What began as an idea to generate interest in women’s golf is now off to a great start.
The Springfield Women Ambassadors of Golf recently held its first meeting, drawing a combination of 28 seasoned and novice golfers for a nine-hole evening tournament and get-together at Millwood Golf & Racquet Club.
The goal is to encourage more women of all ages to participate in the sport, have fun and network, especially in events tied to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame as well as the PGA Web.com Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, said SWAG co-Founder Tara Rayle.
The Hall of Fame holds four Celebrity Golf Classics every year at some of the top courses across the state, and the Stan Musial Hall of Fame Championship every September.
Meanwhile, the PCCC turns to pro-ams and other golf-related events to build fundraising support for Ozarks children’s charities. The PCCC, for instance, has gifted more than $14.7 million since 1990, including more than $958,100 last year alone. Its schedule of events feature a dozen golf experiences, including the Michele Kiser Women’s Clinic & Fashion Show presented by Advertising Plus (July 16 at Highland Springs Country Club) and the Betty Allison’s Women’s Pro-Am on July 24 at Millwood.
SWAG’s founders include Tonya Choate McCall, Teri Cantwell, Rachel Simons, Taira Roth and Alicia Dinges. McCall is a former Mount Vernon and Drury University standout who played in several pro tours in the U.S. and overseas and was a contestant on Big Break Florida on the Golf Channel.
“A lot of women might say, ‘I’m not good enough to golf,’” Rayle said. “I tell them that’s what this is for. It doesn’t matter what level you are.”
Rayle, owner of Missouri Equipment Leasing in Springfield, hopes SWAG also becomes a way for women in business to network even more in a fun and relaxed setting. She said she has noticed few women participating in local charity golf events. As a corporate sponsor of both the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame and the PCCC, Rayle has has made it her mission to get more women involved and realize golf is for both men and women.
Membership to SWAG is $20 by August 1. That’s a $10 savings.
“It just opens a lot of doors, for business and for fun,” Rayle said.
Rayle’s heart certainly is in the right place.
Having golfed with her father when he was well in his 80s, Rayle plans to carry on the tradition with her children well into her 80s.
“Golf bridges generational gaps and brings a variety of people together,” Rayle said.
