Staying on course
December 6, 2013 by Las Vegas Black Image Magazine
Filed under Community, Events
Staying on course
For the members of Divas on Course, golf is a path to lasting friendships and athletic achievement
BY KIMBERLY BAILEY-TUREAUD
Golf has been historically dominated by men, but women around the world are breaking down barriers in the game. Among the pioneers: the members of Divas on Course, Nevada’s first golf club for African-American women.
Chartered in 2012 and affiliated with the Western States Golf Association (WSGA), Divas on Course began as a small group of women who had been “playing golf together for five or six years before we decided to create a club,” said Ellen Brown, founding member and president of the organization. “There are about 25 members, and we consider the club a developmental one — because some of our members have never played golf before. We are not focused yet on tournaments; we are focused on player development.”
Women interested in joining the group, which is linked to more than 30 other clubs in the Western United States, can find information and apply online at www.divasoncourse.com — where two levels of membership are offered. No matter what their level of involvement, members of Divas on Course never have to worry about walking into a hypercompetitive environment.
“For me, I have a high-stress job as an administrator at UMC Hospital,” said Divas on Course membership chair Rose Crocker. “Being a member of Divas on Course gives me a chance to break away, to just think. I am not competing against my other Diva sisters. I am competing to get that ball in that hole. You are competing against the course, not the people that you are playing with. It makes for a nonthreatening environment.”
In Crocker’s words, “the Divas ladies are fun” — a perspective shared by Brown, who truly appreciates the social benefits of club membership.
“I don’t know what I would do without the … club,” said Brown. “It has improved my quality of life tremendously, and is truly an outlet for a great time with wonderful ladies.”
That circle of friendship is expanding: Next year, with a big tournament scheduled to be held in Las Vegas, Divas on Course will host approximately 100 African-American women golfers from throughout the Western region.
As for those anticipating lengthy walks on the course, once they pick up a set of clubs and join the organization: “We are divas,” said Brown, laughing. “We ride the golf carts!”