since evolved into today’s Central New York PGA Junior Tour.
About 15 years ago, I began participating in PGA Junior League, a travel golf program for children ages 13 and under. At the time, Oneida Community Golf Club was one of only two clubs between Utica and Syracuse offering a program like this. Lyndon Golf Course in Fayetteville was the other.
Today, more than 20 golf facilities across Central New York participate in PGA Junior League programs for players 13 and under. As those younger golfers started aging out of the program, I became one of only three PGA Professionals in the area to offer a PGA Junior League program for players ages 14 to 17.
Both the 13U and 17U programs include weekly instruction along with matches against other golf clubs throughout the summer season. At Oneida Community Golf Club, our season begins in mid-May and continues through early August.
Women’s golf has grown in popularity since the 1980’s due to numerous factors. One of the main reasons that comes to mind is fewer restrictions regarding when women could play golf on the course. I remember not being allowed to play golf on weekends at the golf club where my family were members until 12:00 p.m.
“The future of the game is endless as golf is a lifelong sport!”
Golf has become much more family-friendly over the past 40 years. I spent many hours playing golf with my father, which I always think of as quality time well spent. The increase in youth and women in golf has also been impacted by the availability of more programs and golf professionals offering instruction for youth and women to learn the game.
Television and the media have also helped encourage the growth of the game amongst youth and women becoming involved in golf, not only as a recreational hobby, but also as a career.
In addition, starting in 1971 and with the signing of Title IX by President Nixon in 1972, colleges began offering scholarships to women athletes in 1975, which in turn opened many doors for young women with the desire to play collegiate golf.
I am not sure what excites me most about the future of the game of golf, other than being involved as a PGA Golf Professional and offering programs to keep growing the game. The talented youth are raising the bar and lowering their golf scores by hard work, practice and dedication.
The future of the game is endless as golf is a lifelong sport!
Golf in Central New York is special, as we have been previously limited to play the game for approximately 7 months unless one is fortunate to spend time in the southern part of the U.S., due to our long harsh winters, which allows many of our youths to play an alternative sport. I do believe that a well rounded athlete, as with the change of seasons, makes one look forward with determination and desire to make use of the shortened available time to excel at their chosen sport to be competitive with those athletes living in warm or cold weather conditions year round.
Many golf instructors are now teaching at indoor facilities and advanced technology for those golfers who want to keep their games sharp and lower their scores. Simulators, simulator golf leagues and PGA Golf Professionals play a strong part for many golfers during the cold, snow laden winters of Central New York.
What has been most rewarding for me over the years is watching the game continue to evolve and become more welcoming for young players, families, and especially girls. Golf has become much more social, much more accessible, and much more community-oriented than it once was. Seeing that growth firsthand has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.
“Seeing that growth firsthand has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.”
