Is There Still a Grass Ceiling for Women?

About a dozen years ago there were a number of articles that were published concerning the barriers qualified women professionals faced because they didn’t utilize golf as a business and networking tool. In fact, a book was even published about this phenomenon called Breaking the Grass Ceiling: A Woman's Guide to Golf Business, by Cheryl Leonhardt.

The consensus of theses articles was that a woman’s professional advancement was blocked by not adopting golf as a lifestyle.

Whether they played or not, the fact was simple: Most businesswomen were not invited to the golf course and excluded from any “deals” that may have taken place on the course.

When I turned professional in 1987, the women on the golf course played for recreation and social reasons. Very few competed outside of their home course and seldom played with men unless it was “couples golf” on a Sunday afternoon.

In the past twenty years of teaching I have noticed a dramatic demographic shift of my golf students—particularly with the women.

The experienced women golfers I work with are professionals in their field, full of confidence, and seem entirely at ease on the golf course. The new golfers are recent graduates eager to embrace the golfing culture and confident that it will open doors of opportunity.

My question is this: Were these arguments successful, or is it still a work in progress?

Resources for women looking to learn more about golf:

• Play Golf America

• The Executive Women’s Golf League

• The Minnesota Chapter of the EWGA

—Dee Forsberg

Ole! Ole!

The Ladies Tour has a number of young “hotties” that are not only cute but play exciting golf. However, since the graying of Ben Crenshaw, Greg Norman and Fred Couples, the men’s tour has been sadly lacking in the eye candy department.

But things are looking up for the PGA Tour after the Tour Championship, and ladies around the world are singing OLE! OLE! The showdown between Sergio Garcia, and Camilo Villegas kept the women folk glued to the television and their men fending for themselves for the evening meal.

What made the season-ending Tour Championship exciting was the incredible play between Anthony Kim, Phil Mickelson, Garcia, and Villegas. These four duked it out on the back nine of East Lake Golf Club with such aggressive golf that thoughts of Tiger never entered into my mind.

Backing down and playing conservative golf wasn’t in the playbook yesterday when Kim hit a gutsy shot from the woods on the par five to keep himself in contention—even Johnny Miller showed admiration.

Villegas proved himself as a shot maker as he channeled a bit of Arnie Palmer with his steely pipes as he muscled his way into his finish position.

Sergio battled his putter (I think a few he stroked while the head cover was still on) but played strong until the end.

Even Phil managed to keep his food down without choking. They say Phil has trimmed up…but I think he just stopped into Victoria’s Secret and got a good bra fitting.

With Tiger still away, the PGA Tour better take a hard look at their new young players. These young men have more than what it takes to engage the fans. I was impressed not only with their athletic prowess and competitive play but also with their comportment on the course.

Kim, Villegas and Garcia showcased what we golfers hold most dear and that is champions that win with respect and dignity. It doesn’t hurt that they are also cute! Ole!

—Dee Forsberg

Thanks Annika

In 1993 I was a young assistant golf professional working at Brackets Crossing CC in Lakeville, Minnesota.  I was a few years out of competitive golf and working long hours at the club.  Nevertheless, I decided to take the opportunity to try and qualify for the Open that year in Denver at the International Club.  My pairing that day was with a young woman fresh out of college named Annika Sorenstam.  She had yet to win any professional titles, but her talent was evident as she worked her way flawlessly around the golf course.  She sailed through the qualifier with a smooth 69, hit 17 greens in regulation, and still putted the ball to the cup on the one green she missed.  I was impressed with her play, and I enjoyed her company that day, so I started following her name in the papers.  That year she placed in the middle of the pack, but it wasn’t long after that her career took a dramatic turn.

It isn’t often that one can follow another’s career with such a personal start.  I have enjoyed watching her achieve her milestones with hard work, determination, and incredible intelligence.  She has been categorized as shy, yet she presents herself with such dignity and poise in front of the media.  She truly is an icon and an inspiration to women’s golf.  The day she teed off with the boys in Texas, I was very proud of women’s golf.  It takes guts to get up there and tee off against the best in the world and know that your every move will be scrutinized and reviewed in front of an international audience.  I remember a man said to me earlier that week, ”Dee, why would she do that? Isn’t she afraid of losing?”  I replied that if she thought that, she wouldn’t be playing.

This is her farewell tour to golf.  She is retiring with an incredible legacy of achievements that young women will be chasing for years.  Every generation has a player that defines what the new standards should be, and Annika was that player.  She brought focus to women’s golf despite the shadow of Tiger’s dominance of the media.  As a fellow golf professional, I want to thank Annika for her time; she helped grow the game of golf through her incredible desire to achieve, and I look forward to seeing her play her last U.S. Women’s Open this week in Minnesota.

-- Dee Forsberg